Samsung LNS5296D 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
WOW!  What  a HDTV- the  Samsung LNS5296D 52" 1080p LCD HDTV
<br />WOW!!! This is one beautiful 52\\" 1080p LCD HDTV!! <br /> <br />I received this tv from AMAZON by way of EAGLE TRUCKING thru CURTIS transport Co. The tv arrived on time as stated at the time of purchase in PERFECT condition. I had the tv box placed in the garage until I got the family room ready to mount it on the wall myself. The tv in the box was very light and it set in my garage for almost a month(waiting for my 4 HD players to arrive-the Toshiba A2(1),XA1(1)and the Samsung BD-P1000(2).  <br /> <br />Why so many hd players?? (see my other post on these players) <br /> <br />The answer: I wanted BOTH formats for upstairs(M.bedroom)and downstairs(family room). I have no sides in this format 'war'! I don't waste time with stupid debates about one or the other,or who has the most backing. I simply don't care who wins,and for now I can enjoy both sides. BOTH have a beautiful hd picture that I can see and seeing is what counts.  <br /> <br />Now, <br /> <br />Once everything arrived and was set up,I tested it for bad pixels by setting up the internal 'blue Screen mode'. There was no dead pixels,no damage of any kind. This tv is simply awesome to view. I viewed it thru both hd players by way of the 2 hdmi connections and 2 component ones on the tv. Also, the tv is connected to COMCAST CABLE here in California and the picture will 'blow your socks off'. All of the HD channels on COMCAST CABLE:Inhd,Inhd2,espn,local,tbs,universal,usa,fsn,etc.,all of them are fanastic to behold.  <br /> <br />As a gamer first and early adopter, this tv also has a game mode. It's really a 52\\" GIANT computer monitor! It's native resolution is 1920x1080, which is great for computer games,not to mention the PS3 and the hd XBOX360, which I haven't connected yet(don't have the PS3). <br /> <br /> I connected,viewed and played many of my old games like, EAsports:Madden'07,NBA live'07,MVP'05 and NHL'07 thru a DELL XPS Extreme dual core2 computer. I have never saw my games look so clear anddetailed before. I install the game INDEPENCENCE WAR 2 and was stunned at the color and smooth movement of all the space ships,starfield background,laser fire,and explosions of the old game. It was like watching a HD XBOX 360 game or a DVD movie on my computer. Everything was crystal clear on the Samsung LNS5296D. And AOL,EXPLORER and WINDOWS XP resolution at 1920x1080 is what browsing the web is all about. Man! What a tv this is. <br /> <br /> All of the hookups are very simple, but nothing is perfect, right? There are 2 MINOR negatives about this tv that I want to mention. <br /> <br />FIRST: The rear connections are located on the BACK of the tv and NOT the BOTTOM of the set as they are with most other FPD. The bottom hook-up is easier for cable/wire routing thru the wall. Here's what I did and you could do. <br /> <br />After locating and mounting your tv bracket to the wall 'studs',and behind where the tv will be positioned, CUT 2 opening, between the wall studs at the top and at the bottom base of the wall, RUN(snake) all your cable connections(hdmi,component,Svideo,vga,cable tv,audio,EEE1394,usb,etc.) thru the wall to the rear tv connection panel.Once lifted onto the brackets, the Samsung LNS5296D with the connections at the rear of the tv doesn't leave room (depending on your mount) to manuver all the cables needed once the tv is mounted on the wall. The solution I chose was to connect all the cables BEFORE lifting the tv onto the wall bracket,which is what I did with help. It took a little time,but we were able to snake all the cables thru and connect them properly. <br /> <br />Second: The beautiful piano black beveled finished that outlines the tv is VERY,VERY,VERY susceptible to the slightest scratches. Samsung warns you on how to \\"dust\\" off the tv, which I didn't read at first. I went to take off a little dust spot with my finger and scratched the beautiful black finished. It's not noticeble, but I know it's mared. <br /> <br />But all that aside, WOW!What a HDTV-the Samsung LNS5296D is. AMAZON had the best price when I bought it and you can't go wrong if you get it.  <br />