What Hi-Fi? Verdict
All in all, this Samsung is an excellent performer and at a tidy price too
Pros
- +
Good contrast levels
- +
clean images
- +
handles blacks well
- +
good price
Cons
- -
Only a slight lack of weight to the sound
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Not for the first time this year, Samsung is making some of its rival TV manufacturers look rather lazy.
You may be buying a set that's 'only' 26in, but the company has still seen fit to include the red-tinted styling of its bigger and more expensive siblings, as well as a feature list that includes support for 1080p at 24fps and a digital optical out, on top of the now compulsory trio of HDMIs.
Calibration worth the effort
Calibrating the TV isn't as easy as it could be. The simple settings can be trimmed perfectly well using the THX Optimiser, but there are lots of extra options hidden in supplemental menus that can have a big impact on picture quality.
Experimenting with these isn't made any easier by the fact their menus cover the majority of the screen.
Still, persevere and you'll be rewarded with a brilliant picture. Contrast levels in particular are impressive, with pleasingly deep blacks combining with punchy whites to reproduce the picture of the Passengers Blu-ray to impressive effect.
Sharp motion faithfully tracked
Images are clean, edges are sharp and motion is tracked faithfully.
The 'B450 continues to impress with standard definition, providing a balanced, precise and detailed picture whether you're watching The Young Victoria on DVD or Family Guy on Freeview.
In fact, the Samsung's only blemish is its sound delivery, which, though clear, lacks weight and width.
