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Samsung's new A950 series of LCD HDTVs has been designed to be the next step in image fidelity for liquid crystal display technology. These home theatre HD TVs use Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that can selectively illuminate sections of the screen at a time.
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Samsung LN55A850D1F |
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When it comes
to LCD HDTVs, the market is overfilled with a deluge of
manufacturers, models and marketing jargon. Choosing which LCD HDTV is going to become the centerpiece
of your new home theatre space can be daunting. However there's
one area where PCSTATS refuses to compromise, and one where you
should demand nothing less than the best - that's image quality. Today
PCSTATS will be reviewing the very top end of the Samsung LCD HDTV
family, the 55" Samsung LN55A950D1F.
Samsung's
A950 series of
LCD HDTVs has been designed to be the next step in
image fidelity for liquid crystal display technology. These home theatre HD TVs use
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that can selectively illuminate sections of the screen at
a time, which means that they have a wider color
gamut and better colour reproduction. They also boast superb black levels, do
away with back light bleeding, and offer unbelievable dynamic contrast ratios.
The transition from Cold Cathode Florescent Lamp
back lights (CCFL) to LED back lights also means that the Samsung 9-series televisions should
have noticeably longer life span than previous LCD HDTVs. One of the problems with
CCFL bulbs is that they steadily lose brightness from the
day they're turned on, and within a few years of steady use
can drop down to half of their original luminance.
Samsung's LN55A950 selective LED back lighting
reduces the overall amount of time individual LEDs are illuminated, and the LED
matrix itself is much more resistant to dimming and burning out, which translates
into a longer-lasting and more durable HDTV. The Samsung series
9 LCD HDTVs also take advantage of selective LED dimming which make
them more power efficient than an equivalent CCFL HDTV.
The Samsung LN55A950D1F is a 55" 1080p LCD screen that supports both 60 and 120
Hertz refresh rates. Samsung rates the dynamic contrast ratio of its new localized
LED back light at an astonishing 2,000,000 to 1, with an overall brightness rating
of 500 cd/m2. The
excellent viewing angles of Samsung's previous LCD HDTVs have been preserved, so
the LN55A950 can be viewed from 178º either vertically or horizontally without
colour distortion or dimming, and has an overall 4ms grey-to-grey response time.
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Samsung
LN55A950D1F 55" LCD HDTV |
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SPECIFICATIONS:
Screen size: 55"
Brightness: 500 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio:
1000:1
(Dynamic Contrast Ratio:
2,000,000:1)
Viewing Angle:
178°/178°
Interface: (4) HDMI, (2)
Component, (2)Composite, S-Video, D-Sub, RF-coaxial,
Optical.
Resolution:
1920x1080
Response Time: 4ms
(G-to-G)
Power Draw:
320W
Dimensions: 49.7 x 32.8 x
12.3"
Weight: 31.2 kg
VESA
Mount: 6 00x400mm |
VIDEO/MEDIA:
Aspect Ratio:
16:9
HDCP: Yes
LCD
120Hz: Yes
USB2.0 Ports:
Yes
Speakers:
15W
Backlight: LED
Backlight
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Includes: Remotes, batteries,
cover, ferrite core, manual, AC power cord, microfiber
cleaning cloth,
HDMI-cable.
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As the top end model of Samsung's A950 series of televisions, the 55" LN55A950 HDTV inherits all the standout features of Samsung's previous 6, 7 and 8-series of LCD HDTVs. This means that it can use Wiselink Pro to stream media from USB storage devices or over a home network. It also has a built-in content library and Samsung's Infolink service that can display stock, news and weather updates on the TV as an on-screen display.
Since Samsung's LN55A950D1F
LCD HDTV supports 120Hz refresh rates, which increases overall fluidity
for movies. The increased refresh rate is the basis for Samsung's Auto Motion
Plus interpolation technology, which can remove jitter between frames of
movies.
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The included Anynet+ remote can control both
the HDTV and any other Anynet+ devices. Certain peripheral-specific
operations, like chapter skipping in DVDs, will have reduced
functionality.
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Samsung's previous LCD HDTVs have
always had excellent connectivity, and the LN55A950 is no exception
when it comes to inputs. Chief among them are four HDMI inputs, two component (YPBPR) inputs, and a VGA input for connecting a PC, along
with accompanying coaxial audio cables. Legacy inputs include a pair of
composite inputs, and an S-Video
input.
This is Samsung's largest LCD HDTV, with a massive 55" diagonal screen. The
overall dimensions of the television with its stand attached is 34.7" tall
by 53.7" inches wide. The screen itself is 4.4" deep, while the stand has a
width of 26" and a depth of 13.3 inches. The entire HDTV weighs in at a hefty
91lbs (41kg) with stand, or 80lbs (36kg) for just the screen, in
case you want to mount it on your wall using the 400mm x 600mm VESA
mounts.
Samsung's estimated retail price for the LN55A950D1F
is $5170 CDN (4200 USD, or 2890 GBP) ,which
is a lot of money by practically anyone's standards, but flagship products of
this nature always command higher prices. Let's go in for a closer
look at the Samsung A950, we were
pretty floored by its superb screen and I think you will
be too...
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