Samsung PN50B650 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 Responses to “Samsung PN50B650 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV”

• M. Kong, on October 13th, 2009 at 2:01 pm Said:

  I ordered this TV, twice in 2 weeks. The first one only worked for the first time I turned it on, then died. I could only hear sound, no video, no on-screen menu. Talked to Samsung tech support, they admited that is a defect. Then I got a replacement unit from Amazon. It had the same problem as the previous one on arrival: only audio, no video, no on-screen menu.
  
  I will never buy anything that is made by Samsung again.
  Rating: 1 / 5

• Ben Franklin, on October 13th, 2009 at 3:55 pm Said:

  I just recently purchased this TV- my first plasma TV- after researching it on Consumer Reports (scored the highest (82) overall of all 50″ plasmas reviewed by CR) and actually going to Best Buy to visually compared the picture quality against all the others on their TV wall. Based on that, the features on this TV, and the significantly lower price compared to others, particularly other LCDs, I made the purchase.

  Once I got it set-up, I was curious to compare the picture quality of this TV to my existing 46″ LCD TV- a Sony KDL-46XBR5 – which I purchased a year and a half ago. This TV was also the highest rated by Consumer Reports in it’s screen size among LCD TVs when it came out. As a result, my intent was to compare the ‘best of breed’ to some degree between LCD TVs and plasma TVs. My expectation was that the plasma picture quality would be as good or better than my LCD TV, based on my research, the Samsung CR rating, and the fact that it was a newer TV.

  In doing the comparison, I went straight for the highest quality source- blu-ray discs- and viewed the same blu-ray discs on the same blu-ray player OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD & DVD-Audio with the same HDMI cable, connecting directly to each TV to eliminate any external factors that could effect the comparison. I compared both older movie blu-ray discs (An American in Paris & Dr. No) and newer blu-ray discs (Da Vinci Code & Planet Earth). Both of the TVs were viewed in dark rooms at night where glare or external lighting factors had no impact on picture quality.

  In each of the blu-ray discs I viewed, I found the Sony KDL-46XBR5 LCD TV had better picture quality. The key differential was the near 3D quality of the LCD picture which the plasma was unable to match. You can literally imagine that the action is taking place in the next room with the LCD blu-ray 1080p picture quality. The plasma, with the same 1080p blu-ray source, simply did not provide that level of picture quality. Both have excellent colors, contrast and handle motion pretty well (neither are without some very minor distortion if you look closely) but I found that the clear winner was the LCD TV in terms of picture quality. I say clear winner because the difference was indeed noticable, which going into the comparison I wasn’t sure if there would be a noticable picture quality difference between the two TVs.

  In terms of technical specifications, it is difficult to compare the two technologies (LCD vs. plasma) and in some ways comparisons can be misleading. For example, the Sony KDL-46XBR5 LCD TV has 120hz motionflow for less distortion in viewing motion, while the Samsung PN50B650 plasma TV has 600hz sub-field motion technology. If you just look at the numbers, and don’t factor in the different technologies, you would think the Samsung plasma would handle motion better. That is not the case. I found no noticable difference between the two TVs in this regard. Also, on paper, the contrast ratio of the Samsung plasma is also appears vastly superior (2,000,000:1 vs. 18,000:1) to the Sony LCD- but only on paper, however. I found only a slight edge in contrast in favor of the Samsung plasma while actually viewing the picture quality on each TV. In terms of color, the Sony LCD TV has 10-bit color processing and a 10-bit panel in addition to the ‘deep color’and ‘x.v.Color’ color provided by both TVs. Both have a ‘Live Color Creation’ technology (Sony) or ‘Wide Color Enhancer3′ (Samsung) that seem to be proprietary names for the same WCG-CCFL color technology. In any case, I didn’t notice any color difference in comparing picture quality between the two TVs. Each have their proprietary processing engines that perhaps make a difference in picture quality, but again it is far from certain which technical specification or set of specifications will result in overall better picture quality. I would use technical specifications to compare one specific area only (i.e. motion, contrast, color, etc.) on LIKE technologies (comparing one LCD to another or one plasma to another). In comparing a plasma to an LCD, the technical specifications don’t have any predictive value, in my experience, in pre-determining which TV has better picture quality- although they can help narrow the field to some degree.

  In any case, I don’t know which technical specification or set of specifications would indicate which TV has better picture quality. I don’t know what spec to point to that would indicate that the Sony had the near 3D quality that the Samsung did not have- perhaps the video processing engine- but that is unclear to me. Perhaps it is simply the limitation of plasma relative to LCD. It’s hard to say. I can only say that what I view to be one of the best (but no longer cutting-edge) LCD TVs has better picture quality than one of the best (and fairly cutting-edge) plasma TVs.

  Even viewing all the TVs at the Best Buy store doesn’t give you a definitive comparison in picture quality. The settings on each TV at an electronics store can be set any number of ways, and the source player can be different, etc. So even that visual comparison is not definitive. For all the above reasons, a direct comparison is hard to achieve unless you have two TVs in a controlled setting viewing the exact same source on the exact same player with the exact same connection/cable with similar TV settings (i.e. both set to x.v. color, same picture mode (standard, dynamic, movie), best available motion setting, etc.). This is why I thought this review may be helpful to those searching for a TV with the best picture quality. In terms of any brand-name bias, I think it is hard to find better TV brands than Sony and Samsung in terms of picture quality, features, longevity, etc. I personally would have a hard time looking past these two brands in favor of a Toshiba or Sharp or Pioneer- in part because I view the other brands as a little less reliable as TV manufacturers, with a bit more spotty picture quality on their TV products. Samsung has a broader product offering than Sony (Sony doesn’t make plasmas anymore) and generally is a bit more price competitive than Sony. Sony does compete very well with Samsung head to head in picture quality when comparing each of their best TV models, however.

  In terms of other features, the Samsung PN50B650 has better media/internet connectivity features that have recently come out and only the more recent Sony LCD TVs have. It is also worth noting that the Sony KDL-46XBR5 was roughly twice as expensive as the Samsung PN50B650. However, this review is just a comparison of picture quality between the ‘best of breed’ LCD and plasma TVs. I would add in this regard that the latest LCD TVs now have 240hz motionflow technology, further reducing the ‘blur-factor’ when displaying motion. The Sony KDL-46XBR5 I compared only has 120hz motionflow.

  As a result of my comparison, the new Samsung PN50B650 plasma will now be my secondary TV, rather than the primary TV is was intended to be. I’m not going to return it- unless it breaks down- because it does have very good picture quality- but it simply isn’t better than my older LCD. In defense of the Samsung plasma PN50B650, however, I would add that I have not (as of yet) experienced either the ‘burn-in’ or the buzzing issues that many have complained about in plasma TVs. I also have not experienced any glare issues with the screen, and doubt that will be an issue with this TV even in brighter rooms.

  Bottom line, to answer the question, “Which TV has the best overall picture quality- the best plasma TVs or the best LCD TVs?” To my eyes, the answer is clear: the best LCD TVs provide better picture quality than the best plasma TVs.

  Rating: 4 / 5

• J. Chang, on October 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm Said:

  I recently purchased this tv and i am very happy with the quality and picture.

  Shopped around and amazon has the best deal on this tv shipped.

  I originally bought a PN50B450 @ a local B&M store. after seeing the price on this i went and returned the tv and ordered this.
  Rating: 5 / 5

• C. Aras, on October 13th, 2009 at 4:51 pm Said:

  The delivery from Amazon was done very smoothly. Product arrived on time. Delivery guys brought it in and set it up. Caution: they will NOT move your old TV.

  The Samsung PN50B650:
  
  - Video quality is excellent- Dark blacks, accurate color representation.

  - Glare: Is there. Much more than an LCD. Noticable mainly if there is a single bright source. Not a reason to select the product but be aware that it will be there. The PN50B850 touts a better glare filter. These are hard to see in stores where the whole place is dark.

  - Audio: After my old-faithful Sony XBR Wega CRT TV, the audio quality, particularly the bass is a dissapointment. The speakers point down/back so the highs are somewhat muffled. Deep bass- not there. The PN50B850/860 claims to have a sub-woofer- was not able to hear the difference in a store but may be a better choice. Clearly, a home theater audio system is needed.

  - PIP: Useless- only can show the antenna input on the PIP. For anyone with Cable, cannot use the PIP. If you want real PIP, look for the higher priced models.

  - Internet connection: Did not use the LAN yet. The Wi-Fi adapter only goes into the USB port, which is on the side of the unit. Will look really ugly!

  - Menus: Clear, easy to use. Only annoying issue is, even if you do not have any devices connected to certain inputs, they still show up in the selections. I have the Cable and PS3 connected so only really need to switch between them. The menu shows several other connections and rotates between them. There should be a way to just show the active connections in the selection menu.

  Overall, for the price (paid $1150 including shipping) a great value…

  Rating: 4 / 5

• Chiguy, on October 13th, 2009 at 7:29 pm Said:

  despite some apprehension about ordering such an expensive item online and hoping it wasn’t delivered in shards, everything went perfect. the delivery guys will bring it into your place, but consider that white glove service does not mean what you might think. they basically put the tv down at the nearest wall socket, took the sides off the gigantic 10-ft long box this thing comes in, plugged the cord in the back, and plugged it in. once it was turned on, they walked straight out after getting a signature. they definitely won’t unpack the tv, or help you set it on your tv stand. not a complaint, really – i’m happy they brought it in – just an FYI for you.

  it took awhile to get the stand attached and the tv up by myself (were i not a reckless fool, i would have waited for a 2nd person – it’s not impossible to do yourself, but it’s really stupid to risk your very expensive product – i just couldn’t wait!).

  once set up, i was agog. bear in mind that i went from a 23 inch sony trinitron my brother discarded 10 years ago – so i might be a flat-panel rube – but all i can say is WOW. everything looks amazing. standard def from my satellite looks great, the blacks are very black and the color is natural, not overly popped out the way it is with LCDs. the ps3 i finally caved in and bought looks amazing in 1080p. haven’t got any blu-rays to try out yet, but i’ll update when i do (i understand there’s supposed to be some sort of oddity when you switch this to 96hz to view blu-rays). i haven’t had any problems with buzzing noise from the set (that’s probably the way you’ve got your stuff grounded, not the tv), nor have i yet witnessed burn-in of any kind. also, no pink tones to the whites, nothing. it’s perfect.

  the touch of color is pretty subtle to me, and glare is really not a problem. then again, i don’t have a lot of natural light coming in my place, so YMMV. the extra connections are fantastic, and the tv itself has a very competent media player built in. i just plug in an external hard drive through one of the USB ports with all those movies and tv shows i downl….i mean, legally obtained, and the tv can pretty much play them all. well, haven’t tried some of the more exotic formats. divx and xvid work fine.

  sound is pretty tinny – but why wouldn’t you run the sound to a home theater system of some kind? the remote is a bit ridiculous. it’s well-laid out and all, but it’s about as long as my forearm. haven’t tried the wireless internet function – the transmitter you have to buy extra, and it’s unreasonably expensive. also, the ps3 handles that duty.

  all in all – a sleek, beautiful product that flawlessly delivers. wow, i should write copy for samsung. seriously – very happy w/ this beauty. we’re in a relationship now. i updated facebook. don’t tell my girlfriend.
  Rating: 5 / 5

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