Samsung LN-R268W 26-Inch HD-Ready Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD TV
Very nice set !
The Samsung 26\\" LN-R268W arrived via Eagle shipping in pristine condition.  The shipping weight was listed as 71lb on the web site, but thankfully that turned out to be about twice what it really was.  Both Eagle and Amazon responded to my inquiries about this when the unit was in transit, and assured me anything wrong would be rectified.<br /><br />My first viewing of the picture was not impressive, but it got better.  Using regular satellite and AV cables, scenery looked good, but fine detail like a newscaster's hair would jump and flash and look pixellated.  I upgraded to S-video and got much crisper images and more definition in the dark colors, especially black. I watched the Matt Damon/Edward Norton film \\"Rounders\\" using the \\"Zoom\\" picture setting, and it was a whole new experience, like when you hear your favorite song on tape and then on CD.  I was astonished at the fine detail, the individual hairs on people's heads, vivid colors with no bleeding, no visible halos or any distortion whatsoever. There was only one problem in the film.. a scene with a barber's cloth with thin, closely spaced red and white stripes seemed to \\"flash\\" when the camera moved.<br /><br />It's critical where you sit to watch this set. At much of an angle the picture degrades, I'd say about 30 degrees. That's no big deal, just something I didn't expect.  Your viewing angle and distance from the screen will be a big factor in your video quality. The auto settings for brightness/contrast make the picture look too dark on many shows.  I usually turn off that feature and set my own brightness and contrast.  I find myself adjusting and fussing with the picture more than I'd like, but once set, it's gorgeous.  In time I'll probably stop doing that and just enjoy it !<br /><br />I don't know why Samsung uses a reflective bezel, especially at the bottom of the screen. It's annoying at first, but after a month I don't notice it.  The sound is so-so, but I didn't even consider that in my purchase because I rarely use the on-board speakers.  There's a 5-band equalizer to suit your audio needs.<br /><br />When you drop big bucks on something you hope you get the quality you can live with.  I went to a local electronics store and looked at a bunch of different brands hooked up to the same signal, and the Samsung looked every bit as good as the Sharp and Sony.  I put my old 20\\" CRT alongside the new tv, and immediately thought \\"there's no way I'm going back to that!.\\"<br /><br />You won't be sorry you upgraded to LCD, provided you have at least an S-video signal.  TV has changed, big time, and once you look at one of these babies you won't go back. Resist the temptation to do this on the cheap however.  As in all things, you get what you pay for, and you want a good viewing experience.my purchase because I rarely use the on-board speakers.  There's a 5-band equalizer to suit your audio needs.  <br /> <br />When you drop big bucks on something you hope you get the quality you can live with.  I went to a local electronics store and looked at a bunch of different brands hooked up to the same signal, and the Samsung looked every bit as good as the Sharp and Sony.  I put my old 20\\" CRT alongside the new tv, and immediately thought \\"there's no way I'm going back to that!.\\" <br /> <br />You won't be sorry you upgraded to LCD, provided you have at least an S-video signal.  TV has changed, big time, and once you look at one of these babies you won't go back. Resist the temptation to do this on the cheap however.  As in all things, you get what you pay for, and you want a good viewing experience. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />