Review by Jason K for Samsung PN50C450 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)
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I got this tv on sale the day after it arrived in stores for only $720 and I could not be happier with it. The picture is fantastic right out of the box. As with all plasmas, make sure you take the break in period seriously by turning down the contrast and brightness a bit for the first 100-200 hours. I’ve also been running the anti-burn in scrolling feature for about an hour a night when I go to bed and have yet to notice any sort of image retention although I haven’t played any video games on it yet.

There’s a lot of chatter about these Samsung plasmas having an annoying buzzing sound coming from them but I have yet to notice it. Maybe I just got lucky with mine but it runs very quietly.

Review by D. Bryant for Samsung PN50C450 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I purchased this set at Best Buy for $719 + tax about 1 week ago and have been very happy with it thus far. I’m not gonna lie, I was hesitant to go the 720p route; I don’t want to be the one paying to be at the front of the tech curve, but I also don’t want to be the one purchasing something that is soon to be obsolete. Luckily, our Best Buy had this 50′ set at $719, the Samsung 50′ 1080 plasma step up at $1300, and a 46′ 8000? series edge-lit LED LCD Samsung at $2100 all side by side for easy comparison. The comparison ended up making my decision easier.

Picture – all in store picture settings so probably not apples to apples, but I noticed considerably more sharpness in the LCD than either of the two plasmas. However, colors looked deeper and “popped” more on both of the plasmas vs the LCD. The 1080p plasma unit was a tad sharper than the c450, particularly noticeable when viewing up-close and when it showed black lettering on a white background. You could see a smoother edge on the lettering in the 1080p set at close distances. In my home, broadcast HDTV (I use an antenna for locals, I do not have cable/dish) looks fantastic on the c450. Analog signals even look passable, and better than my 32 in Vizio LCD. I do not yet have a Blu-ray player; a PS3 is in my near future, but I do hook up a PC to the TV occasionally (Hulu,etc is my cheap cable). How the PC and blu-ray would look were my main 720p vs 1080p concerns. The PC looks great; I expect no problems with blu-ray. Regular DVD looks fine. I relied on multiple professional and private reviews noting that the difference between 720 and 1080p is minimal at a 50′ size, unless you are close (less than 8 feet)to the set. If you are sitting beyond 8 to 10 feet the extra lines of resolution are virtually imperceptible to the naked eye. You will have some techies swear to the grave that this is not the case, but use your eyes, not the specs to decide. Bottom line: some 1080p sets look great; some 720p sets look great. The bigger in size you go, the more 1080p will distance itself from 720p, all other things being equal. Somewhere between 42 to 50 in, the 1080 difference begins to become noticeable. For me, the extra $600 for a comparable 1080p at this size was not worth it. For some, it is. I’d give the picture a 4/5. I was perfectly happy with the picture on my 32 in Vizio LCD; now it looks below avg to poor in comparison.

Glass – one of the biggest negatives of the c450 is the highly reflective screen; probably a driver of the lower price point and the fact that its plasma. Its glass is highly reflective; more so than the 1080p plasma was in-store and like a mirror compared to the LCD. Turn off the sets when you compare and you’ll see the stark difference. Think about where your putting your TV. My den gets below average sunlight. The outside light source comes from behind the TV, but it still casts some reflection on the screen in the day time. I have a lamp across from it and it just should never be turned on while you are watching TV; causes way too much reflection. If you have a lot of windows in your room, you may want to look at another TV option rather than the C450. My sister has an older 50′ HP plasma with a wall of windows opposite of it and its almost unwatchable during the day. In a dark room, it is not a concern and the glass gives a crispness to the picture that the LCD matte finishes don’t, IMO. Overall, glass is a 3/5 but don’t push it in a room with a lot of light.

Styling – I put this TV on a side wall in my den and the side of the TV is seen when you walk in, so styling was a factor for me. I wanted as thin as possible within my budget. The C450 is a 2.7 in deep 50 in HDTV; one of the thinner standard width sets you will find (3.5-4′ more common) Between the three sets I directly compared, the 8000 series won this category again with 1.2′ thickness, and a sharp looking glass edge trimming the monitor. However, the c450 and the 1080p plasma both have a nice looking, relatively thin, profile as well. I do wish that the c450 was trimmed in a matte, rather than a glossy finish. The glossy finish is reflective. Overall, i’d give styling a 4/5. 5/5 at this price point.

Inputs – The C450 has 3 HDMI’s, 2 component, pc input, USB port for media viewing. See the Amazon specs for the complete input listing. It does not have an S-video input, but one of the component inputs doubles as an RCA jack, so if you have multiple older components to hook up, you could use an RCA splitter. IMO, if you’re in the market for an HDTV and still have alot of older non HDTV components, save some money, go less expensive on the HDTV and buy some new components. The picture upgrade you’ll get from new components is far more beneficial than what you’ll get from a higher end HDTV. Enough inputs for me and it gets a bonus for multiple component inputs. Most just have 1.

Value – Price was a big and probably the primary consideration for me; winner hands down; el cheapo C450. Ultimately, you give up some features, but I did not see enough picture quality and feature differences to justify the jump to the 1080p plasma at $600 more. Good value, good picture for your buck. Definitely a 5/5 regarding overall value.

Other items-

No internet apps. Was a consideration for me, but underwhelming reviews ultimately made it a non factor.

Remote – the c450 remote is average at best. Its infared, and not super responsive. Keys are not backlit.

Menus – orderly menu system, decent channel guide, relatively robust picture quality controls, including white balance, and multiple auto and sensor driven brightness options. Buzzing problem – my c450 does not buzz…there is what I would call some very high frequency electronic noise, maybe this is what people have complained about. I have a relatively small room, listen at low volume levels, and it has not been a factor for me.

TV Stand – screws did not want to go in straight no matter what I did; after 30 minutes messing around with a screwdriver, I used my drill and hoped for the best; they worked their way through the hitch in the threads and fastened. Stand does not swivel like some, and TV does not seem overly sturdy. Comes with a cord to fasten to the TV and screw in the wall to help keep it from tipping.

EDIT #1: I am noticing significant picture judder, in certain situations. Several specific commercials during the NCAA tournament, as well as live action. At first I thought it was my signal as I am using an antenna, but it happened consistently at the same time during the same commercials each time they aired as I was watching bball. I have experienced this on both NBC and CBS; both broadcast in 1080i. I have not experienced this on Fox or ABC who broadcast in 720p. I’m guessing it is a scaling/upconverting issue. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Samsung customer service was no help. Best Buy wasn’t either, other than they said I could return it. I’m contemplating that option, but I really like the TV otherwise. I’m hesitant to purchase another C450. I’m not sure if it is a defective processor, or just a side effect of a processor that isn’t always up to the scaling task.

EDIT #2: Due to the aforementioned judder issues on 1080i signals, I took the C450 back to Best Buy yesterday. I ordered another and will post an update once it gets here later this week. The picture quality for the buck was second to none. It even dropped to $699 and I got $20 back with the order. Hopefully, the judder issues will be gone, and I do not get a “buzzer”. My first one did not have a buzzing issue. Samsung has not completely remedied the buzzing problem on their plasmas per several other reviews I have read. It appears to be a hit or miss problem.

EDIT #3: After nearly a month on my second model, the judder issues are still present on CBS which is broadcasting in a 1080i signal. It seems to get worse if I have “Film” mode on, as well as darker and/or fast moving scenes. However, it seems to be primarily limited to that one channel, so I’m once again wondering if its a channel signal issue. I’m perplexed to say the least. But, I’ve decided to keep the television, as the picture quality for the price is unmatched in my opinion.

Review by Dana McCann for Samsung PN50C450 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)
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i purchased this TV at Fry’s Electronics in Houston, Texas the day that it came out. First off, I already own a Westinghouse 42 inch LCD, a 32 inch Sharp Aquos, and another Samsung 32 inch that I have in my daughters room. I thought that I was seeing the very best that I could until I purchased this television. I really and truly didn’t go into Frys’ to buy anything, yet when I saw the price I thought why not, I wanted a larger screen for the den anyway, and if I don’t like it I can always return it. I want to say that I wish I could return the other 3 sets that I have. The colors are absolutely beautiful right out of the box. I could not believe how much that I had been missing when watching movies and Bluray. I am a member of Bluray.com, AVSFORUM, HIDEF, Sound and Vision Etc. I have researched LCD, LED, PLasma, DLP, so on and so forth. My family has an entourage of Samsung products. This 720P set blows them away. I can discern the difference between the 1080 and 720 at about 3 feet. I sit 10 feet away from the screen, and I can tell you the only thing that I have seen with my own eyes better than this, after spending countless hours at MODA and other Home Theatre stores from Houston, Texas to College, Station Texas is the likes of the Pioneer Elite and the line up from Panasonic Plasmas’ that best this set. This is an entry level Plasma, without all of the bells and whistles that gives you a beautiful picture every time you turn it on. Now for the cons: the higher the contrast, you hear the buzz, but only when you are not using a surround sound system. Does it have Netflix, etc? No, I can get that over my PS3 and my Xbox 360, Does it have PIP? No, I get that with DirecTv. I am completely satisfied with my purchase. Oh, forgot to mention that it comes with the 3D sync out, so all I have to add is a transmitter,the glasses and wait for the Sony PS3 3d update, and I’ll be watching movies in 3D by early summer. Now how do you like that for a budget TV?