Samsung LN52A530 52-inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Never has state-of-the-art HDTV been more affordable to the average consumer, and one of Samsung's new 52" models, the LN52A530, makes the case for now being the time for you to make the jump.

The LN52A530 is the lowest-priced 52" LCD among Samsung's new models for 2008. Samsung has divided its new big-screen LCD line-up into several series: the 530, 550, 650 and 750 series. The LN52A530 falls into the first of these series, and while you'll be paying less vs. the 52" sets in the higher series, you'll be sacrificing some of the advanced features those sets offer.

A comparison of the key specs on the LN52A530 vs. the 650 and 750 series 52" televisions shows that the LN52A530 features 3 HDMI connections vs. 4 on the others, a 5ms vs. 4ms. pixel response rate, and a 20,000:1 vs. 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Plus, the higher-numbered sets include 1 gigabyte of internal flash memory, an integrated woofer speaker, and DLNA compatibility.

If you're a typical TV watcher, most of these differences won't be deal-breakers for you (with the dynamic contrast ratio and pixel response rates being among the only exceptions, as these specs affect the fluidity of movement on display and the range of colors from the bright to dark ranges).

So clearly the LN52A530 is still worthy of your consideration, as it packs a number of selling-points in a 52" package that just a few years ago would have cost twice the price. Here's a quick review of the LN52A530's key specifications:

The LN52A530 is equipped with built-in digital and analog tuners, meaning you'll be all set for the nationally mandated switch to digital television in 2009. And the set's "QAM" digital cable tuner will allow you to ditch the set-top cable box and view channels unscrambled directly by the set itself.

You'll watch "full HD" on the LN52A530's 52-inch display, meaning the television screen measures 1920 x 1080 pixels, translating to a 1080p picture. This is the resolution of true HD content available in high-definition television, Blu-Ray discs, and select games for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The LN52A530 also features Samsung's exclusive Digital Natural Image (DNIe) engine, which promises to "dramatically improve the picture by enhancing the contrast, detail, and white balance, and reducing noise." After checking out the effect the DNIe engine has on your picture, you can elect to turn it on or off.

The 5-millisecond pixel response time of the LN52A530 should help the television deliver smooth, crisp video even in the fastest moving of action scenes. While this is a bit slower than the 4-millisecond response rate on the 650 and 750 series sets, a 5ms spec still beats some of the top-selling sets on the market today from the likes of Sony, Sharp, Toshiba and other manufacturers.

Ultimately, don't rely on reviews on Internet sites to make your decision for you. Your research should include finding out what other buyers like you think about the LN52A530. Be sure to read their user reviews on this television at sites like Amazon.com.

Comparisons vs. Top 52" LCD TVs

Samsung LNT5265F Samsung LNT5271F Samsung LN-T5281FX Sharp Aquos LC52D64U Sharp Aquos LC52D92U Sony Bravia 52XBR4 Sony Bravia 52XBR5 Sony Bravia KDL-52W3000 Toshiba REGZA 52HL167 Toshiba REGZA 52LX177

Model	Contrast	Refresh	Max Res	HDMI	Resp Time	Weight	Price
15,000:1		1080p	3	8ms	63 lbs	Check Price
25,000:1	120hz	1080p	3	8ms	128 lbs	Check Price
500,000:1	120hz	1080p	3	8ms	81 lbs	Check Price
10,000:1		1080p	3	4ms	63 lbs	Check Price
15,000:1	120hz	1080p	3	6ms	83 lbs	Check Price
18,000:1	120hz	1080p	3	8ms	108 lbs	Check Price
18,000:1	120hz	1080p	3	8ms	108 lbs	Check Price
16,000:1		1080p	3		95 lbs	Check Price
		1080p	3	8ms	140 lbs	Check Price
		1080p	3		90 lbs	Check Price

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