I like big televisions. They’re just so much more enjoyable than small televisions, especially when you get to enjoy high definition content being pumped out from a good source like a Blu-ray player. The larger screen also comes in really handy when you’re playing high-definition video games and watching Monday Night Football. And the best part? Getting a huge TV is more affordable than ever.
As the market gets more competitive, it can become increasingly difficult to choose just the right TV. After all, if you’re going to invest a couple thousand dollars in a large LCD TV, you want to be sure that you’re getting the right one. I had the opportunity to stimulate my senses with the latest series of LCD televisions from Samsung. The Series 60 630 HDTVs come in three different sizes and I took the largest, the 52-incher, out for a test spin. The exact model number is the LN52A630. You can probably figure out where the “52” and the “630” come from.
Aside from a speedy 120Hz refresh rate and glorious 1080p resolution, the Samsung LN52A630 comes with a few notable extras as well. Let’s see what this huge HDTV is all about.
Features and Specifications
The two most obvious numbers that you’ll see associated to the Samsung LN52A630 HDTV are that it is a 52-inch LCD TV and it’s got full 1080p HD resolution. One of the areas where LCDs have traditionally fallen behind equivalently-sized plasma TVs are in the refresh rate, resulting in all sorts of nasty motion blur. Samsung has tried to overcome this issue with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate.
Running through the rest of the specifications, you’ll find the following.
- Touch of Color design with narrow width bezel
- HD-grade 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution
- Auto Motion Plus 120Hz refresh rate
- Widescreen aspect ratio
- 40,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- TFT active matrix display
If that’s not enough for you, a full list of specifications are available right here. I’ll go through the various connection options in a moment.
Unpacking and the Contents of the Box
I have to hand it to Samsung. They know a thing or two about carefully packing a large television into an even larger box. In order to provide both great protection and relative ease of mobility, the box for the Samsung LN52A630 HDTV has a couple of little black brackets near the bottom. These hold the box in place. Remove them and the entire box, with the exception of the base, slips off like a sleeve. That’s pretty creative, because it means that you can easily use the handles on the sides of the box for easy transport.
Naturally, the LCD television itself is fully protected with styrofoam protectors and a foam-like sleeve. After removing the box sleeve, you reveal a TV that looks like the one below. Take off the foamy sleeve and you’ve got yourself one beautiful television.
Inside the box, you’ll find the TV itself, a series of documentation (user manual, warranty information, etc.), the remote, a couple of AA batteries for the remote, power cable, and a cover in case you want to remove the stand and mount the TV on the wall instead. Nothing too exciting on this front.
Audio/Video Input Options
Sweeping around to the back of this Samsung Series 6 630 HDTV, you’ll find a panel with a healthy compliment of input options. On the top row are connections for PC in (VGA/RGB for video and 3.5mm stereo for audio) and the output for digital (optical) audio, in case you want to send the digital audio out to a home theatre system. Aside from this are two sets of component connections (one of which can be used for composite video), RCA stereo audio out, antenna in, and two HDMI inputs. There is no DVI connection, so you’ll need to use the second HDMI port with an appropriate adapter. Sound for that can come via the provided RCA audio inputs.
Taking a look at the left side of the TV, you’ll find a series of additional ports. There is a 3.5mm connection for audio out (in case you want to use a set of headphones), an additional set of composite inputs, an S-Video port (who uses that anymore?), and another HDMI input. There is also a USB port for the WiseLink functionality, which I will describe a little later in the review.
Standard TV, Component Wii, HDMI Blu-ray
Although most people would only concern themselves with the highest level of performance on any given television, it’s also important to look at the other input options if you plan on using them at all. For example, the Nintendo Wii does not output anything close to full 1080p HDTV, so the best you can do is get 480p through a set of component cables. That’s why it’s important for you to consider all the input possibilities (and their relative performance) when choosing your TV.
To put it through its paces, I used the Samsung LN52A630 for a number of different applications. First, I connected it directly to the cable in the wall for cable television. This is far from HD quality (480i) and it’s stretched from a 4:3 aspect ratio to a 16:9. Given these circumstances, I was still pretty pleased with the picture quality that resulted. I did notice a fair bit of motion blur when it came to action sports (hockey, football, etc.), but regular dramas and comedies were just fine.
To test the composite and component connections, I used my Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit. Using the composite connection was a significant improvement over cable TV and the component connection was another further improvement. Color quality was good and the detail was certainly better than I’ve experience on other large LCD TVs. That said, despite the Auto MotionPlus 120Hz refresh rate on this TV, I still experienced very significant motion blur, particularly with “faster” balance games in Wii Fit. The same happened with the Xbox 360 through a component connection for Rock Band 2. The note would “blur” every so often.
Using the Samsung BD-1500 Blu-ray player through an HDMI connection, the difference was like night and day, particularly when I watched “I Am Legend” on Blu-ray. The level of detail was absolutely amazing, the colors were remarkably vibrant, and there was very little noticeable motion blur. The picture was very sharp and I couldn’t be happier with the HDMI performance. You’ll naturally want to use this connection whenever possible, but aside from motion blur issues, the other connection options are slightly better in picture quality compared to other 52-inch LCD TVs.
A Stylish Remote of Complexity
Even though the provided remote is meant to be used primarily with the Samsung LN52A630 HDTV, it comes with a series of additional buttons near the bottom for AnyLink functionality. In this way, it can act as a universal remote, but only on a very rudimentary basis. The backlit keys are a nice touch, but I found it frustrating that the enter key was only located in the center of the five-way navigator. The “previous channel” button occupies the space where “enter” would normally be located with the digits at the top. More demanding remote control afficianados should definitely look at the Harmony ONE Remote.
USB WiseLink for Music and Photos
I noted earlier that there is a USB port on the left side of the TV. This is for the USB WiseLink function where you can view photos and listen to music stasheed on a USB storage device. Plugging in just about any USB drive, you can enjoy a photo slide show and the embedded software can sift through your photos based on the folder, date stamp, and even the primary color. The built-in MP3 player is equally robust, but it’s no replacement for a proper stereo system.
Photo slideshows can also be accompanied by your chosen musical playlist. USB WiseLink is a bonus feature that you may not find on other 52-inch TVs from Samsung’s competitors. It’s not really a make-or-break point for me, but if you’re debating between two otherwise identical TVs, it could sway your decision toward the Samsung LN52A630.
Benchmarks and Screenshots
To get a more objective look at the capabilities of this HDTV, I used it as an external monitor for my Dell 640m laptop computer. I then ran a series of test patterns through DisplayMate, looking for contrast ratios, absolute blacks, absolute whites, and color reproduction. There was not a single test where I was not impressed. You can see some of these benchmarks below. As you can also see, both the horizontal and vertical viewing angles were very impressive as well.
Final Thoughts
Poking around at a few different stores, you should be able to find the Samsung LN52A630 52-inch 1080 HDTV for around $2,000. This is absolutely remarkable considering that most 40 inch LCD HDTVs were easily over the $4000 range just over two years ago. The 120Hz refresh rate helps with motion blur for the HDMI connection, but you’ll still suffer some blur with pretty well every other connection option. Incentive to move to higher quality sources perhaps.
Despite the grievances on low quality source material blur, the 40,000:1 contrast ratio is absolutely remarkable and you’ll love the vibrance of the colors being displayed. The “Touch of Color” styling is also a nice touch (no pun intended), but the redness is not nearly as noticeable as on some other Samsung LCD monitors. A finishing touch feature that we experienced with the Samsung T220 Monitor a little while back.
If you’re in the market for a large LCD HDTV and want good quality for a decent price, the 52-inch version of the Samsung Series 6 630 LCD just might be for you. The main thing that bugs me is the motion blur, particularly with the Nintendo Wii via a component connection. Considering how many Nintendo Wii’s are in homes, and how important the lack of motion blur is to video games, I hope that Samsung does consider trickling the tech down to this input. Aside from that, I’m quite pleased with what I’ve experienced.
Pros
- Brilliant color reproduction and stellar contrast
- Simply beautiful styling
- Smart packaging style makes transport easier
- Bevy of connection options, including a set of ports on the side
- Energy Star certification
Cons
- Auto Motion Plus 120Hz refresh rate doesn’t cut it for non-HDMI content
- USB WiseLink software can be a little frustrating and laggy
- No native DVI connection port
- Remote layout could use some work
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
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Samsung LN52A630 52-Inch LCD HDTV Photo Gallery
