The Samsung PN58B860 is Samsung’s flagship Plasma HDTV model. Although its picture quality is not as impressive as the Panasonic TC-P58V10, it is still an excellent HDTV with many great features, proving that Plasmas are still in the race.
Design. The design of the Samsung PN58B860 alone is something to be liked. Contrary to the belief that LCD HDTVs are thinner than Plasmas, the PN58B860 is just as slim as its LED-lit counterparts, measuring only 1.2 inches thick at its deepest point. It sports a sleek, glossy black frame without the reddish Touch of Color many Samsung HDTVs come with, making it suitable for anyone’s taste and has a thin transparent edge that lends it the right touch of sophistication. Its matching stand swivels from side to side.
Picture Quality. Picture quality is one of the strengths of Plasma sets, which is why it is not surprising the PN58B860 delivers amazing images across its screen, images made sharp and realistic with inky blacks combined with highly accurate, saturated colors thanks to its advanced Wide Color Enhancer. Reflections in bright environments are at a minimum, too.
Motion Resolution and Video Processing. Like other Plasmas, the PN58B860 creates great moving pictures with its 600Hz Subfield drive and its 100Hz Motion Plus dejudder processing system. Indeed, it displays various sources properly and prevents blurring so you don’t miss out on any of the action.
Interactive Features. As expected from a flagship Plasma model, the PN58B860 offers various interactive features to justify its cost. These include Yahoo widgets to keep you updated on news, weather and stock market updates, and access to Twitter, Flickr photos and YouTube videos. Network streaming is also provided, which means you can access the media files from your networked computers and enjoy them using your HDTV. There is a built-in library of fun content, too, like recipes, children’s activities and fitness routines.
Picture Controls. For those who like to play around with the settings of their HDTV until they achieve the perfect images, numerous controls are provided, including four adjustable picture modes that are independent per input, five color temperature presets and four aspect ratio selections. There is even a Day/Night mode, though this is reserved for professional HDTV calibrators. For the basic settings, anyone can access the on-screen menu, which remains very user-friendly.
Energy Efficiency. Although Plasma models are still lacking in this area, the PN58B860 does not consume as much power as some of its predecessors. Rather, it comes with three power saving modes and an Eco picture mode that has slightly lower light output.
Connectivity. The Samsung PN58B860 offers great connectivity, too, highlighted by no less than four HDMI inputs arranged neatly on the rear panel, a component video input and a VGA-style PC input. Like other models, the component video can be converted into composite if you prefer. Even so, however, the options for analog connections are still limited. For convenient media sharing from portable devices, two USB ports are provided.
