Conclusion
So, there you have it – if the PS50C6900 is anything to go by, Samsung’s 2010 Plasmas are fairly likeable HDTV displays. Who knew?
Admittedly, the Samsung PS50C6900 could be described as a mixed bag. Its black levels with 24p and 50hz content (that is, a good chunk of what European audiences will be watching) are far removed from the best on the market, and it also suffers from image retention. Additionally, moreso than competing HDTVs from LG and Panasonic, it needs calibration work to result in excellent picture quality, and partakes in revisionist film grain reduction unless you trick it into not doing so.
And yet, in spite of all of this, the Samsung PS50C6900 can be configured to show a very appealing, accurate picture, at a great price. It manages near-perfect colour accuracy, great motion clarity, potentially passable 3D, and crucially, very good value for money (although do factor in calibration at around £200 when considering the price). Its gaming performance is also excellent. Black level, after all, isn’t everything, and there were fewer instances where we found dark scenes lacking in punch than we thought there would be.
The Samsung PS50C6900 faces tough competition from Panasonic’s TX-P50G20, which has fallen to basically the same price over the months. In most areas, the Panasonic is a better Plasma TV, with much better out-of-the-box performance and deeper blacks – but it’s 2D only. Therefore, the people we recommend the PS50C6900 to are those who need a budget 3D display, and also those who are put off by Panasonic’s slightly noisier method of rendering motion. Those who care about aesthetics will also probably agree with us that Samsung’s flat-panel display is considerably more attractive than even Panasonic’s best styling efforts, which have a very practical, industrial feel to them.
We wish Samsung would stop treating its PDP line like an ugly stepchild, because we’d hazard a guess and say that more time spent rectifying the small issues present here would result in an even more recommendable product. For now, this flawed but capable Samsung PS50C6900 achieves “Recommended” status thanks to its excellent (calibrated) colour quality, its attempt at 3D, and its price. It has flaws, no question – but maybe the 2011 Samsung plasma lineup will be better yet. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to test one earlier than the end of 2011!