Samsung 55" 1080p LED Smart TV w/ Wi-Fi

I bought this tv roughly 3 weeks ago and I LOVE IT! Now, let me first say, that *frankly* I was nervous about buying it. I initially read one or two very positive reviews and I thought, " Ok, sounds great! For $550 bucks, a new Smart TV, insanely sharp picture....I'm in!" THEN, after I ordered it, I started reading more reviews. A lot of crummy ones! So, then I started second guessing myself thinking, "Oh no. What have I just done. Crap! Maybe I should cancel the order. There's still time. It won't ship for at least a few hours (or more.)" So, I started looking at similar 40 inch flat screens, and this is what I came up with. At the end of the day, the other tv's of similar features were $100-400 more expensive than this Samsung and it seemed to do everything I wanted it to do. The seeds of doubt that were planted in my head (all untrue, by the way as I will explain) by other reviews on the tv were this: 1) This tv is not an "all-in one, one stop shop" for streaming, roku, etc... 2) The sound is terrible! It's not loud enough, it doesn't produce theater or surround sound, etc... 3) The streaming is terrible! Slow to load apps, you have to start over after you close out of an app, you still need a Roku even if you buy this These were all concerns that I had once I ordered it. But, I am also the queen of second guessing myself and over thinking stuff. So, I came to the conculsion, "Look, just order the tv. even if it doesn't do a THING, for $550 and FREE SHIPPING, you can't go wrong!" You'll at least get a killer picture. And let me say, I am SO GLAD, I got it! Here is what I found about the other issues other people have raised: 1) I do not believe that the tv description purports itself to be a substitute for Roku or Apple TV. It has goodness, at least 20 apps or more that you can use: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, MSNBC, facebook, twitter, and a bunch of other apps that I don't care about really. I just ordered an Apple TV because I like the idea of streaming my computer onto the tv. Here's why: I am a huge Project Runway fan. You can download the Lifetime app and watch the episodes on the app, or watch on the computer. Which even with a subscription of $8 a month with Hulu, you can't watch Project Runway. So that has nothing to do with the Samsung TV. Even ABC.com, why pay $8 a month with Hulu to watch shows on ABC or NBC (that's $96 a year) when you can watch it for free on abc.com. So if you stream it onto the TV from your computer with an Apple TV, it justifies your purchase of the appletv ( I paid $84 through Amazon on Black Friday.) If you have Directv or something else like that, this tv is a great compliment to it. One way or anther if you want a lot of choice with your tv, you will pay extra for it one way or another. Whether it's paying for Directv, buying an apple tv or a roku, paying for shows through Amazon Prime, iTunes, or pay for a subscription with netflix or Hulu plus. I really don't want that much more than cartoons for my kids, rent new movie releases, American Idol, the Voice, and Netflix. And for that, this tv is PERFECT. 2) The sound is fantastic. It is VERY loud when you take the volume to full blast. The neighbors would be able to hear my tv if I had the windows open. I suppose if you want the walls to rattle and have a massive house and want to hear it from all rooms, then yes, perhaps you should invest in a stereo system to create the surround sound/movie theater experience. But again, for $550 what do you expect? Sitting right in front of the tv on my couch, I listen to it at about 1/3 of what the volume can go to. 3) The streaming is terrible. The sound doesn't match up to the picture on Netflix. I don't know what that guys problem was, but the sound is perfect and the picture is crystal clear perfect. I wasn't quite sure what he meant about the picture looking "soap-opera-ery)" until I got the tv, and now I know what he means. Prior to buying this tv, I had a Panasonic flat screen from 7 years ago. I thought I had a good picture until I got this tv. Basically, the picture is so crisp and clear, that it almost seems like the video production of the show seems "cheap." (and I am referring to watching Breaking Bad on Netflix) It is nuts how sharp the picture is. I could see fuzz on the top of the character's shoulder of his lab jump suit. It's like you are looking at a photograph it is so sharp. Also, it has never taken a minute for the app to load. I think it loads just fine. Like normal. It isn't any slower than using Netflix on a tablet or the computer. And furthermore, the fact that that guy was mad that he had to start all over and find the show he wants on Prime, good grief. Prime should fix their app then, it's not the tv. Even if you paused a movie on Directv that you had recorded, it will ultimately time out and you have to go back into your list, find the show, and push play again. The conclusion to this review is that it is a GREAT TV for the money. It does EVERYTHING it claims it does, and no problems. I called customer service a few times for help setting it up and a password problem I was having with Netflix and everything got resolved quickly and easily. They are so happy to help, and gave great service. It is sad when people are looking for problems and a reason to bag on a product or expect it to do everything in the world but cook their food, and then get on the computer and give a crappy review and freak a ton of people out who would have otherwise bought the tv and been very happy. I am glad that I didn't listen to the negative critics and bought the tv.