Samsung PN64D8000

Pros: Black level when new; Color saturation/accuracy when new

Cons: Screen (anti reflective/real black filter) peels away on almost every single panel manufactured; Black level lightens (worsens) as it ages; Color saturation/accuracy worsens at it ages.

Summary: In spite of the fact that I had to exchange this television three times within the first two weeks after initially purchasing it -- I go into detail about why I had to exchange it multiple times below --I originally wrote a glowing review for it. The sad fact of the matter is that I didn't wait long enough to write my review. I just had a junk out exchange approved by Best Buy. They picked up my fourth and last D8000 today. These D8000 sets all experience the screen peeling -- more information below -- issue. They all experience their black level becoming much lighter and worse as the panel ages. And as a result of their black level worsening (becoming lighter) the color saturation suffers a great deal.

Obviously, the screen peeling issue is the biggest problem. Faulty engineering or manufacturing has led to practically every single D8000 (and D7000) panel in existence experiencing the peeling issue. This is completely unacceptable. If you have just purchased this television new, please check in the top right, top left, and on the entire top edge of your panel. If you see any bubbling, peeling, or anything similar, and you are within the timeframe for returns being allowed, you probably want to return this and buy a different television.

I'm hoping that most of the users on best buy will click on the comments and see this, because I am going to talk about what is obviously the most important information to be aware of before purchasing this set. I was overzealous, and wrote my review before I had to chance to see if this television experienced problems over time. I've never owned a Samsung that had it's performance deteriorate over time, so I didn't think I had any reason to believe the performance of this TV would. I was gravely mistaken.

Please go to avsforum online and look at all of the threads regarding the infamous "screen peeling" issue. You can just search for the model number, it will take you to over a thousand posts, with dozens of pictures of 64" and 59" D8000 panels peeling away. (The 59" and 64" D7000 models are also experiencing the same problem). Right now, you're saying to yourself, "A plasma panel is glass, it can't peel away." You're right, it's not technically the screen that's peeling away. The A/R shield/Real Black filter is manufactured right into the glass panel. It is this -- anti reflective filer/real black filter -- part of the panel that is peeling away on what is believed to be about 90% of all D8000 (and D7000) panels.

I've personally had three of them with the screen peeling problem. The first one I received back when I initially purchased this television had the screen peeling away on the top edge a little to the left of the middle of the panel. I figured it was just an anomaly or a fluke, and that it was nothing to worry about. The second one I received was made with such shoddy engineering/manufacturing that the best buy delivery guys couldn't even assemble to the stand. They tried everything they could, and the best they could do was to strip out the screws trying. When they placed it on my entertainment unit, it was wobbling to the point that it was clearly going to fall off. They wouldn't even leave it at my house. They brought out a new one, and low and behold, after two days, the top left corner was peeling away. I exchanged it for my fourth set, and that one was okay for two months. Best Buy finally approved a junk out exchange on Monday of this week, and my shiny new 65" VT30 arrived today. I'm going to hold off on posting a review until I have given it at least a month to see if it has any issues.

This problem typically manifests itself on the upper edges of the panel. Look at the top right, and top left corners, or all along the top edge of your panel if you have a 59" or 64" D8000 or D7000 Samsung plasma this year. Chances are, you are going to see the screen (anti reflective/real black filter) peeling away. Almost every single panel is doing this. I've spent hours on the phone with Samsung, as well as hours on the phone with Samsung repair technicians. I even spoke with a friend that owned a D8000 that had received 5 replacement panels, with all of them having the screen peeling issue.

On top of the screen peeling issue, these D8000 panels also have black levels that lighten (worsen) over time. If you want additional information, just check out cnet's review of the D7000. In that review, just go to the performance details, and look at their spreadsheet of 2011 plasma aging, and how it is affecting the black level performance of the plasma's they are testing. The black level of the D8000 has became essentially twice as light as it was when they first tested it for their initial review. They haven't had time to test the D7000 again, but they say that they expect the black level of the D7000 will also become much lighter as the panel ages. On the flip side, the Panasonic plasma's are actually experiencing black level improvement as their panels age.

The D8000 also experiences a worsening of color accuracy/saturation as the panel ages. I witnessed the colors drifting and changing so much over the course of time that I owned my last D8000 that I had to do a completely new calibration after about a month.