Samsung LN32B460 LCD HDTV Review - Blacks & Whites

Blacks & Whites Summary
Editorial Note: This is a review of the Samsung LN32B460. Test results are for this model, but should indicate the general performance of other sizes in the LNxxB460 series. The LNxxB460 series also includes the LN22B460 and the LN26B460.  Read here for more details on series differences.
• Low black level. • Good peak brightness. • Very good contrast ratio for an LCD. • Some issues with uniformity. • Testing done using DisplayMate Software
	Tour & Design	Page 3 of 18	Color Accuracy

Black Level (8.00)

In this test we use our trusty photospectrometer to measure the deepest black our test TV can produce. When set to an all black screen, the Samsung LN32B460 output about 0.1 cd/m². This is a solidly good black level. Once you start getting to 0.2 cd/m² and higher, you'll start to notice the blacks look brighter than they should. 

In the chart below, you can see the two Samsungs have very impressive black levels, with the Sony in a close third. The LG has a black level that's more typical of an entry-level LCD.

Black Level
Compare the Samsung LN32B460 to other HDTVs
Samsung LN32B360 32 inches	Sony KDL-32L5000 32 inches	LG 37LH55 37 inches

Peak Brightness (8.73)

For this test, we point the photospectrometer at an all white screen. We measured the LN32B460's peak brightness at 338.32 cd/m². This is very bright, even though the LN32B360 and 37LH55 managed to outshine it. We were pleased wiht the LN32B460's results.

Peak brightness is important, because it can help mitigate effects of light shining on the screen. Televisions with low peak brightnesses can get washed out by external lights.

Peak Brightness

Contrast (8.27)

Contrast is the ratio of the brightest white to the darkest black. Contrast is important because the human eye is very sensitive to it. Also, if there's a smaller span between the peak white and lowest black, it causes fines details to be lost.

We measured the LN32B460's contrast at about 3382:1. This is a great contrast ratio, especially for an LCD. Typically LCDs have significantly lower contrast ratios because they aren't capable of a deep black. The LN32B460 spits in the eye of this generalization with its excellent performance.

In the chart below, we've plotted a few TVs' contrast ratios. Higher contrast yields a larger overall greyscale range, which leads to better differentiation between shades.

Contrast

Tunnel Contrast (9.80)

Of course, you don't watch a full white or full black screen. For this reason, we test the the white and black levels as our rectangles comprise a gradually smaller portion of the screen. Ideally, it shouldn't matter how big the rectangle is; the level should remain the same.

On this test, we're measuring the consistency of the black level. As illustrated in the graph below, it wasn't a perfectly consistent black level, but the changes were very, very minor. Those divots and peaks are often a 0.01 cd/m² difference. Realistically, you won't notice these minor shifts.

Tunnel Contrast

White Falloff (9.79)

This test is the opposite of the last one: here we're measuring the consistency of the white level. Again, the levels shouldn't change.

The LN32B460 has a very even kiel to its peak brightness. The shifts are all very, very minor. Overall, the LN32B460 maintains its levels incredibly well. 

White Falloff

Uniformity (6.75)

In this test we look at how uniform the blacks and whites are displayed on the Samsung LN32B460's screen. On the all white screen, the LN32B460's looked very uniform. We didn't see any issues with the center and only minor dimming along the bottom edge and corners. The black screen was less impressive. There were some blotches across the entirety of the screen. There was also some flashlighting in the corners and along the edges as well.

Greyscale Gamma (8.49)

In this test we look at how smoothly the Samsung LN32B460 makes adjustments along a curve from white to black. If greyscale progression is off, it can lead to a significant loss of differentiation between shades of colors.

The ideal gamma curve, when plotted logarythmically, has a curve between 2.1 and 2.2. The LN32B460 measured close to this with 2.45. As illustrated in the graph below, the TV tends to shift to black a bit too quickly and then fail to differentiate much in the very low end. These errors are minor, however. Overall, the LN32B460 did very well on this test.

Greyscale Gamma

Resolution Scaling (8.33)

The Samsung LN32B460 natively displays 720p content, but of course video content comes in many different resolutions. As such we fed different resolution signals to the Samsung LN32B460 to see how well it handles them.

480p (8.4)
This is the format used by standard definition media. The LN32B460 didn't have any major problems with this signal. There was a slight overscan (about 3% of the screen was cut off of the edges), but most HDTVs have overscan issues with 480p. The LN32B460 did well here overall.

1080i (6.5)
This is the format used by broadcast HD. That little "i" stands for "interlaced," meaning the TV displays every other horizontal line, then alternates. This requires a lot of processing, so we typically see artifacting here. The LN32B460 was no exception. While our test images were rendered fine, some fine patterns blurred into patches of grey.

1080p (5.75)
The LN32B460 struggled with 1080p, which is the highest HD format currently available. The only place you'll get 1080p from is a Blu-ray disc. We saw a lot of artifacting here. Text blurred together and fine patterns either blurred out or showed dot matrix patterns. If you're really keen on watching Blu-rays, we'd recommend getting a TV that displays 1080p natively.

Other Models in the LNxxB460 Series
This is a review of the Samsung LN32B460. The other sizes of HDTVs in this series should be similar in terms of performance and usability. For details about any differences, click on the image to jump to the Series Comparison page.
LN22B460 22 inches	LN26B460 26 inches