Samsung LE32C530 Review
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-le32c530-le40c530-20100813815.htm
Benchmark Test Results
Dead pixels None
Screen uniformity Very Good
Overscanning on HDMI 0% with Aspect Ratio set to “Screen Fit”
Blacker than black Passed
Calibrated black level 0.04 cd/m2
Black level retention Fully black video signal causes immediate auto-dimming
Primary chromaticity Very Good in [Movie] mode
Scaling Excellent
Video mode deinterlacing Very effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing Failed 2:2 PAL (but passed 3:2 NTSC)
Viewing angle Acceptable for an LCD TV
Motion resolution 300 lines
Digital noise reduction Optional
Sharpness Defeatable edge enhancement
Luma/Chroma bandwidth Full Luma, slightly blurred Chroma
1080p/24 capability Accepts 1080p/24 video signal; no telecine judder
Input lag Only 14ms compared to lag-free CRT!
Full 4:4:4 reproduction No, 4:4:4 input subsampled
Power Consumption
Default [Standard] mode 106 watts
Calibrated [Movie] mode 84 watts
Standby 1 watt
In our input lag and subjective gaming tests, the Samsung LE32C530 performed unbelievably well, lagging by only 14ms! Needless to say, this figure makes input lag completely irrelevant on this LCD TV, making it one of the best we’ve ever seen for fast, fluid gaming enjoyment.
Conclusion
Despite being cheap, the Samsung LE32C530 delivers a high quality experience across a wide range of sources. The LCD panel itself (the core component) is capable of high contrast pictures, and its motion clarity, while nowhere near Plasma levels, is acceptable by LCD TV standards. 24p material such as Blu-ray Disc movies are produced cleanly, clearly, and without judder. Video games are great fun to play on the Samsung LE32C530, because its video processor does not introduce any input lag worth mentioning. And high motion video content appears largely free of jaggedness thanks to the TV’s high quality Deinterlacing process.
The only minor issue is a lack of stable 2-2 film cadence detection, which can create small jaggies during Film material broadcast on SD TV – although given the blurred image typical of Digital TV broadcasts and the smaller size of this screen, this really doesn’t end up doing a lot of damage. Additionally, the colour accuracy is in the “very good” category rather than being excellent.
The Samsung LE32C530 is a bargain in just about anyone’s eyes. It can be had from many online stores – including Multizone AV who has kindly supplied our review sample – for approximately £320, and in-depth testing has revealed that there’s more to be had for the money than we initially hoped for. We can’t think of any comparable displays at this end of the market and highly recommend this display to users who are happy to tolerate the viewing angle and motion limitations of LCD TVs. While it is not the equal of every other HDTV that we’ve rated “Highly Recommended”, the Samsung LE32C530 offers outstanding value for money that earns it a spot in this category.