Samsung PN58A650 Plasma HDTV Review

For those considering buying a larger HDTV, Samsung PN58A650 with all its 58 inches may be just the right choice. Even if some say that the image it sports cannot quite keep up with the quality of other counterparts, there are many things about this model, including its very good picture quality that can determine you to make a buy. The area where some say it does perform below other products from the same range is its black levels, but its vivid, accurate colors make up for this inferiority. Another thing that can be held against this model from Samsung A650 series is its only average anti-glare capability, but all in all, its anti burn in features, the fact that it is good value for the money spent on it, and the variety of connectivity options recommend it. A good argument that stays by Samsung PN58A650 side are the many praises it gets from customers, and the flattery received on many websites specialized in HDTV reviews.

Specifications:
Screen size: 58 inch
Resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p/Full-HD standard)
For a full list of specifications, we recommend the official product page on the manufacturer’s site.

Performance

Performance for Samsung PN58A650 is considered to be among the best for plasma TV’s. In order to get the best out of it, you will need to spend some time tweaking the settings, but, if you handle this well, you will get an astonishing experience. Picture quality depends on the performance of black levels, and these may not be the best, but they are still excellent. Great colors complement its picture quality, and there is not really something to complain about. Due to its large set of features, you can adjust the picture according to your needs and the conditions in the room where the HDTV will be placed. Its 1080p native resolution is another warrant for getting one of the best pictures for a HDTV, and the sleek design just comes to complete the image. Contrast also has something to do with the great picture quality you can get from Samsung PN58A650, not to mention the size, as 58 inches qualify this model for the even larger flat screen HDTV’s category.

Black levels

Black levels are deep in Samsung PN58A650, but not as deeper as in other counterparts, produced by brands such as Panasonic or Pioneer. If you are to compare these models, next to one another, you will be able to notice that the same dark areas from an image will look lighter on Samsung PN58A650, then on the others. If you also look for the level of detail shown in shadowy areas in a picture, you may not get the best, but you will still be able to congratulate for the deal you got. This model is good value, and it does perform better than most plasma, and, of course, most LCD HDTV models.

Color accuracy

The strongest point of Samsung PN58A650 stays in its great looking colors. Even when just taken out of the box, with factory settings, you can still notice how amazing, crisp and vivid the colors are. We do recommend to do some tweaking with the settings, if you want to enhance picture quality, as that will bring that ten out of ten experience you have been looking for in a plasma TV. Some may say that colors on Samsung PN58A650 are still not as rich or saturated like on more expensive models, but no one can say that this is a run of the mill model. Landscape images look perfectly natural, and skin tones are nothing to complain about.

1080p/24 performance

Samsung does not advertise capability to transmit real cinema signal, in the native 24 frames per second manner the movies are filmed. This means that it just converts the signal in its own refresh rate, but complains from Blu ray discs enthusiastic watchers have not been heard. Even if the output is in regular refresh rate, Samsung succeeds in doing a great job, and this can hardly be considered a drawback.

SD performance

When displaying standard definition content, Samsung PN58A650 gets along just fine. It does have a smooth 2:3 pulldown transition, but you will need to have Film Mode enabled for that to happen. Yet, it is worth mentioning that 480i signal causes images to look quite of flat, and the blacks tend to look washed out, at some point. For DVD format, Samsung PN58A650 does quite well, and it can solve diagonal lines issues, and jaggies. The auto noise reduction feature is not great, but tweaking the manual options makes low resolution content to look better on the screen. All in all, we can say that Samsung PN58A650 deals well with upscaling and upconversion challenges.

HD performance

1080i video content fails proper deinterlation with this model, but this is not exactly a surprise, as many other plasma TV’s do. You can get the feeling of depth and 3D with this television set, so HD content is reproduced at great fidelity on this type of plasma TV. Contrast setting must be at almost maximum to get the best of darker images, but the picture is fine and no one can really complain about it.

Overall picture quality

Samsung PN58A650 is a model that is worth spending your money on. This manufacturer continues to build on a reputation with the A650 series, as it has done so far with previous models. Picture quality in this HDTV is nothing to sneeze at, and it does offer what you paid for, and even more. Black levels are very good, colors are excellent, and many say that its realistic colors and great warm skin tones make up for any drawback one can find in picture quality.

Glare and reflections

This is an area where Samsung tried to do things better. Plasma TV’s are generally considered not to be able to fight off reflections and glare with the same efficiency as LCD TV’s. Though generally that is true, it doesn’t apply to this model. With the A650 series, Samsung took a step forward, by adding Ultra FilterBright screen coating for its models. Even so, this does not mean that it is quite ok to watch television in a brightly lit room, if you bought this model. Some glare still persists, and reflections appear, so, for the sensitive eye, in a very well lit room, this can be a problem. On the other hand, if you do not mind lowering the blinds a bit, and reduce the level of light in the room, then you can enjoy a great watching experience with this plasma. Definitely, this is one area where Samsung could use some improvement.

Features

One area that Samsung PN58A650 can boast about is its large variety of features. You can count on three picture modes that can be adjusted, and three picture presets, named Entertainment modes. As the latter cannot be adjusted, but just chosen from a menu, that may become a little confusing, especially since you are required to navigate through many features and menus, when tweaking with the settings.

We may also mention the Cell Light feature, (also it almost does the same thing as contrast, but without meddling with the black levels), five color temperature presets, the options for noise reduction. But there are also others, like the ability to adjust shadow detail, gamma control, and the color range.

Another feature worth mentioning is the anti burn in capability. This model has an adjustable pixel shift, an option for choosing between light or black sidebars, and settings that include moving gray bars on the screen, for preventing burn in from happening.

Connectivity

With Samsung PN58A650, you get plenty of connectivity options. With the new series, Samsung added a third HDMI input in the back, and another is installed on one side. This plasma has an AV input with S-Video, an RF input for cable or antenna, a VGA input so you can hook it up with a computer, a headphone jack and an USB port, for watching your pictures on the big screen.

Samsung PN58A650 vs Panasonic TH-58PZ800U

One major thing that can be said at the moment this article is being written is that Samsung PN58A650 is cheaper than Panasonic TH-58PZ800U. Of course, things can change in time, but, as Samsung usually plans to overcome competition through price, and not only quality, many budget minded consumers will still opt for their products.
Panasonic, however, is known for the attention to detail and great quality for its products, even for a hefty price.

Now, looking at these two models, in particular, we can tell that both produce great black levels, but Panasonic TH-58PZ800U is visibly better in this area. A point where Panasonic is again ahead of its counterpart is its THX mode, that helps deliver the best settings, without the need for tweaking or calibration.
Both plasma TV’s can claim only average anti-glare capabilities, but another thing where they differ is the way they display 24p content. While Samsung did not bother with a 24p mode, and it converts such content to its regular refresh rate, Panasonic tried and the result was not that good. Blu Ray discs, when watched with this mode enabled on the Panasonic TH-58PZ800U produces flickery images, which can quite annoying for the viewer.

As both models come with many connectivity options and features, there is not much to say to complete this comparison. Even if Panasonic TH-58PZ800U is a step up in quality, if you look for a good deal, without big sacrifices in quality, then Samsung PN58A650 should be on your list. If on the other hand you are looking for quality before weighting prices, TH-58PZ800U is a better choice.