Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)

Review by N. Wheeler for Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I love this TV. It has great black levels without losing details. Seriously the blacks get as dark as the bezel in a darkened room. Great color accuracy. Handles motion like a champ even converting 2D to 3D. Menus are very responsive and even the widgets are snappy. Samsung Apps/Netflix works great too. I am really having fun with the 2D to 3D conversion watching sports and playing video games. I watched Avatar the other night, and even though it wasn’t released on 3D Blu ray, the built in converter made it look great. I was nervous about Burn In/ Image Retention, but so far watching 2.39:1 movies hasn’t caused any issues that don’t take care of themselves switching video sources. I need to say that there is a buzz sound, but its pretty quiet. Can’t hear it at all with any audible tv volume. My only major beef with this set is the Audio Return Channel and Optical Out only send 2 channel (stereo) audio unless its source is broadcast. So, my PS3 and cable box will only play dolby directly through my receiver – which in my opinion makes ARC pointless. I hope they change that in an upcoming firmware patch. This TV replaced a UN55B8000 because I was unhappy with its blacks losing details,motion blur, flashlight effect, and sluggish menus and widgets. I experience none of these problems with this new set. I couldn’t be happier.

Review by Erichb101 for Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I have been researching 3d plasmas for about 3 months. This has to be the best picture quality I have ever seen. I was debating between 3 3d plasmas. Panasonic v25, samsung pn50c7000 or 8000. Even the 7000 got an excellent rating on cnet. what kept it from getting a perfect rating is featured on the 8000. I consider myself a serious videophile and this one does not disapoint. The main diffrence between to 7000 and 8000 is fine tuing of color. and motion judder canceller. This tv has a 2,000,000 to 1 higher contrast ratio. For the price compared to the panasonic it is far better. More apps, and on par picture quality. I have this TV calibrated providing a incredible picture. these settings are below. Do not hesitate to buy this TV. Here is also a review that should help with choices. […]

Color Space: Custom –Picture menu

Mode: Movie

Cell Light: 16

Contrast: 100

Brightness: 51

Sharpness: 0

Color: 47

Tint: G50/R50

Eco Solution submenu:

Energy Saving: Off

Eco Sensor: Off

No Signal Power Off: Off

Auto Adjustment and Screen submenus: [Grayed out]

Advanced settings submenu

Black tone: Off

Dynamic contrast: Off

Gamma: +1

Expert Patters: Off

RGB Only Mode: Off

Color space (custom)

Red: R-77, G-0, B-0

Green: R-0, G-24, B-0

Blue: R-0, G-0, B-52

Yellow: R-48, G-47, B-0

Cyan: R-0, G-27, B-50

Magenta: R-76, G-0, B-50

White Balance: [see below]

10p White Balance: On

Flesh tone: 0

Edge enhancement: Off

xvYCC: Off

White balance submenu

R-Offset: 24

G-Offset: 25

B-Offset: 24

R-Gain: 25

G-Gain: 25

B-Gain: 23

10p White Balance: On

Interval 1: Red 2, Green 0, Blue -2

Interval 2: Red 5, Green 6, Blue 8

Interval 3: Red 2, Green -1, Blue -2

Interval 4: Red -1, Green 1, Blue 2

Interval 5: Red 3, Green 1, Blue -1

Interval 6: Red 0, Green 0, Blue 1

Interval 7: Red -4, Green -4, Blue -5

Interval 8: Red -1, Green -4, Blue -3

Interval 9: Red -4, Green -4, Blue -5

Interval 10: Red 0, Green -6, Blue -4

Picture options submenu

Color tone: Warm2

Size: Screen Fit

Digital Noise Filter: Off

MPEG Noise Filter: Off

HDMI black level: Normal [grayed out]

Film Mode: Cinema Smooth (Use for 24p sources)

Motion Judder Canceller: Grayed out (When you select Cinema Smooth this option is grayed out)

Review by Ishmon for Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I bought this exact model the PN50C8000. One might get the impression that it is silver. I’d call it a dark grey brushed metal look. Which is fine IMO.

One thing that is not often publicized for some reason is the fact that plasma’s are not even close to as bright as newer LCD models. This worried me a little.

But when I got it; it took some tweaking but I was able to get exactly the color/brightness I wanted for normal viewing and 3d viewing. All 3d glasses are tinted so it’s good to have a very bright setting for when you view 3d.

Electronics review websites always talk about how plasmas can do extreme blacks. I set it to where the blacks are on the darkest setting. Honestly I was surprised that the blacks are not all that dark (note this is my first plasma I’m not comparing it with other plasmas). The 8000 series LED LCD Samsungs seem about the same when it comes to blacks, of course I have not seen both inside my living room environment so I can’t make a perfect comparison. I don’t actually care; either tv would be dark enough for me. I just thought I’d point this fact out.

The primary reason I bought a plasma over a 8000 series LCD has nothing to do with price or darkness levels, it was for superior 3d viewing. 1.) Less eye strain. I have read on more than one electronics site and electronics magazines that the 600hz viewing of plasmas (and the way the image is drawn on the screen) has been proven to provide less eye strain for 3d viewing. 2.) Viewing angle is always better for plasma over LCD. (This is important for 3d because loss of lighting and clarity is a big deal when you are already limited by the glasses.) 3.) Clearly there is a issue with mixing LCD tech with 3d since if you tilt your head the image splits apart. (This DOES NOT happen with the plasma) and 4. All the reviews I’ve read say plasma’s have tested better for 3d viewing.

My complaints are minimal but I think they justify giving 4 stars instead of 5. One is that the TV decides to turn off 3d mode on it’s own if you for example exit a Playstation 3 game or change to another input. I understand their reason for doing this but I prefer to just have manual control of it on my own. Also I couldn’t get the red and white audio out ports to work, even when I selected to switch to alternate sound output. I suspect it was just something I was doing wrong but it shouldn’t be something that requires much effort. I gave up on that because I also had the choice of optical or using the headphones port for my audio so it wasn’t a big deal. Another minor complaint I have is the stand is particularly heavy. Obviously it’s good to have a sturdy stand but they could have made it strong and much lighter weight and I don’t think it would have made for any greater risk of the TV tipping over or something..

On a side note; when manufactures say that you should sit closer for optimal 3d viewing than normal viewing they mean it. I’m glad I didn’t get any smaller than 50 inches.

For optimal 3d immersion I found I like sitting just 5 feet from the screen. For normal viewing I sit at about 8-10 feet from the screen.

Review by MSDS for Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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We have had a Panasonic 46 inch TH-46PZ850U for the last two years and have enjoyed that set. Good black levels, decent ability to handle non HD sources, and very good color on 1080 sources. It was unfortunately stolen in a burglary 2 weeks ago so we found ourselves back on the market for a TV. We briefly looked at the LCD/LED sets essentially to confirm that motion is still an issue on many of them and that they still have that eye popping, yet somehow hyperreal image quality. We researched the Panasonic and the Samsung plasmas. Consumer Reports gives Samsung the edge (on the models they tested). Crutchfield stopped carrying Panasonic and raves about Samsung’s quality improvements. CNET sees strengths and weaknesses in both, fretting about last years 2009 Panasonics’ rapidly diminishing black levels and possible “motion issues” with the Samsungs.

With all that in mind, we visited the local retailers to see the 2010 models from each. Both manufacturers top of the line plasma sets are now 3D models. Not a big selling point for us, but we do want the best 2D image quality possible. The Panasonic models are the TCP50VT25 and the TCP50VT20. We evaluated these with a Planet Earth Blu Ray as well as the feeds in the stores. In Samsung, it came down to the Samsung PN50C8000 and the similar PN50C7000. The 8000 offers a different black level adjustment and motion dejudder adjustments.

We were impressed by the Panasonics. A definite improvement over our 2008 model. Better blacks and a very clean image.

But we decided on the Samsung PN508000C. The Black levels on this set are stunning! The anti-reflective screen is far superior to the Panasonic. It makes the blacks so “present” that the 2D images create incredible depth in the image. On the Panasonic’s glossier glass screen, it still feels like you are looking through a window. On the Samsung, the window vanishes and the image pulls you in. We had some reflection issues with our previous Panasonic when viewing during the day. None with the Samsung. Off angle viewing, even far closer and wider than anyone would ever choose to sit are amazing on this set. I was a little concerned about possible motion problems (although we saw none in store viewing). There have been NONE.

We have Direct TV, a roof antenna for local HD channels and a Sony Blu Ray player. Since its been home, we have watched The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air and Mongol in Blu Ray. A standard def copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox upconverted by the Sony. We also watched an episode of HBO’s the Pacific, US Open Series Tennis and several Baseball games all in HD. Finally we watched Direct TV’s poor non HD feed of the national PBS station.

This set combines the bright “pop” of an LED/LCD set with the inky blacks plasma’s are rightly famous for. Motion in the sports programming have been silky smooth. Battle scenes in the Pacific and the Hurt Locker were very convincing. The gorgeous scenery of the Asian Steppes in Mongol had a presence and vividness that everyone watching commented on. The Fantastic Mr. Fox looked so good, that if you had told me it was a Blu Ray disc, I would not have questioned it. This set has a ton of picture adjustment options which have allowed me to tweak the settings to match the various sources we watch. Even the PBS feed of Charlie Rose, a notably dark and hard to make pleasing image has been an improvement.

Some posts talk about a buzzing noise on the Samsungs. We have ours hooked into a Monster Cable line conditioner and have heard none.

I really liked our previous Panasonic Plasma. This Samsung plasma is a far superior set in all areas. The image on it has that “wow factor” we all experienced when we first saw an HD set demonstrating in the store. Highly recommended.

Review by LCDTVBuyingGuide for Samsung PN50C8000 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)
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I’ve been reviewing flat screen TVs and specifically plasma TVs since year 2000 when they first entered the market. Back then 95% were used in the commercial display market for board rooms and computer display needs, some were for stores.

I expected great things from the top of the line Samsung plasma C8000 series and what did I get? In a word, satisfaction.

The PN50C8000 represents the top of the line for Samsung’s 2010 plasma lineup and includes all the upgrade features such as 3D compatibility, the best picture processors, thin 1.4″ depth, great Internet options, and stellar picture quality.

PICTURE QUALITY RATING 95/100

Calibration Notes and Processing Testing: The Samsung PN50C8000 has very complete calibration options including white balance adjustment for Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow in addition to the primary colors. The TV calibrated extremely well with a low error rate after adjusting white balance. With our HQV processor testing, the C8000 passed most tests with good to very good results from both standard definition and HD sources. Use the following picture settings to calibrate.

Samsung PN50C8000 Post-Calibration Picture Settings

Picture Mode: CAL-DAY

Cell Light 18

Constrast 92

Brightness 57

Sharpness 0

Color 46

Tint G48/R52

Color tone WARM2

Size SCREEN FIT

Digital Noise Filter OFF

MPEG Noise Filter OFF

The Samsung PN50C8000 displays wonderfully balanced color information and uniformity. Images are presented in a clean and clear manner devoid of artifacts, with colors properly saturated. Colors may seem a slightly washed out and weak at first but further viewing reveals them to be extremely accurate and realistic while plenty saturated. We recommend leaving the Motion Judder Controller feature off due to unintended consequences in taking out natural background blur. However, with this feature off we did note some judder/jerky effects in side to side panning scenes – common with most all TVs due to difficulty in converting 3:2 pulldown.

We were extremely impressed by the solid up conversion and accurate rendition of standard definition programming. We tested the C8000 with several standard definition sources which all revealed excellent processing and a superb picture.

Brightness, contrast, color rendition and processing all appear superior to the lower end Samsung plasma TV models.

3D TV Viewing: The C8000 and accompanying 3D glasses did a good job of pulling me further into the on screen images. It makes you feel more involved. I thought the picture presentation from the C8000 in 3D was very vibrant and accurate. I did not note out of focus areas near the edges of the screen as I did with the Panasonic VT25. There was some flashing effects from the 3D shutter glasses in situations where lamp light or window light interfered with the glasses’ receiver.

FEATURES RATING 96/100

Internet: Samsung has expanded the Internet lineup on the PN50C8000 to include Yahoo!, Netflix, Blockbuster, twitter, Facebook, USA Today, Pandora, Napster, You Tube, Google Maps, Daily Motion, and Samsung Apps which gives options on gaming and sports and other material. This is an impressive list of Internet options for the C8000 series, probably the most complete in the marketplace. Samsung is adding new options at a faster rate than many TV manufacturers.

Design and Appearance: The Samsung PN50C8000 is a beautiful TV with less than a 2″ framing bezel and with many design elements including a clear neck on the chrome swiveling table top stand, a matte dark charcoal metallic finish on the bezel frame, sleek 1.4″ depth, and a dark black/purple screen. The heavy and attractive accompanying stand swivels to 20 degrees. Samsung calls the bezel a Touch of Color Titanium.

Reviewer Robert Wiley said about this plasma, “let me be clear that I would absolutely buy this TV even if I had no intention of watching any 3D content.”

See the full review, picture settings and test results at Plasma TV Buying Guide or the Panasonic vs Samsung 3DTV Shootout at 3D TV Buying Guide

Review by Eek for Samsung PN50C6500 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I purchased this TV after many months of research to replace a 7 year old 17″ LCD TV for my bedroom. I have an extensive movie collection and I had nowhere else I could watch my blu-rays except for the TV in my Dad’s man cave. I got sick of my Dad kicking me out all the time, so I decided to invest in a television that will last at least a few years. I chose this model because I wanted a plasma for the size/price ratio, and the superior picture quality. I also considered the Panasonic G20/25, LG PK950, and the Samsung C7000. Panasonic’s response to their rising black levels, plus the floating blacks really crossed that off my list quickly. I was pretty much set on the PK950, but when I researched the price it happened to be on sale. Well, when I was ready to purchase the price jumped up $200 and did not decrease in the few weeks I waited. So, I jumped on a good price on this model. I saw the C7000 in store and was not all that impressed by the black level, but I had read that C6500 was supposed to be a bit better because it is not 3D. Since I plan on purchasing an additional television in a few years, I decided to wait on a 3D model until more content becomes available/affordable.

Delivery: I ordered my TV from Amazon on Saturday, June 26th and scheduled delivery during checkout for Tuesday, July 6th. My TV shipped on the 27th, so I was hoping it might arrive early since it was only coming from about 5 hours away. Since I never received a call, I expected the TV to come during the window I scheduled. My scheduled time came and went, and nothing. Frustrated, I called Pilot, the delivery service. The customer representative told me my package was still at its origin and was not scheduled to arrive in my state until the next day! So, basically I was told Pilot held my package for a week. I was not happy, but I was told I should be called the next day to schedule delivery. Well, the next day I still had not received a call. Finally at 6 o’clock I called Pilot again. This representative was considerably nicer, and connected me to the courier responsible for the delivery. Turns out they lost my paperwork, but the woman I talked to was very nice and apologetic and said my package would arrive the next day and I would be called an hour in advance. The next morning I was getting everything ready hoping my package would actually arrive when I received a call from a local courier, not Pilot, saying they did not read the note to call an hour ahead and were actually outside my house asking if they could deliver the TV then. Two men came in, assembled the TV on its stand, placed it where I wanted it and plugged it in before asking for a signature. A great experience once they arrived, but don’t think your scheduled delivery time is absolute. If you haven’t heard anything the day before your appointment, make sure you call the carrier before you take any time off of work.

Aesthetically, the c6500 is a beautiful set. Nice and slim, with an all black flat border and a bit of clear plastic that extends over the side. The base is black and matches the television. It is almost as impressive off as it is on.

Buzz: I walked out of my bedroom when the delivery guys left, and when I walked back in I heard a strange buzzing sound. My house was completely silent so it was definitely noticeable, and when I heard it I realized it was the infamous Samsung buzz. The first few days it was a little distracting, but I got over it very quickly. Now I only notice it when I am dead center and the volume is either low or I am at a silent part of a movie. Not a deal breaker for me, but I can see why it would be to some people.

Image Retention: My 7 year old LCD has big image retention issues, oddly enough. With that TV, the whole image would stay on the screen for quite a while before it would go away, colors and all. With the Samsung, it’s more of a shadow of the image. Menus and text are the most susceptible if they appear for longer than twenty seconds. I do not think this is a problem as it fades so quickly, and there is a scrolling pattern that can be activated to clear off anything that is particularly persistent.

Reflections: This TV does fairly well with reflections. I have a window opposite the TV with a blind in it that does not fit, so light comes through around the frame. It stills shows up on the screen, but I can easily ignore it and it does not detract from the image. If you’ve had a CRT or any TV with a glass front, you should know what to expect. If you have large windows opposite the screen, you may want to consider a matte screen LCD.

Picture Quality: I have watched a variety of content on this TV and overall I am very pleased. I admit I am very picky and critical when it comes to a good picture. The color accuracy is very good. When I watch blu-rays I am amazed at just how crisp the picture is. The TV in my Dad’s man cave is a rear projection Mitsubishi. Even with blu-rays, I don’t feel the picture is as fluid and uniform as my Samsung. The colors definitely pop, although they do not pop as much as my Dad’s Mitsubishi and definitely not as much as my Uncle’s Pioneer Kuro. I don’t think most people would notice, but you might if you are accustomed to LCDs. Don’t get me wrong, it still pops, just not as much as what I’m used to. As for the black level, it’s not as deep as I had hoped. The Mitsubishi without a doubt has deeper blacks and it’s something I notice whenever there are black bars. If the screen is filled however I do not notice it as much. This is just me being extremely critical and most people would not notice. Since this is a bedroom TV, I do not have a cable box. Only the channels that come through my coaxial cable straight to the TV. SD is what it is, though I will say this TV does a decent job at it. Surprise to me, this model picks up OTA HD channels. Quality greatly depends on the content, but I am impressed. I considered it a huge compliment when my sister took over my TV and my room to watch the All Star baseball game on Fox HD. For her to do that, someone who does not care about picture quality at all, the picture HAS to be good. Even though the blacks are not as deep, I still feel the picture is superior to most televisions out there.

Internet: I bought this model because it has the internet apps and connectivity. Ignore the Samsung chart on Amazon’s information page, it is inaccurate and this television definitely has the apps. I wanted to be able to stream movies, and upgrade firmware without complications. I have an older Samsung blu-ray player that has no usb or wifi, and can only be updated through a CD or LAN which is on a different floor of the house. It is an absolute pain so I did not want that issue with my television. My router is in my bedroom so I could have easily run an ethernet cable, but in preparation for moving in the future I wanted to be wireless. Instead of spending $60 on the Samsung dongle, I bought a Rosewill adapter that has the same chipset for $27 shipped. Much cheaper and works perfect. I tried Amazon’s VOD because of the credit I was given for registering. I watched Kill Bill and the HD was good but not blu-ray quality. And when I paused, the pause menu overlapped with the black bars so it stayed for quite a while since nothing else showed up on that part of the screen. A little annoying, but nothing the scrolling bars couldn’t fix. I love having access to so many movies instantly so I am definitely going to invest in a Netflix account since they seem to have the most content. There is also Vudu, which gives you one free rental, Blockbuster, and some Best Buy movie channel. I don’t have much use for the Facebook or Twitter apps, so I cannot comment on those. Pandora is missing which I know is a favorite of many.

Other: After just an hour of use, this TV starts to get very hot. My Dad has walked into my room several times when my door has been closed and asked why was it so hot, when I have to respond that it’s because of my TV. In a small closed off room, like my bedroom, it can get a little stuffy. Larger open rooms should provide enough circulation to minimize the problem. Fortunately we have central air, but if we didn’t I don’t know if I could sit in my bedroom with this on. And for those interested, there is a Samsung app for the IPhone/IPod Touch to turn it into a remote for all internet connected 2010 televisions. I found it a bit annoying and unnecessary, but some of you may enjoy it.

Overall I think this is a great television that demands some serious bragging rights. After spending about eight months researching and wondering if I will make the right choice, I am very happy I bought the C6500. HOWEVER, for anyone who is really keen on investing in 3D technology, I suggest either the C7000/8000 series, or the recently released C680 Plasma. It appears to be exactly the same as the C6500 but with 3D and it even has the same MSRP. If 3D is not an issue, buy the 6500 series. You will not regret it, especially at this price!

Update: Pandora has been added as an app for all those who are interested.

Review by A. Chung for Samsung PN50C6500 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I was struggling between this TV and the G25. The Panasonic did have warmer colors and performed better with motion however, I could not stand the grain. Returned it eventually and got this Samsung. I am MUCH happier with it. I would recommend the Panasonic only if you have a very dark room (even during the day) and plan on only watching movies but for overall, everyday use I would go with the Samsung. Even though the Panasonic had better anti-reflective screen

– Great PQ, less grain

– Much more refined user-friendly interface and bezel

– Super thin

– Surprisingly better sound than the Panny

– Colors ‘popped’ out more like LCD, G25 definitely has more realistic colors (esp. during dark room viewing)

– Great response rate with gaming – Plasma is the way to go if you’re a game

– BUZZ – my first C6500 was terrible, it sounded like there was a beehive in the back of my TV, switched it out and got a July 2010 build ^^ and am happy to report that it’s SUPER faint; only noticeable when you put your ear up to the screen. So if you’re super paranoid about it, try to request the latest build.

– No rising blacks 🙂

– Does get warm but that’s expected with all plasmas

– Does not deal as well as the Panasonic with fast motion/panning

– IR was there with the first one I got, but with the July 2010 build it is virtually nonexistent. And even if you do get one with IR it goes away after a minute

– Better SD performance

If you are looking for a reference plasma in your TV for your home theater, look elsewhere (G25). If you need an all-around plasma TV that has great daytime performance, less grain and great colors go with the Samsung

Review by E. Adams for Samsung PN50C6500 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
So far this set is excellent. The blacks are very dark – contrast excellent. See the video for details. There is no cinema smooth. The glass is one panel. The buzzing issue is extremely minimal. There is slight image retention (static image present for over 5 min) that fades very quickly.

Video review in on YouTube here (add […]

Review by Frank V. Berdan for Samsung PN50C6500 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I bought the tv for $1,123 total. It was able to choose the “Schedule Delivery” option for Friday. I was scared because of the past complaints about CEVA and their deliveries. I received an email from CEVA to confirm the next day’s delivery appointment. I also called up CEVA the day before to confirm my appointment. I also received a text from Amazon confirming on the morning of delivery day and they too were confirming the appointment. My appointment was for 4pm-7pm. A CEVA delivery guy called me at 2:30pm saying that he is coming over right now. Two guys…They were friendly. They unpacked everything. They connected TV to the stand. We powered the TV and everything was great. I kept the boxes, just in case. I was scared of CEVA from all of the bad reviews on Amazon, but it was a perfect delivery experience. I would buy a TV from Amazon again!

The TV quality is perfect and Amazon had the best out the door price. The sound on the tv is so-so. I have a home theater system so it doesn’t matter.

I didn’t realize the the delivery from CEVA was “white glove service” as they install the tv and stand. I was expecting them to just drop off the tv. I didn’t have to pay anything extra for the white glove service. Maybe because I am a Prime Member?…I don’t know but it was FREE.

Review by bill1702 for Samsung PN50C6500 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
This TV is amazing, I was in the market for a large plasma, and I compared this side by side with the Panasonic G25. I am amazed at how much better the quality is on this TV than the Panasonic. Samsung did a great job with this TV. The web apps are cool, and work well, even has the Hulu app available. The buzzing is bad at all, and unless you are standing right next to the TV with the sound off you can’t hear it. This TV mounts to the wall good, the only issue is you need really short screws; I had to pick some up at Lowes because the ones that came with my mount I purchased were way too long. This TV also has the ability to be controlled using an iPhone app, and that is truly cool.

In summary, I am a very picky person about image quality. I spent 3 weeks shopping for a TV, I looked at everything I could find. In the price range this is a perfect TV.