Samsung LE32B450C Review: Quality HDTV at an Affordable Price

One of the greatest concerns when you buy a new appliance, especially a large one, is the size, but the Samsung LE32B450 LCD TV defies this norm with its ease of handling. Although its screen is 82 cm, the TV only weighs 10 kg. Therefore, anyone should be able to mount it alone, and the enjoyment of using it once you've gotten it installed is peerless.

Like many of today's TVs, the Samsung LE32B450 has a black lacquered finish, which gives it a stunning appearance. Its 82 cm diagonal screen has an aspect ratio of 16/9, a contrast of 30,000:1, and a resolution of 1360 x 768 pixels. The speakers are not left out, though, with a power of 2 x 5 W.

One thing that will probably be a considerable concern for most of you, although I could really care less, are the number of in- and output sockets on the Samsung LE32B450. It seems that what you can connect to your television is almost as important as how it performs, and rightly so, in this age where you can get on the internet on the TV. The Samsung LE32B450 does not disappoint. It has classic SCART sockets, an antenna, two HDMI ports, a DVI audio input jack, 5.1 audio out, audio and video output for DVDs, and a couple of data ports. Besides including all these convenient connectivity options, Samsung has located them in one area on the rear of the Samsung LE32B450.

The Samsung LE32B450 is configured through the menu button on the remote. By going to the menu, you can manipulate the sound and imagery of the TV, plus you can control parameter devices. Going into too much detail is really a waste of time unless you own the TV, so I'll just skip it.

Everything about the Samsung LE32B450 is not good, however. The biggest problem for me was the fact that fast scenes, such as a ball being hurled through the air, tend to ghost the screen. The frequency of the Samsung LE32B450 is not fast enough to keep up with these more demanding images. If you want a better frequency, at least 100 Hz, you'll have to pay more. Also, LCD technology doesn't provide the best viewing angle. I had to sit in front of the screen to get the most image quality.

For this price, the Samsung LE32B450 is definitely a great deal. It has nice resolution and contrast, plenty of ports for your peripheral devices, and a large screen. Ghosting and a narrow optimal viewing angle are its downsides, but they're not major and don't really take away from its value. I'm just amazed to go from a 51 cm CRT to the 82 cm Samsung LE32B450 LCD TV.