Although CNET did not review the 52-inch Samsung LN-T5281F, we did review the 46-inch Samsung LN-T4681F. Judging from their spec sheets, the two Samsung flat-panel LCD HDTVs are essentially identical but for screen size, so we expect the picture quality of the 46-inch model to provide a good indication of how the 52-incher will perform. For more information, check out the full review of the Samsung LN-T4681F. For additional details on Samsung's lineup of higher-end flat-panel LCD TVs, see our roundup.
Intro:
The Samsung LN-T5281F is a 52-inch, liquid crystal display television.Compared to other liquid crystal display TVs on the market, it is expensive at around $4,445.This flat-TV is an LCD display, which is generally the best kind of flat-panel screen for viewing in brightly-lit rooms.
Noteworthy Features:
Has a 52-inch screen size.This is larger than the average TV on the market today, but is to be expected for a TV of this price.This set can display images that are sharper and more realistic than regular television when hooked up to a high definition signal.The 3:2 pulldown feature of this TV reduces artifacts that can occur when motion pictures are transferred to a digital format such as DVD.
Weaker Features:
Has only a rear connector location.
Suitability:
Suited for those who want to enjoy an ultra-sharp picture from an ultra-thin TV.In general, a wide aspect TV such as this one is well suited for DVD movies recorded in the popular 16:9 format, as well as high definition programming.
Value:
Overall, this TV's price seems hard to justify, with respect to its features.
Suggestions:
(1) For assistance in shopping for a new HDTV, read CNET editors' Ultimate HDTV Buying Guide.(2) If donating or repurposing your old TV is not a viable option, CNET encourages households to recycle their electronics.Please explore the following website to find a recycling center in your area Electronics Take Back Coalition.
Receiving HDTV broadcast:
The three common methods to receive HDTV broadcasts are via satellite-TV set-top box, cable system set-top box, and over-the-air reception from a digital HDTV broadcast station.
True HDTV:
True HDTV programming is now available in three resolutions: 720p, 1080i, or 1080p.
Tuner options:
An HDTV-ready satellite or cable box will act as an outboard HDTV tuner for your digital TV set that lacks a built-in HD tuner.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular The latest technology with an incredible picture
I was lucky enough to buy this online in a short window where it was available and even on sale! ...
I was lucky enough to buy this online in a short window where it was available and even on sale! I've had it about 2 weeks now. I had been reading about it for months at AVS Forum, and it seemed to address all the problems my previous 1080P LCD TV had (poor black level, not enough HDMI inputs, poor standard definition picture).
I was not disappointed. The first night I had it, I put on "300" on Blu-Ray and it was just incredible. It's like being in a really good movie theater. I haven't tried to calibrate it - I just used some patterns that HDNET shows sometimes and I captured on HD-Tivo.
With the lights turned low, a letterboxed 2.35 image looks like it's floating above the cabinet it's sitting on - the black letterbox bands are totally invisible. Any time the background is supposed to be dark, you can't even tell the TV is on - it's completely dark! On top of that, the colors look amazing. This TV is supposed to display 105% of the NTSC color gamut, and it certainly looks beautiful.
I'm sure you'll be seeing plently of reviews with measurements soon as it becomes more available, but I can tell you, if you're in the market for a top of the line flat panel display, this is the one for now!
Read more
by ajalbert (see profile) -
September 5, 2007
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Awesome Screen with almost 3D quality picture
I purchased this screen about a week ago. I had been researching which model I was going to buy for ...
I purchased this screen about a week ago. I had been researching which model I was going to buy for several weeks and had decided on the pioneer elite 1080p model. The day before I was suppose to purchase the pioneer model I saw the Samsung 4681f on display and was totaly blown away by it. The store had a blu-ray movie playing on it and I could not believe the level of clarity and vibrant color it displayed. It appeared almost to have a 3D picture quality. Needless to say after seeing this I decided to get the Samsung but in the 52 inch model. I have had the screen for about a week now and I am quite pleased with the quality of this screen and how blu-rays as well as Hi-Def TV look on this screen. It is also worth mentioning that if you have a play station 3 this is the very best screen to play games on. LCDs are best for gaming consoles and the PS3 looks simply amazing on the Samsung. My only complaint with the 5281f is that with the larger screen I have noticed more pixilation then with the smaller 46 inch model when watching movies on TV or blu-ray. But it could be that I need to have the screen reconfigured. I am not an expert on how to best configure these screens but it is quite possible that it needs tweaking from the default settings it comes with out of the box.
Read more
by techguyexpert (see profile) -
September 5, 2007
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular 1080p Perfection for head-on viewing
This is probably the best TV out on the market today. Certainly at this price point it is. For the ...
This is probably the best TV out on the market today. Certainly at this price point it is. For the primary head-on or mostly head-on viewer, the picture is absolutely stunning. The contrast is phenomenal. The blacks are VERY dark to the point where the TV can almost disappear in a dark room with a dark scene. The detail of 1080p is great, and motion looks clean and smooth (good for football). My computer (hooked up via HDMI on nVidia) works perfectly with perfect 1 to 1 pixel mapping for 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60Hz. I was one of the first to get this TV in August so I have had it for quite a while. Although, I've found a few annoyances, ultimately, the picture produced is the most important feature of any TV and this one is off the charts awesome. In my humble opinion...
I've noticed a few issues listed in the "cons". Others I'd like to mention is that switching to the audio for the PIP (Picture-in-Picture) is very cumbersome. It's a 9-button sequence on the remote and you have to do this every time you use the PIP. Ugh. Also, the glossy screen may be distracting for you if you watch TV with bright light behind you. Also, there is no CableCard (although) QAM is supported. Also, you cannot view over-the-air HDTV (aka. ATSC) channels on the PIP, but of course it works on the main screen just fine.
But, this TV is still great, because most of these issues can be worked around. The issue of the PIP not accepting Component was worked around by using an RF modulator. The optical output dropping the surround channels was very disappointing and forced me to use an A/V Receiver for input switching. Making it pointless to have 3 HDMI inputs for me. Bad Samsung!
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Amazing Television
I purchased this televsion at circuit city for 2000 dollars. The sales were unbelievable for such a good tv. Very ...
I purchased this televsion at circuit city for 2000 dollars. The sales were unbelievable for such a good tv. Very pleased.
Read more
by rland916 (see profile) -
February 27, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Can it Be? Better than Sony, comparable to an Elite!
I'm currently an employee at BestBuy Magnolia. I have tons of time to spend with tv's. I recently ...
I'm currently an employee at BestBuy Magnolia. I have tons of time to spend with tv's. I recently bought the Sony XBR4 52" and loved it, untill my store recieved the 81F series. Did a quick swap out for the new Samsung and couldn't be any happier. It's everything I hoped for as far as quality and gaming purposes. My XBox 360 looks great even when I throw a movie into that's not blu-ray. The only thing i dislike about it, is the fact that there are no options for the 120HZ like the XBR4 has. I've noticed that not all movies look nice with 120HZ such as gone in 60 seconds. I wish there would be a way to turn it on/off. Also, as far as pixelation goes. With a big screen and regualr analog channles, you should be expecting it. The Samsung81 did a better job than the SonyXbr4. This tv compared to a plasma tv is hard to compare. With this you're going to get a better more eye capturing (popping) image. The Pioneer Plasma, offers much better colors than this has, It keeps everything on the screen look absolutely reasl. It's all up to the buyer. For my video games and occasional movie watching, this Samsung is the best of all. For those who prefer a better image for sports or normal day to day tv watching, the LCD's cannot compare to what a Plasma has the abilities of doing.
OVERALL THIS TV IS THE BEST LCD TV THERE IS AT A BEST BUY STORE. ALSO, THOSE SERVICE PLANS FOR A $5000 TV, ISNT A BAD IDEA, NOR IS THE REWARDZONE MASTER CARD. IM PAYING WITH CREDIT ANYWAYS, WHY NOT USE BEST BUY'S AND EARN CASH CERTIFICATES TO BUY MORE COOL THINGS.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Amazing picture & features
This TV absolutely rocks. The screen is amazing, looks good, sounds good, good remote, nice blue light, good touch buttons ...
This TV absolutely rocks. The screen is amazing, looks good, sounds good, good remote, nice blue light, good touch buttons on edge, and the swivel base is great. This doubles as my computer monitor and the HDMI cable made it easy to hook up. Screen is bright and crisp in XL and Word as well.
I had heard potential problems regarding viewing angle, which make no sense, as you can literally see from 179 degrees. Some complained about the glare, which is negligible to me. I almost allowed those comments to turn me away, glad I didn't. The one complaint I have (caveat, haven't read manual) is the PIP. I have 3 sources and the PIP bounces to wrong 2nd source. I'm sure it is solvable though. Expect to pay about 4 grand for it, with tax and delivered.
Read more
by sdbrian17 (see profile) -
July 4, 2008
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Should be rated @ 9.5 as one of the Overall Best HDTV
I was very fortunate to find a retail outlet in the Toronto area selling LN-T5281FX for under $3,700.00. ...
I was very fortunate to find a retail outlet in the Toronto area selling LN-T5281FX for under $3,700.00. Without a moment of hesitation, I pulled out my Visa Card and bought it on the spot. I took possession Dec.15/07, swapping out my 10 yr. old Pansonic GAOO 35" CRT unit, for my new(LCD)Samsung LN-T5281FX. After a couple of weeks of tweaking the settings, I am still just as excited and pleased with the superb quality picture of the LN-T5281FX as I was on the day I removed it from the shipping carton and plugged it in. To get things started I used detailed suggested setting from CNET Reviews from the LN-T4681F review and from UltimateAVmag.com review of the LN-T5281F. The reason I did not rate this unit at 10 was only because of the audio. For those using a Home Theater set up, this will not be an issue. For me, the picture quality of this unit is about a close to perfect as you can get. If you can find this unit priced $4,000 or less buy it!.You will not be disappointed.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Absolutely love it!
I have had mine for a little over a month and even though the it was quite expensive for an ...
I have had mine for a little over a month and even though the it was quite expensive for an 52" LCD I am more pleased everyday that I bought this set. It was worth spending the extra money. Picture quality, colors, black level are all fantastic
Read more
by asshol (see profile) -
December 3, 2007
Hide
More stores below
Show
Print friendly version
Email to a friend
del.icio.us
