Samsung LN32B360 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

5 Comments

1. James says:

   September 30, 2009 at 5:54 pm

   This was the original review for the earlier model of this TV(LN32A330) however I feel it still applies as other Samsung models are known to have the same issues.

   This LCD was a steal for the kind of picture and sound quality it provided. We rarely had any issues with it until now. One day when we came home we were looking forward to just vegging on the couch to watch our program. Grabbed the remote and pressed the power button. The Direct TV console turned on followed by the familiar red light at the bottom center of the tv. This is usually followed by a distinct ringing beep that would indicate the power is turned on. There was no beep. No ring. No sound. No picture. Just pure black with the red power light winking at us. We tried everything to resurrect the picture including disconnecting the power cord and using different wall sockets. Nothing. I called Samsung worldwide and the service agent said that it is a service call issue however since we bought the TV on June 30 2008, we are no longer covered by the warranty as it is now August 2009. It amuses me how crap like this happens soon after the warranty runs out. I looked all over online and many Samsung owners of various models and sizes have experienced the same thing, a defective power supply and it will have to be replaced. I also looked to see if I could do it myself if I buy the part and save a little scratch. But it turns out that it involves using a soldering gun and having failed shop class, I figured I would call a professional. Repair will cost upwards of $250 including service call, parts and labor. Just when you think you’re getting a bargain, just be aware that it could cost you in the long run. Next time I don’t think I’ll worry about spending a little more if it means not having to go through this headache.
   
   Rating: 1 / 5
2. Panthera75 says:

   September 30, 2009 at 7:30 pm

   I do love the TV, it has great picture and sound. The only thing I truly hate is that I can’t utilize the on/off timers because I’m using HDMI cables. I’d assume most people would use HDMI cables and feel it was a flaw in the making of the tv not being able to use the timers. Other than that, it’s a great tv. I love how it swivels too.
   Rating: 3 / 5
3. M. Haney says:

   September 30, 2009 at 9:46 pm

   I got this set as a warranty replacement for the LN32A330.
   
   Supposedly this is a newer model, it was a step in the WRONG direction! The reason my older set needed to be
   
   replaced was for a defective main board- the audio would cut in and out of HD channels.
   
   This does the same thing!! arrgghh.
   
   Not only that, but I can hardly get any HD channels now, the tuner actually got worse.
   
   The audio is so horrible on this set , that I get a headache after 5 min of watching TV. It’s very tiney sounding, even after adjustments.
   
   The picture also looks alot worse w / “jaggies” with high speed pictures. I know this is an inherent problem with LCD, but did not happen as often as this new set.
   
   Maybe it’s just my luck, but have never owned a samsung product that I would recommend to anybody (Cellphones, DVD players, and now TV)
   
   I can’t say really anything good about this tv. I should have spend the extra cash and got a Sony.
   Rating: 2 / 5
4. Ronald L. Linch Jr. says:

   September 30, 2009 at 10:08 pm

   I bought this TV from Walmart about three weeks ago… and returned it three days later.

   I typically do lots of research before buying anything in this price range but, trusting the Samsung quality and ignoring the little voice in my head telling me not to “impulse shop”, I went ahead and bought it anyway. Couple issues I noted right away:

   1. The speakers would “pop”, but randomly. It might go one minute with hardly a pop, then you would hear then hear six or seven in a matter of seconds, but it was subtle… often getting drown out by the volume itself. But, once you noticed it for the first time, it was hard to ignore. Im guessing these were the result of defective speaker(s).

   2. Being in the least used room, I had this TV hooked up to our lone standard definition cable (satellite) box. While having read about blurred images in fast moving scenes on LCD’s, I thought modern technology had pretty much eliminated this old shortcoming. I was wrong. I wasnt watching sports either, I was watching the 10 o’clock news. It seemed whenever the news anchor turned their head, their head would stop just a split second before the image seemed to fully catch up. My other two hi-def TV’s are plasma and rear-projection LCD (modern tech only 5 years ago but now hard to find) and I had never noticed that shortcoming on either of them (but nor was their technology known to suffer from this).

   What else? Even had the speakers not “popped”, I thought the sound quality was poor. It doesnt help that the speakers are built into the bottom frame facing down… meaning they are firing into the TV stand instead of out towards your ears. Why some manufacturers are doing this is beyond me. Again, being in our least used room, this TV was going to be stand alone… not hooked up to a receiver and alternate speakers. Lastly, as others have stated about “piano black” finishes, its looks nice but attracts finger prints, hair, dust, etc.

   I know Samsung typically makes a quality HDTV product, but I think trying to appeal to the lower end of the price spectrum will cause companies to perhaps take shortcuts that they wouldnt make on their higher end sets. That being said, of all the other 32 inch HDTV I viewed at Walmart, I thought this one had the best picture… in the store anyway.
   Rating: 2 / 5
5. EBLAKE says:

   September 30, 2009 at 10:11 pm

   Really love this TV. It arrived before schedule in great shape. Had no problems hooking it up. And have been pleased with the picture quality and color since we have been using it.
   Rating: 4 / 5