Official Samsung LNxxA550 (Series 5) Owners Thread NO PRICE TALK!

[wesleyforbes]

I ordered a LN46550 from Amazon on Friday, set to ship on Monday 12/15. I have heard and read good things about the TV. It is currently ranked #2 by consumerreports.com, second to yet another Samsung. I have a Sharp Aquos that is three years old (720p) that will be moving into the bedroom to be replaced by the Samsung.

I wasn't really planning on getting a new TV until I got a Panasonic bd35 blu ray and new HDMI AVR (Pio 1018). I ran it by my wife and she was okay with it. I have to agree with the guy when he said that he didn't like the ToC. I was thinking that I was going to go down in size to get the 6 series TV. Our present TV is 37" and my wife said what's the sense in getting a 40", so we decided on the 46". Plus, I am just not into the ToC.

I do have a question as being new to this thread, what are you all talking about when you say a C screen vs. a S screen? And I read about firmware, and is that something that you can update, or is it just what you get? I didn't know that TVs could be hooked up to the internet to update firmware.

Anyways, I am looking forward to getting this TV as it will be a big difference in size to what we currently have, as well as being 1080p!

[Tvidiot]

Originally Posted by wesleyforbes

I ordered a LN46550 from Amazon on Friday, set to ship on Monday 12/15. I have heard and read good things about the TV. It is currently ranked #2 by consumerreports.com, second to yet another Samsung. I have a Sharp Aquos that is three years old (720p) that will be moving into the bedroom to be replaced by the Samsung.

I wasn't really planning on getting a new TV until I got a Panasonic bd35 blu ray and new HDMI AVR (Pio 1018). I ran it by my wife and she was okay with it. I have to agree with the guy when he said that he didn't like the ToC. I was thinking that I was going to go down in size to get the 6 series TV. Our present TV is 37" and my wife said what's the sense in getting a 40", so we decided on the 46". Plus, I am just not into the ToC.

I do have a question as being new to this thread, what are you all talking about when you say a C screen vs. a S screen? And I read about firmware, and is that something that you can update, or is it just what you get? I didn't know that TVs could be hooked up to the internet to update firmware.

Anyways, I am looking forward to getting this TV as it will be a big difference in size to what we currently have, as well as being 1080p!

The different panel letters signify the panel manufacturer.
S= Samsung
C= CMO
A= AUO
The S panels IMHO are more consistant in quality than the Chinese made A & C. ( I have had both a S panel and a C) I'm currently on my 2nd C panel and this one has better black levels and off angle viewing than the first one. I'm starting to believe that any 46" 550 made after August 08 will probably have a C panel.

You can update firmware on the 550 with a USB thumb drive. There is no way to hook the set up to the internet. You have to download it from the Samsung website to the thumb drive , then update the firmware through the set's USB port.

I would'nt mess with any firmware updates unless you are having some kind of issue that the update is designed to resolve.

[dasher123]

I have a C panel and it's fine so far.
I wouldn't generalize the troubles some have with C panels that strongly yet. It could be a bad batch, or a number of reasons. There have been reports of non-uniformity of S panels, too...

like someone said, inconsistency between panels of same type can be bigger than that between the different types.
(bad s panels can be worse than a normal C panel, etc.)

I am keeping an eye on my C panel, but it seems to be fine so far: no dark spots, or anything of the kind. mild flashlights on the upper corners which I saw a few times earlier seem to have gone away. It was very mild, and even if it still existed, it wouldn't have bothered me enough anyway, though.

I will update and report if I notice anything on mine...

if I DO notice something within the 30 days, what would be the better way? exchange at CC? but then I still couldn't be sure that I'll get a better panel...
or call Samsung for service?

[Tvidiot]

Well... like I said I'm on my second C panel and the same dark spots are there. I can only report on what I've seen . My first C was made in September , the second in November. Now I dont know how many 46" 550s' Samsung builds per month but I would say it's at least in the thousands. ( Amazon had 250 included in their random deal drawing over black Friday weekend) So by that reckoning, there would be a pretty bad batch of C panels. I'll agree that that inconsistency within the same type could be greater than between types, but in my experience the C panels seem to consistantly have the same non-uniformity. If I had gone through this ordeal receiving S panel as replacements, then I say the same about the S panel. Perhaps you received an unusually good C panel . I have yet to see one.

If you do start having issues, and your within the 30 days, take it back . Dealing with Samsung can be very frustrating and can take up to a month to get any results. By that time your 30 days is up.

[jayjonboy]

I thought that the type of panel you had was the last letter of the serial number on the back of the TV?? Mine has a "B" at the end. Is there a "B" panel or am I reading it wrong?

Also, what do you guys use to clean your screen? I did not see anything in the guide that came with the tv...there was a cleaning cloth but I believe that is for the frame of the TV and not the screen.

I just got my 550 on Tuesday and so far I am very pleased with the picture and quality of the set. I cannot see any dark corners or flashlights that some of you speak of. My only complaint with the set would be the built in speaker. I hooked it up to a Sony home theater speaker system and it is much better. I have a Samsung Blue Ray, a Samsung DVD player/recorder and my Sony home theater system plugged into the set.

My biggest problem is having 5 remote controls. One for the Cable, Blue Ray player, DVD recorder/player, Sony home theater and finally the TV itself. I think I will check with Charter to see if I can program their remote to control as many of my componets as possible.

[Sammy4Lyfe]

Hey guys, I'm having trouble with my firmware upgrade for the LN32A550. I'm trying to upgrade it to 1005.1, but when I try to upgrade and it says 'Searching for USB, it may take up to 30 seconds', it says 'No file to upgrade found, please check it and retry.' I have both the T-PRL3AUS and the other file (L540_L550_L580_firmware_1005.1.exe), what's wrong with it, my Flash Drives format is FAT32 as well.

[wesleyforbes]

Originally Posted by jayjonboy

My biggest problem is having 5 remote controls. One for the Cable, Blue Ray player, DVD recorder/player, Sony home theater and finally the TV itself. I think I will check with Charter to see if I can program their remote to control as many of my componets as possible.

I am using a Harmony 880 remote from Logitech that I bought refurbished from Amazon.com. It works great! Got rid of 5 remotes and now down to one.

I will need to delete my Sharp Aquos and add the Samsung once it arrives.

[msmisfit]

Originally Posted by TheSchlaf

So before I order, is there any quality difference between the 37a550 and the 40a550, or is it just size?

Not sure what you're asking by "quality" difference, but if it is strictly "picture quality" I can't speak to that. However, there are quite a few feature upgrades/differences, I trust you are aware of. If not, I'd go to a web site and compare them side by side.

I think a 37" size would be better for my bedroom, but I finally chose the 40", because of those additional features, and haven't regretted it.

[Ghpr13]

Originally Posted by jayjonboy

I thought that the type of panel you had was the last letter of the serial number on the back of the TV?? Mine has a "B" at the end. Is there a "B" panel or am I reading it wrong?

Also, what do you guys use to clean your screen? I did not see anything in the guide that came with the tv...there was a cleaning cloth but I believe that is for the frame of the TV and not the screen.

I just got my 550 on Tuesday and so far I am very pleased with the picture and quality of the set. I cannot see any dark corners or flashlights that some of you speak of. My only complaint with the set would be the built in speaker. I hooked it up to a Sony home theater speaker system and it is much better. I have a Samsung Blue Ray, a Samsung DVD player/recorder and my Sony home theater system plugged into the set.

My biggest problem is having 5 remote controls. One for the Cable, Blue Ray player, DVD recorder/player, Sony home theater and finally the TV itself. I think I will check with Charter to see if I can program their remote to control as many of my componets as possible.

I have a LN40A550, I use the blue cloth to clean the screen, then rinse it in water only and let it air dry. Also I have a Harmony 670 Universal remote I picked up online for $75.00. I have it programed to control my 550, my Moto HD DVR/Cable box, my Panny DVD/HTIB, my TiVo and my Vcr, oh and a Honywell Fan. It's a great remote. You can program it using the USB port on your computer with the Harmony software. You can set it for "Activities" like Watching TV. My wife loves it cause all the other remotes are put away and she only has to press one button on the Harmony to turn on the 550, set the input to cable, tune in the cable TV guide. Then she can look through the guide untill she finds wath she wants to watch. I see why they name it "Harmony", that's what it creates for a husband.

Best viewing to you,
Ghpr13

[sn21889]

for the people who are getting these tv's recently, what settings are you using? clicqs, cnets, something else? trying to find out what settings are going to look best with the most recent firmware, as ill be getting a tv soon

[Vegaz]

I couldn't find CNET's. I'm using the in between numbers of cliq's 995 and 1006 with a few options changes to have more "pop".

[chef jer]

Originally Posted by Vegaz

I couldn't find CNET's.

I was using and really liked cnet's setting until the latest clicq settings. I have switched to clicq's and think i'm gonna stick with those for awhile.

Cnet's settings can be found here http://reviews.cnet.com/9602-12576_7...sageID=2510983

[sn21889]

chef, which are the latest clicq settings? his 995 post?

[chef jer]

Originally Posted by sn21889

chef, which are the latest clicq settings? his 995 post?

They can be found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post15251316

I think that the firmware of these sets in some way effects the color. I had 1001 firmware before the update and while I liked clicq settings they just never seemed quite right. I had attributed it to minor differences between panels. Since upgrading to 1006.1 and clicq's calibration for 1006.1 the colors and whites seem more accurate. I am now thinking that his calibrations are very specific for the firmware you have. If I recall, after clicq updated his firmware it changed the accuracy of his settings and hence the new calibration. Clicq could probably offer more incite on this however.

[TheSchlaf]

Originally Posted by msmisfit

Not sure what you're asking by "quality" difference, but if it is strictly "picture quality" I can't speak to that. However, there are quite a few feature upgrades/differences, I trust you are aware of. If not, I'd go to a web site and compare them side by side.

I think a 37" size would be better for my bedroom, but I finally chose the 40", because of those additional features, and haven't regretted it.

The quality difference people were talking about (about page 50 is when it started) was the different picture quality between the 37" and 40" panels, however, I was wondering if that's the S vs. C vs. A panel discussion we're in now. I was also wondering if $200 is enough to justify the jump between 37" and 40" (Honestly, they both look really good to me). I will accept the 37 but, I've heard that bigger is better, plus the features you mentioned ( I have a feeling I am headed down the road of "Only you can decide that" advice that I'll eventually receive). Thanks for answering my post by the way.

[rckrz6]

So i've read a few posts about ghosting and id have to agree. Although not so noticable with movies (have a few times on upscaled SD content not an issue though), i do notice a lot on the PC input with my computer. By simply dragging a dark picture around that has a lot of contrasts to it (extreme dark to extreme light) the dark spots seem to ghost, trail, smear all over the lighter spots even if its dragged around slowly. I did the same thing with my 22" lcd monitor and it also does it but you really have to look for it. Barely noticable. Also tested on a CRT too and it obviously has no issue it all. A550 on the other hand its VERY noticable. Both LCD are rated for 5ms. I understand there is no industry standard so you can't compare specs but i find it sort of unacceptible. A $260 monitor (purchased 2 years ago) should not outperform a current $1100 tv. I have noticed it while scrolling through the dark boxes on the Xbox 360 new dashboard. The background is a lighter color so all the dark boxes ghost really bad. . I also tested this against the 22". It had slight but acceptible ghosting. Crt had none.

I previously had a lg30 which i though had ghosting issues, but acually wasn't much off from the 22" monitor.

I have accepted the fact that all LCD are going to ghost but im not sure if i should exchange this one for a sony v4100 and just cross my fingers and hope it has less ghosting. I do like the fact that the sony does not lock the basic picture settings in game mode which is a big plus although the specs on paper are not as good and has a stationary stand. The input lag on the A550 not in game mode is so so but could be better

As for the view angles.... if i go slightly off the middle, the blacks are not so black anymore. but from id say from 8% to 100% the picture looks the same. But from 0% to 8% the picture gets lighter and washed about a bit. Large verticle view angles have red push. I can live with that part i guess.

I do also have a clouding issue. The upper right and low right part of the screen has blue looking patches on black screens and letter box. Not noticable though on normal picture. So im ok with it

My Tv model is ln40a550 with an "S" panel.
Firmware 1006.1 did not correct the issue

[Christine85]

I purchased the 32'' and i've been playing with the TV settings to get a good picture. What the picture is doing is streching out everything and HD channels have the black bars on top and bottom. The cable box guide (Comcast) is even streched out.

The settings on the cable box is set to 16:9, ybpbr to 1080i and 4:3 override set to off.

I have the TV connected via component 1 to component 1 out on Samsung DVD recorder. Then audio/video in from DVD recorder to cable box audio/video out.

I called Comcast and they said everything looks ok. I called Samsung and the lady said to call back tomorrow and talk to a tier 2 tech.

I hope you guys can help me out on this!

[dasher123]

TVIdiot:
did you try unlpugging the TV for about 5 min. and plugging it back in, to see if it changes anything with the dark spots?

[dasher123]

Originally Posted by rckrz6

i do notice a lot [of ghosting] on the PC input with my computer. By simply dragging a dark picture around that has a lot of contrasts to it (extreme dark to extreme light) the dark spots seem to ghost, trail, smear all over the lighter spots even if its dragged around slowly.


As for the view angles.... if i go slightly off the middle, the blacks are not so black anymore..... from 0% to 8% the picture gets lighter and washed about a bit. Large verticle view angles have red push. I can live with that part i guess.

I do also have a clouding issue. The upper right and low right part of the screen has blue looking patches on black screens and letter box. Not noticeable though on normal picture. So im ok with it.

My Tv model is ln40a550 with an "S" panel.
Firmware 1006.1 did not correct the issue

This is exactly what I mean.
this is an S panel that seems to have the same or even more uniformity/spots problems than a C panel.
I don't think an S panel is a guarantee of perfection.
we'll see how my C panel performs over time...if it stays the way it is now, which is absolutely fine, I will be a happy man.

[smiley49]

I just ordered a LN46A550 from amazon on Friday and got an email today saying it shipped and will be here by the 22nd. I believe they are supposed to call me and set up a delivery time for their white glove delivery service. I'm quite excited as the TV it is replacing is a 20" sony from 1997. I will let you all know which panel type I receive.

[Christine85]

Originally Posted by Christine85

I purchased the 32'' and i've been playing with the TV settings to get a good picture. What the picture is doing is streching out everything and HD channels have the black bars on top and bottom. The cable box guide (Comcast) is even streched out.

The settings on the cable box is set to 16:9, ybpbr to 1080i and 4:3 override set to off.

I have the TV connected via component 1 to component 1 out on Samsung DVD recorder. Then audio/video in from DVD recorder to cable box audio/video out.

I called Comcast and they said everything looks ok. I called Samsung and the lady said to call back tomorrow and talk to a tier 2 tech.

I hope you guys can help me out on this!

After banging my head over this, I'm assuming it's the DVD recorder not outputing properly. I have an HDMI cable laying around and hooked it up TV to the cable box only and the picture displayed perfectly. (SD channels in SD and HD in HD) I'm going to call Samsung tomorrow and talk to a tier 2 tech and see if there is another way around this.

[clicq]

Originally Posted by jayjonboy

I thought that the type of panel you had was the last letter of the serial number on the back of the TV?? Mine has a "B" at the end. Is there a "B" panel or am I reading it wrong?

As far as I know, the only place that indicates the panel type is on the sticker on the back of the set with all the model information. I made a post about this awhile back, with the letter you're looking for circled.

Originally Posted by Sammy4Lyfe

Hey guys, I'm having trouble with my firmware upgrade for the LN32A550. I'm trying to upgrade it to 1005.1, but when I try to upgrade and it says 'Searching for USB, it may take up to 30 seconds', it says 'No file to upgrade found, please check it and retry.' I have both the T-PRL3AUS and the other file (L540_L550_L580_firmware_1005.1.exe), what's wrong with it, my Flash Drives format is FAT32 as well.

Many people are going to tell you not to upgrade if you don't have the specific issue the firmware addresses, but if you want to do it anyway...

A few questions:
1) You have a US set (or at least you found the firmware update by searching for your model number on Samsung's site).
2) On your flash drive, you have the T-PRL3AUS folder, and there's stuff inside (the folder size should be about 36 mb). That folder also has to be on the root of the drive (i.e. it can't be inside another folder).
3) How big is your flash drive?

Assuming those are good, here's some suggestions:
1) Format the flash drive again
2) Try another (maybe smaller?) flash drive
3) If neither works, I think if you call Samsung, they'll send you a flash drive with the firmware update on it

[rckrz6]

Originally Posted by TheSchlaf

The quality difference people were talking about (about page 50 is when it started) was the different picture quality between the 37" and 40" panels, however, I was wondering if that's the S vs. C vs. A panel discussion we're in now. I was also wondering if $200 is enough to justify the jump between 37" and 40" (Honestly, they both look really good to me). I will accept the 37 but, I've heard that bigger is better, plus the features you mentioned ( I have a feeling I am headed down the road of "Only you can decide that" advice that I'll eventually receive). Thanks for answering my post by the way.

i was in the same situation and i just sucked it up and got the 40" IM happy i did as the 37" would have been to small

[2hHill]

Originally Posted by ArizonaDB

Hey 2hHill, Have you considered trying the program called UDPix. Do a google search for it and you will find the site.

It's supposed to help unstick stuck pixels. I havent tried it myself, but I found it listed in one of the forums here and others have had luck with it. Might be worth trying before returning your TV. Good luck and let us know if it works for you

I went to try out this program but my pc is screwed up and i cant run it, Maybe the next time my friend stops over ill have him bring his laptop but its only one pixel and like i said before you cant see it unless you get right up to the screen so it don't bother me.

Had the set for almost a week now and i LOVE it. I don't have any of the problems other people have seen with C panels so if you get one at least try it out before heading right back to the store.

One question, I'm a smoker so ill need to clean the screen maybe once a month. I did a little research on this and found there are cleaning solution's made for LCD's but some people say they left "streaks" on the screen. What do you guys use/recommend? I was going to pick up a microfiber cloth and i read you should use distilled water and a capfull of isopropyl alcohol?

This was a fairly big investment for me and i don't want to take one chance of screwing it up.

Thank you

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by Christine85

After banging my head over this, I'm assuming it's the DVD recorder not outputing properly. I have an HDMI cable laying around and hooked it up TV to the cable box only and the picture displayed perfectly. (SD channels in SD and HD in HD) I'm going to call Samsung tomorrow and talk to a tier 2 tech and see if there is another way around this.

So cable box to TV displays correctly. Cable box to DVD to TV displays incorrectly. Tell me again why you want to call Samsung? Have you gone through the menus on the DVD? There's really only two (IMHO) valid settings on the Samsung... 16x9 or 'Just Scan'. Everything seems to work correct for me with 16x9 set. I have an upconverting DVD player, Dish Network VIP211 HD receiver (both HDMI through my Sony A/V receiver), Wii (componant through Sony), and Sony VHS (composite through receiver).

[Tvidiot]

Originally Posted by dasher123

TVIdiot:
did you try unlpugging the TV for about 5 min. and plugging it back in, to see if it changes anything with the dark spots?

No I haven't tried that, but I'll give it a shot.

Originally Posted by dasher123

This is exactly what I mean.
this is an S panel that seems to have the same or even more uniformity/spots problems than a C panel.
I don't think an S panel is a guarantee of perfection.
we'll see how my C panel performs over time...if it stays the way it is now, which is absolutely fine, I will be a happy man.

There is no guarantee of LCD perfection , but there are some that come close. My 46" S panel was, to my eyes, flawless until I upgraded the firmware. Honestly the C panel that i've got now has great PQ other than the dark spots. On my first C panel I didn't notice the problem until about a week after I got it. So maybe this one will clear up after a week.

[dasher123]

TVidiot:
Yeah, let me know about any updates on the situation...
i guess at this point, it's a bit weird for me to exchange the set for the fear of a developing problems, I think, and if there are only C panels around now, I can never really get an S panel....

and what FW do you have on your current C panel?
Mine is a 1005.1...

Because TV idiot has scared me now i called cc just to cover my bases IF any weirdness pops up...

they have extended return period till Jan 31. (one extra month due to holiday returns and we fell under the purchase date window (nov. 8th - dec 24th)
and because taking the packaging away is part of their premium delivery, not having the packaging is not a problem, they said.
but BEST of all, we can just call the delivery number and they will pick it up at no charge. (because we had premium delivery!)

i know that returning at a store results in immediate refund/exchange/upgrade, but not sure how that works if they pick it up...forgot to ask that part...
anyway, at least it's doable, so all i have to do is watch and and see...and decide...at least I have until Jan.31 now...

so it looks like cc doesn't carry the 630 anyway. hm.

[Tvidiot]

The real irony in my situation is that this whole thing started because of the 1006.1 firmware. I updated from 1004.1. IMO the PQ was never the same. All I ever wanted was to flash it back to 1004.1. But that cant be done with the 550 series. So they sent my first C panel. It had 1004.1 and a great picture except for the dark spots. So now I've got another C with 1007.1. To me, each set had different qualities. And of course I rated the quality of each set from what I knew from the previous one. So I guess I was just used to what I was seeing and anything other than that wasn't as good. Now , what does all this mean ????

I'm going to calibrate what I've got so it looks as good as it can and live with it and I'm never going to touch a firmware update ever again.

But doesn't it seem odd that there haven't been any new 550s' come out with 1006.1? It's either 1005.1 or 1007.1.

Hmmmmmmm.....

If i'm wrong about this I'm sure someone will let me know.

[wesleyforbes]

I have a question. My Sharp Aquos that I am replacing is HDCP compliant and the new Samsung is CEC. Will that cause a problem with handshake with all my other components?

Also, all this talk about panels has got me a little scared. I have mine being shipped through amazon.com with the white glove delivery. This delivery takes all of the packaging and I did not purchase an extended warranty. If something goes wrong does anybody know how amazon will handle a return? I would guess that I would have 30 days or does the manufacturers warranty apply?

[Oz Man]

Originally Posted by TheSchlaf

The quality difference people were talking about (about page 50 is when it started) was the different picture quality between the 37" and 40" panels, however, I was wondering if that's the S vs. C vs. A panel discussion we're in now. I was also wondering if $200 is enough to justify the jump between 37" and 40" (Honestly, they both look really good to me). I will accept the 37 but, I've heard that bigger is better, plus the features you mentioned ( I have a feeling I am headed down the road of "Only you can decide that" advice that I'll eventually receive). Thanks for answering my post by the way.

Originally Posted by rckrz6

i was in the same situation and i just sucked it up and got the 40" IM happy i did as the 37" would have been to small

You should judge the size of your TV to your viewing distance. Proper size with your viewing distance will make a big difference in PQ. The THX site has a tool that will tell you the recommended size of your tv based on viewing distance and viewing angle. I inputed my info and for 12' viewing distance, it recommended a 52" with a 13 degree viewing angle. I got the LN 52A550 and have it at a 13 degree veiwing angle and it just looks soooo good. Everyday I say to the wife, WOW, what a picture.