Samsung HPT5054: 50 Inches of Pleasure

Televisions aren’t necessarily getting bigger, but they are getting more technologically advanced and there are now some large- screen televisions with technology that results in vibrant colors and with screens so thin they can be mounted on the wall. One modern television that offers some bright colors and plenty of extras is the Samsung HP-T5054 Plasma Television, a large screen television that lights up any room.

Basic Facts About This Plasma Television:

This Samsung Television offers Plasma technology and includes a 50 inch screen (measured diagonally) for viewing images in a size that is large and life- like. The actual dimensions of the panel are 48.5 inches in width; 31.5 inches in height; and just under 4 inches in depth (the base makes the total depth 13.5 inches). The flat panel screen is black around the edges with an on/off power button in the front/middle, directly beneath the screen. On the right hand side of the screen, there are a few buttons that can be used to control the set in the absence of the remote control. The buttons include Source, Menu, Volume (up or down), Channel (up or down), and power. The weight of the television is approximately 97 pounds (including stand) and it rests on an oval- shaped, black colored base.

Technically speaking, the Samsung HP-T5054 Plasma Television offers a 16:9 Native Aspect Ratio; 4.3 Interpolated Aspect Ratio; 15000 to 1 contrast ratio; Filter Bright Anti- Glare Technology; 18 bit color; and 1365 by 768 resolution. There is a sleep timer; built in V- chip; and picture-in-picture capabilities. Sound is provided by two 15 watt speakers.

Samsung HP-T5054 includes many connections, including HDMI (3 of them); S- Video Inputs (3 of them); Video AV Input (2 of them); PC (RG) Input (1 of them); Composite Video Input (1 of them); and RF Input (2 of them). A headphone jack on the side of the panel rounds out the connection capabilities.

On- Line Information:

Information on Samsung can be found on the internet at Samsung.com. The web site offers some FAQ, specifications, and features. Objective viewpoints and other specs can be found on the internet by entering Samsung HP-T5054 into a search engine.

Final Thoughts:

Samsung HP-T5054 Plasma television is a very nice television set that offers vibrant colors and a large viewing area. I have owned a large projection television set for the past ten years and I decided it was finally time to let it go and purchase something more technologically up to date. My projection television was slowly losing its tuning capabilities and the objects on the screen would slowly turn white if the television was in operation for an extended time. Also, my projection television was very large and bulky and it took up excessive family room space. And worst of all, since it was a projection set, the images were not very sharp and unless you viewed the screen straight- on or at a small angle from vertical, you would not be able to see the screen clearly.

I knew the time was right to upgrade and I began looking at new televisions right away. As most people know, there are basically two high- tech choices: LCD and Plasma (Actually, there are three choices, but I don’t want a projection television again). Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but for my needs, the plasma set was adequate. Plasma televisions also cost less than LCD, so the pricing was in my favor as well.

After looking over the different plasma televisions, Samsung HP-T5054 was the final winner. Part of the motivation was price, but the other reason I went with this Samsung model was because it offered a 50 inch screen (other Plasma televisions of comparable price were much smaller) and a clear, vibrantly colored picture that seemed just as good as many of the higher priced sets. I liked the thin design, the black frame, and the capabilities of Samsung HP-T5054 so I made the purchase and was on my way.

I have now owned this Samsung television for about two months and my experience thus far has been positive. The most important quality of any plasma television (or LCD, for that matter) is the quality of the picture and this Samsung model certainly offers a sharp, colorful picture. It took some adjusting to get it just right. Being first- time plasma television owners, we were inclined to set the color control, brightness, etc., at their maximum level. Later, we moderated these settings in order to get the picture looking just right.

One thing I noticed right away about the picture quality and sharpness is that it looks better on some cable channels than others. Channels that are broadcast in high definition look best and most other cable channels look pretty good, too. However, there is always that occasional channel that produces a picture that isn’t quite as sharp as it should be. I can always tell when I’m viewing one of these lower quality picture channels because once a still image comes on the screen, the edges of the image are slightly broken and if it moves slightly, it looks like it is vibrating on the screen. There isn’t much that can be done with channels like this, although I have been told that, if the problem is bad on a large percentage of channels, it can sometimes be rectified by switching to a different cable service provider. Fortunately for me, there are only a handful of channels that don’t produce a bright, crisp picture and they are not channels I care to watch. I have found that the best picture results from viewing a DVD. With a DVD, there is no issue with the cable service or HD broadcast, and this is why the picture is so crisp and so pure. I have also found that the picture looks best on the Samsung HP-T5054 if viewed from a distance of about 20+ feet. Viewed too closely, the pixels can (once again) make images appear to vibrate.

Now, let’s talk about the remote control with the Samsung HP-T5054 Plasma television. The remote is narrow and long, and it’s easy to hold and operate. But the fact that the ends look similar can lead to some annoyances. What I’m talking about is the tendency to pick up the remote control and hold it in your hands the opposite way. When this happens, it is very easy to accidentally press the channel up/down keys when you really intended to press the volume up/down keys (or vice versa). With other remote controls, there is a difference in shape between the two ends of the remote control (for example, the bottom end is rounded while the top is square), making it easy to know which end is up without reading the words. With Samsung, you cannot tell which end is up unless you stop and read. And most of the time, we consumers tend to grab the remote and start pressing, without looking at the buttons, because we are used to the commonly accessed buttons being in a specific place. With this remote, the channel and volume changing buttons are right next to each other so it is easy to press the wrong ones.

As far as the design of the set, I like the black color and the way the screen swivels for better viewing. Another great feature is the 175- degree viewing field. This means that a person can be standing almost at the edge of the television- 5 degrees away from edge, to be exact- and still be able to see the image on the screen. This is a huge difference when compared to my projection television. I no longer need to situate myself as close to a 90 degree angle as possible to view the screen. I can see the screen clearly from any seat in the house.

As far as the inputs/outputs, Samsung HP-T5054 has everything I want in a television. I don’t play games on my television, so I have no need for additional connections and no need for special display capabilities. I have been told from others (including the sales reps who sold me the television) that this particular unit is not the best for playing games. It’s adequate, but there are other television sets that produce much sharper images and graphics.

One other fact about this television that I wish was different is the location of the power button in the front of the screen. There are actually three different places to power the Samsung HP-T5054: On the remote control, on the front of the television panel, and on the side of the panel. It is the control on the front of the set that bothers me most, and the reason is due to my two little girls. This power button is located front and center, just below the Samsung logo. A blue light glows underneath it, drawing the attention of my two girls. They see this light and what do they do? You guessed it- they keep pressing the large, round power button next to this glowing light, interrupting our television viewing. One easy solution to this problem would have been to buy a taller stand, but I was unaware of this issue when I purchased the set. My stand is low to the ground, so my girls can easily access this button (not to mention the buttons on the side of the set), shutting off the power and driving mom and dad crazy.

Overall, however, I am happy with my Samsung HP-T5054 Plasma Television and I feel it is certainly a very good television set for the money. Other 50 inch plasma sets cost $500 to $1,000 more but they are not $500 to $1,000 better in quality. The picture quality on Samsung HP-T5054 is very good, with bright colors and sharpness that bring ordinary images to life and the other features on this plasma television make it more than suitable for most consumer needs. The remote control could use some re- designing and the picture isn’t the best for games. But for the money, the Samsung HP-T5054 is difficult to beat. It is much better than my old projection television, it takes up minimal space, and it offers better than average quality for the price.