Review: Samsung LN-S3738D 37 inch LCD (LN-S3238D, LN-S2738D)

Tagged: Technology reviews

Samsung has finally released a 37in LCD. This set, along with the related sets in the same family, are excellent choices for a new LCD. Read more for the features and my opinions on this new set.

For many moons I have been searching for the perfect LCD set. Sadly, a lot of manufactures ignore the 37 inch market. Luckily for us, Samsung has decided to fill this gap.

The Samsung is a designed as a beautiful set. The 37 inch just looks like a larger version of their popular 32 inch set. Here’s the stock 37 inch photo:

Stats:

480i/480p/720p/1080i
2 HDMI/DVI, 1 Component
2 Composite
2 S-Video
PC Input
2 Coax ANT inputs
Digital Optical / Analog Audio Outs
Headphone Outs
Firewire / IEEE1394
36″(W) x 26.1″(H) x 4.3″(D)
About 50 Pounds

Discussion:
You don’t need 1080p on a set smaller than 40 inches. The 2 HDMI slots are nice although I would have appreciated an additional component input as well.

Panel:

Features:

– DNIe technology
– 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
– 170 degree viewing angle
– Digital Noise Reduction
– SRS TruSurround XT
– ATSC Digital Tuner
– No QAM. No CableCard.
– Game Mode.

Discussion:

The DNIe and digital noise reduction are both excellent features. Even more so is the ability to disable them if you do not like the affects.

Likewise if you have a new generation gaming system such as wii or PS3, you will enjoy having the option to place the TV in gaming mode which increases the response rate and contrast a bit.

If you are wanting QAM or cablecard, you’ll need another receiver or to look to another set. For most people, this is not an issue.

My Experience:

Setting up the set is a dream. Four screws and the set is locked into the base. The black shiny finish on the panel blends well into the background. Likewise, the black finish blends well to make letterboxing less apparent.

Consumer Reports has rated the smaller Samsungs in this line very well. AVSForum has been very positive on the Samsung line too. Using the recommendations in the multiple AVSForums threads on the Samsung sets, I was able to easily tweak the picture to my liking. Being able to tweak the visual settings for each individual source is nice as well. I found that I wanted my visual settings slightly different for my DVD, cable box, and gaming systems all slightly different.

The main thing that pushed me to the Samsung was its history of being able to display standard definition TV in a visually pleasing way. Consumer Reports and AVSForum generally agree that at least the previous Samsung sets are some of the best at displaying SD content.

The audio system is robust and of better than average quality.

Conclusions:

The only negatives on this set are the following: only one component in and no QAM. The fact that this set is just now being released also means that sites such as Consumer Reports and AVForums have not yet had a lot of experience with this exact set. As this set builds on the highly rated previous Samsung sets, I do not believe this will be a problem. However, it may give you pause if you are a religious believer in these two excellent sources of information.

Building on its previous successes, Samsung has positioned itself well in the narrow 37in LCD market. With excellent SD and HD viewing, the visual quality is way above the norm. The ability to easily customize the picture, the excellent panel design, and the 2 HDMI inputs make this a wonderful set.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with Samsung in any way.