Is new Samsung LN32D550 good as PC Monitor?

amd7674

[H]ard|Gawd
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It has very good reviews on Amazon.com, I wonder if it would be a better buy than my current LG 32LD450 w/IPS panel. The only thing that is lacking on my LG is black levels... input lag, text clarity (passes 4:4:4 chrome test) are very good... Mainly I use it to game, web browsing........movie and local OTA HDTV watching.

I wonder how Sammy would fair against my LG? I'm sure Sammy with SQ (SPVA) panel would offer better blacks, but I'm not sure about input lag (bad in the past years) and text clarity (not 4:4:4 compliant) Since I'm sitting in front of it, i don't think viewing angles are that important...

If there is a chance Sammy would be better than my LG, I would probably buy Sammy and return one or the other...

Thoughts?
 
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Well any LCD of any kind will look better than that LG due to its beyond pathetic black levels, in terms of text clarity best to check the AVS forums and see what people say.
 
Well any LCD of any kind will look better than that LG due to its beyond pathetic black levels, in terms of text clarity best to check the AVS forums and see what people say.

It is not greatest, but I've seen worst ;) If the input lag and text clarity is close I would prefer Sammy for sure .... choices choices...
 
Yea, that LG has terrible black levels but everything else is good, which makes me :(. Please PLEASE let the Samsung PLS monitors be good.
 
Yea, that LG has terrible black levels but everything else is good, which makes me :(. Please PLEASE let the Samsung PLS monitors be good.

I did lower the backlight @ 20 , contrast @ 70 and it is very easy on eyes and the blacks are not that bad. The text is clear crisp and the gaming on it is pretty good. Prior to this I've use NEC 20WMGX2 (A-IPS) with better blacks but still not perfect, so perhaps I got use to weaker/poorer blacks...... :D
 
I tried 4 other 32" 1080p LCD TVs before finally settling on the Samsung D550. (philips LED, Westinghouse, Panasonic, LG)

Fantastic TV for use as a PC Monitor, very low input latency, great colors, deep blacks, good response time, no or very little blurring, etc...very content now. I don't know how it fairs against the older LG 450 but it is well regarded at avsforum and around the web. I'll vouch for it as well.
 
Hi guys, I signed up to this forum simply to provide feedback to help you out.

Like BM00, I did try a few before this one, and the text wasn't very legible, in fact some of the TVs didnt even have a Screen fit option using HDMI which resulted in me having to create a custom resolution in the Nvidia Control Panel.

LG32LK450 - 32" 1080p 4ms LCD - Decent, text was a little off, but not bad, decent colors once setup, but something was lacking. All in all I could recommend it as a monitor as it's the most fairly priced 32" with full 1080p and has tons of customization features. Barely any motion blur, great motion 4 stars

Phillips 32" LED 1080p 8ms - Crap. Colors sucked, customization features sucked, contrast sucked, couldn't even make the screen fit using HDMI at 1080p. NOT RECOMMENDED AS a MONITOR. 2 stars

Samsung LN40D550 1080p 6ms LCD
Awesome Color, good customization features, A LITTLE blurring, but I'm very picky about motion. The clarity is amazing, on the 40" using the same resolution as the 32" (1080p) the text, and graphics were BETTER, and clearer. Awesome TV to use as a monitor, it's got a swivel stand, and it's just beautiful. 5 Stars

The 32" Samsung (LN32D550) would be awesome as a monitor, you can't go wrong, especialyl when comparing it to others.

The LG is definitely a viable 2nd option though. I paid 500$ for my 40" samsung, and the LG 32" was 400$. Worth the extra 100$ for better quality, better text ,and an extra 8".

A bit big, but when wall mounted, it will be perfect :)
 
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How are the viewing angles on this Samsung? I am currently using a P2770 (27" TN,) and to be honest I've hated this monitor ever since I got it last year, despite all of the glowing reviews it got. (I previously was using a FW900 that had sadly gotten very blurry and was starting to randomly crackle and shut off.) The screen is noticably darker on top from where I sit (I tend to lean back in my chair a bit,) which makes the top part of the screen muddy and indecipherable when I'm gaming, especially with dark games. I find myself constantly moving around and trying to sit as tall as possible...it's annoying. So annoying in fact, that I started looking into switching to an IPS monitor, more in particular, an IPS HDTV. I looked everywhere around me for an LG 32LK450 with an IPS panel, but all I could find were the ones with VA panels. I'm not willing to order online an play the panel lottery. I have been tempted to try a Panasonic TC-L32U3, but have read mixed reports of text issues on it. I've done a decent amount of reading on avsforum, which had lead me to drive all over the place looking for that LG...I don't remember reading about this Samsung though (I will have to go and look again.)

So basically, I have been looking for an IPS HDTV because I want to be able to have a game running and not see a bunch of contrast and color shift every time I move my head a bit, and I want the screen to be uniform in color and brightness vertically. If this Samsung can do that despite not having a IPS panel (what is it, PVA?) then I may have to take a closer look at it. Does it support 4:4:4 chroma? (or does text at least look good on it either way?)

Obviously I could look at the U2711 (and other 27" IPS) or the 30" monitors, but those are out of my price range. ~$400ish for an HDTV is much easier on my wallet.

Thanks all.

Edit: found a thread on avsforums, but am still unsure of what the viewing angle is on this thing. I did see that it can pass 4:4:4, so now I am much more interested... I want out of TN hell.
 
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LG xxLD450 and xxLK450 has better viewing angles, less blurring, and is about as good as it gets for input lag for a HDTV. Downsides are poor black levels and an IPS panel is not guaranteed (panel lottery).

Samsung LNxxD550 has better blacks and aesthetically looks better.

The LG is better overall depending on whether you work in a well-lit or dark environment. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a 32 inch with an IPS panel so considering getting the Samsung. Haven't seen any input lag numbers so I'm holding off. That and Black Friday is 3 months away so I'm not in a rush.
 
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