I love my Samsung LN37A550! - Edit: Replaced it with a 32" LG

[AdamK47]

After two years of ownership I decided to try out another Samsung HDTV to use as my main PC monitor. The LN40C630 was on sale at Best Buy for $709 so I couldn't pass up the deal. The first thing I noticed after hooking everything up was just how bright it was. I don't like dynamic contrast when using it in PC mode, so compared to the LN37A550 it produced superior colors. Then I tried out some gaming... horrible! Not only did the LCD produce smearing of blacks, but it had an insane amount of input lag. I would have to guess it was around 100ms even in PC mode. No matter how much I tried to trick my brain into thinking this was OK, it was not. So I packed it up and returned it to Best Buy. I exchanged it for an Edge Lit LED UN4C6300. Bad idea. My worries about edge lit LED/LCD displays came true. On a dark scene the amount of uneven light coming from the sides was too distracting. Not only that, but it had the same problems as the LN40C630. Smeared blacks and horrible input lag. The colors really did not look any better than the LN40C630 when properly configured. The only useless (for me anyway) advantage I see in it is the depth, which is beneficial for those looking to mount it on a wall.

So now I'm back to my LN37A550. The colors may not be as "popping" as the two newer panels, but it's fast, has a totally even back light, doesn't smear, and has super low input lag.

 

[Oyeve]

I have the same series Samsung but in the 32" size. I love it and the only problem I ever had with it was the stupid 50 cent capacitor that blew, but I managed to fix it myself for less than a buck. The image is still great even after 2 years.

 

[NoSoup4You]

So the 'Game Mode' didn't fix the input lag? I see reviews on Newegg stating 'Game Mode' made the XBox and PS3 playable. If 'Game Mode' wasn't selectable, did you try goth HDMI and VGA connections for the pc? Thanks for the input, I tried to buy one of these on Wednesday due to the sale at Best Buy but they were out of stock. They told me to come back today, but if it's no good for pc usage then I'll pass.

 

[AdamK47]

Game mode is as fast as PC mode in my experience. Not only that, but game mode looks worse.

 

[NoSoup4You]

Did you try disabling the 120hz Automotion feature? I believe that's what Samsung calls it, they were showing it off at Best Buy where half the screen had it turned on and the other half off. Just wondering... I'd REALLY like to pick that tv up today for the $709 price tag.

 

[AdamK47]

The "120hz" gimmick isn't available in PC mode. The PC already renders 60FPS at 60hz. no need to splice in extra frames.

 

[NoSoup4You]

Well, I bit. Picked up the Samsung for $709 today and I've played both Mass Effects (1 & 2) and they look/played great. I'm hooked up through a DVI to VGA adapter. Crysis Warhead and BF:BC2 also looked great. Not sure how sensitive I am to input lag but just thought I'd share my thoughts. I couldn't be happier with this set (LN40C630) The picture is incredible, but maybe I'm just used to my previous piece of junk 37" 720p tv. That suckers going on Craigslist asap, can't believe I stuck with it this long.

 

[AdamK47]

Found a replacement for my trusty Samsung. I picked up the 32" LG 32LD450. After spending near a month finding the right one to use as a PC monitor I settled on this one. It has everything I want. Very low input lag, no black streaking, lower pixel response time, even backlighting, dark blacks, bright colors, excellent viewing angles, simple clean look, and it's a great size to use as a monitor.

I was a bit worried at first since a pure HDMI connection had a bit of ghosting that could be seen with text and graphical borders. Switching to a DVI to HDMI connection and setting it to a sharpness of 40 fixed it. I tried out the newer Samsungs as previously mentioned in this post along with a 27" ViewSonic with a TN panel. This LG was only $469. Much cheaper than the Samsungs and only $80ish more than the 27" ViewSonic. I'm not even sure why TN panels exist anymore. I get 32" panel as opposed to 27" and it's S-IPS to boot! Very very much worth the $80 extra. This panel shows subtle color differences that I haven't even noticed before. This forum for instance. The very light blue in the crumb trail at the top and message posts seem to have a tinge of blue/purpleish in it. When I go to other vBulletin forums that looked the same before, I can see the colors are very different. It was probably visable with the PVA panel in my 37" Samsung, but it's not as strikingly evident as it is now.

Anyway, I'm happy with it. Here's a pic I took a little while ago: