Samsung PN58A650 Review: 58″ Plasma HDTV

Up for review: Samsung PN58A650. The new Series 6 Samsung PN58A650 Plasma TV offers a true theatre like experience with its scintillating image quality on its huge 58 inch screen. Its Touch of Color Bezel exudes elegance through the “rose black” finish which makes a bold style statement perfect for any kind of room décor. Although similar in many ways with the earlier Series 5 Plasma model PN58A550, the new PN58A650 is still a better choice as it’s equipped with many extra high-end features. With “Full HD” 1080p carrying a native resolution of 1920 x 1080, the new Samsung PN58A650’s picture quality speaks for itself. Its natural True Color 18-bit color processing delivers the accurate color plasma displays. And the x.v. Color support further produces natural-looking hues. A whopping 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 16:9 image aspect ratio takes care of the color contrast to produce deeper black levels.

Samsung has introduced an innovative anti-glare filter technology with this Series 6 models. The Ultra FilterBright™ feature of the new PN58A650 boosts contrast in brightly lit rooms. As a result, even during daytime viewing, images don’t look washed out. With a price of around $3,799.99, the new Plasma makes an expensive buy, but with so many advanced features, it’s worth it.

Samsung PN58A650 Features and Specifications Review:

General
Product Type: 58 in Plasma TV
Technology: Plasma (PDP)
Digital Television Certification: HDTV
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Display Format: 1080p (FullHD)
Image Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Color Depth: 18-bit color
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1000000:1
Viewing Angle: 175 degrees
V-Sync Rate at Max Resolution: 60 Hz
Additional Features: FilterBright, On-screen menu, Anti-glare filter, Touch of Color (ToC), Video noise reduction, DNIe(Digital Natural Image engine)

Audio
Sound Output Mode: Stereo
Surround Mode: Yes
Sound Effects: SRS TruSurround XT
Audio Controls: Balance, Equalizer
Equalizer: Yes (5-band)
Speaker(s): 2 x Right/left channel speaker – Built-in – 10 Watt
Additional Features: Balance control, Auto volume adjustment

Video
Input Video Formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Supported Computer Resolutions: 640 x 350 , 720 x 400 , 1360 x 768 , 1440 x 900 , 1920 x 1080 , 640 x 480 (VGA) , 1024 x 768 (XGA) , 800 x 600 (SVGA) , 1280 x 1024 (SXGA)

TV Tuner
Analog TV Tuner: NTSC
Digital TV Tuner: ATSC
Multi-channel Preview: Picture-in-picture (PIP)
Stereo Reception System: MTS
Secondary Audio Program (SAP): Yes
Video Interface: HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite
PC Interface: VGA (HD-15)
USB Port: Yes
HDCP Compatible: Yes

Connections
Connector Type: 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) – Side , 3 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) – Rear , 1 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Side , 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) – Side , 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) – Side , 1 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Rear , 1 x VGA input ( 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) ) – Rear , 2 x Component video input ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Rear , 3 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) – Rear , 1 x Audio line-out ( RCA phono x 2 ) – Rear , 1 x Digital audio output (optical) ( TOSLINK ) – Rear , 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) – Rear , 1 x USB – Side

Weight & Dimensions
Dimensions With stand: Weight 141.1 lbs
Height 36.5 in
Width 55.9 in
Depth 13.6 in

Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support: 1 year warranty

Samsung’s innovative Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) technology makes it compatible for any kind of external connectivity. Regardless of the input signals used, this technology guarantees truest colors and highest contrast by virtually eliminating digital artifacts. However, the Picture-in-picture (PIP) multi-channel preview feature is a bit irritating to operate. You have to go into menu option to get PIP and you can not swap picture directly.

Connectivity is no issue with the new Samsung PN58A650 as it’s equipped with 4 HDMI v1.3 inputs including 2 component input, 1 S-video and 1 composite video input. An additional PC input (to operate the Plasma as a computer) and RF input is also there to access cable signals. A side USB port is also there to facilitate the access of digital photo or MP3 player.

Samsung’s innovative Infolink™ RSS feeds help access live info on stock, weather and other market update right on your TV with the built-in Ethernet port. Equipped with the Dolby® Digital sound quality including the SRS TruSurround XT technology, the new Samsung PN58A650 produces optical digital audio output. So in all aspect, it’s a very good performance Plasma TV.

YouReviewElectronics.com gives Samsung PN58A650 9/10 stars!