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Samsung updates A950 LCD HDTVs, early adopters left frowning
So you went out and purchased a brand new LED-backlit A950-series HDTV after hearing such good things, did you? Guess what? It's already old hat. Okay, so maybe that's a bit extreme, but it doesn't change the fact that Samsung has already rolled out an updated version of the unit without providing an easy / free way for existing owners to get the upgrade. Reportedly, all A950s manufactured after September 20, 2008 have the upgrade; ones crafted before that, don't. The tweak raises the black levels in very dark scenes, improves shadow detail and eliminates some of the worst blooming effects. However, the "older" model still exhibits darker overall black levels, and according to CNET, the changes weren't drastic enough to warrant a revision to their original rating. Those looking to make a mountain out of a mole hill can probably kvetch enough to land some new hardware required for the update, but in all honesty, we'd probably just try and forget about it.
