Samsung PN50C450 50" 720p Plasma TV

[jbbrown]

I am looking into possibly buying a Samsung PN50C450. After reading reviews, the majority seem to be very positive. A couple of concerns I have is some people mention hearing a buzzing sound when the TV is turned on. Also, some mention image burn/retention issues.

I like that this TV has more connections in back than other brands. Panasonic seems to not have these issues as much, but there are fewer connections.

Does anyone have this model or a similar one that could fill me in on this?

Thanks!

 

[BigSmooth]

I have an older version, the PN50A450. Overall I really enjoy the TV. For the price, the PQ is very good - great colors, good blacks. I do get a slight buzzing sound, but I can only hear it at very low volumes, when there is no other ambient noise, and the image on-screen is mostly white or bright colors. It's generally not a problem.

There is definitely no problem with burn in for me, but the image retention is slightly worse than my Panasonic plasma. For example, on the Samsung if I watch an hourlong show in 4:3 without changing the aspect ratio, I will see some IR at the edges of the image for maybe 15 minutes after I go back to something in widescreen. It's not terrible but it's there. I don't really notice this on the Panasonic.

I do appreciate the extra connections of the Samsung, and it gives me more control of the picture settings than my Panasonic does. Both are good TVs.

 

[jtvang125]

Depending on how close you sit 720p may look a bit grainy compared to 1080p with that tv size. When I was looking for a plasma myself there was a 720p next to a same size 1080p playing the same material. At about 5-6ft away I could see some graininess with the 720p. However if you sit farther back than this then the difference becomes harder to see. So measure your viewing distance and go stand about that far way at the store model and see if the picture is acceptable to you. Also if you plan on hooking a computer to the tv, text isn't going to look that great and may be quite hard to read.

To answer your questions, yes there are a few brands and models that have a buzzing noise. I don't really see what the big deal is. If you have the volume up to a level where you can hear it, it'll drown out the buzzing noise anyways. Image burn is almost nonexistent anymore because all modern plasmas use some form of pixel shifting to prevent image burn. There may still be some image retention but it'll always go away after watching a different program.

 

[jbbrown]

Depending on how close you sit 720p may look a bit grainy compared to 1080p with that tv size. When I was looking for a plasma myself there was a 720p next to a same size 1080p playing the same material. At about 5-6ft away I could see some graininess with the 720p. However if you sit farther back than this then the difference becomes harder to see. So measure your viewing distance and go stand about that far way at the store model and see if the picture is acceptable to you. Also if you plan on hooking a computer to the tv, text isn't going to look that great and may be quite hard to read.

To answer your questions, yes there are a few brands and models that have a buzzing noise. I don't really see what the big deal is. If you have the volume up to a level where you can hear it, it'll drown out the buzzing noise anyways. Image burn is almost nonexistent anymore because all modern plasmas use some form of pixel shifting to prevent image burn. There may still be some image retention but it'll always go away after watching a different program.

I will typically be sitting 8-12 feet away from the TV, so I think the 720p will work...plus it's $300 cheaper than the 1080p. :awe: The Samsung does have a PC input (VGA I believe). I was told using this input will give a pretty good picture. Is this not true? I do have DVI out on my laptop. If I got a DVI to HDMI cable, would this be a better option?

 

[BigSmooth]

I hooked a laptop up with a VGA cable (I didn't have a DVI or HDMI output) and it looked just fine for watching Hulu etc.

I think the TV has a 1366x768 resolution. Whether this is sufficient depends on what you are using it for.

 

[jbbrown]

I hooked a laptop up with a VGA cable (I didn't have a DVI or HDMI output) and it looked just fine for watching Hulu etc.

I think the TV has a 1366x768 resolution. Whether this is sufficient depends on what you are using it for.

Ok, that is good to know. I will primarily be using it to show pictures, videos, watch Hulu and ESPN3.

 

[jbbrown]

I just bought the Samsung PN50C450. Picture quality is excellent, especially since I just get OTA channels. I hooked up the laptop and it looks way better than I expected. So far I am very pleased with it. I have not had any issues with image retention or a buzzing noise.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

I have the 42C450 and yes it buzzes. It's highly directional too. Depending on where you sit, you might not hear anything at all. Move a foot either left or right and it sounds like a bug zapper.

It's not that loud and you will generally get used to it. It's loudest on dark scenes -- like fade to black or changing between channels. I have no complaints about the picture quality or price I paid.

 

[jlazzaro]

unrelated to the buzzing, i was in your same position and decided on a panasonic 50" G20 instead. for less than $200 more, it was so much more tv...