Customer Reviews

Samsung PN42A450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We bought this tv for our bedroom we were replacing an old 36" crt. We got it on sale for $790 so we didn't expect much, but it turns out this is the new model with touch buttons, 3D, 3 HDMI ports. We don't have HD in this room so I expected the SD picture to be rather pixelated. But man I was so impressed on how well it displays SD content that I'm almost inclined not to put in an HD reciver in this room. I did hook up my pc and used it as a monitor and wow it looks great! Picture is smooth and the colors have alot of depth, I also hooked up my Xbox360 to it and the games look awesome! This tv looks cleaner and crisper than my $3000 Samnsung 61 inch DLP. I can't believe i! If your looking for a 42" TV this is the one to buy! Don't worry about it being 720p I've compared it with my 1080p set and you can't notice the difference.

Like a few others I have read here, I am new to HDTV. I did a bit of research and narrowed my choices to this model and the Panasonic TH-42PZ85U.

I was looking at the Panasonic because initially I thought I wanted 1080p resolution, but after reading a few articles I decide I did not need it. HD cable is 720p right now and apparently will not be 1080p for some time due to bandwidth issues (although someone more knowledgeable on this topic is free to correct me on this point). And this TV is several hundred dollars cheaper than the Panasonic 1080p model. I looked at the Panasonic 720p 42 inch but that model (TH-42PX80U) does not have a PC input, which I wanted.

Anyway I went to my local Best Buy and they happened to have the Samsung PN42A450 and the Panasonic TH-42PZ85U right next to each other, and they both had a great picture. I liked the colors better on the Samsung though--they appeared richer to me.

So I went with the PN42a450 from Amazon. Best Buy's list price beat Amazon's, but when you factor in free shipping and no sales tax, Amazon had the better deal by about $70. I've had the TV for about 6 weeks now, and I love it. Baseball games and movies look great on this TV.

A few words of caution about my experience with the free shipping: you do get what you pay for. In my area at least, the company that Amazon contracted to do the delivery did not seem to have a particular specialization in electronics or TVs. The guy who delivered my tv was courteous and helpful, but did not have a high degree of knowledge about plasma TVs. First of all, it was only this one fellow win an unmarked white panel van full of boxes. He was pulling the TV out and was going to bring it into my house by himself and he was kind of awkwardly carrying it (it really is a two man job to keep it level) so I helped him carry it in. Also this TV comes in a special box that lifts off of the TV so that you don't have to lift the TV out of if. The delivery guy didn't understand this (and neither did I initially). First he was going to lay the box on its side to slide the TV out which from what I understand is not the best thing to do with a plasma TV (laying it on its side can possibly damage the huge piece of glass that makes up the screen). I didn't know much about plasmas but knew enough to stop him from doing that. Finally we cut the box apart to get to the TV, after which point I found out that the box can lift apart by itself. So I ruined the box which I could have saved to safely transport the TV if I ever need to move. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to keep the box.

So in summary I am happy with this purchase. The only caution is that I would advise you to be home when the TV comes in order to make sure it is taken into your house and unpacked correctly.

I always wanted a HDTV, and I decided on this model by reading the reviews from other people who have purchased it. I could not believe that plasma TVs are a lot less than LCDs especially that I can get a 42" for less than a $1000 compared to a 32" LCD for the same price.

I ordered this TV on Friday 6/20/08, and it shipped on 6/23/08 to Ceva Logistics in Reno. Amazon said it would be delivered by 7/2/08, but on Ceva's website, using the tracking number, they said it would be here on 6/27/08. I waited patiently for the phone call from Ceva, and someone called me that Thursday evening with a delivery window from 8 am to 12 pm. I was very excited that I would be getting my TV to play with on the following day. The delivery guys came to my apartment at 8:20 am, opened the box for me, and placed the TV on my entertainment center. I hooked up the coax cable from my cable box, and I was blown away by the color and the size of the screen. The delivery guys from Ceva were great for being prompt, polite, and professional. I was very impressed with their service, and if I buy another TV again I definitely will use Amazon again

I tried watching standard definition, some high definition channels in my area through the antenna, played a few DVDs, and a VHS tape. Each one looked very good, and I have no complaints about this TV. I am looking forward to trying out some more HD programming when I exchanged my cable box for an HD one. I am planning to buy a Blu-Ray DVD player once the prices have come down a bit, and I am sure it will look great on this TV.

The manual is kind of confusing, but I figured it out in the end. There is an ample amount of connections on the back and on the side for anything you may have.

If you are looking for a TV with a fantastic picture, then do not look any further because you will love this TV.

I bought this TV about two weeks ago... I was originally looking for a Sony LCD Bravia 40" 1080HD (W300 Series) or the Samsung PN50A550 (50" Plasma 1080p/i resolution).

I went to a local store and saw this TV lying between the models described above - I thought it was a 1080 TV... image quality was about the same. It has better color and sharpness than the Sony LCD, and as in all TVs, it has a slight advantage over the bigger Samsung Plasma despite its 720p versus 1080p so called "disadvantage".

Then came the issue of pricing and looks... this one is a looker and for around $900 bucks it is a steal. Something told me to buy it and so I did.

When I got home I was first disappointed in its display of standard cable (coaxial analog)... standard cable only works in a regular CRT.

Next day I took it to a friends house who has digital cable and lord behold - Digital Cable is 720P so there is no real use for a 1080 Tuner - Image quality was great.

Then came the real reason I wanted a Plasma... My Sony Playstation 3 AKA Blue-Ray Player.

OH MY GOD... I had purchased Metal Gear Solid 4 and Grand Turismo 5 Prologue. I connected it USING A $20 Radio Shack HDMI Cable (Dont spend $100 on Monster Cable, its not worth it) and the games came alive. I could feel myself driving in the Ferrari F430, I could literally feel my self in the middle of war as I played MGS5. The definition, color depth, sharpness and lack of image noise was incredible. Its a great TV for any PS3 or new generation video game console.

Then I went and purchased Transformers the Movie in Blue Ray... Holly Cow!!!. You haven`t seen this movie until you have seen it through blue-ray and this TV. You can see every minor detail about Optimus Prime, Bumble-Bee and the rest of the characters... plus the size is excellent for a small living room or your bedroom (mines is about 60 square feet and it looks gigantic)

I dont understand how it works but it has and integrated circuitry that takes and ordinary 720P signal and digitally converts it to 1080 resolution, plus ·D filters for gaming. Believe me, I hate Digitally Remastered anything (just try using your digital zoom on a digital camera and you know hoe poor this technology usually is) but in this case IT WORKS... Realistic Colors, no aliasing, no blurs, great whites, great blacks, blues, reds, and little or no image "double-edges".

Both my games and Blue-Ray movies are converted to 1080p resolution and they look amazing.

One complaint: Speakers at 10x2 watts are weak and have no bass power... but we all know that is not the idea behind an HDTV... I have a Sony 6.1 Home Theater... I just plugged it to get outstanding sound and a recreate a real movie theater experience... Any Sony, Denon op Kenwood Receiver with 5.1 or better performance (500 Watts at least) will solve this problem in a snap.

It is definitely a great bang for your buck deal, it is truly designed for HDMI devices and it looks cool too.

I am One Happy Camper!

I purchased the PN42A450 from BB yesterday for $899. Easy set-up and menu options for the not-so-tech savvy. I have been researching HDTVs for the past 5 months and spent a lot of time at local retailers watching different TVs. I narrowed it down to plasma simply because I prefer the more natural look of the pitcure vs. lcd. This TV is in our bedroom and is used primarily for watching recorded shows and DVDs. We do have 4 windows along one wall, but have found the reflection to be no less of an issue than the old 27" CRT. I selected the 450 because the picture was very good and the price made it a steal. Side-by-side with much more expensive models I could pick apart the 450 vs., say, the Pioneer PDP-4280HD, which was excellent. But, the 4280 was also at least $600 more money. So, the very good picture of the 450 and its price made it easy to select at the end.

After getting it home and set up, my wife and I were watching some HD channels. We had to laugh because it all looked so great. Without a way more expensive model next to it, the 450 looks like a million bucks!

Shipping
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Amazon.com shipped it right away and CEVA called to set a date and then arrived on time to deliver and set it up. In my case, that involved removing it from the box, setting the old tv aside, plugging the new one in, and connecting the cable wire.

The TV Itself
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This is a Plasma 42" HD with 720P output, and it looks excellent when you supply the HD Source. With ordinary programming, the picture is still good, but not great. But HD output will blow your mind.

At first I was going to get a 42" Vizio LCD from local Costco for about $900.

But here, you are getting a Samsung which obviously is much better. And I didn't have to worry about hauling the TV from the store to my home.

The TV itself from the outside is beautiful. The screen when the TV is off is grey color. I wish it was black, but apart from it is beautiful. The panels have a shiny feel which is great too.

If you are wondering whether to buy this or a LCD of same size with 1080p and couple hundred extra, I suggest you look at this one instead. How in the world will your eyes notice the 1080p vs 720p?

I'll tell you, the HD channels on this TV appear better than what you would see in real life. It's that good.

I haven't tried any upconverting DVD players or Blue-Ray inputs, but with HD input from my silver comcast cable box, the picture is unbelievable.

Having said that, I don't think these TVs will get any cheaper. This is as cheap as they get. Everything from this point on will be more expensive, because of the rising fuel costs, weaker dollar, and bunch of other reasons. So, if you feel, you need the best possible resolution to insure against improving technology in the future, then 1080p for couple hundred extra might be a good bet.

Now I just wish they had all my favorite channels in HD. Watching HD programming is very addictive. The price of this TV I paid is worth every penny, especially if you look at my cable bill.

just bought this tv over the weekend at frys anniversary sale...i saw it on saturday on special for 999.99 but when i went back on sunday they had it at a 100 dollars less, so i just cudnt leave the store without going home with it...the size is perfect for the living room, excellent sound, impeccable images...its perfect for the price....turns out its the worlds first 3d ready plasma and it barely came out in march...ive had nothing but good experiences with samsung products...i used to be a sony fanboy but the quality just doesnt compare...ive seen the sony models at the store and at friends houses and the images are way more pixelated...i havent gotten any of that with this plasma...if ur thinking of gettin rid of ur old tube tv and upgrading to a flat panel this is definetly worth it!!!

I will be the first to admit that i was a little leary of buying a plasma based TV,(burn in)not to mention that I am considered to be all sony to my family and friends. I own the 60 inch XBR2 and its the best in my book but I bought this for my bedroom and planned on getting a sony. I love this tv, I am so "old school" about my great sxrd that i almost passed this up, but the price was 910.00 and he picture on it was better than a Toshiba 1080p sitting right beside it(could have been the set up). I was sold when comparing the picture quality and price. I have just owned it a week so I can't tell you how it will be in the future but it is great to look at right now.

I bought this tv for my living room and I loved it. I was considering the same tv for my mancave in the basement, but then I saw a combo special with the Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U and Xbox 360 at a great price. I bought the Panasonic and the picture was nice, but it bothered me that there was no swivel base and no headphone jacks.....the Samsung has both of these features. I returned the Panasonic and got another Samsung. I am so glad I did so. With a 10% mover's coupon that you can find on the internet, you can get this tv at Best Buy for $808. It's just a great value.

To start with, this is the first HDTV I have ever owned and I definitely did major research before deciding on purchasing this TV. I decided on this TV over a LCD because of its price, and performance. Standard television looks blah (but veiwable). HDTV looks great and I recon will look even better when I swap my component cables for HDMI cables. The size of this TV is perfect for watching movies and shows. The features are great as well. The audio is better than my previous TV and overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase. Don't worry about the image retention problems plasmas were known for. I have not had any issues whatsoever. Overall, for the money you can't go wrong. Why purchase a fancy pants 1080p and get sold on the hype if you won't even be able to fully utilize it with regular shows. Save yourself some money and enjoy the bargain that this TV offers.