The Samsung PN64D8000 HDTV Latest Review
For 2011, Samsung released the edge-lit LED UND8000 series and the Plasma PND8000 series as its flagship HDTVs for the year. The Samsung PN64D8000 3D TV is part of the latter, and manages to live up to its reputation having a picture quality and 3D performance that outshines the rest of the competition.
Style
The crux of the PN64D8000′s design is that it has a wider screen along with a narrower bezel – only 1.2 inches wide, to be precise. The gap between the panel as well as the frame, which sports a glossy titanium finish along with a transparent edge, has also been decreased, creating a seamless look similar to that of many LCD TVs. From the side, it is also very sleek, measuring just 1.5 inches thick, though it is much thicker if you include the shiny quadruped stand, which swivels from side to side.
The remote is also among the most innovative available – a clicker doubling as a Bluetooth-enabled QWERTY keypad, and does not have the pairing problems of the UND8000. The clicker has distinct, backlit buttons while the keypad has a small screen so viewers will not have to keep checking the screen. The side not being used is automatically locked by a built-in intelligent sensor, stopping the keys on the other side from getting pressed by mistake. The menu on the screen is very user-friendly, too, with big text, helpful hints accompanying main menu items and new opaque blue background.
Screen/Picture Clarity
The PN64D8000 delivers the deepest black levels of any Samsung Plasma, a item perhaps of its Actual Black Filter picture enhancement and Local Contrast Enhancer functions. Color accuracy, is also at its very best, setting the bar for the rest of the competition, while color saturation was also outstanding.
Even 3D content is handled very nicely by this Samsung HDTV, while handling content from 1080/24p sources is not a problem, either, although the CinemaSmooth mode has to be engaged, which may lead to lighter blacks. This mode gives the very best motion resolution, too.
Functions
The PN64D8000 is really a Wise Tv, which indicates it is among the Samsung HDTVs equipped using the Wise Hub applications platform, the most comprehensive of its type. Aside from getting a web browser, it also gives the Skype capability, access to content from providers like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and Pandora, and widgets for Facebook and Twitter. The model also comes using the very best picture controls available, which includes a full color management program – some thing which is certain to satisfy even the most stringent videophiles, and a lot of connectivity options, beginning with 4 HDMI inputs, one component video input and one composite video input.
With its stellar performance and eye-catching style, the Samsung PN64D8000 proves to be among the very best in the class of plasma tvs these days and may even be Samsung’s very best HDTV to date. Although costly, those who want that additional dimension to their viewing encounter are certain to find the added expense worthwhile.
