Samsung PN58B850 Review

Just saying that Samsung PN58B850 is a top of the line plasma TV may seem like an understatement, if one just throws a single look at it. With its 1.2 inch depth in frame, that makes it look elegantly thin from the side, this series from Samsung is considered to have delivered the best looking plasma of the year. For a Samsung plasma TV, Samsung PN58B850 comes fully packed with all the fancy features of a high end product, like Picture in Picture, the ability to connect to the Internet, and the 600Hz subfield motion technology, aimed to match the 600Hz subfield drive from Panasonic, the direct competition. All in all, this 58 inch plasma TV is worth a second look, if you have the money to spend on it, despite the fact that its performance matches the previous series from the same manufacturer.

The only difference between PN B860 series and PN B850 series is the presence of a manual option for 1080p/24 mode and an extra calibration setting on PN B860.

We’ve made this Samsung PN58B850 review short, covering only the most important aspects. If you want to read more about PN58B850 you should also check Samsung PN50B860 review. Everything there, with the exception of what I said above, applies to this model as well.

At a Glance

• 1080p Full-HD native resolution
• Contrast ratio: 3,000,000:1 (dynamic)
• Anti-glare filter: Ultra FilterBright Plus
• 24p cinema mode
• USB
• Ethernet
• WiFi
• Internet@TV
• Picture In Picture
• Wide Color Enhancer Pro

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Good black levels
• Very accurate colors
• Very good video processing
• Solid standard definition processing

Cons:

• No S-video input
• Relatively expensive because it is slim
• Anti-glare performance is good but other models are better

Performance

Even if it does not match the performance of Panasonic top of the line products, Samsung PN58B850 does not come short in terms of performance. Its black levels are more than decent, the colors are as accurate as they come, and its video processing capabilities are solid. The owner of this particular plasma model will get to watch anything they want on their HDTV, be it Blu-ray discs, regular DVD’s, 1080p, 1080i video sources, or standard definition channels.

Black Levels

The best levels of blacks ever seen on a HDTV in 2009 belong to the latest series from Panasonic, but Samsung manages a second place, with pretty nice blacks. The performance in this area is about the same as for a 650 model, the novelties of the 850/860 series relying mostly on fancy features like the slim design and the Picture in Picture mode. Shadow detail performance matches the one of black levels, and it is nothing to complain about.

Color Accuracy

Samsung PN58B850 impresses the viewer through its crisp accurate colors. As opposed to its competition that still may encounter some color accuracy issues, the primary and secondary colors on Samsung PN58B850 are nearly perfect, and better than any others on a plasma TV released in 2009. If you are a fan of incredibly saturated colors, then you may be inclined to choose a Panasonic plasma, but this feature is influenced by the deep blacks their models sport.

Video Processing

Samsung PN58B850 can compete easily with the V10 series from Panasonic in this area. The 1080p/24 cinema mode works without a glitch and its overall high definition processing capabilities are solid and reliable.

Standard Definition

No artefacts are seen on Samsung PN58B850 when the TV is fed with standard definition video sources. Noise reduction features are also very sturdy, and even the experienced eye won’t notice any jaggies or moire in the scenes displayed on the screen.

Conclusion

Displaying competitive image quality and a high tech design, Samsung PN58B850 is addressed to people that do not mind spending extra for the looks. The performance matches the representatives of the 650 series from the same manufacturer, so basically, the difference in price is justifiable just through the work put into delivering a cool looking design.