The Samsung PN59D8000 is part of Samsung’s high-end Plasma HDTV series for 2011, equipped with Samsung’s Crystal Full HD engine and a bunch of other advanced features, all of which make it one of the best Plasma HDTVs in the market today.
Design
Slim and seamless are not exactly words used to describe a Plasma TV but the PN59D8000 certainly deserves them. With a panel depth of just 1.5 inches, the PN59D8000 is one of the slimmest Plasma HDTVs available, and it’s no slouch from the front, either. In fact, thanks to Samsung’s Plasma +1
Samsung PN59D8000
technology, the screen is one inch wider and blends in with the bezel, which is just about 1.2 inches wide and has a glossy titanium finish edged in a thin acrylic strip. The stand is innovative, as well, though many might prefer last year’s glass-topped stalk to this year’s ‘spider’, which retains swivel capacity.
The remote of the PN59D8000 is also worthy of praise. On one side, it has all the buttons found on a standard clicker, which are backlit, have a nice feel, and are easily distinguishable from each other. On the other, it is a QWERTY keypad with a small screen and Bluetooth technology – this side, in particular, beats the rest of the competition, but would have been better with a backlight, too. The menu on the screen is still one of the most user-friendly, with a combination of helpful explanatory text and small illustrations, and a quick response.
Screen/Picture Clarity
For those looking for really inky blacks, this Samsung Plasma does not disappoint, and in fact, delivers the deepest black levels of any Samsung Plasma HDTV so far, at par with the best on the market, although they appear a tad lighter under bright lighting. It raises the bar for color accuracy, as well, while color saturation and shadow detail both earn a good score.
As expected of any Plasma, motion resolution is not a problem. The PN59D8000 even handles content from various sources very well, even the usually problematic 1080/24p content, using its CinemaSmooth mode.
Features
Apart from active 3D technology and built-in WiFi capability, this Samsung HDTV is equipped with Samsung’s SmartHub, which means viewers can access and even stream content from Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, among others. There is also a web browser that is pretty advanced compared to the rest, and viewers with a webcam can use the Skype feature, too. There are numerous picture controls included, as well, to satisfy even the most stringent videophiles, while connectivity is more than ample, especially for those with digital devices – a total of four HDMI inputs, one component video, one composite video, one VGA-style PC input, one ethernet and three USB ports.
With its awesome style and perforamance, the Samsung PN59D8000 certainly has all the makings of one of the best HDTVs today, not only in the Plasma market, but overall.
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