Samsung PN50C8000

The Samsung PN50C8000 is a hallmark product in Samsung’s continued push into the highly competitive 3D market. No effort is spared to ensure it competes head on in terms of picture quality, design and features.

From the first look, you’ll notice that it does not sport the usual black glossy look that commonly characterizes the other HDTVs. It has instead a dark gray shade with a transparent border. Together with its ultra-thin panel depth of 1.5 inch, it is certainly a sight that is aesthetically pleasant to the eye.

Samsung PN50C8000

Features

The PN50C8000 has 3D capability coupled with a screen that can display full 1080p HD content with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has a mega dynamic contrast ratio of 7000000:1 and uses the 600Hz Subfield Motion technology to deliver clear and crispy pictures to the screen. The motion sharpness of the screen is further enhanced by the Crystal Full HD Engine Chip and Motion Judder Canceling feature. The FilterBright Anti-Glare Filter adjusts the brightness of different type of videos to ensure that image glare is minimized and contrast is maximised. To protect the TV from encountering any sort of screen burn-in, Samsung has incorporated an anti-burn in technology into the PN50C8000 to ensure that no images are burned into the plasma panel.

The 3D capability of the PN50C8000 is powered by the same technology for Samsung’s other 3D HDTV products. The Hyper Real 3D Engine enables you to view 3D content from HDMI 1.4 3D sources or from native 2D sources. It must be noted that you would have to purchase a set of 3D glasses separately in order to utilise the 3D technology fully. You are also able to convert 2D content into 3D using one of the 3D settings provided by Samsung.

The vital port connections possessed by the PN50C8000 are 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB Ports, 1 Component Video Input, 1 PC Input, 1 RF Input, 1 Ethernet Port, 1 Analog Audio Input and 1 Analog Audio Output. The TV is also DLNA certified like many other HDTVs in the market. It can support video formats such as MPEG 1/2/4, XviD, H.264 BP/MP/HP, DivX 3.11/4.x/5.1/6.0 and WMV-9. The still photo format that is supported by the TV is JPEG while supported audio format is MP3.

No HDTV is complete without the ability to connect to the Internet. The PN50C8000 can connect to the Internet with ease either through the Ethernet port or wirelessly. However, a wireless connection to the Internet would require another set of compatible adapters to be purchased separately. The Internet@TV service would enable you to connect to Samsung Apps and a Yahoo Widget Engine. Samsung Apps provides access to thousands of downloadable content from various sites such as CinemaNow, Hulu Plus and Dailymotion. The PN50C8000 also has the Allshare feature which enables you to connect compatible Samsung devices or mobile phones to the TV.

Performance

The PN50C8000 could be said to be a unique entry into the 3D market considering that it is one of few plasma TVs made for 3D compared to the many 3D LCD TVs out there. In any case, the PN50C8000 easily matches up to the image quality of LCD TVs. The 600Hz refresh rate present in the plasma TV easily outperforms the maximum refresh rate of 240Hz in an LCD TV. Thus, the PN50C8000’s motion tracking is virtually flawless. There is no problem in viewing the TV from different angles too. This is attributed to Samsung’s Clear Panel technology which removes any sort of off-angle reflections that may cause the blurring of picture images.

The picture quality deserves plenty of praise. The color projection is perfectly accurate and there is excellent black-level performance. It handles the full HD 1080p in a proper manner too. If you’re watching movies, you would find the presence of the Cinema Smooth to be a welcoming addition. It made a good difference to the quality of the video by converting 24Hz content into 96Hz. The 3D picture quality is fantastic and you could be sure that this is one of the few models in the market that could display 3D content properly. Crosstalk and ghosting is almost non-existent in the viewing of 3D contents in the TV.

Navigating through Samsung’s TV menu is a pleasant experience. The blue-highlighted and transparent graphics are easy to read and it responds very quickly to the remote control. It is also helpful that Samsung has included text explanations to go along with every function found in the menu. The remote control looks good, but it is difficult to read the small prints on the buttons in the dark. The backlight also goes out too quickly. It would be good if Samsung installs a motion sensor into the remote control in the future so as to ensure that the backlight remains on while it is being used.

Like all Plasma TVs, the PN50C8000 will always face the risk of burn-in due to prolonged usage. Heat emission from the TV set is usually more than the other 3D LCD TVs. The higher heat emission is also an indicator that the PN50C8000 consumes more energy and is not as energy-efficient as LCD TVs.

The integrated Samsung Apps platform delivers good streaming of content from the Internet. There are no unnecessary lags that interrupt the downloading of contents. If you have a good broadband connection, watching streaming videos from the Internet will be a smooth experience.

Bottom Line

The Samsung PN50C8000 is one of the best Samsung TVs in recent years with its impressive performance both as a 2D and a 3D HDTV. It will also be a fantastic addition to your living room with its beautiful design. With the addition of Samsung Apps and easy access to web contents, the PN50C8000 has the most complete package you would ever wish for.

Average User Rating:
Actual User Reviews:
• “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.” – N.Wheeler (USA)

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• “I selected Samsung for their super thin high-tech design look, although a bit worry on many reviews that say there was a buzzing sound. When my Samsung PN50C8000 arrived, I am so pleased with the quality and after several weeks of enjoyment, I can happily confirm there is absolutely no buzzing sound on mine. The speakers are fairly good but you will definitely want a home system for watching movies. My only regret is that I should have ordered the 58″ plasma since the quality is so impressive and the picture is amazingly clear with life-like smooth pictures, much better than the LCD & LED that makes the picture look sharp & clear but flat. It looks so much like the picture you would expect in a movie theater!” – TT (CA,USA)

• “After quite a bit of research, I’ve decided to get a Samsung 1080p 3D plasma (PN50C8000). I’m not too interested in 3D, but plasma is just great. Amazingly rich colors. Image is completely unaffected by the viewing angle. Probably the best image quality I’ve seen. The 8000 model also has extra non-reflective coating. It’s quite thin, yet somewhat heavy. Sound quality is fine, too.

My only concern has been so called image retention. It hasn’t been a permanent problem for me, but it’s always a worry with plasmas. If you purchase this TV, please search for “samsung image retention” online, be aware of the problem and take precautionary measures if necessary. The problem is supposed to go away after 100-200hrs of viewing.

In my opinion, this is the best TV ever. Highly, highly recommended.” – GM (CA, USA)

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