Samsung PS50Q97HDX Plasma TV

Samsung is making no secret of their desire to conquer the HD flat panel arena, and has lined up no less than six new ranges – encompassing both LCDs and plasmas – to hit the market from April 2007 onwards.

Consumers have lapped up these new offerings from Samsung like there’s no tomorrow, largely due to competitive prices. But make no mistake, these inexpensive panels still manage to deliver admirable quality that is comparable to most television’s in the market.

The Samsung PS50Q97HDX is part of the company’s continued commmitment to its plasma TV division. Weighing in at 44kg and spanning 4 feet in width, the Samsung PS50Q97HDX is not something to be taken lightly. For the safety of your lower back and the panel, it’s best to enlist the help of another person to set it up. Fortunately it comes with the swivelling stand-base already attached, so it’s merely a job of lifting it out from the box to place it on your TV stand.

The PS50Q97HDX is fitted with Samsung’s patented Ultra Filterbright anti-reflective film which works by absorbing external light and allowing internal light coming from the TV to pass through. If you’re expecting LCD-like matte quality, you’re going to be severely disappointed because all the Ultra Filterbright did was to dampen the reflections.

The screen is framed by a now-ubiquitous piano black bezel that widens at the bottom to accommodate Samsung’s logo and round power button at the centre. A chrome strip which extends forward a quarter of an inch along the whole bottom of the panel differentiates it cosmetically from the Q96 series. Sandwiched between this chrome strip and the power button is a blue LED that can be lit either when powered, during standby, or all the time.

The oval swivel base is finished in gleaming black, nicely complementing the bezel. Unlike the LE40M86BD LCD, the glossiness does not extend to the back of the panel, but I would have appreciated a couple of handgrips tacked on there to make lifting this beast easier.

The Samsung PS50Q97HDX has enough connection interfaces to satisfy most viewers. At the rear in a recessed compartment lie two HDMI, one VGA, two Scarts, one component and one RF connection. Here you can also choose to output analogue or digital (optical) audio from the plasma TV.

An S-video, a composite, one additional HDMI port and a headphone out jack complete the bundle of connections found on Samsung PS50Q97HDX. On the right side you will find a few control buttons whose functions are duplicated on the infrared remote.

Samsung’s PS50Q97HDX in conception was pitched directly against Panasonic’s TH50PX70, and there are many of you out there who may have a short list of these two plasma screens. The all round performance of the PS50Q97HDX is notable in that it places it firmly in the same class that the best Panasonic has to offer.

Again, the first thing you will notice about the Samsung PS50Q97HDX is the truly stunning black level performance. On a screen of this size, the results are truly breathtaking. Blacks never looked blacker, but it is the subtle graduation of the darkest scenes to the shadowy that we liked so much.

As with the PS42Q97HDX, it looks like Samsung have sorted out their niggling colour problems with the PS50Q97HDX. On previous Samsung Plasma screens, skin tones have looked decidedly green around the gills with a colour imbalance in this direction. Not so the PS50Q97HDX which shows a colour composure that is hard to match for a 50in plasma. The depth and richness of colours is impressive, and skin tones now look natural in all situations.

The Samsung PS50Q97HDX was made for High Definition (HD). The depth clarity and detail displayed is truly remarkable. Hook up a HD DVD player and be prepared for the most compelling movie experience this side of your local cinema. Samsung’s motion compensating technology does a first rate job with motion sequences and will bring gasps of delight from onlookers. The shear involvement of this level of HD performance has to be experienced to be truly appreciated.

The Samsung PS50Q97HDX will be judged ultimately on its purpose. If it becomes the centrepiece of a full blown home cinema system, it is probably the class leader by a whisker. The HD performance is simply stunning, and is at least a match for anything of this size out there.

Sources:
http://www.unbeatable.co.uk
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk
http://www.ps50q97hdx.co.uk