 Makes me feel I made the right choice. |
| Review Date: July 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: S. Bae, Miami, FL |
If you're in the market for a HDTV then the Samsung PN50B650 is worth a second look. Externally, the attractive Touch of Color design incorporated into the clear beveled edged glass exudes sophistication and class. Internally, the Crystal Full HD Engine and Samsung's e-panel technology translates into a blur free clear vibrant picture perfect for sports and movies alike.
Truthfully I started off in the HDTV market looking for a 52" LCD panel with 1080p and 120hz specs. After a month of searching I realized that a name brand set with the above specs was out of my budget. I wasn't considering a plasma because I thought it was outdated technology, fear of image retention (IR), cost of operation, and plasma's heavier weight difference. However, as I researched more into plasmas I learned that my fears were they themselves outdated. Plasma was not outdated technology, many companies were still pouring money into plasma R&D. IR for sure is still a concern but with some simple basic precautions and use of the built in pixel shifting option, IR has become a very minor concern. This set is also Energy Star compliant using 40% less power than prior years plasmas (as per Samsung's website) and comparable to LCDs of similar size. As for weight, I wasn't too concerned because my set wasn't going on a wall. Regardless, the weight difference to a LCD is only about 15 lbs or so. Also, this set comes with an attractive stand that allows the TV to rotate for optimal viewing.
The cons I have so far are: Even with the FilterBright technology incorporated into the screen, glare is still a factor. I have my set in a room with no curtains but no direct sunlight and find myself changing the brightness control at times during daylight use. While the Media 2.0 is a fantastic feature (and the reason why I highly recommend this set over the B550 for a few extra $) it can be slow at times. Lastly, the speakers on this TV are marginal. Not bad in loudness but definitely no mid range or bass as one would expect. You will eventually need something externally powered.
I will not bore you with pros and cons of this set's internal specs, you can interpret them anyway you want but for a non HDTV expert that was merely trying to get the best value for the money, with great picture quality and technology (e.g. Cinema Smooth 24p frame rate), in an attractive looking TV, this Samsung was a clear choice for me. Lastly, the other plasma I was considering was the Panasonic G10. It has slightly better reviews but esthetically IMO the Samsung was a clear winner. For the non HDTV expert like myself, the image quality differences were unnoticeable. On a side note, as the post above had mentioned, standard def cable channels are pretty darn good on this set compared to my old 37" LCD.
*I do not have the buzz or the pinkish hues some others claim on their sets.
Update: After 7 months of use, my Samsung tv is is still going strong with no issues. Picture quality is still bright and vivid. I have either found the most balanced setting for day and night time use or my eyes have gotten used to this set because I longer find myself adjusting the picture settings. Burn in is not an issue and its not even on my mind (although I do not play video games on it).
Its great having a tv with online capabilities. While I don't personally find myself using the "widgets" very often, I do appreciate the no hassle automatic software updates to the tv. The two widgets I do use on occasion are the Amazon Video on Demand and the Blockbuster Video on Demand. Either of these two features allow one to watch HD or regular quality movies streamed from their respective providers at about $3-$5 a movie for a 24 hr rental period. Not bad when I don't want to drive to the rental store. Other noteable widgets available are Twitter, YouTube, Ebay and flickr. The tv's speakers are adequate for everyday use but for movies and sporting events an externally powered speakers are advised. I use a Sony sound bar that looks and sounds great with this set. My electric bill has increased about $10 per month. The set is on for 10 plus hours a day.
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Highly recommended!
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| Review Date: June 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Eternyl, Milwaukee, WI USA |
Basically I've had this TV for about 3 weeks already, and wanted to share since when researching this new 2009 Samsung PN50B650 set, there were limited reviews.
the specs and price on this had me at hello...
3,000,000:1 Mega Contrast
0.001ms pixel-response time.
600Hz
Cinema Smooth
4 HDMI ports
Tuners: ATSC / NTSC / QAM
ENERGY STAR qualified
Anynet
DLNA
First off I was always sketchy on Plasma...because of course burn in, and the whole LCD rage taking off.
Basically it was a "burn in" vs "dead pixel" face off.
But burn in is a non issue...sometimes the History channel will leave its logo for a few seconds, but it's not even noticeable unless you try to find it. I play PS3 games on it and it's perfect.
The 4 HDMI ports are priceless....I thought it would be overkill...but add in a TivoHD, PS3, Receiver...and I'm down to 1 side HDMI input left...
The 650 also has the extra internet USB adapter ($75) is very nice as well....connecting to Flickr, your network & Yahoo Weather is very nice.
not built in but, so what.
The TV speakers are basic and tolerable I guess, but if you are looking to get a 50" plasma, I would hope you would have a home theater in a box at least.
The TOC finish is very very nice, and the touch of color really makes this set stand out...I thought I'd hate it but once it's in the house...it is nice.
I think the main reason to really look at this set is the "Cinema Smooth" feature which is present on this panel....and I think only until you get to the 850 model you won't see it available. This is very nice since it delivers in the native 24p content, same frame rate as movies are recorded.
and I don't have any buzzing, which some people were reporting on the AVS Forum.
Well compared to my Samsung 40 40A650 LCD 120hz, which I really liked...this Plasma is a big step up.
In the store the bright lights and the demo modes make the LCD stand out...but in my home setting....holy bright...it was always in movie mode...so now the kids can play games on it in, the plasma is for the living room now.
The blacks and whites are more lifelike on the Plasma...although the LCD has way whiter whites...it just make it look too digital.
basically I have a much better viewing angle...pic looks perfect from all angles....and it looks more "real life quality"..if that makes sense.
basically I still can't get used to the "3D Soap Opera effect" on the LCD, and the speed is still nowhere to the plasma especially in sports...even with the 120hz I could catch the blur in a football.
Here's my deal sealer....standard def channels, are pretty good...I can watch them again. On the LCD...standard Def..I preferred to watch an old Toshiba 36" CRT in the loft if I had to.
granted it's not an 850 or 950....but the price difference is huge.
at this cheap of a price, I'm thinking about getting a second...seriously it's a steal.
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very happy
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| Review Date: June 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: K. Salnikov, Palisades Park, NJ United States |
This review is my personal opinion and is not sponsored by anyone.
After a good amount of research I decided to get Samsung PN50B650. It's been almost 3 weeks already and I could not be more happier. I am not a videophile, but picture looks outstanding and it actually looks better then my 1 year old Sony Bravia 52inch LCD. best feature is ability to stream content from your PC or USB memory stick or HDD. so far, I have not discovered format that it does not handle. |
GREAT TV!!!!! - BEST TIME TO BUY - NO BUZZING - TWEEK SETTINGS
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| Review Date: October 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ann K. Brown, Quincy, MA USA |
BEST TIME TO BUY - Until 10 Oct 2009 you get the TV for $1239 with no tax and free white glove delivery plus a free Blu-Ray HD DVD Player (retail $299). I just missed out on the free Blu-Ray DVD player.
BUZZING PROBLEM - I just received my TV a few days ago and there is absolutely no buzzing, which was my main concern about this purchase. I ordered the TV on 27 Sept 2009 and the firmware loaded on the the TV was dated July 2009 (version 1011). Amazon had just restocked this TV before I ordered it. I waited to order as the newer versions of this TV don't seem to suffer from the buzzing problem.
WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY - If you buy this TV and it is fulfilled by Amazon you are entitled to white glove delivery which includes unpacking, assembling the TV, and connecting the TV to your main source to verify a working picture. The only time you wouldn't get this service is if another company fulfilled the order through Amazon. The company (CEVA, Boston MA) that delivered my TV did this without asking.
NEW FIRMWARE - The first thing I did was to get the newest firmware update from the Samsung website which is dated 22 Sept 2009 (version 1012). You should do this before adjusting your TV settings as this will reset them. You don't have to have your TV connected to the Internet. You just need a cheap USB travel drive.
TWEEK PICTURE SETTINGS - The factory set picture settings are OK but CNET's are much truer to life. Here are CNET's recommended settings for a darkened room:
-Picture menu
Mode: Movie
Cell Light: 10
Contrast: 99
Brightness: 48
Sharpness: 0
Color: 48
Tint: G50/R50
Advanced settings submenu
Black tone: Off
Dynamic contrast: Off
Gamma: 0
Color space: Auto
Flesh tone: 0
Edge enhancement: Off
xvYCC: Off
White balance submenu
R-Offset: 25
G-Offset: 25
B-Offset: 25
R-Gain: 25
G-Gain: 21
B-Gain: 21
Picture options submenu
Color tone: Warm2
Size: Screen Fit
Digital NR: Off
HDMI black level: Normal [grayed out]
1080 Full HD Motion Demo: Off
Film mode: Off**
Blue only mode: Off
--Setup menu
Game Mode: Off
Energy saving: Off
BD Wise: Off
**Black levels became lighter when we selected the Cinema Smooth option, so these settings only apply to the Off position, even for 1080p/24 sources. |
Outstanding clarity...Love the USB movie feature !
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| Review Date: July 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sunil Prabhakar, Sunnyvale, CA |
Ordered this on Amazon and whole process till delivery was smooth. 5 stars to Amazon for the price as well, as always :)
I'm extremely pleased with the picture quality & feature set on this TV. This is my first HDTV, but I did do a lot of research before buying this one. I chose this model over others (5 series & Panny Viera) because this is the only "plasma" TV I could find in the market that supports DLNA (ability to stream files directly off my PC) and also has support for USB hard drive hookup. I hooked up my 500 gig (FAT32 format only) HDD and voila, all the files I can play directly off the HDD. Supports all possible media formats out there !! Apart from this it has extremely good connectivity (4 HDMI slots) and numerous inputs to hook up your home theater. This TV is a treat for the eyes...go get this one and you won't be disappointed.
Another feature I love is the presence of a ethernet port ... it allows you to connect your TV to the LAN and stream files off the network through DLNA, you don't need to spend additional $$ on the wireless stick. Updating firmware through internet is also a breeze.
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