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Samsung PS50A558 Review |
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Reviewed: 20 August 2008
Design
A slim frame and pedestal along with a glossy black finish create a svelte like appearance which belies the PS50A558's 50in size. A swivel stand adds a practical touch.
Features
Samsung's proprietary picture processing engine, DNIe appears on the PS50A558 as DNIe+. The main focus of DNIe+ is on 'Contrast Enhancement', 'Motion Optimizing' and 'Colour Optimizing'.
Screen: 50in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1 Other Features: DNIe+, Digital Noise Reduction, FilterBright. Sockets: 3 HDMI (v1.3), 2 SCART, S-Video, Composite Video, Composite Video, PC input.
Now becoming a required feature even for 'budget' flat panels, the PS50A558 sports a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The panel comes equipped with three HDMI(v1.3) inputs and a quoted contrast ratio of 30,000:1.
Providing an optimized viewing environment for movies, games and sports, 'Entertainment mode' provides preset settings for each option.
Designed to offset an inherent weakness of plasma screens in that pictures in daylight conditions often appear shiny, Samsung's 'FilterBright' technology reduces contrast ratio in brighter conditions and increases it when the viewing environment becomes darker.
Samsung have used another proprietary technology 'Natural True Colour' which introduces an 18bit processor for a greater range of colour combinations.
For the PS50A558, Samsung have quoted a panel life of 100000hrs. Proprietary 'anti-burn-in' technology, which is used to combat the bug bear of plasma screen, screen-burn is one of the features designed to help meet this target.
Performance
Testament to how far flat screen technology has progressed in a short space of time, black level ability from such a large screen at the price is nothing short of a revelation. While the PS50A558 cannot match the likes of Pioneer and Panasonic in this respect, rich deep blacks with excellent graduation across darker scenes should cause many of you to think twice before opting for these more expensive screens.
With such good black level ability it was a little disappointing to discover that colours could not take full advantage of an impressively 'black' canvass. The performance in this respect does not give too much cause for concern with a vibrant colour display, but a lack of subtlety especially with tricky facial tones relegates the PS50A558 to a member of the chasing pack in this area.
Once again, Standard Definition (SD) performance from such a large screen would have had us gushing not so long ago. A small but recognizable amount of on screen noise with poorer quality Freeview remains (albeit to a lesser degree) with satellite or cable feeds. There are more accomplished 50in panels out there, but once again we have to place the performance in the budget price level context.
With a Full HD resolution, the PS50A558 delivers a stunning High Definition (HD) performance. A trace of SD problems are carried over with a tiny amount of on screen noise, but the pictures are impressively sharp and detailed with wonderfully vibrant colours. The 50in screen delivers every nuance of detail for a truly involving home cinema experience.
Once again a plasma manufacturer has sacrificed some acoustic ability for style. No intrusive speakers here, which leads to a rather lackluster performance. To be fair to Samsung, most manufacturers have gone this way, and acoustic ability does not become an issue unless the aim is to make this panel the centerpiece of a full blown home cinema setup.
Conclusion
Samsung's PS50A558 is an intriguing option in that it is perfectly positioned for its price, delivering a strong all round performance. This panel is easy to live with as a day to day SD or HD performer and could convince some that they don't really need to go for the best ...
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