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Samsung LE26A457 Review |
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Reviewed: 17 October 2008
Design
The A457 takes you back to a time when LCD TV's were very much alike in style. This is actually no bad thing for the 26in Samsung, with clean unadulterated lines complemented by Samsung's trademark ultra glossy black finish.
The no frills look may be a little too plain for some but for others the combination of clean design and supreme build quality that does not shout out to be noticed will be perfect for those looking for a TV for a second room or smaller living space.
Features
We have to remember that TV's around the 26in size were the norm until the arrival of flat panels in larger numbers. This size screen has remained popular for a variety of reasons and manufacturers are starting to recognize this by endowing their 26in offerings with more of the features found on their high end panels.
Screen: 26in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1366 x 768 Contrast Ratio: 5,000:1 Other Features: DNIe + picture processing, Wide Colour Enhancer 2. Sockets: 3 HDMI, 2 SCART, S-video, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.
The LE26A457 features the latest incarnation of Samsung's picture processing technology, DNIe+ (Digital Natural Image engine). With a Motion Optimizer, Contrast Enhancer, Detail enhancer and Colour Optimizer, DNIe + works to improve these four main aspects of the LE40A599's performance. DNIe has a track record of producing impressive results on previous LCD and Plasma offerings from the Korean electronics manufacturer.
Complementing DNIe+ is Samsung's Wide Colour Enhancer 2 which has been designed to deliver more vibrant colours, especially around the edge of panels where they are more likely to appear washed out.
The LE26A457 delivers a claimed contrast ratio of 5,000:1 along with a useful 3 HDMI inputs. With Anynet+ (HDMI CEC) you can control all connected Audio Visual devices from one remote control.
Entertainment mode on the LE26A457 presents the viewer with three picture presets from which to choose, 'Movies', 'Games' and 'Sports', for an optimized viewing environment for these three types of on screen content.
Performance
The LE26A457 being a smaller screen benefits from the fact that its 1366 x 768 pixels are packed into a 26in screen and as such are perceived by the human eye as sharper. Of course, many of you will be considering this panel for a smaller space and may be viewing the screen at closer distances. The fact that Samsung has endowed the 26A457 with some of its higher end features ensures that this TV is one of the most versatile and competently performing screens we have come across; equally at home as a second TV or the centrepiece of your main living space.
Black level performance cannot match the rich deep levels on the best plasmas, but its not that far off the pace. Most notably, the LE26A457 produces some of the best shadow detailing we have seen for an LCD TV of this size. Gone is any trace of greyness and even on some of the darker scenes of 'Bladerunner' on a standard DVD, the atmosphere is retained with perceivable detail across even the murkier scenes.
Colours make full use of the excellent black levels, producing a vibrancy that few LCD TV's can match. While the colour performance may be a little to strong for some, tricky areas such as facial tones not being quite as subtle as some, the punchy performance suits the smaller screen and colours never reach the point where we would describe then as 'gaudy'.
Standard Definition (SD) performance from the LE26A457 is excellent. With an element of noise, especially from a poorer quality Freeview source, the performance is not perfect, but the overall level of sharpness and detail places its performance amongst the best in its class. There is a small amount of smearing with fast on screen motion but the effect is minimal and you really have to look hard to spot the effects.
While High Definition (HD) material may not be the priority for potential owners of this screen, the LE26A457 is a competent performer in this area. It can't compete with a larger Full HD screen, but it does produce a convincing HD performance with excellent levels of detail and sharpness. There is still a very small hint of smearing on the fastest on screen action but the overall HD performance makes the LE26A457 a viable HD workhorse.
Unlike other LCD TV's in its class, the LE26A457 is a better than average performer acoustically. So often an afterthought on flat panel TV's, the Samsung's built in speakers deliver a powerful range of sound that retains its composure even at higher levels.
Conclusion
With features normally reserved for high end screens, the Samsung LE26A457 is a no compromise LCD panel which offers excellent all round performance. Place this performance in the context of the LE26A457's price and the all round abilities of this screen are quite remarkable.
Samsung LE-26A457 
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