Samsung LE32A656 Review

32in LCD

Picture
Sound
Features
Usability
Value

One of the best 32in LCD TV's around. Accomplished in all areas

HD Ready:

yes

Resolution:

1920 x 1080

Rating:

92%

Reviewed: 09 June 2008

Design

With their A656 series of LCD TV's Samsung have managed to create a range of products which have quickly established themselves as style icons. The surprising element of this phenomenon is that the new screens were not developed with the input of an Italian design studio or a bright in-house designer. In fact all the superlatives surrounding the design of these screens are the result of a new manufacturing process.

Samsung employ a technique to produce screens which retain their trademark black gloss 'look' while adding a 'Crystallized' Rose-Red finish which gives the 6 series a subtle hint of deep red which gets deeper towards the edges of the screen.

Scoring another industry first Samsung have become the first flat panel manufacturer to dispense with the use of either glue or screws in the manufacturing process. The result is a flat panel which looks like it has been hewn from a solid block.

Features

With the LE32A656 Samsung have joined the likes of Sony and Panasonic by offering a 32in screen with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Other manufacturers have not yet convinced us that Full HD on anything less than 40in has any tangible benefit and it remains to be seen whether or not this screen can convince us of the benefits.

Screen: 32in 16:9

Tuner: Digital

Sound System: Nicam

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1

Other Features: DNIe Pro picture processing, Ultra Clear Panel.

Sockets: 4 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input, USB.

The LE32A656 brings the latest developments of DNIe (Digital Natural Image engine), Samsung's proprietary picture processing technology. 'DNIe Pro' with its Motion Optimizer, Contrast Enhancer, Detail enhancer and Colour Optimizer, works to improve these four main aspects of the LE32A656's performance. DNIe technology in general has an impressive track record on previous LCD and Plasma offerings from the Korean electronics manufacturer.

The LE32A656 sports an impressive 4 HDMI inputs (v 1.3). The v1.3 HDMI's are able to accept 1080p/24 input, they support Deep Colour and are able to control compatible devices through a single remote using the CEC standard.

With the panels built-in USB port you can display digital still JPEG's or play MP3 music tracks. An intuitive slide show function allows you to set the speed of a slide show and even select an MP3 track to have as background music.

For the more adventurous amongst you, a little 'digging' into the Samsung's picture setup menu will reveal noise reduction, flesh tone correction and black level booster options. There are also some useful picture-in-picture functions.

With an innovative mix of high and low reflection layers, Samsung's 'Ultra Clear Panel' works to improve contrast ratio and black levels whatever the lighting conditions actively adjusting its responses depending on ambient conditions. 'Ultra Clear Panel' is Samsung's evolution of their 'Super Clear Panel' technology found on previous LCD and Plasma screens.

Performance

We judged Samsung's LE40A656 as one of the few LCD TV's which fulfilled the promise of its impressive spec sheet and stunning looks; to a large degree the LE32A656 follows in its bigger brother's footsteps.

With an impressive black level performance, the LE32A656 has joined the leading pack of LCD TV's. Although you will witness better graduated detail across dark scenes from the best plasmas, the gap has narrowed and the level of deep rich blacks this screen produces illustrates how quickly LCD technology has progressed in a relatively short space of time.

The accomplished black levels on the LE32A656 produce an excellent canvass for on-screen colour. The LE32A656 makes the most of this backdrop by producing a rich palette of colours which avoids becoming too 'garish', a trap that some LCD TV's have been prone to fall into. Like its bigger 40in brother, there is the odd minor tonal inconsistency, but you do have to look hard to spot them.

High Definition (HD) material on the LE32A656 left us wondering, not for the first time, the reasoning behind adding a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution on a 32in screen. Of course, flat screen performance is a subjective business but we do believe in this case that having Full HD as a 'feature' has more to do with its appearance on the spec sheet. What is not in doubt is the impressive level of detail, sharpness and vibrancy that the LE32A656 produces with HD material.

Translating a Standard Definition (SD) into 1920 x 1080 pixels was never the best recipe for a truly accomplished picture performance, but the LE32A656 does as good a job as we could have reasonably expected. In fact it is one of the most accomplished SD performers we have come across. There is some on screen noise, but Samsung's picture processing engine, DNIe keeps it to a minimum.

We were under whelmed by the acoustic performance of the LE32A656 and it is one of the few areas on this screen that does not fulfill the potential suggested by the spec sheet. There is a slightly 'tinny' edge to sound when pushed, but Fortunately, it is good enough not to detract from the screens excellent performance in other areas.

Conclusion

With the LE32A656 Samsung have created a benchmark, in terms of performance as well as style, that other manufacturers will have to work hard to challenge.