 Samsung PN50B860 50" Plasma...Awesome |
| Review Date: June 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: B. Cox, San Diego, California United States |
Well, I did not buy this TV from Amazon but found an authorized online retailer that had a fantastic price with free shipping. Let me tell you, I researched televisions for about three months straight. I had been debating between the Samsung LN52B750 LCD, which had a razor sharp picture and at the time was priced right. Aesthetically, it was a beautiful television in just about every way. My biggest hang up was that certain movies and shows looked too realistic (distracting) and not movie like, especially when watching animated films or TV shows and even with the 240Mhz refresh rate for motion, the motion in fast scenes felt a bit off or distracting. The picture was/is extremely bright and the features hit the sweet spot.
I had also been comparing the LN52B750 with several different plasma televisions, mostly from Samsung, several Panasonic Plasmas that were/are highly rated from several review websites and the Pioneer Kuro Plasmas. So, I read all of the reviews I could find on about 10 televisions total that were highly rated or new to the market for 2009. My buddy has the 50" Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD which I might add, has a beautiful picture! It is almost unmatched. Then I went to BestBuy and directly compared several lower model number Samsung plasmas and LCDs and the Panasonic TC-P50G10 50" plasma. I honestly do not see what the big deal about the TC-P50G10 TV is. The picture is okay, it even looked okay playing a Blu-ray movie, but I was not impressed. The picture was a bit green, the casing of the TV was not the most eye pleasing design and that huge Panasonic logo on the front "chin" with a grey back ground was not appealing to me. I also compared several LG Plasmas and LCD TV's for 2009 and the new Toshiba Regzas (nice picture for the price I have to admit).
Ultimately, it came down to comparing the Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD to the Samsung PN50B850 (which has one feature less than the PN50B860 Samsung, as no one had a PN50B860 on display that I could find) and was amazed at how awesome the picture detail, flesh tones, natural colors, fast motion, contrast, brightness and motion was on the two Plasma televisions. They are very comparable and I consider them dead on as competitors. I ended up choosing the Samsung PN50B860 having seen the PN50B850 in person at BestBuy. The PN50B860 has the Cinema Smooth feature which the PN50B850 does not. I got it for under $2k with free shipping online with the optional 802.11N wireless Samsung Linkstick (WIS09ABGN) for less than $60.
The picture on the Samsung PN50B860 is phenomenal. Not only is the picture on this TV one of the best I've seen after months of extreme research, I got the best price on it and it cost less than the Pioneer and the Samsung LN52B750!!! I've been watching Blu-ray movies on it via my Sony PS3 gaming console for the last few days through HDMI. Movies like Hellboy II and Casino Royale are stunning and unbelievable on this set!!! Motion resolution/rendering is phenomenal. I recommend it over the Pioneer Kuro because I think it is a bit superior in quality (build and picture), features, aesthetic and Energy Star rating. It's SUPER THIN! You would not be sorry for purchasing this set! It's simply stunning. The remote is surprisingly nice as well. I'm not a huge fan of Samsung's remote controls or TV interfaces (Sony and LG rule when it comes to remote control design an TV interfaces) but I'm happy with the one that came with the TV.
Audio is very acceptable in my book on this television. It's not super loud and robust but what television is, but for a small condo or apartment, it's perfect and very usable and enjoyable! The picture from the digital TV tuner for Over-The-Air broadcasts is pretty impressive as well.
Get it! You won't regret it! As for the other review regarding the buzzing...mine does not buzz at all. I'm guessing the person must be at a high altitude or may have received a bad set but this TV is pretty much flawless.
20091223 Update - Well, I have had this television for a while and I've had numerous friends asking for my opinion of televisions. They ask whether they should choose LCD, LED LCD or Plasma. I actually like all three technologies, but I have to admit I still prefer Plasma. This TV puts out a bit of heat I noticed but it is not that big of a deal. I still very much love this television and at it's current price is one of the BEST televisions on the market. Still have never heard a buzzing issue that others have talked about in this forum.
One Cool thing...Get the 802.11n Wireless Adapter. I was on travel for a while, came home and turned the TV on and I received an update notification on the screen from Samsung. I went to Samsung's support website to look for the update and it had not been posted yet. I have to say, I really like this feature of updating firmware automatically over the internet ON my television. I've also downloaded a few Blockbuster video's on this TV over the Adapter and it's a pretty pleasant experience.
In the end...no regrets on buying this TV. It's beautiful, functional, thin and the picture is literally just phenomenal. |
Incredible Picture!
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| Review Date: June 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: B. Palmer, South Carolina |
I did a lot of research before I purchased a Samsung PN50B860. And I am totally pleased with the purchase! The picture is out of this world. I kept debating between the crisp picture of a quality LCD or the motion handling of a plasma. Because I like sports and action movies, I had pretty much decided on the PN50B550 when I saw the right price. But I went into the store and saw the PN50B860 right next to it, and could obviously see the difference. The picture was so crisp, but it had all the motion handling benefits of a plasma! Plus, it's the latest technology, so it's energy star rated (not the normal power consumption like older plasma's).
It is also DLNA certified and has a cool internet functionallity with Yahoo widgets. I really didn't buy it for the internet functionality--thought that was more of a gimmick. But it's actually pretty neat. I can bring up the weather (today, or extended) for several cities I program in, plus pull major news headlines for politics,business, sports, etc while still watching TV.
One slight drawback are the speakers. Not a deal killer for me, since any movies or sporting events I run through my stereo system. But at 1 1/2 inches thick, it's pretty impossible to put top notch sound in a TV. And the speakers work fine for regular TV. But to get the full movie experience, you'll want to hook to a home theater.
Go look at this set in a store with a quality feed, and you'll be amazed at the clarity, color and definition. |
About the buzzing.
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| Review Date: September 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Arturo, Texas |
Update:
This review is simply to clear up the "buzzing" some people are experiencing. After speaking directly to a samsung rep. (face to face) I know excatly what the buzzing issue is. You can ignore the second paragraph if you like. The rep. said that the buzz is normal but is also a simple fix. The issue is in the design of the heat ventilation. He said that the metal sheet that vents the heat upward tends to vibrate when the TV is in use and makes the buzzing sound. To fix this, simply call 1-800-samsung to have a technician sent to your home and install a rubber washer that will help keep the sheet from vibrating and end the buzzing, there should be no charge as this is considered a manufacturer's defect. It's a quick 5 minute fix in your home. No need to send the TV away for repair. As far as heat goes, consider this, if you place your hand at the bottom of the screen and move it upwards you will notice that the screen feels hotter at the top. Thit is normal; heat naturaly moves upward and TVs are designed to vent in the same dirrection. If you feel the top-back of most flat-panel TVs you'll find that this is the hottest part on the set because it's where the heat escapes, but I'm sure many already know that. Also, by adjusting the picture settings accordingly you can reduce the heat drasticaly. According to the representative, so far the buzzing has been reported in about 5% of the 850/860 models. Tip: I don't recommend you set any TV to Dynamic/Vivid Mode. These modes are mostly for retailers (that showcase TVs in bright rooms) and set TVs to the brightest settings that consumes the most amount of energy and can produce the most amount of heat.
Previous (Edited):
I do not own this TV but in my line of work I see the 850 version everyday. So I can at least attest to the picture quality, & it is amazing. Both the 850 & 860 have the exact same specs and features except for one thing. The 860 has the Cinema Smooth feature, which the 850 does not. At my work place I noticed that the 850 was heating up quite a bit and after discussing it with my coworkers, I realized it had to do with the thickness of the TV. I figure the thicknes along with the heat had something to do with the buzzing. We also looked at the 650 series, which is thicker but very similar to the 860 in specs, for comparison. I noticed that it did not heat up as much as the 850 when we ran the exact same blu-ray film on it. The 650s thicker frame allows it to vent heat much better than the thin frame of the 850. In any case where the circumstances may contradict what I've said, then I suggest contacting Samsung. |
What's all the Buzz?
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| Review Date: October 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Anthony Kotarski, New York |
I recently bought this TV from BB after doing research that drove me nuts. CNET is a good site. Let me start buy saying that I own 4 LCD Tvs(3-sony,1-samsung)so this is my first plasma. After settling on a Plasma, I narrowed it down to three. One Panasonic, Sony and Samsung. This wasn't the TV I went there for but after seeing the picture I was in shock. I really don't know if a TV picture could be any clearer. The look of the TV is also awsome as are the features, such as the Widgets.
Now all the fuse. This TV does buzz but its so low that I have to walk up to the set and put my ear next to it. The room its in is 12 x 12 so I sit about 7 feet away and can hear nothing at all. Even when I muted the sound I could barley hear the buzz. All I can say is go look at the other TVs and this set will stand out. The only con I have is with BB and Samsung. For the price of this set they could have included the Wireless USB adapter. Its only $79 but did get it for 60 at an online site. The salesman at BB swore that it was included. When I realized it wasnt several days later I didn't feel like going back and arguing for the part. That's my fault. If you by the set and have a wireless router you'll need the adapter to use the internet options(widgets) which are pretty cool. Oh and the set was on for 4 hours in my room and the heat was minimal. People act like you'll get burned by the screen. |
Great TV.
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| Review Date: September 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Kraus, Cambridge, MA |
This TV is utterly beautiful.... that really is all I need to say but I will continue.
First off, if you want a large TV to hang on a wall, this is a great choice as it is only 55 pounds or so for a plasma and only about an inch thick. However, going past that, the picture quality is beautiful, with rich colors and high contrast. It is very bright but with no washout. I bought this at a best buy and was blown away at the comparison between this tv and Samsung LEDs and the 240hz LCDs, all running HD movies.
I've watched 2001 on this TV and it brought the initial fears back that the film gave me. I've played Wii, PS3, and XBOX on it and all look fantastic. Even regular cable tv looks quite fine without the "blown out" view that my father's 65" Mitsubishi CRT gives.
It also has some interesting interactive features, such it shows you cooking recipes and then has pictorial step-by-step directions... as a avid chef, they are actually quite good recipes.
The TV itself, for its size, is quite minimalistic. The clear edge is actually quite nice as it reflects light and distracts from any light off the actual screen. They claim this has the red touch of color, but I cannot tell at all..... That being said, the TV has almost no issues with glare... I have it sitting right next to a bay window and you can almost always see everything clearly. |
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