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Technical Details
Size: 51-Inch
- Brand Name: Samsung
- Model: PN51D7000
- Display Technology: led-lit
- Display Size: 51 inches
- Image Aspect Ratio: 16:09
Product DetailsSize: 51-Inch
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Product Description
Size: 51-Inch
Amazon.com
3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:
 | A Display First, you'll need a 3D-ready display--whether it's a 3D HDTV, 3D projector, or 3D computer monitor. These displays have more processing power than standard 2D models for displaying 3D images in rapid succession. |
 | A Source Your display may be ready for 3D playback, but you'll still need a device to read 3D content. This can be a cable box with a subscription to a 3D channel, a 3D Blu-ray Disc player, or a PlayStation 3 system. |
 | 3D Content 3D content--the actual entertainment, in other words--will be played back using the source mentioned above, whether it's a 3D broadcast from your cable provider, a 3D Blu-ray Disc, or a 3D video game. |
 | 3D Glasses For now, the vast majority of 3D HDTVs require glasses for 3D viewing. Many use powered "active shutter" glasses, others polarized "passive" glasses. You'll need one pair per viewer, and they'll have to be compatible with your display, whether they're the same brand, or a pair of "universal" glasses designed to work across brands. |
 | HDMI Cable To connect your source (such as a 3D Blu-ray Disc player) to your display, you'll need a high-speed HDMI cable. Cables with this designation feature bandwidth speeds up to 10.2 Gbps (gigabits per second), for carrying the 3D signal without any loss of quality. |
If you want to get more information about 3D, shop our 3D products, watch videos, or interact with other customers, we invite you to visit 3D 101, our customer center about everything 3D. | |
Internet-Ready Devices
Internet-ready devices use your broadband connection to deliver dynamic content to your television, whether it's streaming video from Netflix, new music from Pandora, or a quick glance at today's weather forecast.
Although there is overlap, each manufacturer offers a unique bundle of free or paid services, including streaming video and music, social networking apps, online photo galleries, news and financial updates, weather info, sports scores, and a variety of other smartphone-like applications.
Manufacturers continue to add new content to their offerings, keeping customers current through firmware updates, and making a bit of research a prudent step in your buying decision.
Learn more about Internet-ready devices and HDTVs, how they work, what services are offered by different manufacturers, and exactly what you'll need to get started at our Internet TV 101 customer center.
February 2011
Samsung's D7000 series makes a great entry-point for 3D Plasma HDTVs. With a 1080p resolution, an ultra fast response time, and 600Hz subfield motion technology, you get a crystal-clear image. Connect a USB flash drive to enjoy some video, music, or pictures. Better yet, add a Blu-ray 3D player and some Samsung 3D glasses, and you'll have access to ultra-immersive 3D entertainment. 3D glasses not included in box, must be purchased as optional accessory.
All the bold contrast and color of plasma, with the advanced features and design that Samsung is known for. Click here for a larger image
Make the Most of Movie Night
Plasma Display
Samsung's Plasma HDTVs deliver all the bold contrast and color of plasma, with the advanced features and design that Samsung is known for. Compared to other types of displays, Plasma offers high contrast ratios, gorgeously saturated colors, and allows for wide viewing angles, so every seat in the house is a great one.
3D Active Glasses sync up with the 3D TV to produce 3D images that virtually leap off the screen.
Samsung's new Plus One design offers a bigger screen with a more narrow outer frame.
600Hz subfield technology makes contours crisper and scrolling text sharper.
3D Picture Performance
See how 3D HD movies and sports come alive with depth and action that leap from the screen. Connect a Blu-ray 3D Player or other 3D device and enjoy an immersive experience (Samsung active 3D glasses required, sold separately). The processing can even be applied to broadcast TV, gaming content and legacy DVDs to automatically convert 2D viewing into 3D in real time. If you’re not in the 3D mood, you’re back to watching one of the best quality HDTVs on the market with the push of a button.
600Hz Subfield HD Motion
For TV shows and movies, 600Hz subfield motion technology renders even the fastest-moving scenes with the utmost clarity and precision, so that each detail is crystal-clear. 600Hz subfield motion is a measurement for comparing Plasma pixel response and screen refresh rates to that of LCD/LED displays.
1080p Full HD With Four HDMI Inputs
The PN51D7000 delivers Full HD 1080p resolution, for a superb level of detail and clarity in your picture. To connect your sources, four HDMI inputs are provided, for delivering a Full HD picture and audio over a single cable.
"Plus One" Design
Samsung's Plasma Plus One Design sets this TV apart, with a bigger picture and a narrower outer frame, for an extra inch of screen compared to similarly sized competitors' models.
Ultra-Fast Response Time
A fast .001ms response time optimizes fast motion video content. Because it can track fast-moving images without motion blur, plasma is ideal for watching action-packed sports or playing video games.
ConnectShare Movie
Connect a thumb drive or digital camera quickly and easily via the PN51D7000's USB port. An intuitive, user-friendly interface allows access to videos, music, or pictures via the remote.
Real Black Filter
Sometimes you can’t keep sunlight or house lights from shining right on your TV screen. With Real Black Filter, you can still get an amazing picture even with reflective light. It improves image contrast by surpassing the amount of external light that’s reflected. So daytime viewing is improved for a crystal-clear picture and dark detail is crisp and well-defined. Real Black Filter especially helps maintain a high contrast so even your nighttime viewing features rich blacks and realistic images.
Quality Sound
Get crisp, clear sound with 10 watts through two speakers and advanced SRS technology. SRS' TheaterSound, available in new Samsung HDTVs, is an all-in-one audio suite that directly addresses the three most common consumer TV audio complaints--inconsistent volume levels, unintelligible vocals, and poor, dimension-less sound.
ENERGY STAR Compliant
The PN51D7000 exceeds the strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy.
PN51D7000 Select Specifications
| Video | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size: | 51 Inches |
| Display Type: | Plasma Display Panel (PDP) |
| Resolution: | 1080p |
| Inputs | |
| HDMI: | 4 (version 1.4) |
| Component Video (Y/PB/PR): | 2 |
| PC Input: | 1 |
| USB 2.0 Ports: | 1 |
| Component Audio Input: | 2 |
| PC Audio Input: | 1 |
| Outputs | |
| Digital Audio Output: | 1 (Rear) |
| Weight and Dimensions | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD): | 47.1 x 28.3 x 1.5 Inches (47.1 x 30.8 x 12.0 Inches With Stand) |
| Weight: | 49.4 lbs. (59.7 lbs. with stand) |
What's in the Box
PN51D7000 51-inch PDP 3D HDTV, Stand, Remote Control, Documentation
Samsung 2011 PDP Feature Comparison
| Series | D8000 | D7000 | D6500 | D550 | D530 | D490 | D450 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Sizes | 51", 59", and 64" | ||||||
| Bezel Design | Brushed Metal | Brushed Metal | Brushed | ToC | ToC | High Glossy | High Glossy |
| Bezel/Depth | Ultra-Slim | Ultra-Slim | Ultra-Slim | Slim | Slim | Slim | Slim |
| Stand | Quad | Titan Square | Silver Square | Black Square | Black Square | Black Square | Glossy Square |
| Scan Format | Full HD | Full HD | Full HD | Full HD | Full HD | HD | HD |
| 600Hz Subfield Motion |  | | | | | | |
| 3D Picture | | | | | | ||
| Rel Black Filter | | | |||||
| Local Contrast Enhancer | | ||||||
| Samsung Apps | | | | ||||
| Your Video | | | | ||||
| Search All | | | | ||||
| Web Browser (w/ QWERTY remote) | | ||||||
| Skype | | ||||||
| HDMI Inputs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| USB Ports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Built-in WiFi | | | | ||||
| Allshare | | | | |
Product Description
Samsung's exceptional Plasma TV delivers incredible entertainment in a captivating design.Take your viewing pleasure to the edge with the Samsung PN51D7000 Plasma TV. Experience more screen compared to similar model sizes– Samsung’s special Plasma Plus One Design visually adds an extra inch to the 51-inch screen size. Experience customized entertainment like never before with Samsung Smart TV, a gateway to the best of the web with Samsung Apps, advanced search features and more. And experience the immersive wonder of Samsung3D; it’s depth and clarity only available with3D movie titles and TV programming that’ll leave you in awe.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Available Warranties or Services for This TV
Size: 51-Inch
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
323 of 335 people found the following review helpful
By J. Reed
Size Name:59-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase
|
Length:
0:49
Mins
I purchased this marvelous television after countless research and first-hand looks at B&M stores. The PN597000 is a slight step-down from Samsung's flagship 8000 model, but it's also plagued with the same issues, most notably a "peeling" issue.
Samsung devised a solution to eliminate most of the glare from the 7000/8000 series sets, calling it the Real Black Filter. The RBF is a sheet of thin plastic laminated on the inside of the front set glass to mitigate glare caused by direct incoming light for those rooms with a lot of ambient light present. Kind of like a tint for a car window. Is it effective? Yes.
Does it at a huge price? Absolutely.
You see, what Samsung failed to predict and discover - and, more disturbingly, what they refuse to acknowledge even at this stage - is that this plastic sheet can PEEL on its own from the inside, possibly due to the considerable heat generated from the plasma set, creating air bubbles within the screen itself that will only EXPAND during the course of time, distorting or otherwise ruining the television.
I've learned about the peeling issue before getting the television set, since it seemed not everyone was having this issue (although a great number were). I thoroughly inspected my television around the edge using a flashlight and found no signs of peeling. It wasn't until after 100 hours of breaking in the plasma did I notice a slight distortion on the top right corner of my set, and it was as I feared: my set was peeling.
I'm still one week into the purchase of this television, and I will undoubtedly return it toward the tail end of my 30-day exchange window as my television's newfound problem will only accelerate over the course of time. Every report I've heard from other owners with this issue seem to indicate that matters will only get worse from here.
I urge both current and potential buyers to research this matter before it's too late. I will exchange my set for a newer model, but I have very little hope that the new machine will not suffer from the same issue as my current one as the problem is inherit in the design of the set and not a mere random defection.
UPDATE: 07/09/2011 - A second peeling (air bubble) has appeared, this time on the top left corner of the screen.
UPDATE 2: 07/27/2011 - Just received my replacement TV from Amazon (Love you, Amazon!), and am currently in the process of breaking it in. By this time, Samsung has discovered the underlying cause of the peeling issue. Apparently, the television's bezel is pressed too closely against the black filter, and needs to be separated slightly more. A solution has been devised and, from my understanding, Samsung will fix or replace any TV suffering from peeling issues with an updated panel provided that it's still under warranty. Unfortunately, they won't replace existing stock of their TVs with revised models, so new customers might still face this issue
UPDATE 3 (11/24/11): Second TV has not shown any initial signs of peeling or bubbling. I attribute this more to luck than anything else as the TV was built around the same time as the original defective one, and Samsung didn't address the issue at the point of the purchase. I've read that, in some cases, signs of peeling might won't surface until months later, and some owners are SOL as a result since the peeling occurred after the expiration of the warranty. I'll post another update in 3 months (or sooner if any unfortunate developments occur). If it can last a year without any problems, I'll upgrade my rating.
Samsung devised a solution to eliminate most of the glare from the 7000/8000 series sets, calling it the Real Black Filter. The RBF is a sheet of thin plastic laminated on the inside of the front set glass to mitigate glare caused by direct incoming light for those rooms with a lot of ambient light present. Kind of like a tint for a car window. Is it effective? Yes.
Does it at a huge price? Absolutely.
You see, what Samsung failed to predict and discover - and, more disturbingly, what they refuse to acknowledge even at this stage - is that this plastic sheet can PEEL on its own from the inside, possibly due to the considerable heat generated from the plasma set, creating air bubbles within the screen itself that will only EXPAND during the course of time, distorting or otherwise ruining the television.
I've learned about the peeling issue before getting the television set, since it seemed not everyone was having this issue (although a great number were). I thoroughly inspected my television around the edge using a flashlight and found no signs of peeling. It wasn't until after 100 hours of breaking in the plasma did I notice a slight distortion on the top right corner of my set, and it was as I feared: my set was peeling.
I'm still one week into the purchase of this television, and I will undoubtedly return it toward the tail end of my 30-day exchange window as my television's newfound problem will only accelerate over the course of time. Every report I've heard from other owners with this issue seem to indicate that matters will only get worse from here.
I urge both current and potential buyers to research this matter before it's too late. I will exchange my set for a newer model, but I have very little hope that the new machine will not suffer from the same issue as my current one as the problem is inherit in the design of the set and not a mere random defection.
UPDATE: 07/09/2011 - A second peeling (air bubble) has appeared, this time on the top left corner of the screen.
UPDATE 2: 07/27/2011 - Just received my replacement TV from Amazon (Love you, Amazon!), and am currently in the process of breaking it in. By this time, Samsung has discovered the underlying cause of the peeling issue. Apparently, the television's bezel is pressed too closely against the black filter, and needs to be separated slightly more. A solution has been devised and, from my understanding, Samsung will fix or replace any TV suffering from peeling issues with an updated panel provided that it's still under warranty. Unfortunately, they won't replace existing stock of their TVs with revised models, so new customers might still face this issue
UPDATE 3 (11/24/11): Second TV has not shown any initial signs of peeling or bubbling. I attribute this more to luck than anything else as the TV was built around the same time as the original defective one, and Samsung didn't address the issue at the point of the purchase. I've read that, in some cases, signs of peeling might won't surface until months later, and some owners are SOL as a result since the peeling occurred after the expiration of the warranty. I'll post another update in 3 months (or sooner if any unfortunate developments occur). If it can last a year without any problems, I'll upgrade my rating.
112 of 115 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:64-Inch
I just got the TV and have had it 2 days. My other TV's are a 42in Samsung LCD and a 50in sony rear proj. LCD.
I read about plasma vs. LED and went for the plasma. It is in the livingroom which has full height glass windows on one side. We get direct morning sun as windows face S/E.
I bought the set over internet shipped free. Need 2 people to move very large box into home. Need 2 people to hang the set. I unboxed and mounted hanger by myself.
If considering plasma, here are my comments:
1. 3D is excellent. Get the largest set you can afford/ fit in home.
2. Picture on this set is very very good. Very vivid, yet realistic color and contrast.
3. Remote is good, but not a high end look. Possibly because many use other combo remotes.
4. Glare is not an issue. The sony used to be in livingroom and glare was more of an issue.
5. Off axis viewing is outstanding. 2D excellent. 3D excellent from any angle.
6. I bought the light rechargeable 3D glasses. Easy setup. Comfortable. OK over your perscrip. glasses, but not great.
7. TV looks great. Thin, high quality.
8. I mounted this set on new Walker Edison 60-Inch Cayenne TV Stand (black laquer and black glass). They are made for each other!! Looks great and size of stand fits perfect (width) with TV. TV "floats" above table- mounted on the stand's rear pedestal.
9. Network/ wifi works good. Allshare works but sometimes buggy, as playing videos can abruptly stop (sometimes). I am still figuring the wifi and remote out. Plaing music through the wifi or network to livingroom is so cool.
10. I do not hear buzzing unless audio is off and my ear is very close. And I only heard once when setting up system. Buzzing to me is not an issue. I don't hear/ notice buzzing.
11. Fast motion picture is excellent. No artifacts, no ghosting that I have noticed. 2D and 3D.
Update - 6/26/11. Still love this set. No screen peeling issue.
Update - 10.6.11. No screen peeling. Love the set.
I read about plasma vs. LED and went for the plasma. It is in the livingroom which has full height glass windows on one side. We get direct morning sun as windows face S/E.
I bought the set over internet shipped free. Need 2 people to move very large box into home. Need 2 people to hang the set. I unboxed and mounted hanger by myself.
If considering plasma, here are my comments:
1. 3D is excellent. Get the largest set you can afford/ fit in home.
2. Picture on this set is very very good. Very vivid, yet realistic color and contrast.
3. Remote is good, but not a high end look. Possibly because many use other combo remotes.
4. Glare is not an issue. The sony used to be in livingroom and glare was more of an issue.
5. Off axis viewing is outstanding. 2D excellent. 3D excellent from any angle.
6. I bought the light rechargeable 3D glasses. Easy setup. Comfortable. OK over your perscrip. glasses, but not great.
7. TV looks great. Thin, high quality.
8. I mounted this set on new Walker Edison 60-Inch Cayenne TV Stand (black laquer and black glass). They are made for each other!! Looks great and size of stand fits perfect (width) with TV. TV "floats" above table- mounted on the stand's rear pedestal.
9. Network/ wifi works good. Allshare works but sometimes buggy, as playing videos can abruptly stop (sometimes). I am still figuring the wifi and remote out. Plaing music through the wifi or network to livingroom is so cool.
10. I do not hear buzzing unless audio is off and my ear is very close. And I only heard once when setting up system. Buzzing to me is not an issue. I don't hear/ notice buzzing.
11. Fast motion picture is excellent. No artifacts, no ghosting that I have noticed. 2D and 3D.
Update - 6/26/11. Still love this set. No screen peeling issue.
Update - 10.6.11. No screen peeling. Love the set.
107 of 118 people found the following review helpful
By T. Black
Size Name:51-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase
Background:
I come from the land of LCD, and I have had this TV for about a month. This replaced a several year old Sharp Aquos 37" LCD. As is typical with electronics, this 51" brand new 2011 plasma costs significantly less than my 37" 2 year old (at the time) refurbished model.
I have limited space, and my choices to fill it included the LG 47" LED TV's, Samsung 46"LED TV's, and the Samsung 51" Plasmas. (Just for the record, an LED TV is just an LCD with LED lights behind it instead of flourescent bulbs. I use the term LED TV only because it's easier to type and read than LED-backlit LCD TV.) While I would have preferred an LED TV for my situation (which is a very bright room), The LG's were not impressive. Though the Samsung LED's were (to my eyes) the best looking TV's on display at my local BB, 51" is a lot larger than 46 and the seating is about 17' away from the TV. The new 2011 "Plus 1" models add an inch of screen, but are actually smaller overall. In other words, last year's 50" would not fit but the 51" would (barely!). Panasonic 50" would not fit either due to a larger bezel.
Buying on Amazon:
If you are a Prime member, keep in mind that this will not reach your house in 2 days. It will ship by freight, not UPS or Fedex. Mine arrived in less than a week on a mostly empty truck and the driver helped me bring it into my house. It was obviously well packaged and arrived in perfect condition. Well of course the price immediately went down after I bought it, so I took advantage of the price matching policy. Amazon has a list of retailers that it will match and you have 14 days to do it. Once again Amazon impresses in their customer service. Many other retailers do include other goodies like glasses or a Blu-ray player as a bundle though.
Setup:
After you turn it on, you go through a step-by-step setup process. The first question is whether you are a consumer or a big box store. It then adjusts the picture settings for home viewing as opposed to trying to look like the brightest one in the store. Nice! I went through the network setup (wireless works fine), and it learned my channels with no problem. It actually picked up many digital (cable) channels that I wasn't getting before through the old TV, so that is great. Haven't tried OTA channels at this point.
-Screen burn in/break in: Since I am new to plasma, I am a bit paranoid about screen burn in and image retention (IR). During the initial setup, ghost images of some of the menu screens remained for a few minutes. I burned a break-in DVD that cycles through full-screen solid color for 24 hours and ran it whenever I wasn't watching TV for the first 3-4 days. I won't make any comments on burn in yet, but I have played some Xbox/Wii and haven't had any issues yet. There is a feature in one of the menus that will display scrolling vertical bars that transition from white to black. No evidence yet of any permanent burn in or IR yet.
-Heat: Plasmas have come a long way since I was shopping for my old LCD. Used to be they would dim the lights and heat the whole house when you turned them on, but new models are much more efficient. This one gets pretty warm in the cabinet but not hot enough to be a concern.
The Good:
-The sound from the internal speakers is actually quite good, surprisingly. I wouldn't want to do any serious movie watching without 5.1 surround, but for TV shows it is adequate.
-The picture: Brightness is much better than my old LCD, but significantly less than today's LED TV's. That being said, I have a wall of south facing windows behind the couch which is opposite the TV. The picture is bright enough during the day to watch, but still looks much better at night when the room lighting is dimmed.
-Picture settings: I put in my old Avia HT setup dvd and went to the picture settings. The TV seemed to match pretty well right out of the box. There are boatloads of picture options though, more than enough to baffle the average user (myself included). This thing is ready to be professionally calibrated, if that's your thing.
-I hear lots of complaints about TV's not displaying standard definition material well. Okay, you have to understand what you're watching. If you crank up your old VCR, it is still going to look like an old VHS tape. This TV does an excellent job of upscaling poor quality content on the large screen.
-I have done some gaming, and have not noticed any lag.
-3D. I have done some research but have not tried out any 3D content yet. The glasses have gone as low as thirty-six dollars lately! The glasses for 2011 samsungs are bluetooth instead of IR. The TV has 2D>3D conversion capability with a dedicated button on the remote. I've got 2 pairs of glasses on order, and will update after I get to check out the 3D features.
-Lots of online content. Checked out the YouTube app last night, pretty slick. It's not the equivalent of having a full browser interface, but I was able to find what I want and watch several relevant clips. Hulu demo clips looked excellent, but frequently buffered on my wireless connection.
-Cable channels display quickly, and you can quickly switch through channels without waiting for them to display. You can delete channels you don't want, though they make this a bit of a tedious process. You can mark favorites, so a star will show up up by the channel number when you are surfing. One thing I haven't figured out is how to quickly surf just your favorites--but you can get to them deep in the channel menu.
The Bad: (mostly minor gripes except the first 3)
-There are no analog audio outputs from this TV! Unless I'm missing something, you can't pipe analog sound from this TV to your receiver. It does have an optical port for outputting digital sound, but I never found a channel that I could listen to on the home theater. If someone knows otherwise, please let me know with a comment--Thanks!
-The glossy finish: The glass front does reflect a good bit of light from the windows behind the couch. I got the 7000 model for the "Real Black Filter" (listed above as "Rel black filter"), which is a polarized screen filter. I would definitely prefer the matte finish of my old Sharp Aquos, but nearly every current model has a glossy finish.
-The front panel buttons: The power, source, menu, channel and volume buttons are printed in grey-black ink on a glass background, and are touch sensitive. If it is dark behind your TV then good luck seeing which is which, even within a few inches of them. I use the power button, since it is the furthest to the left and I can slide my finger along the bottom until I get it, but the other buttons are useless since you can't distinguish them from the rest of the glass panel. Also, when I'm working on anything behind the TV my arm always hits the very sensitive power button repeatedly and causes additional frustration. At least the remote is decent, but my fancy learning remote refused to learn several of the commands.
-Hulu "plus" - Just for the record, this is hulu, "plus" a bill for $8/month (but you do get access to older episodes). I'll stick to plugging in my laptop and watching it for free, thanks.
-To search in youtube, you type in text using the 1-9 keys like a phone. This would be easier if they found a way to put the letters onto the remote's 1-9 keys. It is displayed on the screen but not on the remote. This is a minor gripe though, since it does a good job of figuring out what you are typing and giving suggestions.
-Volume is a bit slow to change. If you switch from a quiet channel (or youtube video) with the volume on 50 to a loud one, it can take several seconds to get the volume down to a 20-25 using the remote. Volume levels vary widely on youtube, not so bad on cable.
The bottom line:
If you go to a big box store to compare, the Samsung TV's definitely stand out amongst the competition, the LED's in particular. I am very happy with my plasma, but if I had unlimited space I would have loved a 55" LED. If you have a very bright room, go for either a LED TV or the 7000 series Plasma with the real black filter.
I will have to do a bit more playing around to learn all of the features and perfect my picture settings, and I will update the review as I learn more. Please feel free to comment if you want me to check something...I'll try to help if I can.
**UPDATE**
Still nothing but pleased with this TV, but after changing the viewing mode to Dynamic (*not* energy star), the TV gets quite warm with extended use. I am getting a small USB fan to help cool it, and considering switching back to standard mode to reduce energy use/heat. The good thing is that the metallic bezel seems to absorb much of the heat. This helps disperse some of the heat out of the front in addition to venting the back.
**UPDATE**
I found a happy medium between Dynamic (energy hog) and Standard (energy star) picture modes and applied it to all of my inputs. Basically, I start with Dynamic but reduce the cell light down to 16 and neutralize the color temperature. The energy star setting is much dimmer (12?), the dynamic setting is 20 (the max). 16 is still plenty bright but the panel doesn't get quite as hot. I would also mention that movie mode results in a very soft (less defined) and warm (more red) image. It enhances skin color I guess, but I prefer a more natural color and definitely like to see all of the detail in HD sources.
I come from the land of LCD, and I have had this TV for about a month. This replaced a several year old Sharp Aquos 37" LCD. As is typical with electronics, this 51" brand new 2011 plasma costs significantly less than my 37" 2 year old (at the time) refurbished model.
I have limited space, and my choices to fill it included the LG 47" LED TV's, Samsung 46"LED TV's, and the Samsung 51" Plasmas. (Just for the record, an LED TV is just an LCD with LED lights behind it instead of flourescent bulbs. I use the term LED TV only because it's easier to type and read than LED-backlit LCD TV.) While I would have preferred an LED TV for my situation (which is a very bright room), The LG's were not impressive. Though the Samsung LED's were (to my eyes) the best looking TV's on display at my local BB, 51" is a lot larger than 46 and the seating is about 17' away from the TV. The new 2011 "Plus 1" models add an inch of screen, but are actually smaller overall. In other words, last year's 50" would not fit but the 51" would (barely!). Panasonic 50" would not fit either due to a larger bezel.
Buying on Amazon:
If you are a Prime member, keep in mind that this will not reach your house in 2 days. It will ship by freight, not UPS or Fedex. Mine arrived in less than a week on a mostly empty truck and the driver helped me bring it into my house. It was obviously well packaged and arrived in perfect condition. Well of course the price immediately went down after I bought it, so I took advantage of the price matching policy. Amazon has a list of retailers that it will match and you have 14 days to do it. Once again Amazon impresses in their customer service. Many other retailers do include other goodies like glasses or a Blu-ray player as a bundle though.
Setup:
After you turn it on, you go through a step-by-step setup process. The first question is whether you are a consumer or a big box store. It then adjusts the picture settings for home viewing as opposed to trying to look like the brightest one in the store. Nice! I went through the network setup (wireless works fine), and it learned my channels with no problem. It actually picked up many digital (cable) channels that I wasn't getting before through the old TV, so that is great. Haven't tried OTA channels at this point.
-Screen burn in/break in: Since I am new to plasma, I am a bit paranoid about screen burn in and image retention (IR). During the initial setup, ghost images of some of the menu screens remained for a few minutes. I burned a break-in DVD that cycles through full-screen solid color for 24 hours and ran it whenever I wasn't watching TV for the first 3-4 days. I won't make any comments on burn in yet, but I have played some Xbox/Wii and haven't had any issues yet. There is a feature in one of the menus that will display scrolling vertical bars that transition from white to black. No evidence yet of any permanent burn in or IR yet.
-Heat: Plasmas have come a long way since I was shopping for my old LCD. Used to be they would dim the lights and heat the whole house when you turned them on, but new models are much more efficient. This one gets pretty warm in the cabinet but not hot enough to be a concern.
The Good:
-The sound from the internal speakers is actually quite good, surprisingly. I wouldn't want to do any serious movie watching without 5.1 surround, but for TV shows it is adequate.
-The picture: Brightness is much better than my old LCD, but significantly less than today's LED TV's. That being said, I have a wall of south facing windows behind the couch which is opposite the TV. The picture is bright enough during the day to watch, but still looks much better at night when the room lighting is dimmed.
-Picture settings: I put in my old Avia HT setup dvd and went to the picture settings. The TV seemed to match pretty well right out of the box. There are boatloads of picture options though, more than enough to baffle the average user (myself included). This thing is ready to be professionally calibrated, if that's your thing.
-I hear lots of complaints about TV's not displaying standard definition material well. Okay, you have to understand what you're watching. If you crank up your old VCR, it is still going to look like an old VHS tape. This TV does an excellent job of upscaling poor quality content on the large screen.
-I have done some gaming, and have not noticed any lag.
-3D. I have done some research but have not tried out any 3D content yet. The glasses have gone as low as thirty-six dollars lately! The glasses for 2011 samsungs are bluetooth instead of IR. The TV has 2D>3D conversion capability with a dedicated button on the remote. I've got 2 pairs of glasses on order, and will update after I get to check out the 3D features.
-Lots of online content. Checked out the YouTube app last night, pretty slick. It's not the equivalent of having a full browser interface, but I was able to find what I want and watch several relevant clips. Hulu demo clips looked excellent, but frequently buffered on my wireless connection.
-Cable channels display quickly, and you can quickly switch through channels without waiting for them to display. You can delete channels you don't want, though they make this a bit of a tedious process. You can mark favorites, so a star will show up up by the channel number when you are surfing. One thing I haven't figured out is how to quickly surf just your favorites--but you can get to them deep in the channel menu.
The Bad: (mostly minor gripes except the first 3)
-There are no analog audio outputs from this TV! Unless I'm missing something, you can't pipe analog sound from this TV to your receiver. It does have an optical port for outputting digital sound, but I never found a channel that I could listen to on the home theater. If someone knows otherwise, please let me know with a comment--Thanks!
-The glossy finish: The glass front does reflect a good bit of light from the windows behind the couch. I got the 7000 model for the "Real Black Filter" (listed above as "Rel black filter"), which is a polarized screen filter. I would definitely prefer the matte finish of my old Sharp Aquos, but nearly every current model has a glossy finish.
-The front panel buttons: The power, source, menu, channel and volume buttons are printed in grey-black ink on a glass background, and are touch sensitive. If it is dark behind your TV then good luck seeing which is which, even within a few inches of them. I use the power button, since it is the furthest to the left and I can slide my finger along the bottom until I get it, but the other buttons are useless since you can't distinguish them from the rest of the glass panel. Also, when I'm working on anything behind the TV my arm always hits the very sensitive power button repeatedly and causes additional frustration. At least the remote is decent, but my fancy learning remote refused to learn several of the commands.
-Hulu "plus" - Just for the record, this is hulu, "plus" a bill for $8/month (but you do get access to older episodes). I'll stick to plugging in my laptop and watching it for free, thanks.
-To search in youtube, you type in text using the 1-9 keys like a phone. This would be easier if they found a way to put the letters onto the remote's 1-9 keys. It is displayed on the screen but not on the remote. This is a minor gripe though, since it does a good job of figuring out what you are typing and giving suggestions.
-Volume is a bit slow to change. If you switch from a quiet channel (or youtube video) with the volume on 50 to a loud one, it can take several seconds to get the volume down to a 20-25 using the remote. Volume levels vary widely on youtube, not so bad on cable.
The bottom line:
If you go to a big box store to compare, the Samsung TV's definitely stand out amongst the competition, the LED's in particular. I am very happy with my plasma, but if I had unlimited space I would have loved a 55" LED. If you have a very bright room, go for either a LED TV or the 7000 series Plasma with the real black filter.
I will have to do a bit more playing around to learn all of the features and perfect my picture settings, and I will update the review as I learn more. Please feel free to comment if you want me to check something...I'll try to help if I can.
**UPDATE**
Still nothing but pleased with this TV, but after changing the viewing mode to Dynamic (*not* energy star), the TV gets quite warm with extended use. I am getting a small USB fan to help cool it, and considering switching back to standard mode to reduce energy use/heat. The good thing is that the metallic bezel seems to absorb much of the heat. This helps disperse some of the heat out of the front in addition to venting the back.
**UPDATE**
I found a happy medium between Dynamic (energy hog) and Standard (energy star) picture modes and applied it to all of my inputs. Basically, I start with Dynamic but reduce the cell light down to 16 and neutralize the color temperature. The energy star setting is much dimmer (12?), the dynamic setting is 20 (the max). 16 is still plenty bright but the panel doesn't get quite as hot. I would also mention that movie mode results in a very soft (less defined) and warm (more red) image. It enhances skin color I guess, but I prefer a more natural color and definitely like to see all of the detail in HD sources.
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