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(More customer reviews)This review will center around the Samsung PN50C680 Plasma television that I purchased as part of a special "3D TV + 2 Pairs of glasses" Amazon promotion.
After spending several weeks researching for a replacement to my Panasonic TH-50PZ800U plasma, I settled on this Samsung. There were positive but very limited reviews of this TV - It seems most of the marketing these days are directed towards the super-slim, LED-backlit 3D televisions. Due to Amazon's generous return policy and special Holiday sales/bundles, I decided to take a chance on this model.
I received the TV without any issues - Shipping and unpacking went well as the box did not have any visual indentations and the Styrofoam inside did not have impact damage.
As previously mentioned, the PN50C680 is not one of Samsung's super-slim, single-pane models. It's about 2.5" thick compared to 1.5" - I still consider this to be a thin TV but at the end of the day, "thickness" is a personal preference.
Cabling was very easy as the connections in the back of the TV were clearly labeled. HTPC owners would gladly know that HDMI 1 was labeled to receive video card signals and offers extended compatibility for those that utilize DVI-to-HDMI dongles. The TV turned on and automatically recognized the HD signal from both my Fios service and Blu-Ray player without any problems. Fortunately, the TV was not a "buzzer" as some Samsungs are known to be.
Warning: Here is where the review tends to be personal preference. In my opinion, the initial out-of-box picture was not very good. It was too vivid as the contrast and several of the "picture enhancements" were turned on or maxed. Although these initial settings are ideal for store displays to counteract the bright overhead lights, they are far from ideal for my home theater environment. I whipped out my Disney WOW calibration Blu-Ray disc and performed the required steps. The new picture quality was infinitely times better than the initial out-of-box image - colors were very accurate, details could be seen in shadows/objects, and the overall image was very life-like. Black levels were excellent (although they could not match those of the legendary Pioneer Kuro). It was a definite improvement over my previous 2-year old Panasonic plasma.
Shameless plug: The best thing you can do to maximize the performance, picture quality, and to some extent, the power usage of a TV is through calibration. This can be done either professionally (typically brings out the best performance although very expensive) or through a reputable Blu-Ray calibration disc (increases performance and is inexpensive ~$20-$30).
I would rate the sound quality as very good - It's lacking in the lower frequency range but the sound is very clear with no static or humming. In addition, there are several options in the TV settings to tailor the sound to your preference such as an equalizer and virtual surround functions.
The TV also offers a wide range of goodies such as 3D capability, USB ports for playback of movies, music, and pictures from external storage, an Ethernet port, and wireless adapter-compatibility (not included). 2D-to-3D conversion was good but not quite stellar - it's more like there's a "hint" of added depth when a converted 3D image is displayed. You can change the degree of depth within the TV settings, but the stronger settings gave me a headache. However, the quality of 3D really shines once you view native 3D content from 3D Blu-Ray or cable content. Shrek 3D - the only disc I have - was exceptional as it was just like being in a movie theater. This is one feature that I am really looking forward to once more native 3D content is published.
Although the TV has a built-in Ethernet port, it does not have any internet applications such as Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, etc. It is not a big loss to me as my Blu-Ray player has these functions - just something to think about if you are looking for a more "connected" TV.
Last but not least, the TV needs to be "broken in" as it suffers from image retention. I have been breaking in the TV for a week now by playing DVDs / downloaded programs and the TV no longer retains images. I would not recommend playing games or watching shows with static content (HUD's, channel icons, black bars, etc) for a week or so when you get the TV.
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Samsung PN50C680 50-Inch 1080p Plasma 3D HDTV
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