Samsung LN26C350 Review

Model: Samsung LN26C350
Description: 26" LCD
Resolution: 1366 X 768
Power Consumption: Not listed
Reviewer: Robert Wiley
Date: Summer 2010

Samsung's 2010 3 Series LCDs feature 720p screens, which in a small TV is all you'll ever need. Flourescent backlighting, a 60Hz refresh rate, SRS TruSurround HD, 2 HDMI inputs and numerous analog inouts round out the feature set. The 3 series LCDs also feature a game mode which limits picture processing to cut down on the input lag associated with many HDTVs.

The 3 Series LCD make for an excellent TV for the bedroom, a child's room or other rooms where you need a smaller, less expensive HDTV.

Test and Optimum Viewing Distance: 6 feet

Follow these Picture settings to get close to D6500K, start with Custom Picture setting:

HQV Pcocessor Testing: Very Good

The LN26C250 did a good job with various processor tests results

Picture Quality Performance: With such a small screen it's difficult to note any motion artifacts in the background unless looking very closely. But it's there to a small degree if you want to get out the magnifying glass. The processors did a very nice job. Color rendition was not oversaturated, if not sometimes a little muted.

A shot of the guys in The Big Lebowski looks a little washed out, but it's just the unusually bright lighting of the bowling alley

With our Blu Ray set to 720p resolution to match the TVs resolution we were very impressed at the bright sharp images and intense color offered. The TV really has a lot of pop with HD material. We also did not note the negative background judder with HD material and this proved out with our HD HQV processor testing as well. Black levels were deep and occasionally oversaturated but not often enough to really be a strike against. Dark shadow detail was totally acceptable for a TV of this size and price range.

HD shot from Iron Man shows good dark shadow detail

Off center viewing was average on this LCD TV with the contrast and black levels fading at around 35 degrees off angle – again not bad for this price range.

Inputs: The input selection of the LN26C350 just barely gets the job done with 2 HDMI inputs and one component input which shares space with the composite input. The component and composite inputs cannot be shared – only one at the time. There is a USB port available; useful for downloading photo and/or music files.

As far as aesthetic considerations go, the LN26C350 has straightforward design and better than the other 32" models on the market except the LG's. You almost cant believe how light the TV is upon lifting it, a scant 12.7 pounds. The TV is 3.25" in depth and 8" with the stand. The included table stand is very light and inexpensive and the TV must be turned on its head and the table stand screwed on upside down to accomplish the assembly. It would be more convenient if Samsung would just include the stand already assembled on the TV, same as some other manufacturers. The table top stand does not swivel side to side. The 2" bezel framing of the TV is gloss black and non-spectacular but does contain a sloped design element at the bottom.

Remote Control/Menu Funtionality: The remote control is fairly basic, is not backlit, but contains sufficient controls. There is a nifty "tools" key that allows from quick selection of frequently used controls. The onscreen menu is very complete with the normal scrolling design and is easy to use – perhaps moreso than Samsung's high end TV offerings. The menu comes on as an overlay to the material being viewed which is always nice.

Aspect ratio adjustment is controlled by the small P.size button at the bottom of the remote to allow sizing of your picture between the given options such as Zoom1, 16:9 and 4:3 standard.

Audio Output: The two inbuilt 5 watt speakers barely get the job done. From 10 feet the user will need to keep the volume control at 75% of total capacity. The volume quality also is lacking with a tinny character and no base – but that's about all you can expect from 5 watt speakers.

Currently the LN26C350 is for sale at around $399 at most stores. This TV is all about price paid/value. $399 seems like a lot for something that weighs in at 12.7 pounds, but the model is still very competitive with other models and is Samsung's lowest end offered. The TV offers a very nice feature set and quality in this small size and price range – which often lacks in quality options. Competition is from the Toshiba 26C100, the Vizio VL260M,and the Panasonic TC-L26X1 as well as a couple second tier brands.

Rating scale from 70 (denoting poorest quality) to 100 (signifying the very best quality). Picture quality is double-weighted in the Overall Rating Score calculation.

Specifications

Review Equipment Used: Sony Blu Ray BDP-S1 High Definition DVD player, Sony DVP-S50 DVD player, Sencore Color Pro 5000, Sencore Auto Cal Pro, Sencore signal generator.

This review format and all of the headings, sub headings and paragraph titles are part of a copyrighted process. Any unauthorized reproduction or use, either in full or in part, of this product review format is expressly prohibited.