Now that I have my first flat screen ever up and working, I have a quibble with the sound.
This isn’t something I noticed until American Idol started up season 9, so it’s primarily related to elevated vocals, such as, well, singing.
It gets a little buzzy or distorted at loud moments.
Would it be worthwhile to plug in some kind of not-high-priced external speakers? I am far from caring about big-deal tv viewing experience, and have no interest in theater quality, or surround sound, or that sort of thing.
It’s hard to give an answer without knowing what outputs the TV has. We can get that from an online manual if we knew the make and model.
Once we know what kind of output, we will know what you may be able to use. Maybe something you already own, like a boombox with decent sound, or an MP3/iPod speaker set will work. And the improvement in sound might be just the ticket.
First we need to know what outputs are available. 
The manual suggests using the digital (optical) port for audio out. There is also a L/R (red & white) audio out.
It’s this: Samsung PN42B450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
Whoa! Big one! I thought it was like a 24" for a bedroom or something. The boombox idea is a bit silly in that case.
Unfortunately the built in speakers on some flat panels are not great, because they expect you will have a home theater setup.
If your home stereo is set up in a way for the speakers to compliment the placement of the screen - you can just patch the right and left audio out into it.
Another idea is a good sounding set of powered speakers. These are made for a computer, but you can get an adapter for about $3.00 to plug these in to the TV, and the sound is really good for the price of $40.00 - my brother uses a set to play music all the time.
Altec Lansing VS4121
http://www.alteclansing.com/vs4121-pc-computer-speakers.html
Why “computer” speakers? Because any decent “home audio” powered speaker or home theater set will run your 5 times the price minimum. Keep in mind with computer speakers, you’ll need a place to stand the little satellite speakers. Home theater sets you’ll need a place for the speakers or speaker stands. Soundbars sit on whatever you have the TV on, below the screen.
If you use the digital out you will need a home theater system most likely. They come in satellite + subwoofer sets, and in “soundbar” + subwoofer sets. Again, your decent choices will start at about $250.00.
Either way you go - powered speaker or a home theater system - the volume control on the TV remote will NOT effect the volume of the powered speakers. Again a reason to get a home theater system, as they usually have a remote.
I hope other people have ideas for you as well.
Daniel has some good ideas, but maybe you can get better sound for a lot less money. It just so happens that I have a slightly used 8-track tape player that may patch in to your HDTV without too much difficulty. I am selling the whole package for $7.95, which is a lot less than Daniel mentioned in his post. Please let me know if you are interested in taking advantage of this offer.
Is the only problem American Idol? On rec.audio.pro, the audio professionals are always complaining about the crap sound production on that show.
speeking as a part time hi-fi nerd: any external speekers beat any internl speekers. also just use the red/white plugs, finding a hi-fi system with a decent digital input is likley to be an expensive task.
even on a big screen a modernish boom box will provide much better base extention and solid sound then those rubbuish built in flat thingeys.
all generic talent shows have pants sound; but their sound is consistantly pants across all knowen speeker / television configurations, and damn, thats an achievment.
Emm … Along the lines of Daniel and Doug … I’ll bet you already have something around that you can use to test an external setup temporarily before you invest in something more elaborate. Powered computer speakers, a small home stereo, etc. Use the L/R analog audio outputs and corresponding inputs. If the problem of overmodulation is in the TV’s audio circuitry (or, as Chris suggests, the broadcast itself) and not the speakers, an external setup won’t help.
Maybe, though this is sometimes user selectable via the TV setup menus. Or if you’re using a cable/satellite converter box, tap or patch the audio from the box instead of the TV, and that’s usually volume-controllable via the remote.
If you really want to get geeky, you could record the problematic sound passages with a digital audio recorder, then examine the waveform in something like Audacity. TV sound is generally compressed to a fare-thee-well, but flat-topping of audio peaks should still be pretty obvious, and indicate a problem more with the audio than with the speakers.
I downloaded and read the manual for the TV. Both digital and analog audio output are line level, with no gain adjustment in the TV.
Good ideas though. Test whatever you have hanging around that has an RCA left and right analog audio input (that’s what the right and left audio out is).
I did note that the Idol show (my brother watches it) has production problems, I can hear it in the other room. In just the first couple shows they can’t get gain right. Lots of clipping - that’s the crackly sound when the singers are belting it out.
A set of headphones will tell you in seconds whether the problem is the speakers or the show.
True, if there’s a headphones out on the TV at more than line level, that also tracks the volume. Or you use a set of amplified phones on the L/R outs. Otherwise you need to plug the phones into some sort of stereo or external amp anyway, which likely has speakers attached.
If the problem’s the audio or the show, phones should reveal that. But if the problem is the spekers, maybe not. That is, you might not want to drive the headphone audio up to the same level where the speakers crap out ar room volume, without risking damage to your hearing. You wouldn’t be able to A/B the internal and external speakers at the same level, so you’d be left with only negative evidence.
Good ideas. I’ll mess around with it. Yes, so far I’ve only noticed on AI. Did not notice the problem on the opening orchestration in Pirates of the Caribbean (the dvd I used to test that set-up,) nor do I notice it when the kid is blasting mutant, virus-plagued humanoid entrail-eaters. Both of the latter two are running from the PS3, not that that should make any difference. I will plug in something cheap, and check it out.
Why are you watching American Idol?
The same reason I sometimes use vinyl tablecloths.
The AudioEngine A2 might work very well for you. They are not super cheap (around $200) but are remarkably good for their size. They handle vocal reproduction nicely. Explosions come off less well if that’s an issue. You can hook them up either to a headphone output or RCA jacks.
http://www.audioengineusa.com/A2%20review%20pdfs/PC%20World_A2%20Review.pdf
My flat-screen telly is craftily located between the tweeters of my hifi system. It’s just connected to the amplifier (AUX IN) via phono plugs (the red and white jobbies). If I want the telly to play through the hifi I just press AUX on the hifi remote and turn the telly volume down. My hard-drive/DVD recorder comes through it as well. It’s brilliant! 
The neighbours may not agree if your speakers are on a party wall… 
You might be hearing compression artifacts.
Most TVs have headphone jacks – plug in some ear buds. If you still hear the same thing then it’s built into the signal.
It drowns out the screaming and makes disposing of the evidence a snap?
No silly, that’s why I use vinyl shower curtains. Get it straight.
The linking feature is that I was probably descended from steerage passengers, and I might as well embrace it.
Oh, as for the sound distortion: While I’d adjudge the tv’s built-in speakers to be merely adequate, not great,
they perform decently for everything*, it seems, except American Idol. So I’m going to go with the assumption
that the sound on AI is of craptastic quality. (Why would they do that? It’s a singing show?)
*everything=Jim Cramer hollering about stocks, irritating high-pitched background sitcom music, Cosette, Marius, and Eponine singing poignantly about requited and unrequited affection.
Maybe the TV didn’t come over here in steerage and is trying to tell you something.