Samsung HDTV 1080P PN58B550 58-Inch Plasma Review
The Samsung PN58B550 TV offers crisp and vivid picture quality perfect for watching Blu-ray movies and sport telecasts with its 58-inch screen and excellent color accuracy performance. This Samsung TV uses the latest e-panel technology that produces sharper images in any movie application. Other features include Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer 2 technology and Samsung’s Touch of Color design.
A Plasma PDP screen powers this TV’s display. The 58-inch screen has a native 1080p display format that offers full High Definition (HD) video quality. The screen uses Samsung’s e-panel technology that offers crisp and sharp images for superior video quality. The screen also has a FilterBright component that limits glare and reflections for optimum viewing performance. The screen offers a uniform and error-free display. There are no blotches or unevenness across the screen. There is slight flashlighting at the edges when viewing dark images and scenes but not significant enough to affect the TV’s display performance. This TV has a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio with four modes – Zoom, Wide Zoom, Zoom 16:9 and Conventional 4:3 modes.
The TV’s contrast rates at 2000000:1 with an actual performance of 2300:1. This is an above average contrast performance for a Plasma TV. This performance ensures crisp and clear details in both shadow and highlight of any scene. The TV’s deep black level sets at 0.10 cd/m2. Its excellent deep black property is common among Plasma TVs. This quality gives the TV the capability to render excellent black and dark images without looking washed out or greyish. The TV’s peak brightness level sets at 340 cd/m2. Other high-end TVs, especially LCD TVs, offer peak brightness levels as high as 450 cd/m2 and above.
Color accuracy is one of the TV’s best attributes. This TV produces vivid colors that are uniform and error-free. Color transition along the edges of an image remains smooth, even for moving subjects. This TV also has Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer 2 feature that provides a wide range of color palate for life-like images. This feature also limits error in the color reproduction system for a more accurate color performance.
This Samsung TV’s viewing angle rates at 88 degrees with an actual performance of 72 degrees. This wide viewing angle performance is a common factor on most Plasma panel TVs. The wide effective viewing angle performance ensures consistent video quality and color accuracy performance on a wide angle in front of the TV’s screen. The TV’s huge screen and wide effective viewing angle makes it an ideal TV for a large room or office application.
The TV has a 600 Hz subfield rate and a screen response time of 0.001-millisecond. This is one of the TV’s best attributes. The fast refresh rate provides seamless scene transition with no noticeable judders or motion blurriness. The fast refresh rate makes it ideal for watching fast action clips or sports broadcasts.
The Samsung HDTV 1080P PN58B550 is an HDTV-ready television set with built-in Digital (QAM, ATSC) and Analog (NTSC) TV tuners. This TV also has HDMI, Component and Composite video interfaces. This TV supports 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i resolutions that are common for HDTV broadcasts. The TV’s video reproduction system converts these formats for display on the TV’s 1080p screen. There are no errors or artifacting in the conversion and display of these lower resolution signals.
The TV’s audio is thru the built-in speakers mounted at the left and right side of the panel using an invisible speaker design system. Each speaker rates at 10 watts for a total audio output power of 20 watts. The audio output is in stereo mode with SRS TruSurround HD feature for a surround sound effect. There are basic controls for Bass, Treble and Balance available in the TV’s Audio menu. There is also a five-band equalizer in the Audio menu for users to set the TV’s audio according to their preference. This Samsung TV also has an Auto Volume Adjustment feature that limits the sound inconsistency between programming.
This Samsung TV offers a decent amount of connectivity options to cater to most of your needs. The ports sit at the side and rear of the device. At the side of the panel, there are one HDMI (Type A), one Composite video/audio input (RCA phono) and one USB (Type A) ports. At the rear, there are three HDMI (Type A), one VGA input (HD D-Sub), two Component video input (RCA phono), three Audio line-in (RCA phono), one Audio line-out (RCA phono), one Digital audio output (optical – TOSLINK) and one Audio line-in (Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm) ports. The TV’s USB port supports playback of digital videos, music and photos stored in thumb drives. The computer display port supports 640 x 350, 720 x 400, 1360 x 768, 1440 x 900, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480 (VGA), 1024 x 768 (XGA), 800 x 600 (SVGA) and 1280 x 1024 (SXGA) resolutions.
The TV’s dimensions are 60.2 x 2.9 x 36.7 inches (W x D x H), and it weighs approximately 134 lbs with its stand attached. This TV is also ENERGY STAR qualified, giving it power efficiency in both operational and standby modes. The package comes with a swivel stand and a universal remote control. The TV’s remote is easy to use and navigate. It fits perfectly to the contours of the hand and the buttons are evenly spaced for easy access.
The stand’s crystal pole that connects the panel to the stand looks unique and stylish. This TV also makes use of Samsung’s Touch of Color feature that incorporates a tint of Grey to the otherwise ordinary glossy black panel. The TV’s ultra slim panel and Touch of Color feature gives it an elegant and sophisticated look that will enable the TV to complement any room design or architecture.
One of its main competitors in its category is the Panasonic TC-P50G10 Plasma TV. The Panasonic TV offers an identical 1080p native display format but a smaller 50-inch screen. Both TVs offer an identical contrast, deep black and peak brightness performances. The Samsung TV has a better color accuracy performance than the Panasonic TV. The Panasonic TV however, provides more versatile connectivity options with its built-in SD/SDHC memory slot that the Samsung TV doesn’t have. Viewing angle performances are identical between the TVs.
The Samsung PN58B550 Plasma TV is the perfect centerpiece for any home entertainment system. The TV’s excellent color accuracy, contrast and viewing angle performances give it an excellent video quality perfect for any video application. Experience a new level of viewing experience with this Plasma TV.
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Technical Specifications
Samsung HDTV 1080P Key Features
- 58″ Screen Size
- 1080p Resolution
- 24p Film Playback
- Wide Color Enhancer Pro
- FilterBright Plus anti glare screen
- Nearly 50% less energy consumption than other plasmas
- EnergyStar 3.0
Samsung HDTV 1080P Additional Specifications
| • Screen size: 58″ class (58.0″ diagonal) plasma panel / full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution |
| • Aspect ratio: Widescreen 16:9 |
| • Progressive features: 600Hz sub-field motion technology / E-panel technology / FilterBright anti-glare technology |
| • Best video inputs: 4 HDMI with Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) (3 rear, 1 side) |
| • Other inputs: 2 component video + L/R audio / 1 composite video / 1 USB v2.0 / 1 PC (RGB) + PC audio / 1 RF |
| • Audio enhancements: SRS TruSurround HD |
| • Built-in speakers: 15W x 2 |
| • Mounting options: Table stand included / wall-mount compatible |
| • Remote control: Included |
| • Outputs: 1 digital optical audio output |
| • Wide Color Enhancer 2 |
| • Game Mode |
| • Tuners: ATSC / NTSC / QAM |
| • ENERGY STAR qualified |
| • Response time: 0.001ms |
| • Intelligent power saving |
| • Mega Dynamic Contrast ratio |
| • 1080 Full HD Motion |
| • Touch of Color gray bezel |
| • Green design lead-free components |
| • V-Chip parental control |
| • Trilingual on-screen displays: English / Spanish / French |
| • Favorite Channel list |
| • Dimensions: 55.8″ W x 34.1″ H x 2.9″ D, without stand / 55.8″ W x 36.4″ H x 13.2″ D, with stand |
| • Weight: 84.7 lbs, without stand / 99.9 lbs, with stand |