REVIEWS / LCD / SAMSUNG INDIA

Samsung LA32D550 Review

18 Sep, 2012, 2:25 pm IST | by Rossi Fernandes | LCD

LCD

A solid overall performer

A solid overall performer
LAN connectivity for DLNA and network media streaming
A large but well laid out remote control
Plenty of features and connectivity options
Not exactly the slimmest TV out there
USB ports on the side

PRICE IN INDIA

35,000

TECH2 RATING

7.0

AVERAGE USER RATING

9.0

How we test

CONTACT

Samsung India

 1800 3000 8282, 18002668282

 www.samsung.com

Televisions aren’t necessarily the cheapest piece of electronics out there. A good 32 or 42-inch will set you back by more than Rs. 40,000. Of course, everyone has different budgets and that decides how much they’re willing to spend on a television. So for those looking for TVs closer to the Rs. 35,000 mark, there are a few options from top tier brands. Samsung has a somewhat older model called the 32D550, which is still in the market. 

 

Design

USB ports on the side

USB ports on the side


 

The Samsung 32D550is clearly thicker than most of the latest LED-backlit displays out there. It’s pretty thick but isn’t too shabby when it comes to style though. Most of the TV is made of plastic and there are no solid metal panels on this particular TV. Even the stand has a thick layer of plastic on top of it. The black bezel has a border of clear plastic along the edges that gives the TV a nice look, but also makes it look a little larger than it is. The stand could be sturdy as some amount of movement of the base means that the TV wobbles and keeps wobbling.

 

Remote control

The remote control although light-weight, is large and well laid out. The controls become obvious just a few minutes into using it. Key controls are marked clearly with large, coloured buttons. The remote itself has a tapered design with it being really thick at the base end and slim at the top. This design means that it fits in really well in your hand and is better than most of the television remotes we’ve seen that use a simple sharp-corner cube-like design. The remote is light and tends to feel cheap. It’s also long, so you often have to shift your thumb up and down to go between the channel and volume switching buttons to the directional buttons and other functions.

A large but well laid out remote control

A large but well laid out remote control

 

 

There are dedicated buttons to quickly switch to different audio and video modes. Video aspect ratio modes can also be switched in a second.

 

Features

The Samsung 32D550 is a full HD (1920 x 1080) display but isn't’ powered by an LED-backlighting system. There are plenty of connectivity options that you can use to connect to a number of devices. There are four HDMI ports – sufficient for connecting a PC, multiple consoles and even your HD DTH service set top box to. Apart from that, there are two component and two composite inputs as well. There’s the traditional D-Sub connector for older PCs and notebooks, a 3.5mm analogue audio input jack and even an Ethernet port. All the connectors are lined up along with one row of inputs for HDMI and USB ports on the side.

LAN connectivity for DLNA and network media streaming

LAN connectivity for DLNA and network media streaming

 

 

The TV has a rather nice user interface. The Ethernet connectivity doesn’t bring in smart TV features but it does let you use Samsung’s All Share media streaming feature and also has the ability to play media from other network-connected devices. DLNA is supported as well and we tried streaming media from a Galaxy Nexus phone to the TV without any issues. The USB media playback feature also uses the same interface. It’s not like the latest Samsung smart TV user interfaces, so it’s not the most attractive one. It’s, however, very fast and you’re rarely left waiting for media to load and menus to switch. 

 

Media playback is done by first selecting from videos, photos or music, after which the user gets a list of the media with preview thumbnails. Generation of thumbnails doesn’t take too long.

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Introduction - Build - Remote Features


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Would you buy it?




Samsung LE32D550 using DLNA

23 Jul, 2011, 01:53 am IST

Samsung LE32D550 using DLNA

Samsung 32D550 Firmware Update Attempt

22 Oct, 2011, 12:28 am IST

Samsung 32D550 Firmware Update Attempt

Sucker Punch-ekopasaj-32D550.mp4

25 Dec, 2011, 04:40 am IST

Sucker Punch-ekopasaj-32D550.mp4

 


How We Test

The Tech2 Labs receives many products every single week and each of them is tested with the utmost care and highest level of objectivity. There’s a constant effort to reduce and totally eliminate subjectivity. Each product is tested according to set test processes so the same test scenario is used.

Verdict
The ratings awarded to a product are derived from a number of tests and calculations, keeping certain important factors in mind. These factors consist of features, performance, quality and value for money. In case of software and some other categories, build quality might be replaced with ease of use or ease of installation. Products are compared with other products in a similar price range or product category.


Features
The features component of the score is rated based on the kind of features present on a particular product. Features are a big part of what people look for when they’re buying a new product such as a phone or a camera.

Performance
The performance score is derived from the benchmarks and tests run on the product. In case of the subjective scores, an average of the scores given by the group of reviewers is considered.

Build Quality
The build quality of a product is important so that it doesn’t fall apart after some use. The build quality scores from the way the product is designed and the kind of materials used in the product.

Value
Value for money comes from the fact that a cheap product is able to provide most of the performance of a higher priced product. Once again, value for money is judged by comparing pricing and performance of products in a particular price range or category. 

There are many other aspects of the product that are looked at such as the bundled software and accessories. All of these scores are aggregated together to form the final score.

What do the ratings mean?

Ratings are simple - higher the score, the better the product. A brief listing of the features and what they mean are given below.

1 - 3

The product is bad in almost every aspect. We strongly advise against purchasing this product.

4 - 6

An average product that isn't the best you can buy, but isn't the worst either.

7 - 8

Product with this rating is highly recommended because it's priced sensibly, has a good set of features and performs well.

9 - 10

Exceptionally excellent product with features and performance unlike any we've seen in the past. A must-have for everyone!

What is the Average User Rating?

We at Tech2 take product reviewing very seriously and every product is tested with the utmost care and level of objectivity. The end user who buys a particular product and uses it over an extended period of time has his own take on a product and there might be nuances that he or she can shed light on. The Average User Rating is present to help readers get the complete picture of how good or bad a product is. The Average User Rating is calculated by averaging the ratings by the thousands of readers visiting Tech2.com every single day. To record your own rating of a product, simply click on the user rating bar. If you disagree with our ratings or our community's product rating, please don't hesitate from voicing your opinion in the comments section below the review.

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