Samsung PN59D550

Pros: Good sound, great 3D
Comes with two pairs of glasses
No detectable motion artifacts
Great picture adjustment controls
Amazing price for a TV this size with the features it has

Cons: Screen glare
No analog audio output

Summary: Let me start off by saying, I don't always review products I have purchased, but when I do, they have usually blown my mind. The PN59D550 is no exception, Mind = Blown. I bought this TV November 19, 2011 and I've had ample time to get a feel for the set. This is my review.

I spent months on the internet doing research on Plasma vs LCD/LED and decided on Plasma for my needs (moderate gaming, lots of movie watching). I was lucky to catch this unit on sale with a two free pairs of 3D glasses and I couldn't be any happier.

Once I unloaded the set and opened the box, I was quite astounded by the sheer size of this 59" set. Seeing it set up in store is one thing, but looking at this beast on the floor of my rec-room I couldn't wait to get her up and running. The aesthetics of this particular model are top notch. The bezel is sleek and modern looking and very pleasing to the eye. The set itself is very slim for a plasma set. Now to address some internet inaccuracies, some sites claim less than 4 HDMI ports on this model, but there are actually 4 HDMI ports on the back; however, two are on the "side" of the unit... not more than an inch from the "back" ports. So, to recap, there are actually FOUR (4) HDMI ports. Don't let the internet fool you on this.

It took no time at all for me to get the set mounted on my TV stand and hooked up to my Uverse Box, Xbox 360, and Sony 3D BluRay player (BDP-S570). The picture quality straight out of the box was amazing to say the least when hooked up to my Uverse HD box. As awesome as the picture was straight away, I decided to dial the contrast down to below 50 for the first 150 hours. Now, if you do research on the internet, there are two schools of thought with regards to the need to run 100 - 200 hours of a break in period in order to age the phosphors evenly, and whether or not the new plasma sets are susceptible to Image Retention and Burn In. Some say that the new sets don't suffer from IR/Burn In at all, while there are many forum users who swear they have already noticed IR/Burn In due to static images being displayed for too long. I decided to err on the side of caution and only run full screen HD movies on BluRay, HBO, or any source that doesn't have a static image anywhere on the screen (no logos, or black bars on the top/side). At night and while I wasn't home, I found that "break in slides" which are just 20 slides of different shades of White, Red, Blue, and Green running in a loop from a USB drive, helped me to get through the first 150 break in hours.

Once the first 150 hours were behind me, I searched online for optimal picture settings and adjusted my set accordingly. All I can say is WOW. I'm constantly blown away by the OUTSTANDING picture quality, depth of color, and the way the TV handles fast action with sports (no motion blur whatsoever). The images really do pop off the screen, and I continually can't wait to watch more bluray movies on this TV. The 3D wasn't really a feature I had to have, but I'm glad I decided to go with it. This set displays true 3D content flawlessly and I'm constantly amazed at the 3D images. The set can also convert regular 2D images to 3D. We found this feature to be surprisingly good. The wife broke it in with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt 1 and she thought she was actually watching the real 3D content, not just the 2D conversion to 3D.

Now to address a few of the "issues" that I've read about in doing my research; the sound, glare, heat, buzzing, and fluctuating brightness (brightness pops).

Sound: To start with, the Sound is just fine unless you are some sort of audiophile. I would give it a 4.5 if I were rating that in it's own category. To be honest though, if you are buying a TV of this size and quality, you are going to upgrade to surround sound to get the greatest home theater experience. Just don't expect the sound from this set to blow your socks off right out of the box.

Glare: The Glare on this set is definitely noticeable, but again, if you've done your research you'll know that many of the plasma sets in this price range are going to have the glass screen with no anti-glare filter, so you can expect to see a little glare from windows or lamps that are in front of the TV. In my case, I have a very light controlled room that this TV resides in, so the glare is negligible. If your room is light controlled, then the glare won't be an issue for you either.

Heat: The amount of Heat the set puts off is only noticeable if you are standing 2' or closer to the screen, so it's not like a "space heater" that I've seen some reviewers compare it to. I'd mark this down as a "non-issue" as well.

Buzzing: The Buzzing/Humming had me a little concerned at first, but I have pretty sensitive ears. When the TV is on with no volume on, you can definitely hear a buzzing/humming sound coming from about 2/3 of the way up on the screen. I don't know if I would consider it a buzzing sound as much as I'd consider it a high pitched frequency sound, almost like one of those iPhone or Android apps that you can change the level of the buzzing sound.

It's my understanding that all plasma TV's have issues with buzzing one way or another, some louder than others. While sitting directly in front of the set, approximately 12 - 13' away, I can hear it only slightly if I'm REALLY listening for it. It almost seems that the buzzing is only in a certain 'zone', as if you keep your head at the same level and move around the room, it's like you walk into the buzzing then walk right out of it. When the TV is on at moderate volume (volume value 10 - 12 or higher on the set) the buzzing sound isn't noticeable at all. The buzzing is something that will depend on the user and their hearing sensitivity. I never mentioned the buzzing to my wife just to see if she noticed it on her own, and she has yet to bring it up. Your results may vary with this "issue".

Fluctuating Brightness: Lastly, I have noticed the Brightness Pops/Fluctuating Brightness that people talk about on the message boards and in reviews, but they were so slight that I had to REALLY watch for them. They were mostly noticeable in the first 50 hours of viewing. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the picture settings I've used, but I haven't noticed any of the brightness pops lately.

All in all, after weighing the amazing picture and overall look of this TV against the "issues" mentioned, I'd say that I am 100% completely satisfied with my purchase and I don't think I could ever turn back from plasma and their outstanding picture quality. Hopefully this review will help you make the right decision on your new TV purchase!

*NOTE, I suggest you have to check for best deal before you're will buy it at: Dealsfine.info/pn59d550/

You won't be disappointed with this set!