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Samsung PN50B860 Review
The Samsung PN50B860
There is little not to like about the Samsung PN50B860, which is one of Samsung’s top Plasma models. In fact, its biggest drawback is probably its steep price. If you can afford it, though, you will surely be rewarded by an exceptional viewing experience and get to enjoy its other perks.
Design
One of the reasons why the PN50B860 is more expensive than its peers is because it is quite thin for a Plasma HDTV. In fact, it is one of the slimmest Plasma HDTVs around, measuring only 1.2 inches at its thickest point. Aside from its thinness, its glossy black frame and invisible speakers help make it more attractive while its swiveling stand consisting of a transparent stalk and a brushed metal base completes the package with a touch of convenience and sophistication.
The remote control and on-screen menu are the same as that of other Samsung models - Plasma or otherwise. This is a good thing considering the menu of Samsung is the still the best of all the HDTVs out there and its clicker has large buttons, which, even without the full backlight, can be easily differentiated from each other by size and texture.
Screen/Picture Clarity
Black levels are considered the strength of Plasmas, and the PN50B860 certainly does not disappoint. Its blacks are inky enough. its shadow detail impeccable and its colors punchy and highly accurate, lending realism to the entire picture for a truly amazing viewing experience.
Video processing is not a problem, either, with its 600Hz subfield motion technology, and though it lacks Samsung’s Cinema Smooth Mode, it still handles 1080p and 24p sources impressively. In fact, it automatically turns on the 96Hz refresh rate when displaying 24p signals.
Features
The Samsung PN50B860 has its own interactive features, namely its Yahoo widgets, built-in content library and network streaming capability. It has a lot of picture tweaks, too, such as four picture modes, five color temperature presets and four aspect ratio modes. There are even three power-saving modes to help reduce the energy consumption of this HDTV, although it still consumes more than its LCD contemporaries. Other features include those to prevent screen burn-in, picture-in-picture capability and a customer care screen.
For connectivity, the PN50B860 offers four HDMI inputs, a PC input, a component-video input that can be converted into composite if desired, a digital audio jack and the ethernet port - not too extensive compared with the connectivity suite of other HDTVs, but then, this is the price it has to pay for being slim. At least, there’s not just one but two USB ports which makes sharing media files easier.
The Samsung PN50B860 offers the strong points of Plasma sets and more, which is why it is definitely worth considering if you are looking for a Plasma HDTV. Even if you’re not, this Samsung model might just change your mind and prove that Plasmas can reign in the HDTV market alongside its LCD peers.
There is little not to like about the Samsung PN50B860, which is one of Samsung’s top Plasma models. In fact, its biggest drawback is probably its steep price. If you can afford it, though, you will surely be rewarded by an exceptional viewing experience and get to enjoy its other perks.
<< Click HERE to Read The Latest Samsung PN50B860 User Reviews >>
Great Price, Great Picture. Had Buzzing sound . Called Samsung out. They said that it was “normal”. I told them about the other negative complaints about this issue. They said my model number was not affected by the buzzing. It is B.S. I still love the T.V. though. If you have sensitive ears like me. You are going to hear it at low volume levels. Othe than that it is awesome. It is better than my Panasonic TH46PZ800U THX Plasma. The blacks are not as dark, but just by a hair. The colors are better though, for an overall better picture. It burns in quicker than my Pano, but just use the scrolling bar and you will be golden. DO NOT FORGET TO GO TO [...] AND GET THE CALIBRATION PICTURE SETTINGS. YOU ARE GOING TO NEED THEM.
I just received this unit today and it has exceeded every expectation. I was worried about the ‘buzz’ that many people have reported experiencing, and while I was able to hear it (not nearly as loud as a dvd player, or game console), the sound completely went away after ~3 hours of having the unit on. The same goes for the mild image retention common with brand new plasmas. After running the image retention ’scrubber’ program on the tv for a few hours overnight, the very slight ghosting is completely gone.
I can’t say enough about the image quality. I’ve never seen anything close to this set’s color reproduction and smoothness. I’ve tried it with blu-ray, standard dvd, ps3, 360, and media sharing. After some calibration (excellent options available), and following CNET’s guide [...] for movie picture settings, I was blown away.
The built in UI for navigating options on the TV is excellent and intuitive. A real pleasure to use after Sony tvs.
The only drawback is the speaker setup. It’s adequate for light tv watching, but you’re going to want to use external speakers for serious movie watching. A small trade-off for the positively stunning 1.5″ depth for the whole set.
Can’t recommend this tv enough!
We bought this item in Oct 2009 after doing lots of research and a visit to Best Buy, actually two visits and I walked out during the second visit due to their withdrawing on their offer. Found this item here through [...] and got a great deal. Delivery was quick and actually a day early. Delivery men unpacked and placed set on our stand, turned it on to be sure it was working. (next day cable company came out to set up.)
This has exceeded our expectations and everyone who has seen it has stated it’s the best picture they have ever seen. We agree and would recommend it to anyone. This was our first HDTV and the most expensive item ever purchased on line but no regrets.
I had intensively researched HDTV’s (online reviews - cNet, user reviews, etc) for a couple of months. I was on the hunt for the perfect tv for my bedroom. I wanted something big but not bulky. Initially I was set on getting an LCD (narrowed it down to a Samsung LN750 or a Sony XBR9). Then I read about the clicking issue on the Samsung LCD’s and decided to get the Sony. To solidify my selection and make sure there wasn’t something better out there for my needs, I made yet another trip to my local big box store.
Let me tell you that I have never owned a plasma. I never even consider getting one because of old ideas I had about them (burn in, longevity, energy consumption, etc). When I saw the Samsung PN50B860 on display, I couldn’t believe the picture I was seeing. Wow!!! The picture was awesome and the tv profile is simply stunning. It has the aesthetics of an LED without the huge price tag. I went home and did more research on plasmas. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that these concerns were, for the most part, non-issues nowadays.
The other MAJOR concern I had was the buzzing issue. I read numerouse online reviews that most people were very satisfied with the picture quality, but in the end, the buzzing issue was a dealbreaker. The tv went on sale at a local store ($700 less than the Sony I was originally considering) and I decided to risk it. The tv was delivered last week and I was devastated when I instantly heard the buzzing. I decided to give it a few days to see if I could live with it. Last night I was reconfiguring my components and happily learned that the loud buzzing I was hearing was NOT from the tv, but rather from the HD cable box sitting directly below the tv. The cable box has since been placed inside the cabinet and all buzzing has disappeared.
My tv has a manufacture date of December 2009. Hopefully this means that Samsung has since fixed the problems reported earlier. I highly recommend this tv to everyone. The quality is second to none. Run, don’t walk….
I just got my Samsung pn50b860 delivered today and let me tell you, it’s awesome. The manufacture date was January 2010. Vanns told me they only carry recently build models.
No buzz whatsoever. I can’t even hear anything putting my ears next to the tv. The base is super strong and very elegant looking. The tv matches my decor perfectly. This tv does emit a lot of heat from the front making my living room nice and toasting for long viewing
My only complaints is the speaker, it’s very weak and the touch sensitive buttons on the tv does not light up. Bought my tv from Vanns for 1429.
First off, no buzzing. So that’s a relief.
Having just spent 5 years with a Philips 720p plasma that was just fine (save for the constant HDMI sync problems it had), I wasn’t sure how much of an improvement to expect in a true 1080p display. My previous TV scaled 1080 content to fit its native 720, and I never had any complaints. I’m pleased to report that the switch up to true 1080 was every bit as mind-blowing as the switch from SD to 720p. Oh my goodness, you must be kidding… Now you see not only that the golf ball is 2″ on the fringe -you know that it is a monogrammed Titleist Pro V1x, and that the two blades of grass 1/2 cm in front of it are slightly dehydrated.
I have only one complaint about this set, and I’m hoping it’s just break-in issue that will attennuate over time: this set seems incredibly sensitive to burn-in (temporary image retention). Like I said, I’ve been watching long hours of cable news channels on a plasma screen for years without any burn-in problems, but one hour of health care reform coverage last night left “The Place for Politics” seared quite prominently into the top of the display. I ran the pattern for twenty minutes, and it seems to be fine, but seriously… ONE HOUR?? That’s absurd! It’s not like I have the brightness, contrast, and cell light cranked up. I’m going to have to spend some time calibrating this thing, but in the mean time, I’m apprehensive (like I’ve never been before) about running letterboxed content or my PS3 on it.
Forget what you read about the BUZZING. Before buying I read every review there was. I figured about 15% of the buyers were getting the buzzers. I was actually going to get the 650 to save money, get there ever so slightly deeper black and not get the ultra coolness factor of a 1.2″ TV. I couldn’t actually get the 650 locally and I just don’t like to buy this kind of stuff online in case anything goes wrong. I made a calculated risk and went for the 860 and man is this thing impressive. Solid. NO BUZZING or any weaknesses what-so-ever. Buy this TV before it is gone. Check out Cnet’s review. They rate it the very highest - best of all TV 50″-53″. Noooo Buzzzzz!!!
I researched televisions for about three months straight. I am totally pleased with the purchase! The TV is physically beautiful and the slim factor could get it mistaken for an LED.
The picture on the Samsung PN50B860 is phenomenal. The picture is crisp, clear and as close to reality as you can get, and this includes SD content. The PN50B860 includes an e-panel glare reduction that helps lessen any glare from nearby light.
After effortlessly mounting on the wall using the WMN1000B hardware Samsung WMN1000B Fixed Low-Profile Wall Mount for Select Samsung 40-Inch to 55-Inch Displays I ordered. After 15 minutes and a drill and a screwdriver it truly looks like a piece of artwork on my wall. I also found it very easy to connect to my home network wirelessly using the dongle adapter.
One slight drawback are the speakers you may want to consider connecting to surround sound system.
Watching TV now is a new pleasant experience.
Deep rich blacks make for vivid depth. It has settings for the novice to the more advanced to color/image correct. The most obvious thing about this is that it is paper thin (almost) The rotating base is nifty if u plan to put it on a stand but wall mounted, it is just hot looking. There is even a game mode setting which is a little more vivid for gaming.
As for what I didn’t like about it is that it runs a little warm. Depending on the type of image… like solid black or white, I hear a more evident hum. This hum complaint is true, but depending on who you are, it may or may not be annoying. If your stereo is usually louder than it, then obviously that is one way to drown it out. Your distance from the tv is another factor. But the buzz/hum is not unique to this tv. I went and listened to some of the other plasma tvs out there (panasonic) and it is there as well and varies set to set.
I shopped around for TVs about 3 years. I started to get serious about Plasma’s VS LCDs recently when looking at the Samsungs. I love this TV. Im so glad I waited and didnt get something earlier. I have this 50″ Plasma in my living room and it’s beautiful. I think I’ll probably get an LCD for my bedroom in time. The quality of the viewing angle isnt as important in a smaller room.
Amazon delivered my TV through an independant delivery company. I got the TV in TWO DAYS! It’s as fast if not faster than the USPS!! I had a bad pixel on the first set, they picked it up and delivered another TV. Oh yeah. Again it was only TWO DAYS! Great delivery service, great TV - Good stuff!
Don’t know what I can say that the others haven’t. I picked this set up two months ago (in Jan 2010). Haven’t had any buzzing issues at all. Seems there was a bug with this model and it’s 850 brethren, but Samsung fixed it in sets that shipped out in the last quarter of 2009. Hope all of the other ones are off the shelves and returned to Samsung to get fixed by now.
The TV was recommended by a friend of mine and I liked the specs. The delivery went flawless, and the setup was easy. The picture is amazing and I love the internet features. The set does produce a little heat but i figured it was because it is plasma. Excellent Product
This TV has a lot to like. The picture quality overall is excellent. The colors are accurate and vibrant, while the blacks are quite deep. The glossy screen handles reflections better than I had hoped. The panel also has great aesthetic appeal, with it’s super slim profile and sleek lines.
But I had to return the TV to Amazon.
The front of the panel emitted an obtrusive, distracting buzz that was highly audible dead center 12 feet away. The buzz was at its peak when dark or black images were on the screen. This was not a normal plasma buzz you might be used to, such as the buzz that comes from my 3 yr old Panasonic. It is louder, and projects straight from the panel. Moving your viewing angle 45 degrees to the side eliminates the noise. Elevating the TV also helps some. But ultimately this was too much to overcome. A Samsung tech examined came out and examined the panel, acknowledged the buzz from my seating area, but said there was nothing he could do.
The panel also ran too hot to touch (using cell light 10). Certainly too hot to comfortably mount flush to the wall. (Can someone explain to me how Samsung can recommend its WMN1000b ultra slim mount for this TV when the TV’s own safety guide says not to mount closer than 5cm.)
Finally, I found the touted Cinema Smooth feature to be worthless. Engaging it caused a noticeable rise in black level as well as audio sync problems. Turning it off was the easy fix, however. And movies looked great without it.
Ultimately, I would have overlooked any shortcomings this set had if it didn’t buzz. I enjoyed it very much outside of that unfortunate defect.
As a side note. Not that this affects my review, but I’d like to give high marks to CEVA, the delivery company. The get a lot of flack in these reviews, but my experience has been exceptional. My driver could not have been more helpful, efficient, or courteous during both my drop off and eventual pick up. That coupled with Amazon’s customer service, means our be coming back here to order a replacement. As soon as I can figure out what that will be…