#-: Samsung pn50b860 50-inch 1080p plasma hdtv
December 28th, 2009
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Samsung’s new 8 Series plasma flat panel HDTV represent our finest innovations in design and performance. Samsung’s 8 Series E-Panel technology combined with our Ultra FilterBrightTM Plus technology provides a stunning high contrast picture even in brighter rooms. It’s not just the images on screen that capture your attention – the Ultra Slim cabinet is only 1.2” deep and gives you added versatility with its stylish vibe. The new Medi@2.0 connectivity package offers customizable online content via user-friendly “widgets,” networking capability via the DLNA standard, and playback of your camera and camcorder via USB 2.0. Add 4 advanced HDMI inputs that feature Samsung’s Anynet+ (CEC standard) technology making system control of compatible A/V devices like a Blu-ray player or HTIB system a one-touch operation. If you’re looking for the best Full 1080p performance and advanced connectivity, Samsung’s new 8 series plasma HDTVs are designed with this in mind……..
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Technical Details
- 50-inch high definition TV with 1080p resolution
- Four HDMI, two component, and one composite video input (2)15W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for a rich surround-sound experience
- Ultra FilterBright Plus, 600Hz Subfield Motion, .001 response time, and a Mega dynamic contrast ratio for a stunning high contrast picture
- Customizable online content via user-friendly "widgets, networking capability via the DLNA standard, and playback of camera and camcorder via USB 2.0
- One-year parts and labor warranty
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2009-12-15
By Randolph Eck (Pennsylvannia)
I have to agree with all the rave reviews about the picture quality on this set. It is simply fantastic. The HDTV quality is very sharp and detailed. Standard definition fare will be depend on the source material. The set has the capability of producing a very good picture with quality standard def material. Of course, with any such set you may want to use a DVD or Blu-ray set-up disk to tweak the picture settings for best picture. I was able to avoid this because CNET had already reviewed this set and they provide a listing of all the picture settings that they have found to produce the best picture, and this is what I used. What I found, is that the picture quality out of the box is very good. The tweaking didn’t, in my opinion, make a big difference, and this is the way it should be.
This TV has a lot of functionality. There is a built in media player to view photos, music and videos via a USB device that can be inserted into the set or via DLNA. It has a feature called Anynet+ to allow control over other Samsung devices connected to the set. It has a content library which contains a slide show gallery, cooking, children, wellness, and other (where you can copy new content to the TV memory). I probably will not use this feature.
This TV is network ready. I found it very easy to connect to my network. You can connect wirelessly or using Ethernet cable which is what I used. Selecting the Internet button on the remote allows installation of Yahoo Widgets which include weather, news, Blockbuster videos, You Tube, Flickr, finance and a Widget gallery where you can manage your widgets. Altogether there were seventeen widgets. Amazon claims support for Samsung TVs, but when I tried to download a video, I found that Samsung support is temporarily unavailable at this time. Connecting requires an Amazon on Demand widget which produces a PIN that you must enter for account activation. I would also like to see support for Netflix as well.
Another feature I found interesting was the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) feature. This feature allows a server device (network drive, Vista or network appliance) to stream media to the DLNA capable device, in this case, the Samsung TV. Samsung provides software to install on a computer that you want to use as a server, but if you have Vista or Windows 7, the Windows Media Center (WMC) is already DLNA capable. When I turned on the TV and my Vista computer, WMC detected the Samsung TV and asked if I wanted to share media. I clicked yes, and that was it. I pressed the media play button on the remote and selected the option to view all pictures on the Vista machine. After that I could select the folder I wanted and view my vacation photos on widescreen TV. I shot the pictures with an older three megapixel camera and this produced great pictures on the TV. Awesome!
At one point while watching TV, a dialog box popped up saying that a software update was available. I clicked on yes, and the update was downloaded. When I later opened my widgets, I got a message saying that one of thirteen updates was being installed. For a moment, I thought I was on my computer.
About the buzz: many people complained about a buzz. To check this, I muted my receiver and listened carefully. I actually heard a buzz and I thought, oh no. However, in my case the buzz was coming from the receiver. The TV was completely silent – no buzz. Maybe at this point Samsung has corrected the problem.
All I can say now is this TV simply will not disappoint.
2009-12-07
By Ben Franklin "David" (Greensburg, PA)
After over two months of research and many trips to Best Buy, I am extremely happy with the choice I made to purchase the Samsung pn50b860 plasma flat panel TV. I’ve watched several football games and movies thus far and am extremely impressive with the overall color and picture. I have two friends who both have recently purchase a Samsung LED (one 7000, the other the 8000 series). When both saw the picture on this plasma you couldn’t help but notice a little buyer’s remorse. The picture is crisp, clear and as close to the reality as you can get. Do get me wrong, the LED also has a great picture but with the plasma you get a great picture and the 1.2" thin panel at a much reduced price. The SRS TruSurround HD is great for my Home Theater setup and technologies such as 600Hz Subfield Motion, Mega dynamic contrast ratio and Ultra FilterBright Plus allow the picture to compete with the best out there.
Some pointers to those looking for a great TV for a reasonable price; first, be careful when you walk into a retail store that has many LCD, LED and Plasmas on display. Do your homework first and then shop for the TV that has the features and style you are looking for. You will go crazy if you try to simply decide on your choice based on what is on display. Secondly, I found that there are many myths about plasma TVs that even the technical guru’s at the retail stores are parroting. I am an engineer and information must be based on factual data and not rumor. Everything issue I heard or read about plasma technology either has been resolved or is also consistent with the LED and LCD (e.g, glare which keeps the TV from washing out or absorbing any nearby light). The PN50B860 includes an e-panel glare reduction that helps lessen any glare from nearby light.
I purchased my Samsung Plasma over the internet from a store with a great reputation and great service with no tax and no shipping fees for $1,580 in late November 2009 and seems to be already coming down in price.
2009-12-05
By Subramanian Iyer (NYC)
It does look like LCD TVs are winning the battle for market share. Almost all my friends have chosen LCD TVs over Plasma sets. I find this strange because the newer plasma TVs (like this one) are such amazing value for money, that I am surprised people aren’t lining up to buy this.
Definitely, the issue about the buzzing noise has scared people away (I know I was mildly concerned). Then there is the FUD about image retention and screen burn-in (which also is a non-issue with newer plasma screens).
The fact is that both the issues mentioned above have been pretty much taken care of by technological advances. (You would need to display a static image for weeks to cause burn-in on these TVs).
What remains though is the public’s perception that plasma TVs are somehow inferior to LCD TVs – and that shows up in the markup that people are willing to pay for a comparable LCD TV of the same size and brand.
Their loss is my (and your) gain. I did the analysis and purchased this set at an incredible price point and I couldnt be happier about this purchase.
So here is what I think about the PN50B860.
Pros
+ THE best value for money. Period.
+ Looks fantastic. Appears thinner than the claimed 1.2 inches
+ Picture Quality is fantastic – and this includes SD content.
+ NONE of that buzzing noise that some people experienced.
+ Internet connectivity is good for updating firmware.
+ Nice and organized menus
+ Lightweight compared to its peers (only 55 lbs without the stand)
Cons
- Yahoo widgets are super sluggish
- Menus are sluggish
Bottomline:
Go for it.
2009-11-30
By P. Owens (Dallas, TX)
First, a reality check – I totally cannot believe the complaints on this page about buzzing. I’ve had my set since mid-September and haven’t noticed any buzz beyond what is typical for plasma sets. If you stand right next to any plasma or CRT set you WILL here a tiny buzz or humm, period.
Now on to my assessment – I spent months researching before deciding on this set over the V10 that I had tentatively decided on until I saw the two side-by-side. The 860 blew it out of the water! There is no comparison when it comes to color accuracy. The V10 seems to give everything, including skintones a slightly green hue and the overall picture seems dull by comparison. Both sets (in my opinion) had excellent black levels but the experts say the V10’s are darker but I couldn’t tell! I also love the DNLA link that allows viewing photos, movies and listening to music directly from my pc (wirelessly). I love it. And I cannot overstate how it’s superior picture outshined all others in the BB Magnolia showroom, including the much-lauded Pioneer Kuro.
Full disclosure would dictate that the slightly lower price on the Samsung also entered into my decision. It also entered into my decision to go with this set over the somewhat smaller LEDs from Samsung which also have a decent picture but don’t hold up at off angles.
Finally, I think everyone should narrow their search to 2 or 3 sets and try your best to view them side-by-side before puchasing.
2009-11-18
By Ravi
Picture quality is unbelievable. I love the built in art gallery. Looks like a wall painting. Very thin. No buzzing sound. I turned the volume all the way to 0 and still did not hear any buzz. So they may have fixed that issue for my TV. Coolest feature was… it was able to play most of my videos right from an external hard drive. Now I can have all my home videos and pictures in one external hard drive. I have not used the internet feature yet.
Overall a great TV. I feel this TV is same or better than samsung LED’s in picture quality and still is very thin 1.2"
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Buy Samsung PN50B860 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Now
