Samsung PN50B650 user reviews

4.5 stars

"Blows away the Pansonic in side by side comparison" on May 12, 2009 by pastorjdh

Pros: Super blacks, bright whites, fantastic vivid colors without overdoing them. Closest to natural of all the sets with vibrant colors at Best Buy

Cons: Lost some minor detail in the darkest scenes because the blacks were so deep. It was a little hotter than the Panasonics and I could tell it would generate quite a bit of heat in a living room.

Summary: After looking at multiple TV's over and over and over again, for over a month now and reading somewhere close to 50 or more hours online, I would say this Samsung really seals the deal with me. I want the 58" model and hope it will drop a few hundred after it hits the stores and websites in a few weeks. I was at Best Buy tonight for about an hour and a half staring at this 50" model (PN50B650) alongside a new Panasonic S1 series. I could not believe my eyes because of how everyone online rants and raves about the Panasonic. The Panasonic's blacks were mediocre at best and the entire screen turned gray, not black, in between scenes. I changed both TV's to their standard picture settings and compared them for a long time. Samsung blew the Pansonic away in almost every area. The Samsung's blacks looked every bit as black as the Pioneer Kuro sets and the whites were just as bright and colors more vibrant then either it or the Panasonics. Also the sharpness or clarity of the Samsung was far superior to the Panasonic. The flesh tones were slightly better on the Panasonic due to its washed out look but what a price to pay for good skin tones. After being addicted to this site for weeks I am beginning to wonder what incentives these guys have to so highly rate the gray screen Panasonics. High quality? yes I am sure. Superior picture or even close to superior blacks? Not even close! And yes I am aware of the stores lights and how they effect the picture. I can clearly see what the super bright LCD's will look like at home because I have one and realized after getting it home that the brightest settings are very unnatural and eye straining. Now I can readily see the unrealistic colors and skin tones when I look at the LCD's at the stores. I will be watching very closely to see what Cnet has to say about these new Samsungs. I hope they will view them side by side with the new Panasonic S1 or G10 series and give the people an honest comparison. Anyone else who has had time to view these TV's side by side please tell us what you think.

Updated on May 18, 2009

I stand corrected, somewhat. Sorry for commenting as a ?user?. But, the G10 is identical to the S1 besides the internet features and the THX certified picture mode so there could not be a drastic difference in PQ. I do realize that Panasonic's standard setting is not the best and I did try different settings on it as well including its dynamic setting and none of its settings came close to the Samsung's picture quality. Certainly Panasonic would look much different in a dark room and if that is all I was going to use it for then I would consider it further. I would love to see both of these sets professionally calibrated but I don't believe calibration will change the tv's into different tv's, it would simply improve upon what is already there. Calibrated or not I am convinced that in any lighted environment the Panasonic's will look washed out compared to the Samsungs and the new Samsung B, 6 series and above, are better all around sets.

Updated on May 18, 2009

It boils down to old saying, to each his own. I ended my review with a question of what others see when they look at the sets side by side. I hope Cnet does so soon.

4.5 stars

"Fantasic Plasma TV" on June 28, 2009 by av8ferg

Pros: Beautiful bright display. Colors are amazing. This TV brings together so many great features. Samsung hit the mark. Easy interface to all functions. The USB conection to photos, music and videos is really nice.

Cons: Slightly more TV glare than I expected. Using the supplied TV stand makes the TV lean slightly forward. I wish the remote had the capability to program other devices (DVD, Cable etc..)

Summary: I spent over 6 months looking at just about every Plasma on the market. I'm a research freak when it comes to spending my hard earned money. I don't beleive in the statement "You get what you pay for", I prefer "You get what you don't pay for". Which means you can get screwed by just buying the most expensive product, be a smart consumer and do your research. Pay for the things you need and want. 6 months ago I was dead set on the Pioneer Kuro 5020, it was the king from everything I saw. The price was a little more than I wanted to pay, but the TV was beautiful. My neighbor has one and to me the picture wasn't very bright in a bright room. In a dark room the picture was fantastic. The TV also got very hot. When the company pulled out of the plasma TV market that made a statement to me. Why would I buy a product from a company that pulled out of the business. I was then convinced that he Panasonic was the was to go. Nice TV's overall and the 09's are even sweeter. I wanted the V10 or G10 but after beeing the Samsung B650 next to them I wasn't convinced anymore that the Panasonics were hands down better. Everytime I went to look at the TV's the Samsung always looked slightly brighter and with more intense colors. I watched on both TV's (G10 and B650) a scene from the movie Transformers and the G10 just had some minor blurr/grainy issues that I didn't see on the Samsung B650. This is personally preference, you have to go make the choice for yourself. The battle came down to the G10 or B650. The B650 is a way more stylish TV, it has great features and is user friendly. I wasn't sure about the "Touch of Color" of the Samsung but once in my living room it really looks regal. I love it now. The pictures are almost the same between both TV's. Both are awesome no doubt. As for the V10 was it REALLY worth $450 more? Not for me, I'd rather have the $450 for something else. Also as for Panasonic customer service, well I called 4 months ago to order the 50" Z850U from Panasonic because they had a great sale. After dealing with the sales associate on the phone and her attitude I wan't sure about what future service might be like. It really drew me away a bit, she didn't know the product at all and only cared about selling one now. I believe that either the G10 or B650 will make most buyers happy. The bottom line is which is right for you. For me it was the colors, the TV design/style, the USB feature, and the friendly menu system. This is my first Samsung product and so far I'm very satsfied. I paid $1599 for mine. An okay deal, the G10 was on sale for $110 less. Tough choice overall but I'm very happy with my selection.

Updated on Jul 19, 2009

Well after owning this TV for 3 weeks I decided to return it. I still like the TV but decided I don't like plasma technology. I believe this is one of the best plasmas for the money. I don't like plasma as much as LCD, several reasons. Plasma TV's run hot, you can feel the heat walking by and Image retention is annoying. My son would watch the Disney channel and later you could see the Mickey Mouse ears in the lower right hand corner during dark scenes. I would eventually go away but I found it disappointing. I decided to go with LCD. I heard about motion blurr and was hesitant but my new Samasung LN52A850 seems great. I like it much better than the plasma, and the picture quality is the same in my eyes. It was more money but it is on sale now at BB and thought it was a good deal. Samsung makes a great TV.

5.0 stars

"A really great Plasma and for the money, Outstanding!!!" on December 30, 2009 by ccheiser001

Pros: Great picture, even out of the box.
Easy to and many picture tweaks.
Great looking, touch of color.... real class!
Burn-in function and scrolling.
Beautiful colors and deep blacks.
Definition is outstanding.
Excellent refresh rate.

Cons: Cons: Putting the set in the stand a little demanding, but of course, I'm an old man. Put the panel on two chairs with a large gap in the center and have a third person slip the stand on and tighten down.

Summary: I've owned a 50" Panasonic Plasma since 2005, it was CNet's Editors Choice. Gave it to my son. I wanted to check out the 1080p, Cinema Smooth, Internet Widgets and I wasn't disappointed..

I've been building computers since 1988 and I do my homework when it comes to electronics and attention to detail. I've read all the reviews by customers, CNet, Consumer Report on all three brands. They all have their issues, but in my opinion, Samsung wins out in every respect and for the money, Panasonic doesn't have a chance.

First issue I want to address is buzzing. No buzzing at all! Once again, no buzzing at all!! I know Samsung addresses the issue on their website, but it's a non-issue. If you put your ear to the top of the vent, you can hear the fan. The folks who have complained about the loud buzzing, you need to return the unit for another, you have a lemon. But if you check, there are a heck of a lot of people with not issue compared to those who have.

Now to another issue, Burn-in. The first thing you do with any plasma set is TURN DOWN THE CONTRAST. No matter what mode you select the contrast is in the 90s. I cut the contrast down to 45/55, brightness 55/65, color 45, and turn on Burn Protection. You can brings those up as hours accumalate. The other tweaks to your liking. After the burn-in period, knock yourself out!

The Cinema Smooth 1080p/24, no glitches I have noticed. Blu-ray is outstanding and SD is very good. The Internet feature works great with plenty of Widgets, etc. What you do need, unless you hardwire is the Samsung WIS-08BG2X Wireless Link stick, plug it in the USB port on the side, go to the Internet option, select wireless, type in the WEP ID off your modem and your are ready to surf. But if you are looking for some serious surfing, use your computer/laptop. Believe me, you will love this plasma! Hope this helps in your decision, take care.

4.5 stars

"Very Satisfied for the money" on December 26, 2009 by bawj

Pros: More than enough inputs, excellent color, kids catoons really pop on this TV, blue ray movies are outstanding and the HD content on Dish really stands out. No buzzing noise that some have reported, which was my only concern before buying this TV.

Cons: Haven't found any yet

Summary: I had a Panaonic plasma that was couple years old and I wanted a bigger plasma so i chose the Samsung after many months of research on line and comparing them in the local retail stores. I thought the picture was better than the Panasonic G and V series because the pictures where just too dimm on them. Sansungs 850/860 prices are higher then the 650 and the picture is not any better. The 650 was the best value and picture of the group. I also thing for the price you get more features then the equivalent Panasonics. Do your self a favor buy on line and save yourself more money. I bought from an online store that does not make you pay for the TV until it is at your door step and had free shipping.