vallumlj

I am looking for a 50" tv and have just saw this at bestbuy.

After quidco and using the discount code this tv comes down to £418

Samsung - Samsung PS50C450 50" Plasma HD Ready TV - PS50C450B1WXXU - Best Buy UK

Is it worth for that price. It seems a still.

I know it is only 720p will only be using it for sky sd/hd

Leslie

It says it shows 1080p as well, maybe it upscales it. Looks pretty good for the price I have to say. I think Samsung is reliable enough although I have not had one of that make.

I would not get a tv which could not accept 1080p thinking ahead to full HD when it arrives.

Les

Ant

it'll be a printing error , it will do 720p and 1080i which sky is anyways

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Bearing in mind most places are selling the 42" model of this thing for around the same price, it does seem like a pretty good deal. Performance-wise, I think the equivalent LGs usually rate slightly better on black levels, colour-accuracy, and lower image-retention, but it's still a very passable set for the money.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

This is a 720 line TV, on a 50" is not worth it. Pixel size is too big in that screen size (especially if the room is too small).

Remember because it says it can do 1080, doesn't mean it has 1080lines. This is a 720 line screen that can downscale a 1080 signal into 720. "HD READY" is not "FULL HD". This is the trap many fall into when turned on by a lower price.

If it were sub 42" and cheaper, a 720 line screen would be fine.

Look at the LG 50PK350 its only £559 and is a genuine 1080 line Full HD TV. (note the letter "K": 50PK350 avoid the 50PJ350 as that is a 720 line TV ): http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/lg-50pk...867&xtor=AL-78

Alternatively, look at the Panasonic TX-P46S20 or Samsung PS50C530

jods

From Which: 42" Info - maybe indicator of expectation for 50"?

You can expect to find this entry-level TV - a 42-inch HD-ready plasma from Samsung - at a competitive price. It's easy to use and fairly energy efficient for a plasma TV, but if you're after the best picture and sound quality for your money, then look elsewhere.

The picture is no better than average, and certainly not comparable with the best LCD and LED sets we've seen from Samsung. The screen is very reflective (not that unusual for a plasma TV) and standard-definition pictures are spoilt by some awful colour bleed (colours appeared misaligned and sometimes appeared slightly to the left of the image). There's a lack of fine detail and we spotted jerky motion on our panning test sequence, though Freeview pictures actually fared a little better. The soft finish gives Freeview a warm, natural feel and the viewing angle is fine, which means the picture doesn't fade when viewed from the side.

However, if you're after a big screen for watching high definition, forget about this Samsung. The HD picture is simply not up to standard. It looks too soft for HD and our Blu-ray test disc revealed some jittery motion. Fine detail is too coarse and the screen far too reflective to make for a rewarding watch.

The built-in speakers delivered a satisfactory performance in our tests. The sound is surprisingly dynamic and clear, though the bass feels too thumpy and higher frequencies sound slightly unnatural. Our experts' only serious quibble was the irritating background buzz.

This TV is generally easy to use, mainly thanks to some practical design touches, though it isn't without it's fair share of niggles. The EPG and remote control are well laid out, but we found it hard to tell whether the touch-senstitive controls on the TV had been pressed properly or not and the remote is a bit too long.

This Samsung doesn't have all the latest features (internet access, media streaming, Freeview HD tuner) and is missing some of the basics we'd expect to find as standard. For instance, it has only one Scart for connecting to standard-definition kit (such as a DVD player or VCR) and, though it has three HDMI inputs for HD equipement, we uncovered a glitch with the widescreen switching.

There's a digital optical output for connecting to surround-sound systems, but it has no dedicated analogue stereo output for connecting to a hi-fi. You can connect to a PC and turn the TV into a computer monitor, though the only supported resolution is a 4:3 (non-widescreen) format. It has a USB port for connecting a camera, camcorder or MP3 player (so you can view photos, video or listen to music), but we found it stretched 4:3 images to fill the screen.

On the plus side, the TV supports audio description (AD), an additional narrative for visually impaired people. Helpfully, Samsung has included an AD button on the remote, avoiding the need to delve into a menu system.

This is one of the most energy-efficient plasma TVs we've tested, though it still uses around 50 watts more than an equivalent-sized LCD set. Nevertheless, hats off to Samsung for getting power use down to around 145 watts when switched on, 104 watts with energy-saving mode selected and just 92 watts with the ambient light sensor switched on in a dimly lit room. Screen blanking is impressive too, cutting power to below 20 watts when the TV's tuned in to digital radio. We also liked how you can adjust the volume without the picture reappearing (as it does on most sets).

Despite the HD TV logo, this set doesn't actually have a Freeview HD tuner built in.

Pros: Competitive price, energy-efficient

Cons: Messy, overly sharp picture, no Freeview HD tuner, background buzz, lots of feature glitches