When I think about describing the features of the Samsung PN50A760, I imagine this truncated conversation with a simple repetitive answer.
It goes something like this, "Does it have Internet RSS service?" Answer, "It's in there."
"Does it have photo..." Interrupted by, "It's in there."
"Does it have net..." "It's in there."
"Does it have..." "Yep, whatever feature you think a current high end HDTV should have, it's in there."
Of course, the most important and fundamental feature that's in there - in this beautiful 50" plasma - is superior picture quality, among the best that I have ever seen.
In fact, I am so impressed with the rose-hued HDTV that Samsung has produced that I am presenting the PN50A760 our Editor's Choice Award, which is our highest honor.
(Editor's Note: Samsung also makes a 58" version of this 760 line, the PN58A760, and a 63" model, the PN63A760. They have similar specifications to their slightly diminutive sibling and this review can be applied to them also.)
Performance: 5.0
I know when I go to CES next month that I might see some hot-shot new HDTV with better picture quality. But from what I have seen of the current crop of TVs, this Samsung PN50A760 is rubbing elbows with an elite few at the top of the heap.Features: 5.0 I haven't seen as many features packed into a TV as this plasma has. But if they are hard to use, then they just aggravate you. The Samsung designers have done an admirable job of integrating the features into a non-threatening package. You will want to read the manual just to find out all that you can do with this HDTV. Ease of Use: 5.0 I don't like the term "intuitive" to describe interfaces. One person's intuitive is another's ass-backwards. But I did find the mechanics of using the myriad features fairly straightforward. I'm not saying that there is no learning curve, especially when connecting the TV to your home network. But first and foremost, it's a TV. Turn it on and enjoy.Value: 4.5 
For its high performance and extended feature list, the price of the Samsung PN50A760 seems in line with the marketplace. But in this 2008 holiday shopping season, the HDTV market is in a bit of a free fall. Even with this top of the line 50" plasma, Samsung is currently offering a Christmas rebate. If you decide that you cannot live without all the high end components that the PN50A760 offers, then this would be an opportune time to acquire our Editors Choice Award winner.
Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.When you look at the product shots of the Touch of Color PN50A760, you can't miss the red accent that graces the top and bottom of the glossy, glassy black frame as well as the TV's base. In our cave-like testing facility, the hue is more of a hint since it is not internally illuminated.
Just below the Samsung logo, the ring on the base does light up. Though if you are not the flashy type, you can turn it off in the Setup menu. There's also a melody that greets you when you turn the TV on. If you like to run silent, run deep, then you can disable it also.
I just discovered that the ring also serves as an On/Off button. (The wonders you learn when you put down the remote and read the manual.)
In the past, plasmas had gained a reputation for highly reflective screens that glare in a brightly lit room. To address that situation, plasma manufacturers are employing anti-glare technologies in their displays. Samsung calls theirs Ultra Filter Bright and it works quite well.
I'm not saying that you won't see a glare from a lamp placed directly behind you, but the reflection is muted. And when the TV is on, you shouldn't notice it. If you do, I suggest that you move the lamp or turn it off.
Speaking of moving, even though its body is about four inches deep, the PN50A760 weighs over 102 pounds and requires two strong backs to safely lug it around. The TV does swivel on its stand about 40 degrees left and right, which gives some flexibility on where you place it.
On the left side of this HDTV is a small convenience connection panel with one
HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI input, one Composite Video In (with a stereo Audio In), one headphone jack (stereo mini) and a WiseLink Pro input, which is Samsung's name for a USB 2.0 port, where you can access photo files (JPEG), audio files (MP3) and movie files to play on the TV.
The rest of the connections are just around back and facing out for easy accessibility. On this panel are three more HDMIs (with one stereo Audio In matched to the HDMI 2 input), two Component Ins (YPbPr) with stereo Audio Ins, one VGA PC input with an Audio In (stereo mini-jack), one stereo analog Audio Out, and one digital Audio Out (optical).
The one RF antenna connector links to integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.
For those concerned about the DTV transition coming up, the ATSC tuner is the key. With the proper antenna, you will be able to tune in digital signals broadcast over the air.
In the middle of the panel is the EX LINK connector. If you have the PN50A760 attached to a wall mount bracket that has a motorized swivel, then you can adjust the TV viewing angle using your remote control through the EX LINK cable. (On the 58" and 63" models, the EX LINK has different functions.)
Of particular note on the back panel is the LAN port, which connects the TV to your computer network and Samsung's InfoLink Service. Combine these conduits for content with the WiseLink and you realize that the Samsung PN50A760 represents the future of HDTVs with multiple ways to access different types of programs.
For example, with the TV hooked to the Internet through the LAN port, you can tap into the InfoLink Service, which displays windows that overlay weather, news and stock market information on top of the regular TV program you are watching.
Samsung has also preloaded programs on to the TV in their Content Library. Press, what else, the Content button on the remote control, and you can choose from four categories, Gallery, Cooking, Children and Fitness.
The programs are in a slide show format. Take the recipe for Caesar Salad in the Cooking section. The first page is a colorful close-up image with the ingredients listed on top. The next page is the first step in the recipe.
Browsing through the choices I was impressed with the production level and the utility of the information. Samsung even offers more content, (with a promise of a Games category to come), that you can download from their website onto a USB storage device that can be played back from the WiseLink port.
Topping off your ways of feeding content to this TV, the LAN connection can tap into your home network and your computer can directly send photo, music and video files to play on the PN50A760.
I applaud Samsung in their implementation of all these disparate technologies. I'm not saying that you won't have to do a little work to install all these features, but the designers don't construct roadblocks.
The manual and guides are clear and the interfaces are easy to use. And I definitely appreciate the one-button access to many of the menus. You want to activate InfoLink? Just punch the Info.L button on the remote.
When you first pick up the remote control, you can appreciate its ergonomics as it balances in your hand. But the thoughtfulness in design extends even further.
As Mike Wood, the Test Manger at Samsung's QA Labs America, informs, "If you press the remote's Lightbulb button, it activates the gyro so that the remote lights up whenever it moves. The remote will stay in gyro mode until you press the button again, at which point the light, and the gyro function both go off."
Also, those of us who didn't grow up with an iPod grafted to our palm may not notice that the red selection dial actually spins.
The PN50A760 does offer both Picture-in-Picture and Picture-outside-Picture capabilities with controls for sizing and positioning insets. You are limited in the combinations of sources. Quoting the manual, "You can view TV broadcasts on the PIP screen (sub-picture) when the main picture is from an external device connected to HDMI 1,HDMI2/It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI, HDMI 3, HDMI 4, Component 1, 2 or PC." Curiously, the remote doesn't have a dedicated PIP button. You need to first hit the Tools button.
The EPA is now publishing a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. Since this endeavor only started in November 2008, the list is not expansive and though it does include a number of Samsung LCD and microdisplay models, it does not list the PN50A760 plasma.
Therefore, we reverted back to our process of measuring the power consumption of our review units, which is straightforward. We plug the TV into a watt meter, called Watts up? Pro, and take a simple sampling of readings during the playback of a full screen video clip.
When you initially set up this TV, one of the first choices you make is whether you want Store Demo mode or Home Use. The manual suggests Home Use with Standard as the default picture mode. Store Demo defaults to a much, much brighter and power hungry Dynamic.
In our test, Dynamic gobbles up between 460 and 580W. After we adjusted Standard to our preference, the meter reading ranged between 320 and 360W.
In addition, we sampled readings at the Movie Mode default settings and found a similar 320 to 345W range.
Samsung also provides a three setting, (Low, Medium, and High) Energy Saving feature, which darkens the picture. Though when we turned it to High, I didn't notice a big difference in brightness when the room was dark. During the day, at the High setting, the picture did look a little anemic. The power consumption reading of our Standard mode dropped about 40W to a range of 280 to 300W.
Finally, we turn off the TV and measure how much power it is using. The meter dropped to zero almost immediately after we switched it off. When we turned the TV back on, it took about ten seconds to display a picture, which is not bad.
The manual does not state power consumption numbers, but if we used 350W as the On Mode Power number and .5W as an estimate of Standby Power Consumption, then we could calculate the Estimated Annual Energy Use based on the formula that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19. After doing the math, our unofficial Estimated Annual Energy Use would be 642 kWh/year.
You need to check your electric bill to see how much you are paying for a kWh. The national average is 10.4 cents. Doing the multiplication, at that rate, the yearly energy cost to run the PN50A760 for five hours a day would be $66.79. (Once again, this is not the official Energy Star rating.)
To calibrate the TV, we use the the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics. We are playing the DVD on a Pioneer BDP-94HD Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.
We use the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution of the PN50A760.
Since in the initial setup, when you pick Home Use, the TV defaults to the Standard picture mode, that's where I began. Samsung also offers Dynamic and Movie presets.
In the last year, I have come to appreciate how manufacturers are tuning their Movie or Cinema mode. I definitely suggest that you check the Movie mode out and see if it pleases your eye. But to start, I chose Standard.
This plasma provides a Cell Light setting. Though functionally different, I compare it to the Backlight on LCDs. Mike Wood explains, "Plasmas limit the average picture level (APL). The Cell Light function lowers the point at which the panel starts limiting the light output." If that reads like Greek to you, just leave the Cell Light setting at its default.
Next, I set the Color Temperature. On the PN50A760, the feature is called Color Tone and it's located in the Picture Options sub-menu. I picked Normal. When in Standard mode, you have two other options, Cool1 and Cool2 (blue and bluer). The Warm1 and Warm2 choices are only available if Movie mode is picked.
With those tasks completed, I work through the test patterns. I really didn't labor over the basic adjustments. From the default settings, I left Brightness alone and dropped Contrast a bit. I lowered Color (Saturation) a few notches. Tint (Hue) was unchanged.
Sharpness ranges from 0 to 100. When I push it above 20, I start to see unwanted fringing around lines and numbers.
Samsung has a great feature in the Picture Options sub-menu called Blue Only Mode. Turn it on and only the Blue signal is displayed. If you feed the TV a Color Bar test pattern, you can adjust your basic settings without the need of a blue filter.
For most TV owners, making these basic adjustments will yield a totally satisfactory image. Actually, with the PN50A760, the picture quality is magnificent.
If you are a videophile or you simply must tweak, the Detailed Settings sub-menu supplies all the tools required to keep your remote thumb twitching. I suggest that if you decide to explore controls like Color Space and White Balance, that you make notes of the basic changes that you have already made. If you venture too deeply and the color goes catty whompus and you need to resort to clicking Picture Reset, you can quickly re-establish your settings.
A few other notes on setup. First, if you like the idea of selecting the Movie mode, but it's just a bit too warm for you, I found that if you change the Color Tone default from Warm2 to Warm1, it makes a noticeable cooling difference.
Let me add a comment from Mike Wood, "The Movie mode is geared towards providing the most accurate image. The Warm 2 color tone is calibrated to be closest to D6500, the most accurate color temp."
Not to confuse you, but the Samsung designers have added a feature called Entertainment mode, which you access by hitting the E.Mode button on the remote control. The manual states, "The Entertainment mode enables you to select the optimal display and sound for sports, cinema and games."
When you pick one of the three options, Sports, Cinema or Game, the picture controls lock in to default settings that cannot be altered.
How this Cinema mode differs from the Movie default is not clear. Sport seems to be somewhere between Dynamic and Standard. Game is described as "This mode accelerates the playing speed when using an external game console connected to the TV."
Finally, I believe that you, yourself, can tune this TV to quite pleasing levels with a few simple adjustments. But if you hire a professional calibrator, he or she can create specific day-time and night-time viewing modes to ensure optimal picture quality in any setting.
I could shower you with technologies with impressive names like next-generation DNIe Pro video processing and 18-bit Natural True Color. And I could astound you with statistics like a 1,000,000:1 dynamic Full On/Off contrast measures the ratio of the light output of an all white image (full on) and the light output of an all black (full off) image. 2) ANSI contrast is measured with a pattern of 16 alternating black and white rectangles. The average light output from the white rectangles is divided by the average light output of the black rectangles to determine the ANSI contrast ratio. When comparing the contrast ratio of video devices make sure you are comparing the same type of contrast. Full On/Off contrast will always be a larger number than ANSI contrast for the same video device." class=gloss>contrast ratio - yes, one million.
But the long and the short of it is that the Samsung PN50A760 delivers a perfectly lovely image - picture quality that will make plasmas around the world heave their chests in pride. When watching this HDTV, I occasionally catch myself quietly exalting, "Damn, that's good looking."
This is the sort of TV that high definition DVDs want to date. The HD DVD of Casablanca was B & W sublimeness. The Blu-ray of Speed Racer was Technicolor dazzlement. Need I gush more?
I connected my laptop to the TV with a VGA cable. Since the PN50A760 has an Ethernet connection, most people will never need to use the VGA port, but I figured I might as well try it. I was able to set the video card to output 1920 x 1080. The results were great and made me want to clear my desk so I could fit a 50" plasma computer monitor on it.
The audio quality of the pair of integrated speakers was good, but no match to the video. This plasma really deserves a dedicated 5.1 surround system.
I don't mean to dismiss the sound out of hand. For everyday use, it suffices. The Equalizer and the SRS Surround features allow you to adjust and expand its scope. But, the PN50A760 can serve as a dynamite centerpiece for a home theater and you should complement it with an equally robust audio system.
Combining superlative picture quality with an exhaustive feature package, the Samsung PN50A760 rises above its competition and earns our Editor's Choice Award.
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