Customer Reviews

Samsung PN58B550 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great TV that has fantastic picture quality. However, there is a moderately loud buzz that comes from the power units behind the panel. At first it didn't bother me that much. But over time it became increasingly noticeable and annoying. I called Amazon and told them that I'd like to return it. Before I could, they asked if I would have Samsung take a look at it. Not only did Samsung look it...they actually replaced the entire plasma panel (which includes the power units). Unfortunately, this did not fix the buzz...it actually became a little bit worse. So I am returning the tv and buying the Samsung LN555B650 LCD instead. I've always been a plasma guy...but it seems that the larger screens all have this kind of buzz. Hopefully the LCD will be better!

I purchased this unit at HH Gregg for $1340 out of box special. Few small scratches especially on base which I do not use base and don't watch the frame. I also had/have previously another Sammy and a Panny plasmas. I also own 2 flat panel LCD's. You can get super deals on these last year models and the difference between older A and newer B models is not worth over a $1000 to me maybe to you. They had this and the Panny 58" (TH-58PZ800U) side by side along with the newer B model. They were hooked up to same source, inputs and this beat the Pannys picture by a smidge. Better blacks much better contrast. Both sets were set to same pix setting. I'always preferred the Pannys but it appears Samsung has caught up and surpassed the Pannys. The B model also displayed looked a tad better side by side but I don't believe you would be able to tell the difference if you saw one then the other. I Also have an older Panny 42" and this set is equal to the Panny if not a little better. The Sammy has much more controls for adjusting pix sound off air tv etc. If you get your signal Off Air for HDTV then the Samsung has a much better ATSC tuner. It will pick up stations and lock them in that the Panny doesn't even see.
The pix from Blu Ray is awesome one of the best I've seen to date. The Satellite HD from Dish Net also excellent just a tad softer then over air sources. Off Air HDTV is just a notch under Blu Ray but very close. Cable HD very good also but varies a good bit on different channels. Now for upgraded SD off air varies widely from very good to just good on some of the older movies and sub channels. This also depends on the channel if it is a sub channel 1 or 2 or 3 they get worse the more they have. The main channel example (19-1) SD looks very good. 19-2 still good 19-3 (much less bandwidth) looks like an old news reel footage. Still not bad considering they were originally shot to display on at best a 25 inch TV.

Some have reported a loud buzzing sound. I have not had this problem. This unit does have fans and if hooked up inproperly (ground loop problems) maybe subject to AC hum from different video sources. All plasmas's make a slight noise but I don't think you going to be watching silent movies. I'm not saying that this is the problem which others who wrote about this but there's no loud buzzing from this or others I've seen. The above maybe the reason some complain about buzzing sound. Different sets can perform differently. My Panny doesn't like a bad ground loop but still displays a good picture and it's quiet but the Sammy seems to be a little bit more particular in this area.

Summary - Sammy PQ HD off air (antenna) or Sat excellent picture Blu Ray totally awesome.
PQ SD off air or sat (dish net)excellent to very good(unless on a third or more sub channel off air only).
Cable excellent to acceptable depending on source and cable company. You probably have to try it on your cable system and see if you can live with it. Channel to channel seems to very on some systems.IMO Comcast (MUS fibernet city owned cable company)seems to be much better then Charter. These are the only 3 in this area that I have compared.

Sound is good nothing to write home about but you'll probably want a good surround system with a pix this big to get a theater like experience.

I'd recommend this set especially at some of the prices it is presently going for. You will not be dissappointed with the PQ from this unit. Below is a list of the models I considered and the reason I choose differently. MY take in ( ) for what it's worth and reason ruled out.

LG 60 inch Plasma 60PS60(excellent choice very high marks - price could not get a good deal $2200 +)I really liked this set PQ very close.

Panny 58 inch plasma TH-58PZ800U(excellent choice best deal I could find $1700 - price not an issue Pix Quality/featurers just a tad less then Sammy.

Sammy LED/LCD 55 inch UN55B6000 ( appears to be excellent choice). This set had great blacks contrast etc. The best I ever seen for a LCD but a tad cartoon-ish look. You will have to play with settings to get a film like picture. Price was main reason for not purchasing this one. $2900 + for 55 inch. Smaller pix models maybe worth a look. This is a LCD side lite by LED not a true LED or OLED still a few years out.

Pioneer 60 inch. If money grows on trees for you or is not an issue this set has the BEST picture flat out! The only reason to rule out this set is price. Best I could do even on a refurb was well in the low $3000 mark. I may have even pulled the trigger for this one but was concerned Pioneer is getting out of the TV business. Parts and service down the road may become an issue and at this price I don't want to send to scrap yard for quit a while. OLED in about 5+ years ( maybe less) may make all these look bad and that's a lot of green for just a few years.

When I ordered this from Amazon I was slightly apprehensive. There were not many reviews here or anywhere for that matter. I waited 3 weeks to do my review so I could get used to the TV.

I had read about "pink" whites and "buzzing" from the unit on other Samsung plasmas (this one included). I don't know but I can only speak for myself and I have NO BUZZING sound coming from the unit. I have had my kids and the wifey listen intently and they concur. Whites are WHITE! Amazing Picture! I love this TV (I'm sure I'll say this again).

I was also concerned about the possibility of permanent image retention (IR). This can be a problem with plasmas. I have referred to a popular audio/video forum for guidence on the correct settings for "Break-in" of the screen. Which is apparently important. Basically for the first 100/200 hours (some disagreement there) you must lower the brightness & contrast and some other settings which should help, in the long run, from getting "Permanent" IR or "burn-in. I have seen some very minor temporary IR but it doesn't last. I have even played games for a couple of hours (the big taboo for Plasmas) and no problem. Mostly what I have noticed is an IR of the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen after watching a movie. Now this is not real strong or anything like that but it is slightly visible and goes away quickly. The TV has a screen scan that you can run to get rid of IR. It scans white then progressively to black. Bottom Line: IR not an issue!

Screen is highly customizable for those who really want to fine tune the image. The picture is perfect! Blu-ray is shocking, it is so clear. TV is an excellent size. A real monster. The TOC frame is beautiful. The clear glass stand (yes, glass) is SO cool. A beauty on & off.

The white glove delivery was outstanding for me. Great delivery guys! Delivery was just a pleasure in every way. On time, courteous, and thorough.

My family LOVES this TV. I LOVE this TV. Friends LOVE this TV. I hope your experience is as good as mine! Buy this TV!!!

June 30, 2009:
Returning for an update. I find it quite odd to hear folks talking about the "Buzz". I don't doubt them but my neighbor bought this same TV since I bought mine and.... NO BUZZ at all. The two of us have visited a few brick and morter electronics stores before he bought his to find the elusive "Buzz". We could not find a TV with one? Wish I could hear what it sounds like. He loves the TV! Yes, an amazing picture. Later.

First of all I would like to say...Thank GOD for 3D TV because it dropped the prices of the non 3D HDTVs like this one!!! (for 3D I will wait until the technology gets better and there is more product support and accessories, it is too sparse right now for my money.)
I have been researching large HDTV sets for over two years. (I am patient because I hate regret.) When I first started out I figured I was going to buy a DLP for size and price then I was leaning towards LCDs since a few of my friends have them. I didn't think I was going to end up with a Plasma.

My needs (same as yours I am guessing) a large screen, great picture, many audio video hookups and a dependable product all for a great price. I have compared the DLPs, LCDs, and Plasma TVs. What I have gathered was this: (I hope this sheds some light on your search for the perfect TV for your home.)

DLPs:
(+) Largest screen size for the lowest price!!! Handles fast moving images very well. Picture is great when sitting directly in front. Some sets come with decent speakers but, again with a big screen you want to get a theater sound system to get the full enjoyment out of your home theater experience.
(-) Viewing angles are the worst of the 3 types, Heaviest of the 3, not wall mountable. this last one was key as my wife's main concern was that she wanted our next TV to be mounted on our wall. This alone took the DLPs out of the running entirely for my home. have had burn in issues in the past but, not so much now.

LCDs:
(+) pictures are bright vibrant. No worry about burn in, great for gaming. Viewing in a lighted environment or with the shades open during the day is much better here than with Plasmas (which have glass screens that encase the gas but, can cause a glare/reflection) Ghosting (when image seems to smear or have an after effect. usually during fast moving objects) less of an issue especially w/the newer 240hz sets out now. better viewing angles than DLPs. Don't get hot like Plasmas. Energy efficient. Lightest of the 3 types. (Tend to be lighter than Plasmas as plasmas have glass screens) Wall Mountable!
(-) By far the PRICIEST of these 3 TV types!!! Viewing angles when off center tend to washout or tint color. Although very bright the Blacks on the other hand don't look as inky as with plasmas kind of Grey. (for some this is a concern) Although better at fast moving objects now (w/240hz), still not as good as Plasmas which for the most part run at 600hz.

Plasmas:
(+) Price much better than LCDs, which of course means you can go bigger for the same amount of money.(Daddy like!!!) Picture is outstanding. (not as bright as LCDs but whites still look very good and Blacks tend to look very black and truer to what you would see at a theater.) Plasmas are better than LCDs when viewing fast moving objects like watching sports, or action movies. (ARE YOU READY for some FOOTBALL!...I can't wait!!!) By far The largest viewing angles of the 3 types. You can go off to the side past 45 degrees with minimal picture loss if any. No more burn in issues as with early Plasmas. Great for gaming. Not heavy although not as light as LCDs. Wall Mountable!
(-) Gets hotter than the other 3, (although this isn't a concern for me, for some it may be.) Although they look very good Whites aren't as bright as with LED's.

(for those that don't know Quick tip: dimming a TV in a dark room is actually better for your eyes. Bright TV screens in a dark room causes eye strain. Although when you are in a well lit environment brighter allows you to see the picture better.) If you are doing most of your viewing in a dimly lit area this negates the LCDs brightness.

I found this TV while strolling through Best Buy earlier this month with my wife. We were just going in to look around at the TVs and see if there were any deals. When we came across this monster $1499 (brand new). It was on clearance. I compared the specs and it met our needs. This TV looks as big as the 60"ers I've seen! Talked to the best buy rep about it (who was very helpful) and he was very knowledgeable answered my questions about this TV. It was between this model and a Panasonic $1699 that was in the same class. Besides the price, what put the Samsung over the top was the computer port. So Many Hookups ( one of the few TVs that I have seen with 4 HDMI inputs 3 in the back and 1 on the side, you should check the specs they are impressive). Picture is great! I can't believe how good it is, especially after calibrating. (you can do a search online and find a great calibration setting for this set, free).

What made it even better was that I decided to get it and they were sold out, and since it had been discontinued I was able to buy the floor model. this knocked more than 200 bucks off the clearance price. I got the TV for under 1200. I love floor models as a matter of fact, this set is replacing my 36" Toshiba tube TV which I also bought as a floor model from best buy more than 7 years ago. and is still running well. Of course I got the 4 year black tie protection plan $270, (which I recommend for any big purchase like this) a tilting wall mount $150, fee for recycling $25, basic delivery $70, and taxes I paid under $2000 which was my goal for a TV itself.
I was so sure about this TV that I bought it without doing my online research. So I got on my phone and searched for reviews. I found that there was overwhelming praise for this model. This confirmed my decision was the best one for me.

I've had this TV for almost 3 weeks and, so far SO GREAT! I still can't believe how Awesome it is. I have an up-convert DVD home theater system, HD digital cable, and a Wii hooked up. All look great. Plan to get a PS3 as my blu-ray player and HD gaming system to kick it up a notch. I also plan on hooking up a computer to it. (I can't wait!.)
My wife isn't in to electronics as much as I, but she LOVES it too! She watches it more than I do! Everyone who sees it says the same thing, "Wow...That's Huge!" We are planning a Movie night this Saturday and are sure everyone will enjoy this BEAST!

The only thing that I can't speak much on is longevity, this will come with time. As with anything but, especially electronics, there are always defects, you just hope that you don't end up with one :) Though from the reviews I have read I don't believe this model produces many lemons.

I also have read some complaints about a BUZZING noise from this model but I haven't heard much from my set. I read that it is more of an ISSUE IF YOU LIVE ABOVE 6,500 feet. Lucky for me I don't.

I know this was long but that's how excited I am about this TV. I also appreciate a thorough review, I hope you do too.

I hope this review helped.

I recommend this to anyone and everyone!!!

I orginally went to Sams and purchased the A610, 52" LCD, brought is home and it was just to small after I had a 55" Sony for the last 4 years. Went back and traded up for this one. The price was terrific at 1,898.00 for 58" of pure plasma joy. The is my first plasma, I just upgraded from a 55" Sony LCD that had an optical block go bad. Anyway back to the review. brought it home and plugged it in to my directtv (no HD package), and the picture is good. I went out and bought an HDTV antenna for the local channels, and the picture is awesome. I am sold on plasma, and will never buy and LCD tv again. The sound is good, this is a small buzzing sound from the rear of the TV, but nothing that the sound doesn't drown out. Awesome picture in HD and on blu-ray. Totally stastfied. I did have a small problem with the tv leaning to the left ever so slightly. I called Samsung customer service, and they sent a tech out the house to repair the problem. Great TV for a great price.

At first I was a little concerned when my reds and greens were too strong. I calibrated my screen and kept the black level off, and it cleared everything up. The HD channels look incredible and the 480i analog channels look great too.

The 58" size is the perfect size for our basement, not too big or too small. I can't imagine having a tv bigger than this.

This is an awesome tv and a great value.

Previously, I had purchased a 52" Samsung LCD (the 650 model), but ended up returning that because - even though everything else rocked - fast motion on the set was unacceptably bad and SD programming looked *really* bad, so much so that I was able to make a good case for the TV being defective.

After a bit of research, I found out that I'd made a mistake purchasing an LCD at all: for a given picture size and a normally-illuminated room, a plasma TV will deliver a better picture for a lower price than an LCD even after the cost of calibration of the plasma is reckoned. Live and learn.

So, I bought this model as a replacement, and although (even without professional calibration) I am completely happy with its picture - the colors, blacks, contrast, motion, and edges are fantastic for HD and acceptable-to-good for SD - there is an extremely loud buzz that comes from the center of the set at all times.

To make sure that the buzz was entirely due to picture generation and not dirty power or unshielded cable signals or a defect with the sound system, I bought a Monster Power Center surge protector to clean up the power, unplugged all devices in the vicinity from the wall, unplugged all plugs into the TV, wrapped a couple ferrite cores around the power cable, turned on the TV (obviously with no signal coming in), and hit the mute button. The buzz remained the same.

To mask the buzz while programming is playing, I would have to turn up the volume very loud, which is unacceptable for neighbors in my complex late at night, precisely when I like to watch TV.

I did find a solution though: if I angle the TV around 15 degrees on its swivel stand relative to my seat, the buzz becomes sufficiently inaudible (because the back panel concentrates the buzz in a straight column perpendicular to the center of the set) ... but it seems silly to me to drop $2000 on a set and then have to view it off-center, even though I stop noticing that the TV is at an angle after a couple minutes of watching.

To find out if the buzzing was common to plasma sets, I went into a Best Buy superstore and - despite strange looks from the staff - I put my ear directly in front of the middle of every plasma set in the store, around 7 of them in all. Not a single one of them of any size had a detectable buzz!

So, since I made a point of buying this set direct from Amazon for their white-glove delivery service and 1-month return policy, I'm going to return it and get another model plasma set, probably the Samsung A550 ... though to be sure, I'll want to scan all those reviews for reports of a loud buzzing noise first, before purchasing.

Hi well I do have some good things to say, but I don't have a lot of good things to say.....yet First let me say this is my third big screen purchase, and my second Samsung (none this big, 50 inch lcd for my father was tops). I am certainly no expert as seen on cnet, but I do consider myself somewhat knowledgable, and pretty much a self taught guy.

Delivery was terrific, I cannot say enough. I bought this from Onecall(2099) on a Monday Morning and was told 7-10 days (free delivery)then Tuesday night a guy called and said they could deliver it Wednesday ... I said wow, after all, it was shipped for California and I live in NY .... I couldn't believe it. Anyway when the guy who was dropping it off (curbside only), asked me if I had anyone to help me get it into the house, and I told him no ... he then offered to help me get it inside of my garage for me ..... since it was raining .... I said sweet and tipped him 15.00 dollars for his troubles ! And I did need his help ...it's just to bulky for 1 person

Ok as for the TV, well with blue ray ...it's simply fantasitic, awesome. All anyone could ever ask for !!!! With direct TVHD, it really is only ok at best, true be told, I am really kind of disappointed ( I even went to best buy, and bought monster cables to see if they would help ...no they didn;t if your wondering ...and yes I took them back as they made zero difference to my off brand hdmi cables). The other channels (regular ones), well they seem to be a hit and a miss, some good, some bad, and some just normal. The TV has some great colors, in fact I don't think I have seen better colors on any other TV I have ever seen, but with that being said, it definitely needs proffessional calibration .. in my opinion! I have tried a lot of different settings and continueously played with the settings, only to never get it as it should be... huh .... well maybe cnet or someone else will review it and give me some ideas. I like to watch a lot of sports, and direct TVHD on this tv does not come in nearly as well as anticipated, nor does the HDNFL network that plays replays of last seasons games come in as well as expected. Again, color's are fantastic, clarity of the picture, not so much. It seems like I can't get both.

Well anyways my 58 incher looks awesome in blue ray, so it looks as though I have my own mini movie theater at the very least (complete seperate high end surround sound system), but I will update this after a month or two. I hope this helped, I know a reading others reviews sure help me decide ..... but I went for the b550 instead of the a550 ...we shall see

UPDATE:

HI guys, thanks for you thoughts on my review! Well you are right, as I have come to the conclusions, that my HD signals from Direct TV are just not good at ALL. In fact the direct TV guys came over and moved the dish it was so bad, and THEN had the nerve to tell me oh well it looks like you may not be able to get HD here after all ( and oh by the way sorry about all the holes on your roof ..but thats another issue ...man do I hate direct tv) Anyways we have decided to try hd cable tv again, so they are coming in a couple of weeks

So over-all I am really very happy with my TV, and when you get a great signal, it's simply remarkable how well this plasma performs. Standard tv is acceptable at best, but the size of the picture more than makes up for the average quality of ther pictures those rare times I use but hey who knows it may change soon!!

UPDATE:

JANUARY 1, 2010 Still happy with this TV and with the LOW price, I say it's a MUST BUY. With the cable thru TWC, I am much happier, and as always BLUE rays look awesome !!

I say BUY IT!

Aslo I have had NO problems with any buzzing sound, and ZERO problems with burn in. Although I will admit I did completely baby it for the first 300+ hours!

AGAIN at this price point, (currently 1599) it's a steal!!

UPDATE JULY 28, 2010

Still extremely satisfied, and still zero problems. The other night I watched the yankee game with a couple of friends in HD and the simply could not believe how clear the picture was.

I see it's only 1399.00 wow, that seems impossible. well if you can get it for anywhere near that, I would say go for it

Good luck

It's easy to get bogged down in specs when it comes to TVs but the proof is in the viewing, and specs don't say it all. As an engineer I do a lot of research before purchasing electronics and ended up with this TV because of reviewer comments from multiple sources and reading the spec sheets. The Samsung PN58B550 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV is an all-around solid buy that won't disappoint you when you weigh price against picture quality and reliability. Bells and whistles such as Internet TV are good for the marketing department but often go unused or unrealized because of the total system overhead in terms of learning to use it, computer system interface requirements and the performance uncertainties due to a lack of enough industry standards to ensure compatibility across component brands. Also, not every home can provide the bandwidth necessary to get a high quality video and audio presentation, which is my case. So, I chose this particular TV because I'm not willing to iron out all of the wrinkles associated with higher end TVs that, although providing slightly better picture quality and more features, are not what I want now (maybe later when my ISP upgrades the bandwidth and I have more time to deal with configuring the system). The 58B550 picture is beautiful in my dimly lit theater and there is a reasonable expectation that it will work well when I upgrade my wireless Internet to 80211n spec although I haven't checked the blogs yet for other peoples' experiences. The plasma image is smooth during fast pans, unlike some LCD screens in this price and size range, and shows accurate color with nice shadow details and contrast. I bought a 40 inch Samsung LCD set for my family room which is brightly lit, and am satisfied with it for daily general viewing in that environment. I use a good quality audio system when viewing all but snapshot news broadcasts or other quick features, mainly because I want the low end frequency response and volume not provided by the built-in TV speakers, which is typical. Two people are required to lift it for mounting on the wall, and probably for about anything except for removing it from the box. BTW, when the freight company delivered the TV, the driver brought it in and tested the set for operation before asking me to sign the receipt, which is top notch service from a freight carrier. My experience with Amazon.com has been very positive.

Samsung PN58B550 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV This TV is nothing less than perfect! Its been everything I hoped for. Add Amazon was great to deal with. No problems, order easy to track, was here when they said it would be. Buy and enjoy