Samsung PN58C8000 58-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV (Black)

Product Description
Get a true cinematic experience without going to the cinema with a Samsung plasma HDTV. This Samsung PN58C8000, with Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio makes sure every frame is saturated with dense, rich color. Samsung is also ENERGY STAR compliant so you are assured that your 58 -inch plasma HDTV is helping the environment by using less enery while saving you money.Accessories
2010 LinkStick: Connect wirelessly to a world of digital content from Samsung. The LinkStick wireless LAN adaptor eliminates the hassle and cluttered look of wires. Learn more about the Samsung WIS09ABGN LinkStick Wireless LAN Adapter.

Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #1249 in Consumer Electronics
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: PN58C8000
Dimensions: 36.10" h x 54.60" w x 13.30" l, 88.20 pounds
Display size: 58
Features
Clear Image Panel
Elegant Style with Slim Design
BD Wise; rich color
3D Experience
Motion Judder Canceller

TV Technology for a New Age: Plasma vs. LCD TVs

You’re ready! You’ve been working hard and saving a ton of money. Now you’re ready to buy a brand new Flat Screen TV. Hopping in the car, you head off to the local electronics store and just take it all in. There must be a million sets for you to choose from, but ‘come rain or snow or dark of night’ you’re leaving with a flat screen TV.

You feel good as the sales rep approaches you. No pressure. You tell her that you want a flat screen and would like to see what they have available. The first question she asks you is, “Are you looking for an LCD or a Plasma?” Uh…you’ve just been defeated. You have no idea what the differences are or even what questions to ask.

Relax, there is a lot to know, but you don’t have to work in the industry to make an informed decision.

First, let’s start on the same page. Both Plasmas and LCDs are called Flat Screen TVs. Yes, there are larger, thicker rear projection TVs using LCD technology, but that’s NOT what we’re talking about here. We are referring entirely to the thin TVs that you might be inclined to hang on your wall.

I won’t go into the technology behind the two types, but I will say that they are so thin because neither uses the old tubes that you associated with TVs twenty years ago.

Let’s take a brief look at the characteristics of both Plasmas and LCDs. Then we’ll compare and contrast. Finally, I’ll try to boil down what situations might need one type or the other.

Plasma

Come anywhere from 32”-63” with the 40-44” range being the most popular.
Measure 4-6” thick regardless of size screen.
Cost anywhere from $2,000-$20,000 or more.
Can display high definition (HD), DVD, and standard TV pictures with lots of Brightness and Contrast.
Weigh as much as 125 pounds and can be difficult to mount on a wall.
Tend to have problems in high altitudes.
Use a lot of power and generate a lot of heat.
Good for viewing in bright rooms.
Can suffer “burn-in” if the TV image is static for a long time.
Don’t have a track record for repairs or overall hours of use.
LCD

Measure from 14-46” in screen size.
Thin and light and may be wall mounted.
Can double as a computer monitor.
Tends to have a narrow viewing angle. If you’re off to the side, the picture may look washed out.
Last for around 50,000 viewing hours.
Picture has poor contrast level, so black colors and fast motions are not well shown.
Can cost $400 for a 13”; $800 for a 17”; $1,200 for a 20”; and $1,600 for a 23”
I’ve listed just a few of the more prominent traits of both types of TVs. Let’s take a look at how they compare.

Inch for inch, LCDs cost more than Plasmas.
LCDs don’t come in large sizes. Plasmas don’t come in small sizes.
Plasmas can suffer burn-in. LCDs can’t.
LCDs tend to have a poor viewing angle while Plasmas have a wider viewing range.
Plasmas do better with brightness and contrast.
LCDs are lighter than Plasmas, inch for inch.
LCDs can be used as computer monitors. Plasma TVs can’t.
Plasmas are able to support the lower tier digital definition (Enhanced Definition, or ED) better than LCDs. As a result, it may be worth saving money by buying an ED Plasma.
Plasmas may have problems in high altitudes. LCDs don’t.
Which TV is right for you? That’s an excellent question, but like all good evaluations, it requires some extra insight. In order to determine if you should get an LCD or Plasma TV, please think about which issues are important to you?

If you need a 14-32” screen, go for an LCD. If you need a 47-63” TV go with a Plasma.
If cost is your only concern, buy a plasma.
If a lot of people will be watching the TV at one time, the Plasma’s wider viewing angle may be the best bet.
If you play a lot of video games or do anything that could leave a constant image on your screen for a long time, LCDs are your choice. They don’t suffer burn in.
If you want your TV to double as a computer monitor, go with an LCD. Make sure though, that it has the right computer connections. Not all LCDs can do double duty.
If picture quality is your only consideration, go with a Plasma.
If you watch a lot of sports or action movies, a Plasma may have a better picture for you.
If you live in a high altitude, the LCD may be better for you.
If weight is a concern for you, go with the LCD.
If power consumption is a concern, the LCD is a better purchase.
As you can see, there is no obvious answer as to which type of TV is better. If you fall into any of the categories listed above, your decision between a Plasma TV and an LCD TV may be much easier. If you don’t, then it’s a bit more arbitrary.

Regardless, we urge you to take a look at the displays in your local electronics store. Even if you don’t intend to buy the TVs there, you still want to know what to expect when you get the TV home.

If you’d like a little more detail and a few specific examples, please feel free to visit: http://www.home-movie-theater-guide.com/big-screen-tvs.html

In the mean time here's wishing you success, fun, and happiness in doing that which you love.

How Plasma TVs And LCD TVs Differ

The buying of large-screen TVs has absolutely skyrocketed lately. It seems that everyone wants one – and with good reason. The large-screen TV has come a long way from those faded-out behemoths of old that took up half your living room and never really produced a picture of decent quality. Now, however, especially in combination with HDTV, you can get not only a nice, large picture, but a crisp, clean one too.

Once you decide that you’re ready for a large-screen TV, you quickly discover that you only really have two main options – a plasma TV or an LCD TV. Plasma TVs were first on the scene, but the recent mass production of LCD TVs by major manufactures has put LCD TVs pretty much on equal footing with plasmas. That said, you will still have to make a choice.

If you’re like most people, you not only have no idea how the two differ, you don’t even know the areas you should be considering in order to determine how they differ. But they do indeed differ, and knowing the difference is extremely important if you’re going to get the TV that’s right for you.

You can essentially boil the differences between plasmas and LCDs into twelve basic points. In some areas, plasmas will win out. In other areas, LCDs will win out. In yet other areas, it will depend on your own personal taste in order to decide who wins out.

The twelve ways plasma TVs and LCD TVs differ are the following:

1. The first is a technical issue, and may seem a little boring, but it really does affect other areas. Plasmas TVs are made of chemical compounds called phosphors. LCD TVs use millions of liquid crystals.

2. The next section is related to how big the TVs are and the availability of larger sizes. You have a wider selection of larger-size TVs with plasmas (though LCDs are catching up).

3. The next section is “small size,” which is also important. Plasmas don't come in smaller sizes, which you will need for places like the kitchen.

4. Next is viewing angle. Plasmas tend to have a wider viewing angle (though, again, LCDs are catching up).

5. Although the manufacturers may not like to admit it, each “can” suffer from certain problems. Plasmas can suffer from burn-in effect; LCDs don't.

6. Another problem area, but for LCDs, is “delay.” LCDs can produce a jagged figure when in motion. Plasmas tend to do better. HDTV improves this dramatically for both.

7. The next area is life span. You can replace the light source with an LCD, thereby bringing your original picture back. With plasmas you can't.

8. In the next few sections, the theme of “picture quality” is considered. First, color: LCDs produce sharp, lively colors. Plasmas produce warmer and more accurate colors.

9. Next is brightness levels and the TVs ability to handle different lighting. LCDs tend to do better in bright-light conditions.

10. Also related to picture quality is “black levels.” Plasmas tend to produce blacker blacks.

11. Another area to consider is contrast range. Plasmas, "technically," produce a higher contrast range.

12. Last, and certainly not least, is price. At the moment, plasmas tend to run a little cheaper, but this is changing rapidly as LCDs flood into the market. By the time you read this, in fact, there may be no difference at all.

Essentially, which one is right for you will all comes down to taste: What potential negatives will you not really notice? What positives do you want more of? What do you really want the TV for – movies, sports, news, regular TV shows? Both plasmas and LCDs have strong advocates in their corners. Both have deliriously happy customers. But those happy customers are only happy because they knew what they wanted before they made their purchase. If you want to make the right choice, you’ll have to decide what it is you want and which of the two TVs can best give you that.

The Technology behind the Coolest Flat Panel TVs Today

It’s hard to deny the fact that plasma TVs offer the best quality picture ever since the tube is introduced to mankind!! The crystal-clear quality of Plasma TVs makes it popular with consumers even when the price was really quite ludicrous. But now, with the skyrocketing demand for Plasma TVs, Plasma TVs has become more affordable. Encouraged by the receptiveness of consumers, TV manufacturers relies on amazing technology to come up with super-thin Plasma TV designs that can be mounted right on the wall! This will definitely satisfy the need of ANY couch potato.

As a consumer, you probably are not too interested in the in-depth information about how Plasma TVs are created, designed and manufactured. But we think you might want to know a little bit more about the technology of how manufacturers manage to make Plasma TV so thin and crystal clear. True enough, the picture on the Plasma TV is probably only thing that matters to the kids when they watch their favorite program on the brand new Plasma TV in the living room, but don’t you feel a tad curious about how come Plasma TVs can be so slender and yet provide such amazingly stunning visuals?

Within the thin casing of the Plasma TV, there are hundreds of thousands of tiny plasma-filled chambers. Depending on the quality of the Plasma TV, the number of plasma-filled chambers depends on the quality (and pricing of the Plasma TV). The higher the number of plasma-filled chambers there are, the better the quality, the higher the price. Makes sense?

And when you switch the Plasma TV on, electricity runs through and lights up the Plasma-filled chambers in the TV and the result is the picture that you see on your TV screen.

We all know that Plasma TVs give the most realistic pictures compared to the conventional TV. The picture from a Plasma TV is more focused. Plasma TV manufacturers and designers design Plasma TVs in such a way that it is so thin that you can literally place it anywhere! They are sometimes no more than 4” thick. And because Plasma TVs can display up to 68 BILLION colors, you can get nothing less than a realistic picture on the screen!! On top of that, some Plasma TVs can be mounted on the wall saving you space in your living room.

Plasma TVs And Your Home Entertainment Center

It seems as if everyone these days is showing off their expensive flashy new home entertainment centers. They’re linked wirelessly to computers, have more speakers than a Rolling Stone’s concert, and cost more than a midsize luxury sedan. They feature DVD players, DVR or Tivo, CD players, MP3 players, and anything else you can imagine. The centerpiece, though, still remains the same: the television.

Plasma TVs have recently been introduced to the market. They are extremely flat television panels which make them very easy to mount on either a wall, in a cabinet or on other specially designed furniture. Plasma TVs are known for their wonderful quality and almost all plasma TVs come already equipped with an HDTV (high definition television) tuner which will allow you to watch all the HDTV channels that have been so widely discussed lately. The quality is amazingly realistic.

As mentioned before, the plasma TV is completely flat. It much more easily manipulated than conventional CRT TVs and won’t burn out like rear projection TVs and LCD TVs. Mounting the plasma TV on the wall and adding rows of seats to a home theater will surly add a commercial theater feel to any room. Along with some of the high end sound systems available on the market today, the difference between a well equipped home theater with a quality plasma TV and a commercial theater is hard to distinguish.

If mounting the plasma TV on the wall isn’t an option, try commissioning a carpenter to create a custom made cabinet. This may be a better option as it would allow for built in compartments for cords, DVDs, VHS tapes, DVD player storage, and more. Inside the cabinet, a custom mount could be created for the plasma TV. Add to this some remote control doors on the cabinet and one could have oneself a pretty Godfather-esque setup.

In conclusion, if you wish to become the talk of the neighborhood with your brand new home theater or home entertainment center, be sure to have the finest centerpiece available with a large, high quality plasma television.

Plasma TVs At High Altitudes

An interesting factor to consider when planning your purchase of a new plasma television is altitude. Plasma TVs use millions of tiny, gas-filled chambers to create a picture. When you move to higher altitudes, the constant pressure in the chambers and the now lower ambient air pressure create a buzzing sound reminiscent of a halogen beer sign. This buzz is a combined result of the increased power consumption necessary to overcome the pressure differential, and the increase in fan use because the high power consumption heats the unit. This change in noise is really the only difference between operating a plasma television at sea level and one operating at extreme (above 6,000 ft) altitudes.

This noise increase provides a hint as to the more serious reason to avoid using a plasma television: lifespan. The life of a plasma screen is dependent on how hard it works through the course of its life. Operating these televisions at altitudes above what they were designed for puts an excess strain on their various components. Using a plasma TV above 6,000 ft. is more likely to annoy you with additional noise than anything else, but it's a bad choice in the long run.

This pressure change is why airplanes chose to use LCD screens over plasma screens on flights that offer video entertainment. LCDs use crystals instead of gas filled chambers, and are thus indifferent to altitude changes. That said, there are manufacturers who have designed plasma televisions for use at altitudes up to 9,000 ft. You'll pay for this upgraded design, so you must decide if the price difference is worth it. So, check the elevation information for your city to determine if this should concern you, because it's not always obvious. Denver is just under the 6,000 ft. window for operating a regular plasma screen. You may see a slight difference in the lifespan of the unit here when compared to an identical television located closer to sea level, but this is likely to be very small. If you're not sure what your local elevation is, or if you're close, but still below the 6,000 ft. recommended ceiling, do some firsthand research. Go to an electronics store and test out the various plasma TVs on display. Listen closely for a buzzing or humming. You may find that your local air pressure is low enough to affect the performance of a plasma unit.

So you've done your research and planning, and you're ready to buy your plasma television? Now make sure you check your local conditions and, if necessary, invest in a high altitude plasma unit.

Differences betwen LCD and Plasma TVs

Plasma and LCD panels may look similar, but the flat screen and thin profile is where the similarities end. There are a number of significant differences between the two.

Let us understand the meaning of Plasma and LCD Televisions in order to better understand the differences between them.

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY TELEVISION (LCD TV).

LCD TV uses LCD technology for its visual output. Liquid Crystal Display or LCD is a thin, flat display device made up of a number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed infront of a light source or reflector. In color LCDs each individual pixel is divided into three cells or subpixels which are colored red, green and blue. Each cell or subpixel can be controlled independently to yield thousands or millions of possible colors for each pixel. LCD TVs can make for excellent High Definition TV viewing.

LCD TVs - The Good

1. Excellent Color Reproduction - LCDs can display millions of colors accurately.

2. Multi-functional - LCD TVs have a plethora of connectivity options. They typically include inputs for composite video, S-video, High Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI) and PC In.

3. No Burn In - With LCDs there is no problem of Burn In. Some TVs that rely on phosphors such as Plasmas and CRTs can experience Burn In where ghost images are permanently burned into the screen.

4. Inherently Progressive - LCDs use millions of tiny transistors that can be individually controlled by the "brains" inside the display. So LCDs can easily handle progressive-scan sources.

5. High Resolution - LCDs can display High Definition content with resolutions of 1366x768. The highest resolution achieved in a LCD is 1920x1080. 1080p is also called Full High Definition whereas 720p is called High Definition.

LCD TVs - The Bad

1. Expensive - LCD TVs are great but they are not cheap. LCD TVs cost more per inch than plasmas.

2. Poor Reproduction of Blacks - LCD TVs tend to produce grays, not blacks.

3. Limited Viewing Angle - LCDs have typically poor viewing angle. However, there has been a drastic improvement on this front with latest LCDs achieving a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees.

4. Slow Response Time - LCDs have longer response times than Plasmas.For example, when moving the mouse too fast on an LCD, multiple cursors can sometimes be seen. This is also known as Ghosting Effect. But this problem seems to have been addressed with the latest LCD TVs with response times as low as 8ms.

5. Low Contrast Ratio - Contrast Ratio is the ratio of the intensity of the brightest bright to the darkest dark. LCDs comparitively have lower Contrast Ratios than Plasmas.

PLASMA TELEVISION

A plasma screen contains literally millions of gas-filled cells (each one acting as a single image pixel) trapped between two pieces of glass. An electrical grid zaps these cells and causes the gases to ionize (and ionized gas is plasma - hence the name). The ionized gases, in turn, cause a layer of phosphor on the viewer's side layer of glass to light up. Plasma TVs combine a thin, compact chassis with a truly large screen size. Despite their compact dimensions Plasmas are available in 42+, 50+ and even 60+ inch sizes.

Plasma TVs - The Good

1. Excellent Brightness - Plasma TVs don't rely on a light bulb shining through or reflecting off of something (as an LCD or DLP system does). Plasma brightness is even better than CRT's in some ways because the picture is evenly bright across the entire screen.

2. High Resolution - The finest plasma TVs have such high resolutions (and such smooth images) that they look life like.

3. Progressive in nature - All the pixels on the screen light up simultaneously. You can have progressive HDTV sources (such as 720p) and non-HDTV sources (such as progressive-scan DVD players) displayed to full advantage on a plasma HDTV.

4. Wide Viewing Angle - Plasmas have a wider viewing angle as compared to LCDs. Plasma displays have a good picture even when you're sitting "off axis" (not perpendicular to the screen surface). This is a huge benefit for smaller rooms, where viewers may sit relatively far off to the sides of the screen, at wider angles.

Plasma TVs - The Bad

1. Burn-In - Plasmas rely on phosphor to display video. This can cause Burn-In where ghost images are permanently burned into the screen.

2. Short Lifespan - Another phenomenon of any phosphor-based display system is that eventually the phosphors "wear out" or lose their brightness. This is a subtle and slow process, but it inevitably happens.

3. Less-than-perfect color reproduction - Although plasma displays can produce a breathtaking array of colors, a lot of sets have the unfortunate tendency to make red colors look more orange than true red.

4. Poor reproduction of black - Plasma TVs fall short in the realm of reproducing black images. Most plasmas do slightly better job than LCD TVs at black reproduction, but they fall short of CRTs and some projection systems.



Other factors such as pricing, weight, power usage, high altitude performance and transportation are other considerations that apply on a person to person basis. So I will briefly just state the overall differences in these areas.

Pricing: Plasma TVs are still significantly less expensive than LCD in sizes over 32".

Weight: LCD TVs are considerably lighter and as such easier to mount and install. So… Plasma TVs will almost likely require a professional installer.

Power Usage: LCD TVs use on average half of the power Plasma TVs use

High altitude performance: High altitudes can affect the performance of plasma TV displays because the gas held inside each pixel is stressed, and has to work harder to perform. So……LCD TVs are better at high altitude (6500 feet and above).

Transportation: LCD TVs are lighter and far less fragile than plasma displays making shipping easier and less expensive.

Because technology in both Plasma and LCD TVS is advancing rapidly we may find some of these differences (such as size) very minimal in the near future.

Urban India Households Spend More on LCD TVs

Television continue to be the most dominate segment of the consumer electronics industry in India with the slow transition to newer technologies such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Plasma Display Panel (PDP). A large number of households still have CRT television (particularly rural and semi-urban areas) because of a wide economic disparity between rural and urban consumers. However, the urban population has shown a remarkable change in its choice of television, switching from conventional CRT TVs to LCD and PDP, says our new research report “Booming Consumer Electronics Market in India”.

The report states that LCD TVs are gradually becoming the preferred investment of families, especially youths, in urban areas regardless of their high prices compared to CRT TVs. In fact, people are ready to spend more on LCD TVs, provided they get full value of their investment. It has also been observed that urban families are taking complete advantage of financial schemes offered by LCD TV dealers to their customers. After analyzing changes in the consumer behavior and favorable economic condition, our research report has projected that the number of LCD TV sales in India will grow at a CAGR of around 25% during 2010-2013 to around 3.7 Million Units by 2013 end.

An important factor that supports prospective growth in the LCD TV segment is the introduction of satellite technologies, such as Direct To Home (DTH), that have encouraged people to spend money on high quality television to exploit complete advantage of the technology. Besides, the report contains thorough information on several other factors that support the rapid replacement of conventional CRT TVs with fine picture quality LCDs.

Apart from television, our research report includes other key segments of the consumer electronic market as well, such as refrigerator, air conditioner, mobile handsets and 3G handsets. All these market segments will also record robust growth in coming years on the back of rising disposable income, wide availability of consumer goods and low prices.

“Booming Consumer Electronics Market in India” provides an extensive research, unbiased analysis and authentic data on different aspects of the Indian consumer electronic market. The report gives an insight into the current and future market trends in context of macroeconomic factors supporting the growth. The consumer electronic market is studied in relation of young consumers, declining prices, changing retail format, wealth distribution and financing schemes. It has also given ample emphasis on the importance of distribution channels, cost analysis and government regulation to help clients understand the overall consumer electronic market.