LCD HDTV sets, particularly those with an LED backlight, are currently getting more and more of the lion’s share in the HDTV market, but that hasn’t stopped Samsung from making great Plasma sets. In fact, the Samsung PN58B860 is one of its best Plasma models, a tour de force in terms of style and image quality.
Design
The Samsung PN58B860 easily proves that LCD HDTVs are not the only ones capable of getting thin. After all, it only measures 1.2 inches thick at most like Samsung’s ultra-thin LCDs. It also sports the same
Samsung PN58B860
cleverly hidden speakers for a clean look while the transparent border around its black frame adds just the right touch of sophistication. The pedestal – a transparent stalk atop a metal base – swivels for convenience.
Its remote control is now more stable on flat surfaces and remains very easy to use with large buttons of various shapes that are mostly backlit. The on-screen menu also remains the best among current HDTVs, with highly legible text covering almost the entire screen and helpful explanatory text along the bottom.
Screen/Picture Clarity
As expected from a Plasma TV, the PN58B860 delivers deep black levels which allows it to create sharp, realistic images and makes the rest of the colors appear more saturated. Color accuracy is also one of its strong points, with the primary and secondary colors appearing as perfect as can be, while its Ultra FilterBright Plus technology reduces external reflections to a minimum so the quality of the images are preserved even in brightly lit environments.
It also lives up to the standards set by Plasmas when it comes to video processing, able to create superb motion resolution and deliver and deinterlace various sources properly.
Features
As the flagship Plasma model of Samsung, it is only fitting that the PN58B860 comes with many interactive features, such as its widgets for Yahoo and Twitter and access to online videos like those on YouTube. It also offers extensive picture controls and connectivity, including four HDMI inputs, two USB ports, a PC input and a component-video connection that can be converted to composite if desired. Three power-saving modes have also been tossed in to lower its energy consumption, though not low enough to rival LCD sets, as well as picture-in-picture capability and various mechanisms to prevent and treat the problem of image retention which plagues Plasmas.
As a Plasma HDTV, the Samsung PN58B860 is surely a force to be reckoned with, even if it falls slightly behind Panasonic’s top Plasma models. Indeed, there are many reasons to consider this one if you are looking for a Plasma set, the same reasons which make it worth its relatively expensive price tag.
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