Customer Reviews

Samsung PN63C7000 63-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Length:: 2:46 Mins

I decided on this TV because of the terrific price of it offered by Amazon (compared to Crutchfield an Vanns).

The first delivery was a disaster because the panel was cracked in several places. My other 50in 2010 Samsung had the same issue with the first delivery. So be warned that Samsung is not packing these sets well given their thinness. Another bummer was the set is made in Mexico and not Japan or Korea.

However that has been it. The picture quality is superb in 2D with all sources. Even SD looks good. The speakers are not great on the set but are serviceable.

This TV loves HD sources! You will be amazed. There are four HDMI inputs.

TV is very thin with a dark grey bezel (not the 8000 titanium).

I have not tried 3D yet. Waiting for glasses to lower in price and to get a 3D Blu Ray player.

All plasmas buzz to some degree and volume level. My set buzzes when a show is paused (DVR), but can't be heard otherwise. Some buzz so loud others return is (common plasma problem) - it is a crap shoot.

Important notes:
- make sure to update the sets firmware to the latest version (1025+), this will improve the 2D and 3D.
- break in the set by running a variable signal for 25-50 hours (constantly moving images - no ESPN) this will help reduce Burn in problems
- consider updating the set to C8000 model via the service menu, you will get all the 8000 features for free (like Cinema Smooth)

This tv is by far an awesome tv. i have had it for 3 weeks and am blown away by the video quality. all the apps and everything are awesome. the quality is almost too real for anyone to get used to but no complains there. One thing you definitely do notice the first time you watch any hd content is some kinda juddering in the images. it is distracting. i contacted the support center several times and they had me try different settings on the tv, none of which solved the issue. at this point a service technician is coming out to check and tv and see what he can find defective. if he can't solve the issue i might think of sending the tv back. sad but i dont want to just put up with some issues after paying a heavy price tag. please be aware of this issue. i dont think samsung themselves are aware of this issue and no how to fix it. if they are able to fix it i will post an update to this reivew. try to hold off on buying for now.

I bought this TV for my husband as a father's day gift. So it was purchased about 3 months ago. Here is my full impression.

Picture
At the store:
When I was walking around in the store I saw this TV with Avatar going on it and right next to it was the equivalent non-3D Samsung in addition to all the other TVs. There is a huge difference in picture. The best way I could describe it is, it looks like a very high def documentary. What the sales guy said about that crisp effect is that since the TV is built to do so much heavy work for 3D, the 2D benefits in it's picture as well.

I did NOT buy this TV to watch anything in 3D, I do not even own the glasses because they give me headaches. The picture quality in 2D is simply that good. The only times I've had issues with how anything looks on the TV it has always been from the source. Low quality TV show output. Blue Ray looks incredible.

At home:
At first it took a LOT of getting used to, it's SO detailed and sharp that it really does kinda feel very odd watching this TV. We watched movies we had seen many times before and found ourselves seeing things we never noticed. So there's an adjustment period.

3 months later:
The TV feels natural to watch now. The odd thing is watching any non 3D TV feels like trying to watch TV with early stages cataracts. The biggest overall difference I've noticed and enjoyed is that the content you're watching is very immersive. It's all fleshed out to a dimension I did not expect from TV. I did notice after some time that the blacks in the TV are somehow a LOT darker than the screen when the TV is turned off. A lot of people think this is somehow important so I thought I'd include that.

Technically speaking, I cant find anything to complain about. It's HEAVY!!! There, I complained.

Things to know before you buy!!!
This TV.. is HUGE. Have someplace to put it before hand. We are having a heck of a time trying to find a decent TV console for under 1k to put this on. So if you don't already own a very large TV stand or furniture that can accommodate it, look for something ahead of time.

This TV is HEAVY. My hubby is 6'6" and we are both in decent shape and moving this thing is a task not taken lightly. Make sure you got someone to help move it.

This TV is EXPENSIVE. There are a lot of TV's out there for very cheap that will likely suit most people's needs. We put off buying an upgrade TV for 10 years (drooling over our friend's flat screens and working out bums off to save up for one).
For us, I wanted to reward that patience and fiscal responsibility with the biggest TV I could get my hands on that had the best picture I could find and this was it. I have zero buyer's remorse but I did think to myself after a while, if we had not been saving up to splurge after much sacrifice... would I still have bought this?
The answer was HELL YES!
Funny anecdote. Hubby tried playing The Force Unleashed for an hour and got motion sickness and threw up LOL. It's that immersive!! So don't play video games on it till you have gotten used to it.

This is a great set for the money. It can easily be turned into the 8000 series with a simple service menu hack. All you need to do is enter a few buttons in your remote to achieve this. The 3D is great, and I don't imagine how it could be any better on the Sony or Panasonic. 2D->3D conversion is excellent both with gaming and movies. Do some research and get the proper settings to get the most out of this set. Speakers are fair, but what do you expect from a thin TV?

Using the HDMI input from the Blue Ray player started to produce Red screen after a couple of days of usage.

First I thought the the Red screen is produced by the Blue ray player but later I verified the problem is not because of the Blue ray player, it is because of the bad HDMI input circuitry of the TV. I verified that the Samsung PN63C7000 TV is producing the Red colors anytime I switch to HDMI inputs (It has 4 HDMI inputs, all producing same red screen). I was suspecting the 10-foot "high speed HDMI cable" from monoprice causing the discoloration problem. I connected the same cable to the HDMI inputs of my other LED TV and the screen was good. I used 4 ft "high speed HDMI cable" on both TVs, Samsung PN63C7000 TV produced red colors, the other older LED TV produced the normal colors. When I used my Denon receiver to output signals via the HDMI cable to the any one of 4 HDMI inputs of the TV, I get red screen.

When the TV is in TV mode or Internet@TV mode (Such as netflix, local network, etc.), it displays the channels correctly without any discoloration. I am not sure what caused the TV to go bad in the first couple of days of usage. It may be result of Blue Ray player overheating excessively and producing out of tolerance signals to the HDMI inputs of the TV thus causing the sensitive TV input circuitry to fail.

My PN63C7000 TV suffers from the same Motion Judder issue.
I did not notice any buzzing from my TV that some other owners are complaining about.

See my review for a Samsung Blue ray player overheating problem here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QP41FG/ref=oss_product

8/10/2010 Update: I updated the firmware from 1022 to 1026 using flash memory. Red screen on HDMI video sources diminished a lot but there are still red artifacts rendering the video unacceptable to watch.

I decided about a month ago to upgrade my HDTV. I had a Sony 50" 1080p SXRD rear-projection TV. Great TV. It has served me well for about 4 1/2 years. I decided though that I wanted a 60" or larger flat panel tv so I started the research. First off anything 60" or larger I soon realized was going to run me 2000 dollars or up. I at first wanted an LED/LCD tv but after a lot of research, reading reviews, comparing the pictures in local stores, and speaking with friends/family who own plasmas, I decided on the plasma. To me the Plasmas offered a better picture and a better value than LED. I also got sole on Samsungs after viewing them in store. I did like that Panasonic Viera as well, but it was almost a grand more expensive than the comparative Samsung. So I ordered the pn63c7000 from Amazon.

It arrived within a week, actually 6 days, from when I ordered it. The Shipping company, home direct, called me a couple days before and arranged a time to deliver. We settled on 9am to 1pm and they arrived at my house at 9:12 am. Very nice. They loaded it in the house and unboxed it so I could check it over good for damages. Everything looked great. I let it sit in the house to get to room temperature and after about 6 hours of that, I hooked it all up to my directv and 3d bluray player and turned it on.

Very simple set up, the tv works very well with the 3d bluray player. The picture simply blew me away. I had high expectations for it after viewing it at a local HHgregg, and my expectations were met and exceeded. We were watching something on HBOHD, which is only 1080i and the picture was so large and clear it looked like we were in the same room with the actors. Awesome.

I have heard no buzzing sound that others have spoke of. I have tried to listen for it and have not heard anything. The TV is a bit heavy, about 100 pounds, but not a problem for 2 people to lift into place. I do have some ambient light in the room I have it in, but I don't get any annoying glare or anything. I am doing a 100 hour break-in for it, playing nothing but full screen HD content from directv, no gaming, 3d watching, bluray movies, etc. I'm also being sure to not to watch anything with bars (at top or bottom) during this break-in period. From the research I did, if a proper break-in period is done, the issues of IR and burn in are minimal. The TV does have some built in features to keep IR and burn-in from happening, but only time will tell though.

About the only criticism I have of the TV is the sound, it isn't the best, but I can hear it just fine and don't have any issues with it, although I do plan on setting up a soundbar or surround system to it.

Overall I am, so far, very pleased with this TV, it has the best picture of any tv I've ever looked at in person and is plenty big enough for the room I have it in now (I sit about 15 feet from the TV). For anyone considering a 60"+ TV for under 3k, this is the one to get.

I've had this TV for a little over 2 weeks now. I really like it. Picture quality is amazing, Plasma just looks way better than LCD/LED. I replaced an LCD and I couldn't be happier. 3D was not the reason why I bought it, for now I just think 3D is OK and not worth the extra money. I only got it because of a great deal on the set so I took it.
The internal speakers are horrible, don't count on that as your main speakers if you like audio at all. Definitely get something external. I didn't expect the TV to have great sound anyways as it's only 1.4" thick and barely has room for decent speakers.
It seems to be pretty well built and it's packed with features. The wi-fi stuff requires additional wi-fi adapter but it has an Ethernet port if you have a router nearby.
The only thing I don't like about it is the buzzing. All Samsungs I've seen to date buzz. This one has a directional buzz that only affects those sitting right in front of it and at the exact height too. If you're standing up, lying down, or seating away from center position you can't hear the buzz. I decided to live with it as the picture is so good.
I give it 4 stars overall due to the buzzing and poor speakers. Otherwise it would get a solid 5 stars.

What a GREAT TV! I'll try to keep this concise. (except for a funny story also)

TV Review info:

Picture quality - AMAZING. I wouldn't say I'm a videophile, but a more than average informed "regular" user. The picture is amazing right out of the box (I haven't even calibrated it yet!). I haven't yet noticed the Juddering issue, and I believe this is due to having the latest software update. I've watched TV shows, sports and video games - ALL GREAT. No slowdowns or refresh issues at all yet.

Design - BEAUTIFUL TV. The brushed black is really a pretty design feature and arguably even better than the C8000 series. The remote control even looks great; maybe not quite as cool as C8000, but still has brushed black finish and raised buttons (which are easier to use). The slim depth of the TV (1.4") is pretty impressive and puts it next to some of the current LCD/LED TVs on the market.

Samsung Apps - Onboard apps are great. This is a great way to consume additional media (Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc). Easy to set up and great for use on such a big screen! It's good enough to not need to use my XB360 or PS3 for these features. If you want more (such as full browsing, use your PS3, hook up a PC or get Google TV).

Speakers - sound quality is decent considering their size and depth of the TV. I would suspect people buying this TV would likely have a home theater set up anyway. Good for most general purposes.

Buzzing - my impression is that all plasmas exhibit some buzzing and the reviews consistently seem to be OK, with a few exceptions of people having buzzing issues. With my own set, I've noticed that if I sit with a direct view at the center of the screen and volume turned 2 or lower, I notice a VERY SLIGHT buzz. Turn the volume up or don't sit quite that way, and it's NO problem.

3D - I haven't tried the 3D yet....(debating whether I'll even keep the 3D glasses starter kit). Will update once I try if anything notable (good or bad)

Even though I didn't try the C8000 TV, my guess is that the C8000 would appear better in some regards, but only when the two are side by side - based on reviews, I think the "Real Black Filter" from the 8000 series would make some difference, but it's probably more noticeable to true videophiles. Otherwise the C7000 TV is a GREAT TV, and for the difference in price, I am more than confident to recommend that anyone purchasing it would be very happy and satisfied with it.

On a fun note - I have to give this as a note of praise to my fiance and encouragement to men/women out there dating (hopefully inpspiration for those dating and considering marriage). While dating my now fiance, I lobbied hard that it seemed unfair that women got a ring, while men didn't get any gift in return (such as a nice watch or sweet TV). My fiance argued that men get "the woman" - that should have been enough. I respectfully disagreed and indicated that conversely, women get "the man". After some thorough discussion and raising the issue in front of some of our close friends.....I was told to stop bringing it up if I ever wanted a chance for that to come true. Fast forward...I proposed in late August this year and then just recently (week of Thanksgiving), she informed me of her intention to buy me a large TV as my engagement gift. The only other concession was that I had to pitch in for a new TV stand to go with it (of her choosing). Fast forward a few more weeks and we now have this TV!

Men - may this serve as inspiration that you seek equality in the engagement process (and get a cool gift too)! :)
Women - may this serve as an example that it seems fair for men to get something too when he proposes to you :) :)

I purchased the PN63C7000 to replace a 50" Sony. Set up was simple (Amazon delivery no longer does anything except plug it in...) and the picture out-of-the-box is exceptional. The 3D glasses (non-rechargeable battery type)seem to shut themselves off during some scene changes. I suspect that this is an under-designed "battery-saving" feature intended to shut the power to the glasses when 3D is turned off. The glasses have a small "on-off" button above the right lens, but you can not easily tell if the glasses are on.

The TV will also permit 3D viewing of virtually any broadcast programming and this feature works surprisingly well. The current set of Samsung apps for Internet programming is still quite limited, but expanding. YouTube and Pandora Radio work well and seemlessly with cable. Allshare connects my Samsung Captivate phone with the TV for nearly instant photo/video transfers, but the video does not operate well.

There are some comments about the weight of the TV, but at 98 pounds with a 63" screen, it is just slightly heavier than comperable LCD TVs. It weighs about 30 pounds less than the old Sony 50" it replaced.

After extensive research, I am convinced that the combination of quality, features and screen size make this TV a best buy. Amazon price (November 2010) was $2849 and included a 3D Blu-ray player, two 3D DVDs and two sets of glasses.

The first panel arrived cracked -- this was a shipping problem. The second worked long enough for the kids to watch the included 3D movie. The second day the set wouldn't recognize any of the inputs -- it was 1 day old so it was sent back to the distributor. The third worked for 31 days -- then went black. The repair folks from Samsung have just left the house and the TV doesn't work. They replaced every board -- it will now produce a picture but the picture is green.

During the 30 days that it worked the picture was great. We enjoyed both standard and 3D programming. But, not much good while it sits black.

I'm not looking to buy another Samsung anytime soon.