snk97's Full Review: Samsung HPT5054 50 in. HDTV Plasma TV
An impulsive purchase that I didn't regret... yet.
50" plasma for $1500 at circuit city.
Samsung has delivered a high quality tv at a low price compared to other big name in the industry like Sony, Sharp, Phillips etc. Although I have heard that plasma will cause burn and image retention when exposed to still image or video games for an extended period of time, none of that had happened to me yet. First of all, I don't play games, neither do I stay in front of a tv for more than 2 hours at once. Second of all, the only thing I watch is sports.
So here's why you should get this TV if you're in the market for one...
1. picture quality is great. I am not an early adopter - I do not need to own the latest and the greatest. Blue ray has amazing picture quality when played on a 1080p TV, but cable or satelite TV are broadcast in 1080i or 720p. I see no need in paying a premium of $700 to get a 1080p tv (samsung 5084).
2. I do not own a PS3, HD-DVD player, Blue ray player. I do have HBO/Cinemax/Starz in high def from comcast.
3. Viewing angle is awesome. I don't know about LCD as I do not own one. But this is defintely viewable even from the far side.
4. Speakers are sort of okay. I have no complains about it, but I'm no audiophile, if you need better speaker, you're better off with a good set of home theater system.
5. Sleek design and shiny black finish.
6. Menu is easy to navigate. Again, I'm no genius in this department. If I can set it up, most people should be able to do so.
7. Contrast ratio is 15,000:1 - I don't know what it means, but the sales person at circuit city said the higher the number, the better picture quality it will deliver. Colors are vivid and bright.
8. The stand shivel about 30 degrees to both direction, works great when i'm in the kitchen and wants to keep my eye on the game.
9. Plenty of inputs. 3 HDMI, 2 Component, 1 PC Input
10. Did I mention it's 50" for $1,500 ?? amazon has it for $1,529 with free shipping as of 11/01/07.
if you have doubts, purchase it locally at your local store, make sure you read all the fine print on their return policy. Some stores charge a re-stocking fee. Hope my rambling here will help give you that little push to go out there and get a 50" plasma. Football will never be the same again with HDTV (you'll need to subscribe to High Def programming through your cable/satellite provided)
The bad thing about it - I can't seem to find a matching TV stand that cost less than $200. If you shop around, you'll find that the price of a decent looking TV stand will get you a 32" to hang on your kitchen wall.
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