CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: David Katzmaier
• Reviewed on: 04/14/2008
• Released on: 03/15/2008

Plasma HDTVs seem almost passe these days, but in our experience they still produce generally better images than LCDs. The mid-price 50-inch Samsung PN50A550 reviewed here provides a typical example of what plasma can do right. Its color accuracy is superb, it produces a very clean image, and like all plasmas, its picture is much more uniform than that of any LCD. Home theater sticklers seeking the darkest black levels available will probably want to look at another plasma model, but for those whose hearts aren't set on LCD, the Samsung PN50A550 will definitely satisfy.

Design
The classically attractive PN50A550 looks almost exactly like last year's FP-T5084, although it's a tiny bit taller and narrower overall due to the sliverlike hidden speakers mounted along the bottom of the panel as opposed to the sides. The frame is entirely gloss-black, about average thickness for a plasma (heavier plasmas can't achieve the thin bezels found on lighter LCDs), and there's a defeatable blue accent light below the Samsung logo. The pedestal stand allows a modest swivel range.

Including the stand, the Samsung PN50A550 measures 48.5 inches wide by 32.7 inches tall by 12.6 inches deep and weighs 91.3 pounds, while when divested of stand it comes in at 48.5 by 30.3 by 3.8 inches and 82.5 pounds. It's compatible with the company's motorized, articulated wall-mount, model PN50A550S1F ($1,999 list), as well as third-party mounts.

Samsung redesigned its remotes for 2008, and for the most part we like the new clicker better. The buttons are larger and every one is backlit, and we like the dedicated Tools menu that offers quick access to picture and sound modes, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture controls. We're not so fond of the glossy black finish, however, which became a grimy fingerprint magnet after a few minutes in our (admittedly grimy) hands.

The redesign extended to the menu system, which is sleeker than before and blessed with big, highly legible text set against transparent backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy, there's helpful explanatory text along the bottom, and we dug the context-sensitive menu that would pop up occasionally to provide more options. Overall, it's one of the best-designed and most-attractive menu systems we've seen on any HDTV, and it really makes setup a breeze--except the confusing picture mode arrangement