 Samsung Plasma Beats LED/LCD |
| Review Date: May 1, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Happy in Ohio, Ohio |
I had the c8000 55" LED for over 3 weeks and loved the bright and clear picture, but it was hard to get the settings right for normal viewing, the viewing angle was atrocious vs. even LCD screens, and parts of the screen in dark scenes still have some clouding. I sent the LED back and purchased the c8000 58" plasma. I'm very happy with it so far, especially after tweaking the settings. Now, I have all the pop of the LED but with consistent colors, better blacks and unlimited viewing angle. The details. . . .
Pros
Great uniform picture - great price the $ vs. LED. Easy to self-calibrate vs. the LED Samsung.
Remote is very nice compared to the bluray remote (same as the c8000 LED remote), but I'm using a Harmony 900 for all my components so it isn't used.
You can turn off the motion judder canceller and ditch the soap opera effect when watching movies. Cinema Smooth makes high-end movies look great.
Bright screen compared to plasmas I've had.
Real 3D content (Monsters v. Aliens) looks great (even with a 1.3 highspeed HDMI cable -- however, 2D to 3D conversion of regular programs gives only nice depth - not pop out 3d.
Very thin TV - fairly lightweight for a plasma - nice stand (stainless) and bezel (dark gray), but not as cool in my opinion as the LED version which has a stainless bezel.
Netflix app works through both through the TV and the bluray and surprisingly has good pic quality - not bluray like, but close to DVD quality with no glitches (assuming you have a fast internet connection).
Much less screen glare than the c8000 LED. This TV does not have a matte screen like many other LCD HDTVs, but Real Black Filter kills the glare much better than the c7000 plasma I saw at BB. Note that the c8000 LED has an incredibly shiny screen, making it difficult to watch in a bright room.
Like all plasmas, the screen looks the same despite your seating position in the room. The c8000 LED has a good picture when straight on - but move a few feel off center and the picture would fade substantially. No such problems here.
Cons
TV isn't wifi - need a $80 adapter or have to hardwire it - TV firmware didn't update through the adapter - had to update on Samsung site with USB.
Overall a top notch TV that is larger than the LED, has a better and more uniform picture, lower glare, better off angle viewing and is cheaper. What is not to like? Here are my settings after having the TV a month. If you have a bright room or if you like the "pop" of the LED, these settings will blow you away. If you have a dark basement or watch only at night, dial the CellLight back to 10 or so and maybe put the color on normal vs. cool and you'll be set:
CAL-DAY Mode, Cell Light 20, Brightness 50, Color 50, tint 50/50, Sharpness 40, cool, native, MJC off, Filmmode 1, black (darker), dynamic contrast (med), gamma 2, other settings on auto. Cinema Smooth to "on" but it only works on bluray 24p input. |
Picture Perfect in Ohio
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| Review Date: July 29, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Van Allen, |
An amazing plasma TV! Wanted to upgrade from a bulky and heavy projection TV upstairs to new flat screen TV to make a media room in finished basement. Wanted latest 3D technology that wouldn't become obsolete so soon. Didn't go to local stores to view demonstration of TVs since don't know how well they are set up. Instead relied on Internet reviews posted on various models by owner of new TVs. Samsung PN58C8000 plasma recived lots of good reviews including comments on how picture didn't change with viewing angle or across screen, 600 Hz sub-field motion, deep blacks and only 1.5" thick.
This was most expensive purchase we've made thru Internet & it turned out fine! Order was completed on a Tuesday morning, set was shipped Tuesday afternoon and arrived at our Ohio home that Friday morning in fine condition. Set was placed on VAS TV stand we got from local Walmart that allowed 70 degrees rotation left or right so it could be viewed at kitchen or media room. Stand that came with TV provided 20 degrees left or right rotation. Used HDMI 1.4 cables to connect Samsung 3D Blu-ray disc player BD-C6900 and cable box. Set had no noticeable buzzing with or without ferrite cores on power cord which smooth out power voltage spikes. Set was manufactured in June 2010 so buzzing reported by some earlier reviews must have since been fixed by Samsung. We have not yet used Internet to upgrade TV firmware.
2D
After using and testing this plasma PN58C8000 TV for over two & a half weeks, it is capable of providinig an essentially perfect picture at any angle and across screen from edge to edge. It is amazing how picture has much better detail, bolder colors, brighter screen and very sharply outlined text than older 1080i projection TV.
Many adjustments can be made to picture in Mode, Advanced Settings and Options menus. Most can be left either at factory settings, Auto or changed once for viewer preference. Mode provides six pre-set picture type configurations of cell light, contrast, brightness, sharpness, color and tint(G/R) plus BD Wise configuration for Blu-ray discs playing on Samsung 3D Blu-ray player. These allow picture settings to be selected for one's preference, program source & time of day. Write down factory settings for each picture type before making any changes to them. TV remote is a nice contemporary design that allows quick access to picture Mode using Tools or Menu buttons.
Samsung 3D Blu-ray disc player has inter-connectivity features of BD Wise and Anynet+ of this TV that automatically sets optimum resolution and other linked operations thru HCMI 1.4 cable. It is one-half the size of older Blu-ray players, loads discs in one-third the time and has neat contemporary touch controls with blue see-thru disc window and logo. Has built-in wireless LAN which we haven't set up yet. Provides great picture for Blu-ray and DVD Movies & is frequently bundled with Samsung 3D TVs.
There are two test patterns for settings on shades or colors in Menu- Picture- Advanced Setting- Expert Patterns. But much more comprehensive HD set-up & tests are on Blu-ray disc, DVE HD Basics, available from Amazon.com. It explains how to set-up TV HD picture & Audio for optimum capabilities. HD video calibration patterns are provided for brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, resolution & geometry plus 1080p advanced video test patterns & demonstration videos. For Cal-Day picture mode, the TV was run thru video calibration & basic set-up patterns. This plasma TV passed every test pattern & could be set-up for exact reproduction of the incoming video.
Setting for Cal-Day mode provided by another reviewer of this TV at Amazon.com works good and only slight changes were made for viewer preference. My settings for perfect picture reproduction in semi-dark basement are: Cell Light 10, Contrast 90, Brightness 50, Sharpness 0, Color 50, Tint 50/50. Advanced Settings- Black Tone Dark, Dynamic Contrast Low, Gamma +1, others Off or Auto. Picture Options- Color Tone Normal, Film Mode Auto 1 or Cinema Smooth (only Blu-ray 24 Hz), rest normal, Auto or Off (Motion Judder Canceller Off). Cell Light can be increased to 15 or 20 if room is bright or just want very bright picture. Note that Sharpness adds artificial edge whitness not in original video & should be set to 0 for best picture fidelity. For personal preferences may want to increase Sharpness to 20- 30 or change other settings such as Black Tone, Dynamic Contrast, Gamma, Color Tone and MJC. Any of Picture Mode Setings can be changed for viewer preference.
3D
Only true 3D content available at this time was 3D movies Monsters vs Aliens and Cloudy With Chance Of Meatballs released at end of June. Viewing Monsters vs Aliens was amazing with great picture depth & occasional pop-out-of-screen events. Much, much better than old eye fatiguing red/blue 3D glasses. Shutter battery operated glasses that came with Starter Kit are very light weight and comfortable. They can fit over regular glasses & operate way off-center & up to 20 ft from IR emitter on TV's lower left corner. One neighbor viewing 3D movie on this TV said it was better looking than 3D shown at movie theaters. Samsung 3D Blu-ray disc player interacts with 3D TV so the 3D movie is automatically set for 3D picture.
It is very important to initially set 3D View Point to -1, factory settings of 0 or plus 1 resulted in ghosting & double background images for 3D Monsters vs Aliens movie. Access thru TV Menu- Picture- Enter- 3D- View Point. Once familiar with TV settings one can always go back to View Point & make adjustments to see what happens. For personal preference, Picture Options- Motion Judder Canceller can be set to Standard or Smooth. Picture Modes available for 3D movies are Standard, Movie & BD Wise.
2D to 3D
With only three clicks on remote, any incoming video from cable or Blu-ray disc player can be converted to a 3D picture. Hit 3D button, Enter & then on left double single person icon. Be sure to set focus/depth of the 3D image in Depth to 8 or 9 to give better 3D effect rather than factory setting of 4 or 5. Access thru TV Menu- Picture- Enter- 3D- Depth. 3D effect is not as deep as 3D movies & doesn't have pop-out-of-screen effects. But it gives a more realistic picture to any movie or cable program including some commercials. Like watching out of a window with background off in distance.
HD programs such as entertainment & sports benefit much from conversion to 3D. Blu-ray and even DVD movies take on a nice 3D effect- particularily with foreground/deep background scenes. Avatar 2D Blu-ray movie converted to 3D was pretty awesome, especially the flying scenes. Other movies meant for 3D, such as Journey to Center of Earth, have many scenes of foreground/deep background that have good 3D effects. Animated movies like Up, Cars, etc., really benefit from 3D conversion providing more immersion & enjoyment. Flying movies like 2012, Pearl Harbor, Amelia, etc. achieve great depth in the flying scenes. The series Over America, Over California, etc., and Wing Flight (available from Amazon.com) are really awesome when flying over cities, mountains and alongside the birds.
This TV was worth it just for the amazing 2D to 3D conversion of programs and movies since true 3D movies & cable programs are so few right now. It is entertaining just to review past viewed movies to see how more realistic the picture is.
Audio
As expected, the built-in small two speakers audio is poor, typical of flat screen TVs. It is mandatory that at least a 5.1 receiver/speaker set-up be used to get nearly the theater experience. Doesn't have to be very expensive or new system to achieve the enjoyable surround sound to go with fantastic looking movies. Samsung 3D Blu-ray disc player only has one HDMI 1.4 output, one digital optical output, analog 7.1 output & 2 Ch analog but no HCMI 1.3 output for current receivers. Newer 7.1 audio receivers have HDMI 1.4 pass-thru to TV & best Dolby & DTS capability. Otherwise a 5.1 receiver that supports lower quality Dolby Digital & DTS thru the optical connection to disc player is ok, like our 2001 audio system that can still rattle the walls. We plan to up-date to 7.1 HDMI 1.4 pass-thru system later.
Summary
A TV capable of giving perfect reproduction of original video at any viewing angle and can adjust many things for personal preferences of picture. 3D movies are awesome & gives occasional pop-out-of-screen effects. 2D to 3D conversion of cable programs & movies can give really nice realistic effect when have foreground with deep background- particularily flying & mountain scenes. TV is worth it just for 2D to 3D convesion. 3D glasses are comfortable & fit over regular glasses. Samsung 3D Blu-ray player is outstanding with small compact design, amazing quick disc load times & contemporary design with touch buttons & see-thru window above disc. This plasma cons are the poor audio which is universal with flat screen TVs making at least a separate 5.1 or better audio system mandatory for theater like expeience. (Didn't deduct rating for audio.) Also, this size plasma set uses 440W of power compared to 201W for old 57" projection TV & more than same size LCD flat panel TVs. But this is equivalent of only 2 more light bulbs being on and is small price to pay for exceptional picture with 3D capabilties.
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Love it
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| Review Date: May 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Res Life St, NYC |
I've gone through quite the adventure over the last 5 months with purchasing my new TV. I thought it would be helpful to others if I shared. Long story short, I've gone through the UN55B6000, PN58B860, UN55C7000 and PN58C7000 and PN58C8000.
We moved into a new apartment, and needed a new tv to go over our fire place. We were upgrading from a 5 year old Samsung 720p DLP TV.
--UN55B6000--
Loved the form factor of the TV. Got it home and after a few days I was just unhappy with the overall look of the LCD/LED. I really saw a lot of motion blur.
--PN58B860--
I returned the LED TV and went with this TV. I absolutely LOVED the picture quality of the TV. But it buzzed terribly. It sounded like a bug zapper. I could actually hear it over top of the regular tv volume at a 12 ft distance. Best Buy swapped it out for another one. The second PN58B860 buzzed even louder. I gave it about 3 weeks to see if it would get better but it didn't. So I returned it and waited for the 2010 models to come out.
--UN55C7000--
When I heard that the new 2010 models were out, I went down to my friendly Best Buy to hopefully pick up the new plasma. Unfortunately, they only had the new LED in. The sales person told me that all of the issues were fixed on this set that I was unhappy with previously with the UN55B6000. He convinced me to give it a try and that if I were unhappy with it that they would gladly take it back. Sure there was still lighting in the corners and some motion blur, but it was much better. I still wasn't sold on this set, as I LOVED the PQ on the plasma. I decided to go with the plasma and return this set.
--PN58C7000--
Awesome picture quality - however, it's stuck in the soap opera mode and can't be taken out. To me and everybody I know, it looks like a soap opera in fast forward. I can't stand to watch the tv in this mode. It's very odd to me that it's this way, as only the 8000 is supposed to have MJC, so why does the 7000 have it but not have a way to take it off? I found a work around that allows the user to turn the game mode on/off that then caused the MJC to turn off. As a result of this, I returned it to Crutchfield and upgraded to the 8000 series. By the way, can somebody explain to me who would want to buy the 7000 series plasma and be stuck with having MJC on? I just can't figure it out!
--PN58C8000--
I LOVE this TV. Seriously, it's amazing. I like the dark grey bezel better than the black of the 7000 series. Something about it looks more gadgety/elegant. This TV makes a sound when it's on. I can hear it 12+ feet away when sitting right in front of it. It's definitely not a buzz like the PN58B860 that I had before. It sounds more like a fan running. When the volume is at a regular volume I don't notice it at all. When you engage the 3D mode, it gets MUCH louder though. Still hardly notice it. In comparison to the Xbox 360 fan noise, it's much quieter. |
Scrumptious picture.
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| Review Date: July 21, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Gregory Lee, Waimanalo, HI |
I've had my pn58c8000 for a week, as I write this, and I'm very happy with it. (I didn't buy mine from Amazon, since Amazon won't ship it to Hawaii.) Here is my take on a few issues that concerned me when I was deciding to buy:
(1) Is the c8000 plasma enough better than the c7000 to justify its higher price? I think the jury is still out. The c8000 provides control of the Motion Judder Cancellation feature, while the c7000 doesn't, at least out of the box. But a future firmware release may add that control for the c7000. Most commentators dislike the MJC and just want to turn it off. I like it, personally, but in any case, it's good to have control of it. The Real Black Filter of the c8000 may or may not improve the apparent contrast of the picture, but it certainly doesn't hurt.
(2) Will the TV buzz? Samsung and other brands of plasma sometimes make an irritating buzzing or humming sound. This pn58c8000 is my third Samsung plasma TV, and none of my sets have buzzed. When my pn58c8000 was delivered, before I would sign a receipt, I listened carefully to it with the sound off, and I had my wife listen, also. No buzz -- dead silence. (But that doesn't mean your set won't buzz -- it might.)
(3) Will bright patterns be burnt in to the screen? Quite unlikely, I'd say. It's never happened to me. (I have had retained images on my previous plasma sets, but they go away after a few hours.) What little danger there is can be avoided with just a little care. Every few days, at least for the first few weeks, use the TV's menu selection for Screen Burn Protection, Scrolling. The white edge that pans across the screen will make any retained image obvious, and if you see any, just let the pattern run on until it "shocks" the pixels to remove the image. (I just now did that, for the third time since I got my set, and I saw no retained images at all.)
(4) How does 3d look? I don't yet have a 3d blu-ray player, so I can't tell you about 3d blu-rays. I do subscribe to DirecTV, so I've watched several hours of their n3D channel programming, using the Samsung SSG-2200AR rechargeable glasses. It looks good to me. I do occasionally see some "ghosting" with screen graphics, when a faint image intended for the opposite eye is visible. And I could wish for higher light output for sunny scenes. (The 3d LED sets, I understand, are worse on the ghosting issue, but better at providing high light output.)
(5) Does the 2d to 3d conversion work? I was surprised at how well it works, but I don't actually use it very often, so far.
(6) What about setting up the network? Nothing to it, if you've got an ethernet cable connection to a well functioning network. I simply plugged in the cable and turned on the set. It was all automatic. It took a while for the TV to download the standard applications from the Samsung internet servers. I haven't taken the time yet to do more than play a few UTube videos. Seems to work. On the other hand, playing photos/music/videos from the DLNA servers on my local net does not seem to work at all well. The TV can show menus of the available files, but so far it has refused to actually play anything for me. (I do have two other working DLNA clients, a PS3 and two DirecTV boxes, so I don't think it's a problem with my installation.)
(7) Do the picture controls need to be changed? Yes, I think so. Mine looked good when I first turned the TV on, but not great. But there are plenty of user controls available (this is a strong point of Samsung TVs). Here are the picture settings I'm using now: Mode Movie, Cell Light 15, Contrast 62, Brightness 72, Sharpness 15, Color 41, Tint 50/50, and Advanced Settings: Dynamic Contrast Low, Gamma +1, Flesh Tone -9, and Picture Options: Color Tone Warm2, Motion Judder Canceller Smooth, and 3D: Depth 7. Other controls I have at their default values. It looks great, to me, but it might be a little dark toned for some. (Settings edited 7/25/10 to make colors more subdued.)
(8) What settings to use for 3D? The shutter glasses cut out some light and impart an orangey tint, so to get a natural looking picture, you have to compensate, somehow. I'm not all that happy with the following settings, but it's the best I've been able to do. Mode Standard, Cell Light 18, Contrast 76, Brightness 68, Sharpness 20, Color 43, Tint 54/46, and Advanced Settings: Dynamic Contrast High, Gamma +1, Flesh Tone -9,and Picture Options: Color Tone Cool, Motion Judder Canceller Smooth. (3D settings edited 8/1/10.)
(9) Screen reflections? I have my TV in a very light room, with multiple windows on three walls. There is a window behind my chair, and I do see its reflection in the TV screen, during the day. It's slightly diffused by the TV's screen coating. It doesn't bother me, and my wife hasn't mentioned it, one way or the other.
--Greg |
Beautiful TV
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| Review Date: July 31, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Hom, Virginia Beach, Virginia |
I've had this 58" TV for a little over a month now and I am still amazed at the picture quality. For reference, I upgraded from a 60" 2007 Sony 60A200 rear projection television. When I was shopping for a new TV, I researched the subject for weeks. I was deciding between this Samsung plasma, Panasonic's VT series plasma, and LG's top of the line local-dimming LED TV. I was set on the LG until I read reviews on AVS forum that the screen was highly reflective and thus, not so good in daylight conditions. However, I really liked how slick LED TVs look with their very slim profile. I decided to go with plasma since plasma TVs have very deep black levels.
I chose the Samsung over the Panasonic for a couple of reasons: First was aesthetics. The Samsung TV is just beautiful. The profile is very thin and can be easily mistaken for an LED TV. The bezel is a matte dark charcoal grey. I really love the matte finish as the glossy finish on many TV bexels is distracting, IMO. The other reason I chose the Samsung over the Panasonic is because of the rising black level problems that Panasonic had with their plasmas last year. Some people say that the black level problem has been fixed while others say that it has not. Either way, I did not want to take a chance. I've heard that the Panasonic has an outstanding picture, but my Samsung's picture is just amazing. Saturated, accurate colors with deep black levels. I'm watching a football game right now and I can't believe how black one of the team's jerseys are. Simply beautiful.
Couple of notes on this TV:
- The screen is not reflective whatsoever. I watch TV during the day on the weekends and I have a very large window adjacent to the TV. No reflections whatsoever.
- The TV has a VERY wide viewing angle, unlike LED TVs. No drop off in contrast or picture quality when viewing the TV from an angle. Also, the TV swivels about 20 degrees each way. Very smooth and stable. Great when I'm in a different part of the room, but still want to watch something. I didn't realize how useful this feature would be.
- You can turn Motion Dejudder off. Some TVs, especially LED TVs, have a "video" or "soap opera" look to them. It's as if you're watching a home video production. Some people like this but others do not. With this TV, you can choose this setting or turn it off. I believe this is one of the big differences between Samsung's 8000 vs. the 7000 series plasmas.
- Some Samsung TVs last year exhibited a buzzing sound when on. Mine has absolutely no buzzing whatsoever.
- Bult-in Netflix and Vudu services are outstanding. Check out Vudu if you're looking for high quality HD movies on demand. Simply beautiful.
- I did not break-in my plasma like many people on [...] recommend. No matter. I've watched lots of ESPN with static images and movies with black bars above and below and I have not seen any image retention or burn-in.
I'm so impressed with this TV that I'm going to get another one later this year for my family room. This is an amazing TV if it is in your price range and I highly recommend it. |
Lots of Research, Great Purchase
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| Review Date: June 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Henderson, Texas |
I looked at many reviews and settled on the PN58C8000. I was replacing a 5 year old Sony HD rear projection. I wanted something thinner, so when you walk into the room you don't see a side of a TV. I leaned plasma given the response time, viewing angle, and value/$ relative to the LCD/LEDs. I did not want to have any motion blur given I am a gamer as well. So, this TV is great. Solid picture and the settings another reviewer recommended seemed to work well.
No buzzing as some reviews noted. I was amazed at how easily it connected (wired) to my network for the apps and the model number was already available as an add-on to my Harmony 900 remote. The TV is a bit shiny, but most of them are. The TV is in a media room, so it is dark most of the time. The color of the TV is graphite in color, which is a step up from the 7000 which apparently is just black.
I figured if I am upgrading I might as well get one which is 3D ready. However, I did not purchase the Blue Ray or Glasses yet. Reasons why: (1) there is no content available (even AVATAR isn't out in 3D). (2) I have a PS3 and later this year it will be able to process 3D Blue Rays, (3) XpanD X103 3D Glasses will be available in July (I emailed the manufacturer)and they can be used on any 3D TV and at the theater...for about $129/each. They are supposed to have a better refresh rate to lessen any side-effects from watching 3D. So, wait a month and then be able to try the 2D to 3D conversion, then by Xmas be able to play true 3D DVDs. |
Great WOW factor
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| Review Date: June 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Pricepal, my own little world |
I was a big fan of LCD tv's for years and had many of them.
I never considered plasma as they all looked dim in the store.
I also could not understand why they were much cheaper than a equivalent LCD, assuming they were inferior.
Finally I decided to take a gamble and purchase this set, one of the best decisions I have made tv wise.
Picture is great, every bit as bright as a LCD.
Colors are much deeper than a LCD, so much that you need to resist the temptation to keep the screen so bright it washes out the colors.
And the blacks, well you have never seen blacks until you purchase this set
Thats the thing with LCD's, everyone keeps them so bright, the colors wash out and you have a inferior picture.
You must calibrate this set. There are many settings and spending a little time with it will result in a picture you would not think possible out of a television.
These new plasmas are light and thin, much lighter than previous plasmas.
Samsung claims the are no more burn in issues, and the tv needs no break in.
This is still a hotly debated subject, so I would not recommend any still picture for hours on end just to be on the safe side.
I have ZERO buzz out of this set, although some have complained that the set they purchased has a buzzing noise.
No common lcd issues such as flashlighting, halos, color bleed etc.
Reflections can be a problem as with most LCD tv's and plasma's, I have always kept the blinds drawn for daytime viewing although I am the only one in the household that notices it.
The internet acces is a plus, I bought samsung's wireless dongle and it connected immediately to my wireless network.
Netflix on this tv is awesome, which puzzled my as the quality on a computer screen is less than average at best.
This tv is just full of options, more of a mini computer.
For the money, this top tier Samsung offers the best picture and features that can be found at a price at least a thousand less than samsung's comparable LCD.
The remote is much improved over previous samsung remotes, and has a good layout.
So don't let the dim unadjusted picture in a store sway you, they are kept like that to influence you to the LCD which carries a higher profit margin.
I guess you could call this set one of the best kept secrets on the plasma market and carries my highest recommendation.
The only thing that was laughable was the delivery.
The set was supposed to be brought inside and tested to see if it was working.
The trucking company sent out one little gentleman, that looked to be in his late sixties, I had to get my teens to get the set in the house, this poor guy had no chance to get it in.
I shudder to think what would of happened if there was no one available to help, or if the tv had to go to a second floor.
I was expecting two people, which I felt was needed, but the shipping was free, although substandard for those that don't have the ability to help.
Unpacking the tv takes less than a minute, remove the strapping, remove the 4 plastic clips at the bottom, and the box slides off the top, with the tv ready for mounting, which is a TWO person operation.
If you wall mount, remove the base screws BEFORE you remove the tv from the bottom of the box, the base will remain in the box when lifting the tv with no effort required.
Make sure you install the ferrous cores on the power cord on installation.
The power cable must be looped though these cores, or the cores will slide up and down the cord.
These cores need to be kept withing one inch of the tv and the plug.
A higher end power strip is recommended for power surges, as even the smallest wear down the tv's electrical comonents over time and can lead to premature failure. |
Hope this helps.
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| Review Date: June 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Steven Terrill, OK |
caveat - just moved in and have only hooked it all up and watched for about a couple hours...
I literally spent about 4 months going through all the different reviews on different sites. I knew that I wanted a 55" or plus tv. I wanted the best HD quality I could find.
I initially was going to go with the highest rated 2009 samsung but had heard a great deal about a buzzing issue (PN55860?). It scared me off. I then switched and decided on Panasonic. I then found out that they have issues with not maintaining the blacks and that "graying" occurred after so many hours. I checked that one of the list. Next up was the LG and I nearly pulled the trigger on the LG LE8500 despite how pricey it was. I still have no criticism of that tv, but I found this one and was able to get what I hoped would be as much or more t.v. for the price.
I did not care about having 3d, but thought it would be pretty cool to have it anyway. I bought the bundle through Amazon which included the 3d blue ray player and 3d kit. I have not yet checked out the 3d so I am not able to comment as to the 3d technology.
I have seen the picture and it is lights out incredible. I have to say that the room it is in has a great deal of outside light and it doesnt adversely effect my viewing. It looks great on our wall as well. I can hear no buzzing that is emitting from the tv at all. I may not be as acutely aware of those hard to hear sounds, but I hear nothing.
I probably would be frustrated that the tv is not wireless ready out of the box (you have to buy a usb connector), but that is a non-issue since the blue ray player is wirelessly connected to the internet. This is particularly awesome given the great things that come with (especially pandora...great for when you are working around the house and just want a playlist to go).
I was also happy with the freight company that Amazon hired to have deliver the tv. They brought it in, assembled what was needed and then ran a full check on the tv to ensure that it was working and fine.
The tv is thin. I dont know how to convey how truly thin it is. I also like that Samsung was smart enough to make the HDMI outlets on the side and that area recessed so that I could flush mount it to the wall without the tv sticking out (which I did and purchased a peerless flush mount through Amazon as well). I couldnt be happier with the way this worked out.
This entire unit is driven by a newly purchased yamaha reciever with surround sound that has this setup sounding absolutely epic at this point.
I have to say, although I just moved in and have barely had a chance to really sit down and relax to enjoy a full length player or even the 3d, I am extremely satisfied with this product.
I hope this helps others like myself that have been concerned with spending this much money on a product you fully hope you will be satisfied with. Good luck and hope your luck is as good as mine.
UDPATE: Have continued to have really good luck with this model. I adjusted the settings and watch band of brothers in HD the other day and it was unreal. It wasnt even bluray. The one thing I would caution most people on is the 3d. While it is really neat, do not think that this going to be like going to the IMAX and watching AVATAR. It adds a great deal of depth and does give a 3D image, but it isnt as though things are popping out of the set like crazy. If anything, it adds more depth "into" the set. Still very cool and lets hope that the 3d market continues to flourish. I would have bought this with or without the 3d and rarely use it. Very solid buy. |
Return to Plasma
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| Review Date: August 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Robert W. Silvers, Santa Clara, CA United States |
Well, I have returned to the world of plasma. I returned the Sony KDL60EX700 i had gotten. A beautiful TV but for some reason the
sunlit room I have it in and the fact that you pretty much have to be in a small arc in front of the TV for the picture not
to bleach out became like an O C D thing that I couldn't get over. The bad news is after 2 weeks I had gotten used to
the sharp, well defined picture with muted colors and now have to get acclimated to the deeper colors and blacks of
the plasma. All that being said, The Samsung is a beautiful TV with plenty of preference adjustments. Thanks to another
reviewer for giving me a starting point. I got lucky in the exchange process and got the free starter kit Samsung was offering
so I got the Bluray 3D player, 2 pair of glasses and the Monsters vs. Aliens disk. I figured I might as well get a set with the
3 D capability. It is just a novelty now but more media seems to be on the way and it is a fun experience.
I have only had it a day but what can I say. It's a Plasma and a good one. |
For 3D Plasma is better than LCD
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| Review Date: July 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jeremiah, OC, California |
It took me a couple of months to decide on a 3D tv to purchase. It wasn't that I wanted a 3D tv, I just needed a new tv and figured I had better get one that is 3D capable.
Now, if you are like me and want to get a 3D tv, but aren't sure what to get, let me help you out. I chose this TV over other LCD tv's for two reasons. 1) I went to several retail stores and watch the Samsung and Sony LED/LCD tv's and was even able to compare this tv side by side with a the Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV. My conclusion was simple, the plasma has better viewing angles and contrast than the LCDs. Trust me, viewing angle makes a huge difference with the 3D.
Now, as for 3D content, I got Monster vs. Aliens and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs... both look fantastic. But were I was blown away was when I downloaded WipWout HD on Playstation 3. The 3D graphics are stunning. I mean really stunning... it is like nothing you have ever seen before.
The best way to describe the 3D effect on this tv (and all active shutter TV's I have seen) it to compare it to looking into a box. Most of the 3D effect goes deeper inside the TV. It is kindof like looking out a window and seeing beautiful landscapes stretched out before you or seeing deep space. Some of the effect pop out of the screen (in the beginning of M vs. A there is a guy playing paddle ball and everyone jumps when he hits the ball out of the screen).
As for non-3D content, this is the best TV I have ever owned for watching movies and sports. The contrast is amazing. For video games, I still like my Sharp LCD (mostly because of the brightness). Of course as more 3D games come out, I will probably grow to love this TV even more.
All in all, great buy!!! Don't waste your money on the LED/LCD's because this tv is way better and less expensive. |
Samsumg PN58C8000
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| Review Date: June 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. MacDonald, North Fort Myers, FL USA |
This was the most expensive item I purchased on Amazon and I was afraid of shipping damage. Well, no worries there as the shippers are just as great as Amazon! Register the product on Samsung's site and get 3 more months of warranty (as with many of their products).
This TV replaces a 5-year old 42" 60hz Sony LCD rear projection that was still running great. I just wanted something more up to date and 3D capable. Well...to go from my older 60hz TV to 600hz in this plasma made my eyes pop out of my head when I first turned on a BluRay movie! The clarity is unbelievable as well as the depth given to the video. Normal cable (from comcast) is also excellent on the HD channels and very good on the normal SD channels. The speakers are pretty good considering they are placed on the back of the TV (I guess it bounces the sound off the wall for increased effect). I do have a Samsung surround sound system for the movies and is recognized by the TV for easy control.
One of my hesitations from purchasing this unit (compared to the more expensive LED 8000 series) was that some people have reported in the reviews a buzzing or humming sound from the set. I can tell you I hear none (I even temporarily put the mute on to see if there was a noticeable sound). The user book describes this sound as normal and does state that if your brightness is set too high the humming sound will get louder. My brightness is set at 45 and I hear none what so ever.
With the bundled 3D player and glasses this makes for one excellent entertainment system (even more so with a surround sound system).
Another great feature are the updates. Keep the TV connected to the internet and it will always be up to date with the latest firmware/software so that it functions at its best.
I am very pleased with this TV. |
The TV to buy in 2010
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| Review Date: June 11, 2010 |
| Reviewer: R. Caffrey, |
I've been looking to purchase a new TV for months and went back and fourth between the Samsung 8,000 series LED and Plasma. After reading reviews and comparing at my local store the Plasma displays a more accurate picture and is better at 3D, so I purchased the Plasma. I couldn't be happier! The picture quality is outstanding right out of the box. After calibrating it, its the best picure I have ever seen! Even my wife noticed a big difference from our old Samsung DLP. I also liked that the Plasma is much cheaper then the LED. Connecting it to the internet is easy and its great how whatever you are watching stays in the background while you check weather, news, sports, etc. Love it. You won't be sorry with this purchase!
I've seen people complain about CEVA shipping. I had no problems with them at all. I ordered the TV on a Tuesday and the TV was delievered the following Tuesday! CEVA helped me set it up and made sure everything worked properly. The whole process was great. |
Just incredible picture
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| Review Date: August 26, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Wambli Ska, USA |
I got this TV just over a month ago and the first weekened I had it I found it hard to leave the house. Forget about the 3D capabilities for now (though I have to say they are MUCH better than the junk you see in theaters). There is ONE movie available at this time and it's a kids flick so really, who cares.
The picture quality on this TV has to be experienced. At 7,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio even the regular crapy HD broadcast from your cable provider will blow your mind. It is so realistic that your brain actually protests and tells you that there is something wrong. At times you feel like you can reach into the screen and touch things... Playing a Blu-ray DVD is where this TV really shines at the moment. I was watching the latest Star Trek and the scenes on the bridge were just stunning. You can actually see the flaws in the actors makeup!!! Movie directors better watch out with this new generation of equipment. The screwups in their work come glaring at you from that ultra clear picture on screens like this.
One feature of note. The TV has a 3D mode built in where it actually takes an HD 2D picture and applies some tech magic to do a faux 3D. I though this would be a cheesy ad-on that I would never use... Wrong... If you have a good HD broadcast like some of the newer nature shows that have been recorded in the last few years when you turn on this 3D mode and put on your glasses, while you do not get a true 3D image out of it, it does add depth to the picture you are watching making it an experience on it's own.
In summary, welll worth the money spent, specialy if you get the bundle with the new 3D player and the starter package with the glasses. Actually ver price competitive with other non 3D setups of this quality so why not? |
Love this t.v.
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| Review Date: August 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: E. Seals, |
| Love this T.V. the picture is awesome, the 3D is ok but it does some much more, netflix,blockbuster,conects to my pc I have even hooked up my portable hard drive an i can watch movies an stuff off of it Ap news ticker,pandora,vudu, hulu plus, upgraded my home theater system also an the tv works with a program called anynet the bluray player and the home theater receiver work together and power on and off and change channels acordingly, its a awesome tv. an i dont usually write reviews but i had to this time.Onkyo HT-S6300 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver/Speaker Package (with Dock for iPhone/iPod) |
Plasma's Back
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| Review Date: August 30, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Cat, New York |
Ok. I've owned this tv for over a month. First off this tv is beautiful both on and off. I have to take my hat off to Samsung's picture quality. Blu rays are stunning in 2D and 3D is almost perfect (a little ghosting issue but with the latest firmware it's almost gone). Best tv i've owned so far. Looked at the un55c8000 but had too much blur and ghosting. Returned a Panasonic vt25 because of lack of features plus looks ugly in camparison to the sammy. I've owned the 71 series LCD before this and never thought I'd own a plasma. I loved the brightness and pop of LCD's. Surprised to to see that after calibration this set is just as capable and for 3D it's plasma or nothing. Speaking of 3D, the 2D to 3D feature is no gimmick. Have you ever Seen Avitar converted to 3D? Better than in the theater. Have You ever played Zen pinball in 3D. Wow. If you haven't then it sucks to be you. Bottom line great tv. The only con I can think of is its power consumption. Here my settings for those who like the brightness and pop of lcd.
Mode Cal-day
Cell Light: 15-17 (depending on your Preference, But 17 produced a little white wash)
Contrast: 90
Brightness: 50
Sharpness: 25
Color: 50
Tint (G/R) G50/R50
Advance Setting
Black Tone: Darkest
Dynamic Contrast: Medium
Gamma: 0
White Balance
R-Offset: 25
G-Offset: 25
B-Offset: 23
R-Gain: 16
G-Gain: 25
B-Gain: 31
Edge Enhancement: On
Picture Option
Color Tone: Normal
Size: 16:9
Hdmi Black level: Cinema Smooth/ Auto1 (Where Available)
3-D
Depth: 10
*(Settings not shown are factory defaults)
enjoy |
Awesome
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| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: matt, |
| I spent a long time looking for a new TV. I knew I wanted at least a 58" and a plasma and this TV is perfect. I usually don't write reviews for things, but this TV was worth a review. I debated getting the 6000 Samsung series without the 3D capability - boy I am glad I didn't. The 3D is unbelievable! I have direct TV and they currently have three 3D channels - more content will come. The 2D picture is amazing on this TV as well. I have had the TV for about a month and no buzzing at all. I think this problem was fixed with all the later Samsung models. Can't really comment on the sound from the TV - I have a surround sound system. The 2D to 3D conversion is OK - more depth perception than anything. Overall if your looking for an amazing TV this is the one for you. |
LCD/LED Picture Quality Can't Compete
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| Review Date: September 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Robert L. Brathwaite Jr, |
My old Sony Trinitron FINALLY died and I was SOOOOOOO happy to replace it. My wife thought I was just trying to find an excuse to buy a new Flatscreen TV. LOL I was happy to upgrade and couldn't wait to buy a new HDTV. So I set my sights on a flat screen TV with excellent picture quality, feature rich and internet capable. I'm a big movie watcher so picture quality was of the utmost importance. LCDs are the hot TVs now with a lot of additional features and I really wanted to get into streaming internet video to my TV. So that's where I focused my search and that's where the future seemed to be going.
In my research, I found that LEDs were closing the gap for LCDs and Plasmas. So when I was making my selection I had the following TVs on my list to choose from; Samsung UN55C690 LED, LG INFINIA 55LE8500 LED, LG INFINIA 55LE5500 LED, and as a late add the Samsung PN58C8000 Plasma. I have experience with Plasmas as I already had a Panasonic 50" and I really enjoyed the picture quality. So I had this constant internal dilemma that I LCDs were just not going to match up with the picture quality. I searched high and low for an LCD/LED HDTV and just could not find any within an affordable price range with comparable picture quality. For me that was the tie breaker, and trumped any feature an LCD could offer. Because ultimately that is what you do is watch TV so it made sense for that to be the highest priority when searching for a new HDTV.
So I took my list and started to go to stores to scout the TVs and started at Best Buy. The salesman there pointed out something when I asked "why should I get an LCD over a Plasma?." He said "look at the TVs we feature in our showroom, 95% are Plasmas because they still have superior picture quality over LCDs." So it re-enforced what I believed all along that Plasmas were the way to go. So I turned my focused to Plasmas and found the Samsung PN58C8000. This attractive thin flat-screen really caught my eye. The picture quality is stunning! I love the Dynamic Picture and Movie modes. The blacks are fantastic and it has a nice bright picture in a lot of sunlight. My wife laughs at me when I sit back in appreciation of the quality and my satisfaction in my selection. I honestly really didn't want 3D but I looked at it as an additional feature rather than an added incentive to buy it. Maybe I'll use it in the future but the side effects of watching for long periods in 3D freaks me out. The Samsung PN58C8000 has a lot of menu settings to customize the picture or the TV overall which I like. The Tools menu setting allows for quick changes to the picture and sound whether its a lot of sunlight or to enjoy the darker settings for watching movies. Out of the box, the settings are a mess so take your time getting them just right. Another great feature is the Internet TV and the Samsung Apps. With this feature, you can get quick weather/news/sports updates as well as save some money by not paying for premium cable movie channels and instead stream Netflix movies. With a decent wireless router, you can stream pretty seamlessly with little delay while watching a picture. I was impressed! However, I was disappointed that I couldn't use any wireless adapter since the Samsung adapter is expensive. I actually tried a Cisco wireless adapter but it didn't work. But once I did get the Samsung wireless adapter, it worked like a charm. It was very easy to install. I had to put on the extension it came with as it was too close to the TV and interfered with the signal. For my other HDTV that is not internet ready, I hooked up my Wii and now I'm good to go with Netflix on that one as well.
Now I may be impressed with the TV overall but it does have some drawbacks. For instance, the factory settings gave the picture a Soap opera look which was really annoying and worried me a bit at first. It really changes the feel of a show/movie and not for the better. Once turned the Motion Judder Function off, it eliminated the soap opera feel. It really should be called soap opera function because it didn't improve the motion picture but moved the picture slowly like a cameraman was filming it in real-time. One key that that truly concerns me is that the TV runs extremely hot. Now although this is normal with Plasmas, the Samsung PN58C8000 seems to be much hotter. I did an unofficial comparison with my other Plasma and I touched both to see and the Samsung PN58C8000 was much hotter. This hasn't caused any issues at this point so as of now I'm not too concerned about it. I've had the TV over a month now. The remote control it comes with is sleek but it's not an universal remote therefore it's useless for the long term. Lastly, the TV packaging was minimal which surprised me for a TV this thin and fragile. The first TV shipped to me was damaged with cranks throughout the picture screen. Fortunately, the company provided good service and replaced it with no problem. I was relieved I didn't have to fight like a mad man for a new one. LOL
Overall, the Samsung PN58C8000 is an excellent TV with superb picture quality, great extra features with minor issues. If you are looking for great picture quality, a slim look at a decent price, this TV fits the bill. I'm REALLY happy with the purchase! BTW, Avatar looks AWESOME on this TV! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! |
Excellent Value
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| Review Date: June 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Richard, |
| I wanted a 58 inch Samsung plasma TV for a year or so, but decided to wait until the 3D models were available. I'm glad I did. The picture quality is great. I have absolutely no complaints. I have the sound tied into my audio system so I don't have to rely on the built in speakers which may be a little weak for an audiophile like myself. The 3D with the Monsters vs. Aliens video is great. The 3D mode for 2D HD broadcasts is okay, but nothing to rave about. I can't wait until more 3D programming is available. Overall, I am totally satisfied with the TV. It is everything I expected plus more. I can't wait formore 3D programming. |
AMAZING!! AMAZING!! AMAZING!!
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| Review Date: June 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: D. Kogan, USA SAN FRANCISCO |
GOT IT FROM POWERSELLERNYC IN LESS THEN 2 WEEKS UNDER 2400. TV LOOKED AMAZING RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.
AFTER TWO WEEKS OF PLAYING WITH PICTURE SETTINGS AND GETTING HDMI CABLES PICTURE LOOKS SO STUNNING ESPECIALLY 1080I AND 1080P, INTERNET@TV IS A LIL SLUGISH, BUT ALL THE APPS ALSO AVAIL ON PS3 AND ITS MUCH FASTER. NO BUZZING SOUND!! ONLY IF I MUTE THE TV I CAN HEAR A LIL SOUND. SOME REVIEWERS COMPLAIN ABOUT TOO MUCH GRAY (JUST CHANGE HDMI BLACK LEVEL TO LOW ON ADVANCED PICTURE SETTINGS!!!) THIS SET BLOWS KUROS BLACKS AWAY!!!!
BUTTOM LINE: PICTURE CANT LOOK ANY BETTER WITH RIGHT PIC SETTINGS AND HDMI SOURCE: PS3, BLUE RAY, COMCAST HD, ETC.
THANK YOU SAMSUNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE (06/15/2010) NOW FOR 3D:
JUST WATCHED BRAZIL VS KOREA ON ESPN3D, AND I HAVE TO SAY I WAS BLOWN AWAY ON CLOSEUP SHOTS, IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION, AT ONE POINT I JUMPED OUT OF THE COUCH AND TRY TO SCORE THE GOAL WITH MY HEAD (GOOD THING I DIDNT HIT THE TV) :)
THE 3D IS AMAZING BUT IT GIVES POPUP 3D ONLY ON CLOSEUP SHOTS,(MAYBE I NEED 1.4 HDMI, EVEN THOU IT SAIS THAT MY CABLE SUPPORTS 3D, OR BETTER HD BOX FROM COMCAST, NOT ALL COMCAST HD BOXES SUPPORT 3D AND MAYBE SOME BETTER THEN OTHERS) DONT GET ME WRONG THE GAME STILL LOOKED PRETTY NICE AND EXCITING!!!
THEN I WATCHED BOXING ON HBO HD ONDEMMAND WITH 2D TO 3D CONVERSION, I LOVED IT EVEN THOU ITS NOT A POPUP 3D BUT IT FELT VERY NICE, THE AUDIENCE WAS CLEARLY EXTANDED AND I ENJOYED EVERY SECOND OF THE FIGHT!
I THINK MOVIES AND AND SPORTS LIKE BOXING WOULD LOOK REALLY NICE ON 3D HD.
BTW ESPN3D IS FREE FROM COMCAST AND ITS 1080I NOT 720P AS REGULAR ESPN HD :) AND IT TAKES LESS THEN 5 MINS TO ACTIVATE IT BY CALLING COMCAST.
THE PS3 HAS A NEW UPDATE 3.30 AND THERE IS AN OPTION ON THE VIDEO OUTPUT UNDER SETTINGS TO ENABLE 3D OUTPUT FOR TV IN USE ONLY IF YOU DO IT THROU MANUAL OPTION AND YOU HAVE TO SPECIFY TV SCREEN SIZE (MINE SHOWED 58 INCH BY DEFAULT) BUT THERE IS NO 3D GAMES AS OF NOW YET :(
ONE THING I AM WORRIED ABOUT IS THAT THE SCREEN BURN PROTECTION IS GREYED OUT WHEN WATCHING 3D, BECAUSE 3D ONLY AVAIL ON SCREEN FIT, NOT 16:9 AND YOU CANT ACTIVATE PIXEL SHIFT. I DID NOT SEE ANY IR AFTER 2 HOURS BUT I AM STILL WORRIED SINCE IR IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I EMAILED SAMSUNG SUPPORT ABOUT THIS AND I WILL UPDATE MY REVIEW AS NEW INFO AVAIL.
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Great Picture, Bad delivery
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| Review Date: July 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Calvin Worley, |
| The picture is amazing, the setup easy and everyone in the family and neighborhood thinks it is fantastic. The delivery leaves a lot to be desired. I have purchased well over two hundred items from Amazon. Including two HDTV's and many other items. The delivery was scheduled between 0900 to 1200. They did call repeatedly regarding delays, it actually arrived 1500. |
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