This
Samsung 50" Plasma Television - Model # HP-T5054 is two years old. If a television can have an interesting history, then this one qualifies!
DescriptionI can't say enough about this being a beautiful television set. The large 50" screen is surrounded by a glossy black frame. The oval stand is sturdy, also a glossy black. The speakers are located beneath the television at the front. (A mounting bracket needs to be purchased separately.)
Along the side of the television are buttons that control the televisions basic features. There is a Source button to toggle between the TV, AV1, AB2, S-Video1, S-Video2, Component1, Component2, PC, HDMI1, or HDMI2. There is also a button for the menu, volume control, channel navigation, and an Enter button to confirm selections.
There are also side panel jacks: HMDI In, S-Video In, AV In, and a headphone jack.
The rear of the television has Digital Audio Output (Optical), Audio Out (R/L), PC Audio IN, PC In, DVI In (HDMI, Audio R/L), ANT In (Air) / ANT In (Cable), Ex-Link (connect this to the jack on the wall mount bracket to adjust the viewing angle using the remote control), Audio R/L (AV In), S-Video (AV In), Video (AV In), HDMI In (two), Component In (two).
A slim but long remote control also comes with the unit. The remote is typical, and it includes multiple buttons to control the television, DVD, cable and VCR.
If you are interested in more specifications, please see the end of this review.
SetupThe biggest challenge was transporting the television to my house. The box is big and will not fit in a regular car. Thankfully a friend offered to use his truck to haul the television to my place. Then we had to wrestle the carton inside the house. Once I had the box in the living room, the rest of the setup was a breeze. I had to rearrange the living room so that this television had dedicated wall space.
This Samsung Plasma can either be wall-mounted or sit on a table. I already had a nice solid oak television table, and it was the perfect height and width for holding this television. The television is heavy and will require two people to lift and position it.
Just make sure to allow the television plenty of ventilation. It's recommended that the unit be placed at least 4-inches away from the wall and not to set it directly over a radiator or heat source; also keep the television out of direct sunlight.
Our television setup is basic. We have digital cable and a DVD player. I did the installation myself, connecting the cable box connector and plugging in the television power cord. The DVD has an HDMI cable, so the HDMI cord runs from the DVD player to the back of the television. Connecting the cords only took a short time.
The instructions include illustrations for a lot of different setup situations including Cable Box, DVD, VCR, home theater, amplifier, camcorder, and PC.
Our ExperiencesOur company owned several of these Samsung 50" Plasma Television sets. They were originally bought and used at a tradeshow. Then the televisions sat in our West Coast office, for the most part unused. Last year, the company transported equipment from the West Coast to the East Coast facility. The televisions sat in a warehouse unused until the company decided to give them as gifts to employees. I was one of the lucky recipients!
The picture on this television is beautiful. We discovered that the farther you sit from the screen, the sharper the image. The way our seating is arranged, we have several chairs located directly across from the television set. There is also a sofa located to the side of the television. Sitting in the chairs farther away, the image is clearer than sitting on the sofa. One nice thing is that there is no "bad" seat in the house. Sitting to the side of the television or directly in front of it, the image is great and completely visible.
Not only are the pictures clear, but the screen text is also easy to read. Watching news channels where text banners float across the screen is now easy (no squinting!). The colors are vivid, too. The pixels are only a problem when sitting close to the screen. Watching live events, I thought everyone was seeing pixelization. However, turns out I was the closest to the television. Those sitting farther back had no problem with the image. Strange though is that I only notice the pixels during live broadcasts and not with regular television programming (and that's sitting in the same location).
A benefit is that the screen swivels. Where I have the television placed, I can turn the screen so that those sitting at the dining room table can view the television. This is a hit during those big sporting events!
I have the television connected to digital cable, and we are pleased with the picture. A co-worker who won another of this same model television, placed his set in a smaller room. He was sitting closer to the screen and wasn't pleased with the image clarity. So he switched his cable box for an HD receiver. He tells me the image is gorgeous! With the HD box, the picture is sharp and clear at even just ten feet away.
I'm also pleased with the sound. This television is advertised as: "SRS TruSurround XT provides a virtual Dolby surround system". None of us are audio purists, but we feel the sound is excellent. The volume is even loud enough for a family member who is slightly hearing impaired who has had trouble hearing other television sets.
We started to use the remote control that came with the set. It is basically the same as other remotes. This one is slimmer than some other models I've used, and longer. I did not have trouble using the remote except when it came to using it in conjunction with the cable box. The television would not go beyond channel 99. Our cable channels span the hundreds. After switching to the remote that came with the digital cable box, I was able to access all the cable television channels.
The onscreen menus are easy to navigate and changing the setup is simple. One thing I was disappointed in is that the Picture-in-Picture doesn't work for us. I found an explanation from Samsung that says the PIP feature only works when the main screen is being used as a PC with the sub screen showing analog television broadcasts. And we know what is happening with analog television signals!
PurchasingOur company initially purchased these Samsung Plasma sets for about $2,500.00. Looking at the current market, I see they sell for about $1,500.00.
SummaryThis
Samsung 50" Plasma Television is wonderful! Our family can't say enough nice things about it. For our first plasma television experience, this has been a great one.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
SpecificationsTelevision Size: 48.5" wide x 33.4" high x 12.4" deep
Weight with stand: 97 pounds
Weight without stand: 91.7 pounds
Screen Size: 50"
Resolution: 1365 x 768
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
Tuners: ATSC, NTSC, Clear QAM
Bluetooth : not compatible
802.11: No
Please read my other reviews:Logitech Harmony Remote ControlTV Guide (magazine)Pandigital LCD Photo FrameLiteOn DVD Recorder/PlayerCopyright 2009 Dawn L. Stewart
