Customer Reviews

Samsung HPS5073 50-Inch Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The shipping went fine, it flipped on and was the best TV I have ever experienced, until two days later it powered down. It started going on and off every 10 minutes or so. On the Samsung website, I was advised to call service if the unit was powering on and off, so it must be common.

From what I see on the web, many different brands have done this as well. The service company scheduled by Samsung will be out in four days, they told me they are swamped fixing broken new TV's. What gives in selling something that breaks in 2 days? I have a good history with Samsung so maybe it will turn out well with repairs, but right now I really have to wonder if they have missed something here.

January 5, 2007 update. Big Toejamb alert!!!

The repair company pre-ordered the two (2) logic boards that they were sure was causing my problem. Today the tech showed up sometime between 10 AM and 2 PM, and replaced one board, saying he was sure it was actually the other one causing the problem. He was unable to replace the 2nd board because although it was ordered correctly, the replacement board was obviously not the right one.

The tech wrote it up, ordered the board again, and gave me his card, asking me to call him in 20 minutes if it stayed on or not. After 15 minutes, the thing flipped off. I have to start thinking of and calling "IT" a thing, because I have been unable to watch "IT" and therefore, cannot rightly continue to call "IT" a TV.

I called the tech on his cel, and he actually finished my sentence, he knew "IT" had flipped off. The tech said someone would be in touch when the part was available. Two hours later I received a call from the repair company, the mystery board was on back-order. If I had a wild guess I would say there is a reason the part is on back-order,but that would be foolish wouldn't it. Waiting for parts, while my stars drop from a two to a one, and why does the word "PULL" keep going through my mind?

Unlike some reviews on here, I am simply making true statements based on my experience and rooted in fact, not wild ideas about who might have dropped what when. Draw your own conclusions, I am not making a judgement on anyones thing but my own. I do in fact still love Samsung products, although my love is waning.

Stay turned for part three, will the part arrive, will it be from Mexico, will my arms get bigger from lugging "IT" around, will I get to watch "IT" before "IT'S paid off, these and more exciting adventures await! Oh, and one of the selling points that convinced me to buy this one instead of the less expensive little brother, was the two year warranty, good thing huh.


Update January 8, 2007 "IT" continues

I do like the service company for my area chosen by Samsung, they have been first rate, even with the goof in not noticing the part error. They called today to say they had signed off on "IT" as an approved "exchange" because the part I need is just not available.

I was told that Samsung would be getting in touch with me within four to seven days about setting up the exchange. This is starting to sound like some kind of international spy or prisoner exchange. I am going back to the Samsung website and see if they have updated my status to "exchange approved" with a scheduled date. My cable company agreed to cover my charges this month, so it could be worse and I am still hopeful. More to follow. Serial Number : B1C43CNL902105V made in MEXICO in September 2006 is bad juju.


January 16, 2007

I waited seven days for Samsung to call me about exchange, no calls or emails. The website shows "IT" is up for repair. While I was waiting, I used the handy comment and question section on the website to ask questions about my replacement, such as please write, please call, hello anyone there, and where is my new TV? I did that and my messages went into a black hole.

Finally after calling myself, I was connected to a rep who assured me he had quickly put in the order. I won't be notified when it ships, I won't receive an email, I won't receive anything for tracking, I am in the black hole with those messages.

I was told by my rep, I think his name was "Stoner Steve", that my replacement unit would ship within 10 to 14 days. I was told I could call back in about 5 days and see if the shipper was known.

Once I find out who the shipper is, I have to contact them. Well Samsung is not in retail, so why should I be surprised. I don't think I have been called "dude" or "man" so much since the seventies. I paid for "IT" on November 11, 2006, at this rate maybe I should just wait for the new models. Thanks dude, I mean Steve, still no TV.


Update January 23, 2007.

I contacted Samsung again, and found out my replacement is on the way, I got a call from the shipper, it arrives tomorrow. They are going to pack up the old one and unpack and place the new one.

I decided to work with Samsung on this and not fight with Electronics Expo and possibly get a buzz saw or another brown out unit from Mexico, no wonder they were cheaper lol.

I expect Samsung to step up here and deliver the real goods, if I get another loser, it would look really bad for them. They asked me if I wanted the same model as a replacement, I should have said no, I want the newer one that just came out!

I will know tomorrow, if it works and does not howl, I will be holding my breath for a few weeks to see how it goes. Maybe it will work long enough for me to see the Super Bowl, stay tuned.


January 25, 2007 and holding....

The poor guy that brought out the replacement, it was the same guy as before, and he hates my driveway! Anyway, it went perfectly yesterday, I have a TY, I have joined the world lol. I have had it running as a burn in smoke test, all day in the background.

It looks beautiful, and as an added bonus, it puts out enough heat to heat the entire front of my house! With TBN running all day, if that won't blow it out, nothing will!

OK Samsung, your stars are up to a four (4) for now, lets keep it that way! Manufactured in Mexico in January 2007, is okie dokie by mee! Super Bowl in HD here I come, last installment I hope, over and out!

Update: July 28, 2007. My Samsung is now the monitor of choice for my PC, being middle aged and needing LARGE PRINT, it really helps. With my wireless keyboard, PC life has never been better. I am still very happy with how this turned out. The utility for clearing "ghost" images that remain, not really burned in, works just fine.

What a bummer. As soon as I hooked up A/C and turned it on with great anticipation I was greeted with a very audible buzzing sound which can be best described as an old neon sign. I have to crank the volume up past 25 to drown out the buzzing sound which never goes away. Even from a good 10' distance the buzzing is very noticable so this is not the typical buzz you get with old CRT TVs or even new Plasmas if you put your ear directly over the set. This is a manufacturing defect, pure and simple.

I quickly googled this problem and lo and behold there are others having the same issue so this isn't isolated, nor is it isolated to the 50". The one common thread in all this is that it seems that units produced in August/September 2006 in Mexico are having this problem.
For reference, here is the build info for my TV.
Build Date: September, 2006 - Mexico
S/N: B1C43CNL9
Version: SD01

Note that a family friend has the (HUGE) HP-S6373 which was manufactured in October 2006 and it is dead silent so don't let anyone tell you this is normal.

I've already contacted Samsung who has scheduled a 3rd party technician to come out and take a look. If this is resolved to my satisfaction, I would easily give this 4 1/2 stars for the value and performance, but I'd have to hold back 1/2 point since the unit did fail right out of the box. It is simply unacceptable to have a customer spend this much and have a faulty unit fail in such an obvious fashion in the customer's living room. This is my first Samsung product so we're off to a rocky start. A shame really as I really like everything else about this product.

I can't believe what's going on with Electronic Expo. These guys are unbelievable. I get this Samsung TV with the worlds loudest buzz. I'm talking unwatchable loud! Anyway, I leave a review about how bad electronic expo is and how they ignore the customer and won't return e-mails and won't answer their phones and after the review gets posted I get a call from a guy named Richard at Electronis expo who says that he's really sorry about the ignored e-mails and phone calls and that he wants to make it right with me and send me another TV (preferably one that doesn't buzz). So, he says he'll call me first thing Monday and get the trucking company out to pick this one up and get me a new one. And by the way, if you could, it would be nice if you would pull the bad review you gave us. Well, I figure all's well and pull the review and what do you think happened to Richard??? Not a word. Just gone. So, beware my fellow Amazoners. If you buy this model make sure you get one produced after Sept and from anyone out there other than Electronics expo. Like I said in my previous review, just go to your local retailer and get someone who at least might answer their phone when you need them.
Update 3/01/07: Samsung sent a local service provider out in mid feb to diagnose the problem. Came back today with a new power source but it did not solve the problem. Says I need a new board. How long will this take? Stay tuned. Great picture by the way!
update 04/27/07. Samsung called today and agreed to replace the set! They really came through on this one. As I mentioned, I love the picture but the buzzing was just too much. After three attempts to fix the buzzing Samsung agreed to replace the set. Never did hear back from the original seller Electronic expo. My only advise is stay away from those guys. I will complete the review when I receive the new TV.
05/14/07 Got the new TV and it is AWESOME!!! Thank you Samsung for following through and exchanging the tv. Excellent tv and excellent Samasung service!

The Samsung HP-S5073 plasma TV truly takes television viewing to a new level. When you first see its brilliant, vibrant colors or listen to the enhanced 15-watts-per-channel hidden speakers, you realize this is no ordinary flat screen TV. The cabinet is also noteworthy, as the craftmanship and awe-inspiring design combine to make this set a centerpiece of any room in which it is located. The connections between the 5073 and my other audio and video equipment took some time but was simple enough for a novice to perform. The weight of the TV and stand -- about 110 pounds -- requires that you have assistance in placing the unit in a wall unit or hanging on a wall. I modified my existing wall unit to make the TV fit, which allows for close proximity to my other equipment. I tried all three input types, component video, S video and HDMI, and determined that the HDMI connection provided the sharpest resolution. The clarity of the 720 and 1080i HDMI options are breathtaking. For a fuller and more cinematic sound, I connected the 5073 through my surround sound system, and the result was more pleasing than viewing a movie in a theatre. The menu controls and programming functions are very user-friendly and help make the HP-S5073 a pleasure to own and a memorable experience to watch. I waited a long time to purchase a big screen TV after researching online and in local stores. I comparison-shopped with my family, and we all agreed the Samsung HP-S5073 is the best choice on the market for a 50-inch plasma TV. It may very well become the standard by which all others are compared.

As with other customers, I was a little hesitant to purchase a big screen TV through the internet. I did a lot of research and read countless reviews. I chose the HPS5073 over the HPS5053 due to some minor upgrades. The 5053 is the older model and I wanted to reduce the chance of the loud humming problems associated with the older models. The 5073 also offers a few minor options the 5053 doesn't have so make sure you compare the two very closely. The 5073 has the cable card slot, USB port, DVI port, 2 RF connections, headphone jack and more built in speakers. I needed the extra connections for my surround sound, DVD recorder and VCR. All were easy to connect and switching from one to the other is very easy through the remote. The only complaint I have is the 4.3 screen side bars are gray instead of black and hopefully Samsung techs will change that in the future. This is such a trivial issue that it wouldn't have changed my decision but felt a review should reflect the good and the bad. The picture is spectacular, impressive and the TV looks fantastic in my family room. It is very modern looking and has all of the options you will ever need. Vanns delivery was actually too fast and I had to reschedule to a later date. They did so with just a phone call and the delivery driver called me 30 minutes in advance to make sure I was home and ready to accept delivery. I had a friend help me hook up the TV and in 15 minutes we were all done. NO loud humming or fan noise and not a lot of heat emission like I read in other reviews. This TV is a great buy and I couldn't be happier. Vanns is one of the few online electronics stores that have a return policy without a lot of fine print. Believe me I did my research and Vanns is by far one of the better "brick and mortor" retailers. They have a 15 day return policy and most retailers require you to seek repairs through the manufacture. I saved a bundle buying through Amazon and will buy from them again.

This tv is an awesome piece of hardware. After careful consideration and months of research I was all set to purchase either the highly touted Panasonic or the high end Pioneer both of which are considered to be among the elite plasmas. After spending 4+ hours in Tweeter looking at my pre-determined options I was very disappointed with my choices and was drawn to this beauty. The nice folks at tweeter let me play around with all the settings on the the different units and change inputs, h/d, dvd etc. to determine which one was most versatile. The Samsung proved to have not only the best color, but also the best whites and blacks by far. I found myself comparing the 5073 to the $6,000+ Pioneer rather than the comparably priced Panny or Pioneer. That is because Samsung held nothing back with this unit and went after the big boys, and with great success I might add. The Panny, Sony and inexpensive Pioneer just looked washed out compared to this model Samsung. The Panasonic PX60U isn't even in the same class as the 5073 and the 600U isn't much better. The whites had a blue hue to them and the blacks weren't nearly as deep. I have an external surround sound system hooked up which I highly recommend. Even an inexpensive system is lightyears better than the internal speakers, although compared to other plasmas these speakers hold up well. I haven't had any problems whatsoever with my unit, but the 2 year warranty is unbeatable with anything close to the price range and worth hundreds of dollars if added on to a 1 yr. The picture is drop dead gorgeous in HD and I refuse to watch anything but HD now. I have only used one of the many inputs which is the mini card from my digital camera and it works great. I have had the TV for over a month and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. The only negative I can say is that sometimes the tv has trouble with shadows but it is minor and barely worth noting. There are so many great features offered with this tv in addition to the incredible picture I highly recommend it to anyone in the market.

I just received this tv yesterday from ButterflyPhoto in NJ. I shopped around for a long time before settling on this particular brand/model and this seller. I had actually decided on purchasing a Panasonic TH-50PX600U, but got a last minute tip on this tv from a local dealer who was trying to sell me a different Samsung. The deal-sealer came after I made a trip to Best Buy to look at the pictures on the floor models. There was no comparison between the Panasonic and the Samsung - not even close! Plus, the Panasonic set itself just doesn't look nearly as nice and sleek as the Samsung, which is all black (versus the Panasonic, which has that silvery-metal color around a smaller black picture frame). Just to be sure, I looked at the Samsung side by side (literally) with the high-end Pioneer 50" model. The Pioneer was nearly $1000 higher online (nearly $1,500 higher at Best Buy) and there wasn't a speck of difference in the picture quality between the two.

So, I excitedly unpacked the tv last night and hooked it up. It is an extremely nice looking tv, with an outstanding picture! My brother-in-law was over to help me set everything up and move my old 200+ pound "portable" tv to the basement, and we both just sat there practically drooling when the picture came on. The online menus are all very intuitive and I had everything all set within about an hour of plugging it in and turning it on (would have been shorter, but basketball was on ESPN, so I had to keep stopping to stare at the action on the 50" screen . . .). No problems with noise or humming, as some of the reviewers have posted, although my tv was an October 2006 model from Mexico and not the September '06 one that seems to have given others some problems.

Overall, I am very, very pleased with this tv. I researched and looked at all different brands, price ranges, etc and this is one of the best 50" models at one of the lowest prices that I came across. It's a combination you simply can't beat. Butterfly Photo in NJ was great - not a single hitch for what has been my biggest online purchase to date. Highly recommended tv!!

I bought it before Thanksgiving, and have had no issues like the two complaints listed in this review section. I'd be wary of complaints that don't know the cause, because any TV that's dropped on the ground would probably have issues, and that would be unfair to give a negative rating because of that.

First of all, you're buying a 50" plasma HDTV. Who would not use an external stereo system to utilize the true dolby digital surround sound? The connections were easy and everything worked like it should. Multiple forms of digital outputs, multiple forms of digital inputs. Who can ask for more?

Now... the picture is fantastic. I find myself watching HD channels I'd never watch because the picture and surround sound (remember I use an external processor) is unreal. I also use xbox 360 on it, which again is just so impressive. Play Call of Duty with the lights off, and it's crazy. Even on non-HD channels, the picture is good.

While I haven't tried connecting a computer to it, it's there. I have connected it to a media card, and it's easy to navigate. Also, the TV itself is an attractive piece of furniture.

Note that this TV has a 2-yr warrenty, as most have 1-yr. I rather have that piece of mind on a $2300-$2800 purchase.

I read a lot of the reviews and almost didn't buy the Samsung HPS5073 50 after hearing all the horror stories of buzzing etc. I didn't buy through Electronic Expo, but through a company on the internet called Abes of Maine so I can't comment about the this provider. I had a great experience dealing with them and no regrets. I was a bit conderned ordering such a large item over the internet but it turned out to be a postive experience dealing with Abes'. I got a great deal of $2400 minus delivery (I picked it up) and it came with a 4 year warranty included. So much less stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City. As far as the TV, no buzzing excellent picture, is beautiful. It was in the original package, definitely brand new, so if you are afraid that you are ordering a new TV and going to get a refurb, order from them - they are new! So, I would tell you to go for it and order the TV they are not all duds. I am very happy with what I recieved, the price was right and now my only problem is I watch much more TV then I did before. :)

I shopped quite a bit for an 50inch plasma, and found this one way above the competetion.

I would highly recommend buying this set.