Samsung LN-R1550 15-Inch LCD EDTV
Not too SHARP...
I originally purchased the LN-R1550 because I liked the fact that it could perform the functions of a tv AND a monitor.  Right out of the box, however, my first impression was that it looked too much like a monitor rather than a tv.  It's hard to tell from the web pictures, but this \\"tv\\" is just a Samsung monitor with an awkward speaker panel attached to the back and sides - not the look I was going for when I purchased for the kitchen. <br /> <br />Picture quality.  I must say that the picture quality, when connected to a DVD player was very good.  But, as I mentioned, this tv was to live in the kitchen connected to a whole-home video distribution setup via plain old coaxial cable.  The satellite picture looked lousy.  I even tied it into the receiver with regular RCA cables and it looked no better.  These were the same cables that I used when connecting the DVD player (and that picture looked crisp).  This last fact is the only reason that I give the tv 3 stars rather than 2. <br /> <br />The small size of this LCD makes it a great candidate for the kitchen.  But, kitchen set-ups usually involve coaxial cable.  So, the awkward design and poor coax picture forced me to abandon this particular Samsung.  During my pre-purchase research, I had been contemplating between this Samsung and the 13\\" Sharp Aquos.  I originally went with the Samsung because it was 2\\" larger.  In this case - in the kitchen - size isn't such a huge deal.  I returned the Samsung and got the Sharp.  Boy, what a difference! <br /> <br />Not only did the Sharp have a better picture over coax, but it just looks so much more intelligently designed.  All the contour lines flow so elegantly.  The pictue was better and brighter.  I think that the Samsung actually had better depth of sound, but - again - in the kitchen it's not such a huge deal.  The smaller size actually was a better fit for the kitchen, too.