Samsung PN50A650 Review

In this review we are going to take a look at Samsung PN50A650 plasma TV. In terms of overall quality, Samsung PN50A650 is somewhere between Panasonic PZ800U/PZ850U series and PZ80U/PZ85U series (also from Panasonic). It is a plasma TV that doesn’t excel in any area, while managing to be better than the pack. No matter what aspect we take into consideration, it will not be able to outperform Pioneer Kuro or the high-end models from Panasonic. That being said though, for its price it offers great value. It is cheaper than Pioneer and high-end Panasonic models, so for those of you who must keep an eye on the budget, it is a very good plasma TV to buy.

Specifications

• Screen Size: 50 inch (designated by “50″ in PN50A650)
• Resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p)

Pros

• Great color accuracy.
• Good value for money.
• Plenty of picture controls. Useful only if you want to change the picture to suit your taste, since it offers very good quality out of the box (no need for calibration).
• Very good black levels. Not a match for Panasonic or Pioneer though (see below).
• More than enough connectivity options.

Cons

• Not to great anti-glare screen. You get reflections if you have a bright room. Panasonic and Pioneer have much better anti-reflective screens.
• Black levels inferior to Panasonic and Pioneer models (though better than the rest).
• The “red touch of color” is not optional. It might not suit your taste or room design.

With a Red Touch of Color

Normally, I don’t consider the looks of a HDTV important enough to mention in a review. However, in the case of this model I must point out a few things. Samsung PN50A650, as well as all the models in A650 line, comes with a very distinctive design feature: its frame has a red color. While this clearly makes it stand out, it will not be appreciated by everybody. If you don’t like its “Red Touch of Color” there’s not much you can do. It only comes in red, and if you prefer black you will have to look for other model. Closest in terms of performance is Samsung PN50A550. Though I understand Samsung’s strategy, wanting to differentiate themselves from other brands, I think it would have been nice to offer this model in the usual black as well.

Picture Quality

Picture quality is very good. Samsung PN50A650 has accurate colors out of the box. Unless you’re a pro, I don’t think there is any need to calibrate it. Just choose “Warm 2″ setting and you’re set. The colors, though very good otherwise, are lacking the punch specific to more expensive models like Panasonic TH-50PZ850U and Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD. When it comes to black levels, PN50A650 isn’t a match for Panasonic high-end models, and it is at a long distance behind Pioneer Kuro panels. Even so, it is much better than most of the other plasma TVs out there.

Video processing performance is also very good, Samsung PN50A650 doing a great job with both HD and SD content. When it comes to SD, the noise reduction feature does its job properly, improving the low quality picture. Its efficiency however, doesn’t quite seem to match the one of A550, Samsung or Pioneer.

(In)Efficiency of the Anti-Glare Screen

Compared to all the plasma TV models around, the anti-glare performance of PN50A650 is good. Compared to Panasonic and Pioneer models hoverer, is not that great. Though Samsung has improved the anti-glare coating, PN50A650 handling reflections better than PN50A550, it is still a long way behind the exceptional anti-glare screen of Pioneer Kuro models. If you don’t have much light in the room or you prefer to dim the lights when you watch TV, this won’t be a big deal. However, if you get a lot of sunlight through the window and it hits the TV, or the light bulbs will reflect from the screen, your viewing experience will be affected.

Connectivity and Features

Connectivity

Samsung PN50A650 covers all your connectivity needs. It has four HDMI connectors, one of them being on the side panel. It also has two component video inputs, two S-Video and two composite (one of each on the side panel), one RF connector for antenna or cable, VGA and audio input for computer connectivity and a digital audio output (optical). On the side panel it also has a headphone jack and a USB port.

Anti Burn-In Features

As most of the latest plasma TVs, Samsung PN50A650 has features to prevent it from developing burn-in as well as features to fix (or at least try to fix) burn-in. There’s the pixel shifting feature which moves the whole image around to reduce the chances of burn-in, the possibility to make the sidebars of 4:3 content gray instead of black and two variations of white wash. One of the white wash features completely fills the screen with white, while the other is moving gray bars around the screen (acting as a burn-in eraser).

Controls

PN50A650 has plenty controls for picture. It has three picture modes independent per input and three more which are not independent per input. It also has color temperature presets and white balance, noise reduction, gamma, dynamic contrast, black level adjustment and a color gamut control. You will probably not mess around with them, PN50A650 coming out of the box with very good picture quality. There are more controls than I enumerated here, but I won’t list them all. You can rest assured that nothing is missing, Samsung PN50A650 being one of the plasma TVs that come with a full set of picture controls.

Extra Features

On the side panel, there’s an USB port where you can plug in your memory stick and watch photos from it. It’s a handy feature, and those digital photos really look good on a 1080p display. Aside from watching your pictures you can also play MP3 music from the USB memory.

Compared to Other Plasma TVs

Samsung PN50A650 vs Samsung PN50A550

They are very similar, overall the picture quality being almost identical. The PN50A650 model has an improved anti-glare screen, and though not as impressive as the one in a Pioneer Kuro, it does handle reflections better than PN50A550. Samsung PN50A550 comes with the FilterBright anti-glare screen, while PN50A650 has the Ultra FilterBright. The PN50A650 also has a bit more connectivity options. On the back side it has a 3rd HDMI connector, with the one on the side having a total of four HDMI connectors. When it comes to looks, PN50A550 has a black frame, while PN50A650 has the red touch of color specific to latest Samsung models.

Samsung PN50A650 vs Panasonic TH-50PZ800U & TH-50PZ850U

Samsung PN50A650 is not a serious competitor to any of these high-end Panasonic models. The black levels are not so deep and the colors are not really as deep as the ones of TH-50PZ800U, nor as vivid as those of TH-50PZ850U. Regarding connectivity they are similar, offering plenty of connectors for any home theater setup. When it comes to features, though there are differences, in real life none of them weights enough to push you towards a specific plasma TV. Basically it comes down to picture quality and price – Panasonic looks better, while Samsung is cheaper.

Samsung PN50A650 vs Panasonic TH-50PZ80U & TH-50PZ85U

PN50A650 is overall a bit better than the two Panasonic models. Both TH-50PZ80U and TH-50PZ85U have deeper black levels and more vivid colors, but as a whole I am inclined towards Samsung’s picture. The colors are much better, with more natural tones, and even though the blacks are not as deep, PN50A650 looks better. You can also add to that the extra features that PN50A650 has, and that will weight the balance even more towards Samsung. The difference between Samsung PN50A650 and Panasonic TH-50PZ80U and TH-50PZ85U is not big though, all of them being in the same class.

Samsung PN50A650 vs Pioneer Kuro

There’s no reason in comparing them. PN50A650 is a mile behind Kuro PDP-5020FD from any perspective. If it isn’t a match for Panasonic you can bet it doesn’t have a chance against Kuro. Of course, on the good side, you are required to pay much less for a PN50A650. If it closely matches your budget, PN50A650 is going to be a great choice. Samsung PN50A650 is not the absolute best plasma TV on the market, but still, one of the best.