SAMSUNG LN46A850

Slim and (Mostly) Sublime



At a mere 1.9 inches, the 46-inch Samsung LN46A850 is the company's thinnest HDTV yet. What's more, the LN46A850's colors are brilliantly accurate, its video black inky-dark, and its reproduction of standard- and high-definition sources admirably detailed. And the I.N46A850 is loaded with useful extras, including support for network streaming of multimedia content. All in all, it's a tempting—and competitively priced—slim-cabinet television.

The stylish glossy black frame surround ing the LN46A850's screen is enhanced with a subtle red±sh-amber line along the outer edges (Samsung calls it a "Touch of Color"). The LN46A850's swivel-action table stand is constructed from a rectangular-shaped sheet of tempered glass that nicely complements the TV's frame. A good, stylish TV deserves a quality remote control, and the LN46A850 includes two—a standard model with backlit keys and a mini remote. An Ethernet port lets you stream video and audio from a DI.NAcompliant server or Windows PC (via the included Samsung PC Share Manager software). I streamed DVD video files successfully, except that the aspect ratio of the video was incorrect.

Using calibrated picture settings, I found that the LN46A850's average picture contrast was an i mpressive 3,487:1. This result is one of the best Eve seen among fluorescent-backlit LCDs, second only to the LN52A750's contras: result of 3,725:1. A picturerelated issue I found with the I.N46A850 unit I tested was poor bright and dark uniformity. But I wouldn't say this issue is representative, necessarily, of the entire series; it's likely a defect on the unit I received.


The fast,120-Hz refresh rate technology featured in the LN46A850 is configured by default to smooth out video motion to enhance picture detail. With the set's film detection enabled, its ability to upconvat standard-definition video (480i) to the screen's 1080p format was exceptional. HD satellite TV as well as Blu-ray movies and test material (a mix of 1080i and 1080p24) were as detailed as I've seen on any LCD television. Premium plasma and I.CD flat-panel televisions will continue to push the limits of cabinet thinness, picture quality, and energy efficiency—and the LN46A850 sets the current benchmark for what you should expect from an affordable, u trathin HDTV—Robert Heron




PC Magazine April 2009