Samsung PN50B550 Forget LCD! This plasma is the one!

I did alot of research on Plasmas versus LCD. My main uses were going to be to watch hi-def movies and tv programs. No gaming, no PC use, nothing else. I ended up getting this plasma locally at a national retailer (abbrev. FM) for $899 + tax!

I went all over locally comparing the picture quality of LCDs and plasmas (though plasmas were much harder to find) and I could not believe the difference. True, this really depends on how they configure the settings in the store (if they do at all) but still, I could clear see a difference in clarity and color.

One thing I was worried about was heat and power usage. I have heard plasmas produce alot of heat. Well, yes, mine does get warm to the touch but it's not like it's a heater or anything.

Also, I took into consideration the viewing angle. We have 2 sofas at extreme angles to the tv and the picture still looks awesome! LCDs - forget about it. If you go past 30 degrees off center in either direction, so start to see the colors and contrast fade. This really go to me.

Also, as for image retention. This set does have a pixel shift feature built in. Just make sure it's on with each source! I have read that the first 100 - 200 hours are when plasmas are more susceptible to burn-in. Be aware and take as much precaution as you can.


I would say if you are looking for a good way to display hi-def movies then take a close look at this set. I am not disappointed with anything so far and would highly recommend this set to anyone.

Samsung PN50B550 Superb picture!

This TV doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive sets, but the picture is absolutely stunning! Excellent with cable HD and DVDs. I haven't listened to the speakers, since I have a home theater sound system. Delivery was a bit of a hassle, since the first one I got had a big dent in it, so I refused delivery. But another one arrived in less than a week in great condition.

Samsung PN50B550 WOW!!

Just my quick 2 cents:

The audio (or lack thereof) that other owners have complained is valid - it is not the best (my older Sony LCoS 50" TV has better sound).
But no videophile buys a TV for the sound, and even for regular users - why would you spend over $1000 on a nice TV just to use its attached speakers? You are buying a TV, not the whole home theatre. Don't be cheap, just get a nice audio system along with it.

Easy solution - turn on the surround sound option (SRS), and the audio becomes more than adequate.

Otherwise, this Samsung has the BEST picture of all the TVs I've ever owned, hands down.
Plasmas have come a long way since its 1st generation - it is now able to produce 3 million to 1 contrast ratio (as opposed to 60k:1 for LCDs), and a 600Hz refresh rate (as opposed to 240Hz for the best LCDs).

There is not much more to say - the picture quality is simply stunning.

For this price, you can barely get a 40" 1080p LCD.

If you want to buy the best available technology, don't go for a 240Hz LCD, get a LED TV instead (to me it beats plasma). But for the value, I don't think any other type beats this TV (I got mine at BestBuy for $1100).

Hands down, a MUST BUY!

Samsung PN50B550 Happiness

This was the second HD big screen Samsung I bought in 2 years; the first was a 56" DLP and obviously wonderful enough to seal my decision to stick with Samsung. The deal I got (both times) from Amazon was simply incredible, with their several-hundred-dollar discounts, free shipping & no tax, there was really no second-guessing Amazon. Both were delivered on time by great local distributers, and in perfect condition. The Plasma has an even crisper picture, higher refresh rate, & all the benefits of 2 years worth of newer technology; but they are both exceptional products. As anyone who has purchased a big screen HDTV knows, you talk about it a lot, both before and after the purchase, with seemingly everyone. I've never once heard (first hand) anyone disappointed with Samsung; in fact I believe they are without question the way to go, especially when coupled with the value & reliability of Amazon.

Samsung PN50B550 Great TV for the money!

I've been watching this for almost 20 days now and have only one issue; its already 100 bucks cheaper than I paid for it.
I've heard that the sound is not great on this set. I only use the TV speakers for watching regular TV and not blurays movies since I have a separate surround sound system, but it seems ok to me. I did have to mess with the graphics equalizer a little to get it to sound right, but on the virtual surround sound it is quite impressive.
For a while it looked like the color was running a little too red, but after about 1 week of watching it seemed to cool down a little. I don't know if that's normal or not, but the color and sharpness is just breath taking. I have a 32 inch HDTV in the family room and my wife wasn't too impressed with the bluray movies we watched on that, but she was mezmorized by the images on the 50 inch PN50B550 and so was I.
'Its almost like 3D' she kept saying over and over again. I just smiled. HDTV is really something now, I can't even imagine going to the family room to watch it anymore.
If you got a tight budget, and are eager to experience Hi Def, this is the way to go.

Samsung PN50B550 Outstanding, as expected

This is my first HDTV, but I did spend a good couple months shopping around and studying up on my features, pros/cons, etc... First of all the picture is beautiful, but hey, that's to be expected. I love the ample HDMI ports, and as it turns out, the swivel stand ended up being a pretty awesome feature. Plasma is plasma, and there's no getting around the fact that you're going to have some reflective glare if there is a bright window or light behind you. So, in our livingroom at around 6pm when the sunlight is beaming in the side window, we just swivel that baby a little to the right and viola! No glare. I'm also a gamer and despite the fact that my 360 is an older model that uses component instead of HDMI, it still looks gorgeous. I'm dusting off old games that I haven't played in years and it's a whole new experience! I should also mention that I was concerned about the big plasma TV being hot. Some of the floor models I've seen almost turned me off of plasma because they let out noticible ambient heat. But I haven't noticed that at all with this set. Very happy. Help oth

Samsung PN50B550 worth the wait

This is a great TV. I was torn between buying last years model the pn50a vs this years pn50b. I decided to get the newer one because its supposed to use half the energy. The pn50B is dramatically cooler to the touch, front and back than last years model.

Picture quality is amazing. The colors and clarity from blue ray and HD Comcast programming in my house is better than I have seen on most other HD TV's at the box stores.

There is more glare on the screen than my old HD Sony tube it has replaced.

Overall, I am very very happy with this plasma and highly recommend it.