Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

The Samsung LN26A450 is a fine TV at a good price. This set is attractive and displays a crisp, beautiful picture. The size suits our situation perfectly. We view the set in our good-sized living room at eye level from about 10-12 feet and have no problem with the sound. Recommended highly.Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

This TV is more than I had hoped for. First, it has more features than any other in its class, and I find them well organized. But here's the important thing: the picture quality is fantastic. I don't have high def - I'm a cable customer with a standard definition signal only. I had been warned about how bad standard def might look on an HDTV, but boy was I surprised. The picture quality is so good even with the 480i signal - crystal clear, not grainy at all - that for me the difference from high def is not significant (the relatively small 26" size also makes for a sharper picture). So for whatever little difference there might be, it certainly would not be worth paying a significantly more expensive rental fee for a high definition box. So this TV already saves me a lot of money. And even through a cable connection direct from the wall (no box), the picture looks great.

The review that says this TV has no composite inputs is not accurate. You can have two composite inputs and one component, or one composite and two components - one input doubles as either and you have to choose. HDMI inputs are ample but with my SD cable signal I don't even use them (I would rather have my closed captions), and with this great picture I don't even need them. There is also one S-video, as on most similar TVs.

My progressive scan DVD player looks even better now that I can hook it through a component connection, and the 480p output on DVDs is so good I don't feel any need to buy one of those newer upconverting players. The TV's own scaler certainly does the trick.

It is true that this TV does not have a big sound. The sound is not too bad for a small room, but for general purposes I just connect a pair of decent computer speakers to the earphone jack and get as much sound as I want. Problem solved.

I have had no problems with the viewing angle, which I find sufficiently flexible, but since I don't mount the TV on a wall I have no occasion to look at it from below.

In short, this TV is more than I expected - I am pleasantly surprised.

I like this TV a lot. It's bright and clear. The space I have is restricted so the 26" fits just fine.

The one caveat for any of you moving to LCD TV's is that the viewing angle is not what you are used to with CRT televisions but rather much less. My other LCD has a very narrow horizontal viewing angle. This Samsung has a much better angle but picture still dims if you sit on the floor and watch TV.

I recommend this TV for the money and it's 26" size.

We purchased this TV a month ago to go into our master bedroom. The picture quality is very good and the sound volume is not a problem for us, although the quality is a little tinny at times. It was one of the few LCDs in this size that has a headphone output too, which we wanted for use while on the Nordic Trak and when the spouse is trying to sleep. The screen also had a non-reflective surface, so we don't get glare during the day when the shades are open.

The only bad thing is that it only has a single set of inputs on the back for the standard RCA sound/video inputs. We have a DVD player and VCR which don't have HMDI outputs, so one of them has to be plugged into the side of the TV.

The verticle viewing angle is miserable -- a deal breaker! If you intend on looking at this TV exactly at eye level then it may work for you. But, deviate ever so slightly vertically and the picture will appear to change (lighten and darken). Not good if you watch the TV on the sofa or in a bed and then stand up and expect the image to look the same. I own Samsung's prior model, the 26" Samsung LN-T2653H and it's GREAT: the image quality appears the SAME when viewed from any viewing angle. The sound on the LN26A450 is adequate but, without question, the LN-T2653H's audio is much cleaner and more robust. Unfortunately, the LN-T2653H is much more difficult to find now so I bought the LN26A450 for my girlfriend, but it's going back. It's really a shame that Samsung released such an inferior product as an "update." BTW, I also have a 32" Samsung TV (LN-T3253H) and the TV died within a year (it's being repaired tomorrow). I also had a 24" Samsung computer monitor fail this year (SyncMaster 244T). Maybe I've just been unlucky with a few lame Samsung products. On the other hand, customer service with Samsung has been a stellar experience.