Samsung LN46A550

It's hard to find fault with Samsung's LN46A550. I found some of the images from our over-the-air tests lacking in detail, though my fellow judges felt otherwise. Also the user's manual leaves something to be desired...but that's about it.

In our image quality tests of nine competing 46- and 47-inch HDTVs, the Samsung came out on top, with Vizio's VO47LF and Syntax-Brillian's Olevia 747i a close second and third, respectively. The Samsung excelled with Blu-ray discs. In a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl images looked as though they came from a mint 35mm print.

The set's audio quality is fine for talk shows and sitcoms, but it hardly qualifies as exceptional. To handle high-end sound reproduction, you'll want a real surround-sound stereo unit.

The LN46A550 is wonderfully easy to use. The icon-based on-screen menus are clear and easy to read, with an explanation at the bottom of the screen of what each item does. A separate tools button on the remote control acts the same way Windows' right-click mouse button does, bringing up a handy selection of options appropriate for the current input. Another neat feature: When turning on a connected device (such as a DVD player), the TV automatically switches the input to that source.

The backlit remote control's large, color-coded buttons make it look almost like a child's toy, but they benefit users of all ages. Still, the remote isn't perfect. It lacks a dedicated PiP button, so you have to access Picture-in-Picture through the menus. And the aspect ratio button is labeled 'P.Size.' Who's going to guess what that means without resort to the documentation? And finally the remote isn't programmable, which means that you can't use it to control your DVD player or VCR unless the device uses Samsung's proprietary Anynet technology, which is based on HDMI's Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel.

The quick-setup guide is messy and hard to read, and could easily intimidate a novice. The thick bilingual manual (104 pages just for English), meanwhile, explains everything in detail but is wordy and difficult to follow.

Samsung has given the LN46A550 many fine features. You can view pictures and listen to music through the USB port. Easy-access inputs on the side include HDMI, S-Video, and USB. The set swivels on its stand for odd-angle viewing and for easy access to the back. The result is a well-rounded high-def television that does close to everything you'd want it to. And at its price ($1500), it stands out as a clear winner.