Samsung PN50C7000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)

Review by E. Boci for Samsung PN50C7000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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I purchased this TV as a replacement for an older JVC DLP 1080i set. The colors and details are amazing! Playing PS3 games and blu ray movies on a plasma are everything I’ve read about. There has been absolutely no blurring during action movies like some LCD’s can have. I don’t know how it compares to some of the “industry’s finest” plasmas, like a Kuro, but from what I’ve seen, the black levels have been superb.

I describe myself as a pretty technical person, so I really appreciate all of the adjustments available on the 7000 series. I would liked to have purchased the PN50C8000, with pro calibration controls, but it wasn’t available to me at the time I purchased this model.

Adding to the geek appeal is the internet functionality. I am able to connect it directly to a LAN cable, so all internet widgets and video streaming are quick and don’t lag. Possibly one of the greatest connection feature has to be the USB connection. I have a 1 TB external hdd filled with movies and video. I have only encountered one obscure file format that the TV hasn’t been able to play. It will even play .mkv files!

There have only been a few downfalls to this TV. From the time I turned it on for the first time, there has been a buzzing noise emitting from the screen. I can’t pinpoint the exact location, but you can hear it when you would like to have the volume lower (like when our baby is taking a nap). Apparently this has been an ongoing issue with Samsung TV’s, and it seems that I have been one of the latest victims. I am still unsure how I am going to handle this buzz (take it back to Best Buy or call Samsung).

This is probably expected with how thin these displays are, but the sound is pretty tinney and doesn’t have a lot of quality. Most people will probably want to purchase a sound bar or have a home theater set up, like I do, so it really isn’t that big of a deal.

The only other thing, which is inherent in plasma screens (no matter what the companies tell you), is burning images. I’ve read all over the internet that modern plasma displays are not supposed to be susceptible to this problem, but let me tell you, if you leave your DVR paused for more than a few minutes on a bright screen or an image with a prominent network icon (Discovery Channel HD), you will definitely see an image for a little while. The TV has features to minimize or allow the pixels to “unburn” itself, but you need to be careful anyways.

So far I have really enjoyed the PN50C7000, I would definitely recommend it, but will always caution the buzzing.

Review by RedPhillips for Samsung PN50C7000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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This TV is absolutely amazing. The picture quality is top notch, and after demoing several models from panasonic, samsung and LG, I decided for the price this TV included everything I could ever want. I’m extremely pleased with my decision.

After purchasing a Samsung LED in december, I was left somewhat unimpressed. My first HDTV was plasma and after owning a few LCDs and one LED I decided to go back to plasma. I mostly compared panasonic and samsung, but also took a brief look at some of LG’s LED TVs. It finally came down to the G25 by Panasonic and this TV, the PN50c7000. Picture quality was the most important to me, so that came first. Both TV’s looked excellent in HD(Source was star trek BD), but after demoing the two several times I felt the PN50c7000 had the edge. I consulted one of my buddies who is an expert on HDTVs(a professional calibrator)and he broke down the pros and cons of each model. I went with the PN50c7000 and could not be happier. The picture quality is fantastic, with rich colors and very deep blacks. The addition of 3D was also a plus to me, but definitely not one of my priorities. Standard definition also looks amazing, and with TV’s these days SD quality can vary drastically from set to set(The G25 was not as great at reproducing SD, one of the deal breakers for me). Finally, the PNc7000 had far more internet capabilities than the G25, which was another added bonus, as well as 3D. Since owning the TV I have tested many sources and it seems to reproduce colors very accurately, and again, has a great contrast.

I would also like to address the issue many have had with this TV, the so called “soap opera effect”. The first generation models of this TV came preloaded with MJC(the newer ones do not), or motion judder canceller, which made movement look “fake” or ghostly when watching from some sources. This is a feature also found of the C8000 series, but for some reason samsung didn’t include an option to turn it off on the C7000. Many returned their sets in anger because of this, but its actually a very easy fix. There are several options, the easiest being the game mode option. Switching the game mode from on to off in the general settings will turn this effect off. Do this for each source and no more MJC. Samsung has also issued a firmware update on their website which can be applied via a USB flash drive that will also fix the issue. The last option, which many tech savvy individuals have done, is switch the TV from a c7000 model to an 8000 model via the service menu, which gives you a menu option to turn MJC off. I can confirm that this works, but do so at your own risk. You can potentially brick your TV if you do something wrong. The first two options are extremely easy and safe to perform. Don’t return your sets because of this and miss out on a seriously impressive TV.

Overall this TV has it all. An extremely impressive PQ, internet capability and 3D are all present on the PNc7000, with a sleek, slim design to top it off. I would recommend this TV to anyone, and while the panasonic G25 is also a very impressive TV, my opinion leans toward Samsung this year.

Update: There is some image retention on this model that many will notice, including myself. Don’t worry, its never permanent. There is a recommended 100 hour break in time with most plasmas, and this is no exception. If the temporary image rentention bothers you, make sure you dial down the contrast and especially brightness. Do this for the first 50-100 hours and image retention should slowly become a non issue. For those who dont want to do this, run the scrolling bar across your screen when image retention occurs and it will do the trick. Note: I recently left my screen on pause for 3 hours(forgot to turn it off!) and of course it left quite a bit of burn in. I ran the scrolling bar for 2 minutes and everything went away. Works like a charm.

Review by Attan for Samsung PN50C7000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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Wow! I love my new TV. I got this tv 6 days ago. I can’t believe how many people asked if I had to always watch in 3D with the glasses on, NO. I have a hard time reading these bad reviews. This plasma has a beautiful display. If you don’t like the display of so called soap opera effect why not tune the settings to your liking? Star Trek in HD looks crystal clear, is that what you people mean by soap opera effect? lol. And everyone I’ve asked has never heard about plasma tv’s buzzing? Weird. It took me one night to get used to the 3D glasses. Your eyes and brain have to do a bit more to take in what you are viewing. The focal point always stays clear. Other pics in the foreground and background might be blurry because of this. What I’m saying is if a car speeds past the foreground you’re supposed to see a blurred image. When a car speeds past you in real life and your view is fixed you don’t see a crystal image, there is a natural blur effect. Just don’t think the display is bad because something that was not the focal point was blurred a bit. I have to point that out because some people are complaining, but they just don’t get it. Also, definetly use your plasma for a few days for it to settle in because I noticed more artifacts the first day than a few days later.

Anyways, 3D! The best effects of 3D I have seen so far is def the 3d-bluray, monsters vs aliens. I actually gave a lil flinch at the begining of the movie when the guy is playing with a paddle ball, nice! Haven’t popped in Cloudy with a Chance yet. The best PS3 3D download of the 4, IMO is Motorstorm. There are smoke particle effects that are really good and that shows the brilliance of the display itself. But 3D really adds nuances that multiply the immersive effects throughout the entire game. Your car and the other AI cars kicking out mud towards the screen as you mash the gas pedal, hitting a ramp and flying toward the transition on the other side of a mountain, and driving through the over-grown brush that happens to be on the dirt path, etc. I can’t wait for some full 3D games to come out because these demos must’ve been made with minimum detail. MLB The Show is just a great game, but I know it could have been a hell of a lot better with max 3D tuning. 3D is most prominent during the pitching/batting sequence. The batter in the box pops, and def the HUD. Stardust HD had very little 3D effect I felt. WipEout HD is a full3D game but I never liked WipEout. But from the demo of it I downloaded, it seems the craft pops from the picture the most. Haven’t seen any burn in (Image Retention), after playing.

2D to 3D upconversion added a little depth to the view. I had a good time playing Skate3 on it. But let me say I haven’t updated my firmware yet. I actually thought 2D to 3D upconvert worked better with standard channels versus HD channels. And I think Sony did a better job with 2d upconvert to 3D because I demoed a Bravia in a Sony Style store. You can’t expect too much from this feature with either brand anyway. It adds some depth from the foreground to the background, like the people on the far side of the pitch (field) at the World Cup seemed more distant than in non 3D. The glasses are comfy it really just adds a tint when they are activated. I think 3D shades would be more appropriate.

Review by Stephen G. Ayres for Samsung PN50C7000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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First, I’ll say I’m very satisfied with the TV. Crystal clear HD and very good processing of non-HD signals. Blacks are awesome. If I had it to do over again, I would purchase the same c7000 model instead of the c8000.

However, there are noteworthy items for those shopping:

Wireless Internet –

For easy-setup wireless Internet use, it requires a separately purchased USB adapter device with the correct plug type. Conveniently, Samsung makes one that you can buy for $50 – $70. In my opinion, Samsung should have put in an internal wireless adapter. What a shame. Would have only cost about 75 cents.

To connect my TV to the wireless router, instead of a USB dongle, I used a TrendNet TEW-430APB configured as an Access Point Client which is plugged into the Samsung’s Ethernet jack. The TrendNet unit is about $40 and requires a little bit of networking knowledge to configure. This solution might be preferable if you think you will need additional Ethernet connections in the same area as the TV. Additional connections can be made available with the purchase of an Ethernet switch.

Image Retention –

I expected a little of this. If you pause an image and leave it for a while, it WILL burn in but only temporarily. There is a scrolling-bar feature that exercises the pixels and removes the image. It will also go away on its own. Supposedly severe image retention stops happening as the display panel “cures”.

Blurring around the edges –

This was a big disappointment for me initially but it has been fixed with sets that have firmware version 1026 and later. Older sets can be updated by doing a firmware update that is described in the downloads/support section of the c7000 page at Samsung’s website.

This effect is called Motion Judder Cancellation (MJC) and it was very noticeable on images being panned in front of a moving background. If you have the effect (it looks like a watery halo around an object’s edge) on your TV, it can be fixed by doing the simple firmware update. You will need a computer with Internet access and a USB thumb drive. In lieu of the firmware update, it can be turned off by turning ON Game Mode and then turning Game Mode OFF while using the particular affected input.

I did not buy this set for its 3D capabilities so I cannot comment on that. 3D theater movies are novel but I find even the theater’s lightweight glasses cumbersome. Battery-powered home sets are no doubt heavier. I wore glasses for the first 35 years of my life – post-LASIK, I’m not going to wear them to watch TV.

Review by M. Ibanescu for Samsung SL50 10.2 MP Digital Camera with 5X Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD Display (Red)
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I bought this camera for my 10-year daughter, for a trip overseas.

In general we were pleased with it. No image stabilization so some of the pictures turned out blurry, but I knew that when I ordered the camera.

One annoying thing is that some of the settings get lost after switching the camera off. For instance, forcing the flash off.

This Samsung felt surprisingly well made, much better than the very-entry-level Kodak EasyShare C142 I bought and promptly returned to Staples because of a very noisy autofocus running continuously.

Review by C. Regis for Samsung SL50 10.2 MP Digital Camera with 5X Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD Display (Red)
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This camera is good and for the most part easy to use. When fully charged, the battery life is very good. One drawback is the option to change the mode from camera to movie, you have to go into the menu and it takes a while to change it. It would be easier if it was directly on the camera. Other than that, it’s a good camera, takes clear pictures. The zoom is good and the other features make picture taking easy. You can edit the picture after you take it, but before uploading it.