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| | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 119 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 88 found the following review helpful:
 Love My Samsung! Apr 19, 2011
By ThisIsMyPenName
I picked up the Samsung 51" D550 from Sears on the 12th. I'd only discovered the TV online a couple hours before buying it. Always wanted a Samsung and once I saw it in the store, I was sold. Had to have it.
Received a pair [2] of Samsung's new 3100 3D glasses. [Will write a separate review for those.] Beware, this TV is HUGE. I swear, it didn't look this big in the store.
Picture Quality is outstanding. Break-in isn't necessary. I ran slides for a day before using the TV regularly. No IR at all. Blacks are deep and rich, Colors are rich and life-like. I haven't had it professionally calibrated, just using settings I've found on the AVS forum and tweaking them to my likes.
Settings are very, very customizable. SD programs are good. Soft at times but very watchable. Of course, HD/Blu-Ray/DVD content is out of this world. Audio is surprisingly excellent. Very clear and loud. I rarely go up above 11.
Also no buzzing. I heard a slight noise when I set the picture settings to Dynamic but it isn't an issue since I won't be using. [That setting is too bright and saturated for my tastes.]
3D is also great. I don't really have much experience in this area since this is my first 3D TV. There was no ghosting, trailing, or halo-effect. Same for the 2D to 3D conversion. I watched Avatar converted and the actual Tron: Legacy 3D blu-ray and both films look great.
For anyone who loves the "Soap Opera" effect, Cinema Smooth works great. I love the effect so I've left it on.
Overall, it's a great TV. Very happy with the purchase it. Great plasma. Lush colors, Deep Blacks, 3D, and great SD/HD quality.
49 of 50 found the following review helpful:
The best you can get for under a grand Jul 12, 2011
By Gooner4Ever
I was in the market to upgrade from a 37" LCD and after much deliberation, soul searching, and navel gazing I decided that the PN51D550's size and features were too good to pass up. I'm not really a 3D kinda guy but I have two young kids so the inclusion of that particular bell and whistle was non-negotiable. Considering that Amazon had it for around $950.00 including shipping, well that was just too good to pass up. Log into the account, whip out the credit card, light a novena candle to ensure safe shipping and hope for the best (and it shipped just fine.)
So far I've had this machine for about a week and I must say I've been relieved and ecstatic at my decision. I'm about fifty hours into breaking in the thing (I know, I know, unnecessary perhaps but I'd much rather err on the side of caution) and it's been a love affair from the get go. Like most HDTV's, watching stuff in standard def isn't pretty but it's passable. The real beauty comes when watching stuff in HD, when everything just comes alive. Blacks are inky, reds are redder than Lenin, and the images are clean enough to eat off of. If you've ever wanted to count the lines on Gordon Ramsay's face you've come to the right TV.
Because I'm still doing break in, I haven't watched any BluRays on it yet, but I'll edit my review once I get around to doing that. I also can't comment on the TV's native audio quality because I have this hooked up to a receiver, which I'd highly recommend for anyone in the market for one of these. These sets were made to be complemented by 5.1, 7.1, or 7.2 channel systems. If you are planning on doing the receiver thing, just remember that this particular model does NOT support the ARC function so you'll need an optical audio cable as well as an HDMI cable when hooking up.
EDIT, 7/16: After sheepishly remembering that BluRays with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio won't show black bars I tested out a few and the results were mesmerizing. The blacks on THE DARK KNIGHT were obsidian, as they were on TRON:LEGACY but alternately the vivid whites, oranges, reds, and yellows on that film were exceptionally vivid and incandescent. I also played a few laps of GRAN TURISMO through a PS3 and it was an out of body experience. It was like the textbook definition of every color being displayed, and with no visible lag whatsoever. Astonishing. I'm coming close to the 100 hour point and I can't wait to check out 2.35:1 stuff.
I don't believe in giving out calibration settings because I believe that no two TVs, and more crucially, no two TV owners are going to see the exact same thing the exact same way but I will say that once you put the PN51D550 in Movie mode about 95% of the calibration is done, at least to my peepers.
Regarding issues of buzzing, I've haven't heard any emanating from my set. I keep the set's volume at zero and let my receiver handle the audio but even when I have to rely on the set's native audio (like when I play the Wii) I hear no buzzing. Either I'm one of the lucky ones or my hearing is even worse than I thought it was.
Another issue I've read about the PN series revolve around brightness pops, or fluctuations, that occur, especially when watching darker scenes. I have noticed these on occasion but they tend not to bother me. You have to have a sharp eye to notice them for they usually last for a split second before the set self corrects. When watching movies famous for their dark cinematography, like THE DARK KNIGHT or BLADE RUNNER, I've noticed maybe five or six brightness pops each viewing. Not nearly enough to bother me nor to inspire a brightness pops drinking game.
As for glare, yeah, it's there. You might want to consider in advance where you're going to place this baby because in the middle of a sunny day with the blinds and drapes open this thing does a killer impression of a mirror. I've found though that when I sit off to the side a bit (and this TV has an amazing viewing range, like most plasmas) the glare is much less noticeable. When you're viewing at night and don't want to sit in complete darkness, consider placing your lamps either to the side or slightly behind the set to avoid or reduce glare.
All told, I can't think of another major name brand TV that brings together the best combination of size, features, and quality for under $1,000. At this (admittedly early) stage, I can honestly say that this is the best TV I've ever had the pleasure of owning.
SON OF EDIT, 9/15: After two and a half months, I'm still smitten. A couple more thoughts to share:
1. I cannot stress enough the importance of a break in period so all those cute little plasmites can burn evenly. I was watching the special features on the TAXI DRIVER blu ray when I stupidly fell asleep during one of the Scorcese interviews (you know you're REALLY tired if you can fall asleep to him talking.) Of course after the interview ends, the disc goes back to the main menu which has bright yellow cursive graphics all over the place. Two hours later I woke up, ejected the disc, turned off the PS3, and found some faint burn in on the blank, black screen. After smacking my forehead in self punishment, I immediately turned on an HD movie channel and let THE RING run for about five minutes. When I turned the box off to check on the screen, voila!, burn in gone. A little preparation goes a long way.
2. SD content looks a bit better now, though it's obviously no match for blu rays or 720p, or those rare 1080p, broadcasts. Watching stuff on channels like Antenna TV or TV Land is a lot less messier than it was when the TV was right out of the box. If have streaming services like Netflix or Hulu+ the quality varies. Newer content, especially on Hulu+ looks and sounds outstanding, but older, grainier Netflix content looks appropriately disastrous. Well mastered DVDs played through a PS3 look terrific.
I'm still insanely happy with this set. Not for nothing do I refer to it as The Third Child.
31 of 32 found the following review helpful:
Great 3D TV for the money! May 27, 2011
By Shoe
After doing extensive research, my wife and I decided on this TV. For under $1k, it was one of the cheapest 3D plasma on the market from a reputtable company. It also has cheaper 3D glasses as well compare to others. While most 3D glasses costs around $150 per pair, it was only $50 per pair for this Samsung from Amazon or other retailers. We have watched regular 2D movies to 3D and everything is great! It even does a great job of converting regular 2D movies/shows into 3D. I could not have asked for a better TV at this price.
One feature that I really love about this TV is that it has an anti-burn program which prevents burn in. I did not know that this TV had this feature until after I bought it which is big plus since I sometimes play a little video game with the PS3. Another really nice feature is that it will automatically detect when you have a 3D signal and change the screen to the 3D setting. It will also send a signal to the glasses allowing them to be turned on. In fact the feature is so great that you will not even be able to turn on the glasses until a 3D signal is available. A very good feature with the 3D glasses for this TV is that it will automatically shut off after 30 seconds of not receiving a 3D signal so you do not run the battery down. The TV will also convert 3D to 2D if you get tired of 3D viewing.
My only warning is that if you will be putting the TV in a room with a lot of light, you will get a lot of glare due to the glass screen. For a brighter room, you may/will want to go with an LCD. If you are planning for using it in a dark room, this TV will knock your socks off. The colors are some much more vibrant compare to an LCD with the same signal and resolution. I have an LG LCD 1080P which has a great picture but this plasma blows it away with how rich and vibrant the colors are.
Things to remember if you are planning on watching 3D Blu-Ray movies with this TV:
-3D capable Blu-Ray player like a PS3
-HDMI cable (go with the best you can afford that can send 3D signals/data)
-3D glasses (you will need one pair per person)
22 of 23 found the following review helpful:
Close enough to perfect for me. May 31, 2011
By James E. Butler
My last TV was a 56" Panasonic LCD RP . Good set, but wanted to try 3D and a highly regarded plasma. The only thing negative about this set is glare can be a problem. I realised this could be the case and took a chance. Is it intolerable? Not really. I just thought it might not be very noticeable. The picture otherwise is so darn incredible I will learn to live with it and frankly am starting to get use to it, which means obviously it's not that bad. There is a adjustment period coming from a bright flashy LCD to a plasma. At first you might not appreciate the quality of the picture this set produces. There is also a significant improvement in the picture with break in. Would I exchange it for a quality LCD now that I have had some time with it? You would have to pry the remote out of my cold dead hands. 3D performance is incredible. Glasses can be bought from Amazon.com for less than $50.00 a pair and are light weight and reasonably comfortable. The range of these Blue tooth glasses is over 25' in my environment and ghosting so far has been a no show. The 2D-3D up conversion is pretty darn good most of the time and is definitely not a gimmick. The buying experience with Amazon and Electronics Expo was outstanding. No glare and the set would be perfect, but it's close enough for me.
30 of 34 found the following review helpful:
Great TV for an even greater price Apr 26, 2011
By R. Edwards
Pros: Bang for the buck! Does what it is supposed to do. BIG, good sound, great 3D, comes with two pairs of glasses, great picture adjustment controls, attractive dark glass bezel as opposed to cheap plastic, light weight, etc...
Cons: Screen glare, may not be suitable for some extreme sun mounting locations. Acceptable in my bright two story living room and west facing wall.
Bought a mid-grade LED for $2,100. Sure the picture had more "pop" but even after making all the adjustments; athletes running (esp baseball players running in the outfield) had a haze around them, even a little off center viewing turned blacks into grays, had to turn off the 240Mhz due to jutter, did not include 3D glasses, etc. All unacceptable for a TV over $2k. This mid grade plasma was $1,600 at Best Buy and included 2 pairs of glasses and blows away the equivalent grade LED. You will not be disappointed. Awesome for sports. Even the wife loves this TV!
6 Month Follow-up= ZERO complaints or regrets. No buzz, no-break-in required, nothing but pleasure and quality straight out of the box.
One year follow-up= still ZERO complaints or regrets. Life is good!
See all 119 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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![Samsung PN51D550 51-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV (Black) [2011 MODEL]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G-sqAqz1L._SL250_.jpg "Samsung PN51D550 51-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV (Black) [2011 MODEL]")
