samsung led UN55C8000 or samsung plasma PN58C8000

i had the same dilemma and went with the plasma simply because of the info that the 3d was better on the plasma (and it was cheaper)..i couldnt be happier...but read the thread on the buzzing. it may or may not bother you

I was worried about the buzzing and burn-in so I went with a C8000 LED. I just knew that the buzzing would drive me crazy.

Pn58c8000

This is a picture of my 46C8000 in a dark room with a dark screened commercial. It is just sick!

I hate LED edgelighting. Every Samsung I've seen with it has a combination of blooming, uneven grayness, and fluctuating black levels (dynamic contrast).

For 3D performance plasma has faster response time than the LED lit LCDs. This means LESS ghosting with plasma. You also get better black levels across the entire screen that doesn't rely on LED dimming tricks which degrade overall picture quality.

You can configure the color profiles in the Samsung plasma to look insanely saturated and blown out just like you are seeing on the LCD. Plasmas reproduce true color better than LCDs.

It's not a preset to make the colors overblown.

You have to manually change the brightness and color settings.

Every one talks about true colors etc. about Plasma TV's vs LED. Or I have to calibrate my LED to get true colors. My C8000 LED has a movie mode that also provides "truer" colors. But guess what? I don't like it.

I like the brighter colors on my LED. Even if grass doesn't always look like that. Or the sky. I don't mind motion settings either. It all about personal tastes. So contrary what the "experts" say, get what you like.

This reminds of eternal debate for pictures papers: matte or glossy?
That was the question ....

To stay on-topic, why Samsung did not either on the LED, or plasma obtained on the color THX certification?
Scientific color certification is a marketing value, right?

Honestly this is going to be a personal preference for anyone willing to spend the money on the TV that they want.

But how I view the difference between LCD and Plasma is the same way I view the difference in computer monitor panels. LCD's being the TN's with bad viewing angles and then there are the upgraded IPS and PVA panels with good colors and viewing angles but have a hard time with ghosting and fast moving images. I liken the Plasma screens closer to the old CRT's in the fact that you get the deeper blacks great angles and very little ghosting.

For myself it came down to what i use my Tv for the most. That would be watching sports programs, movies and playing the 360 in that order. Plasma was the way to go for myself and I have enjoyed my old Hitachi tremendously for the past 4.5 years. Mine is a model that is not 1080p but rather a 1080i that can accept 1080p input. Although I do not have the full 1920 X 1080 resolution I have not had any trouble with the unit correctly displaying any source. It views the same from 3 feet away as it does from 10. The only downfall to it is it weighs a ton.

After going to the store and seeing the newer Sammys that are about an inch thick and picking one up by the corner i had the itch to get one. But after sitting on it a few days decided that my old plasma actually does everything I need it to do, does it very well and is paid for.

Plasma came out strong on the market when? Back in the mid 90's? LCD's were supposed to replace them, they still have not been able to do that. I doubt that the Plasma is going anywhere for awhile.

My vote is for the plasma, go to the store compare them side by side. I know that the source of the video is always an issue at the store but at least you get to touch and see for yourself what they look like. Plus you get to go and socialize with people, view it, touch it, interact and make a much more informed purchase decision than reading somebody else opinion about it on amazon.

For me it is the plasma and with the savings I can pay for professional calibration which I do believe makes a difference IMHO.

Wanted to check in with you guys 2.2 years later . If you bought the PN58C8000 plasma, what do you think? How is the long-term reliability factor?

Terrible. I started developing purple bands in my picture 6 months ago when the screen is white. Its out of warranty and i hear about $1k to fix. I have been a long time HDTV owner..this is my 11th one...and ive never had such a product failure. problems seems to be common and samsung doesnt offer anything to make it right


ive spent a lot of money on samsung products over the years-- appliances and electronics. this failure to stand behind a well known issue makes me question that loyalty

Ahh, that sucks .

I have the opportunity to purchase this television for 1000.00 from a friend who has had it for about two years. The TV seems to be free of all the issues I've heard described here (red/pink banding, buzzing, etc). 1000.00 seems like a great deal, but I am wary .

oh yeah i have the buzzing too but its not a big deal as silly as that sounds
its not noticeable for me when i am watchign somtheing

I own a pn58c8000. It also developed a pink bands problem, one month out of warranty, and Samsung politely blew me off. Even without a pink bands problem, the pn__c8000 is definitely NOT worth $1,000 at this point in time. It is an excellent TV but progress since then has been appreciable. The 2013 Panasonic ST60 plasma's deliver noticeably better PQ at not much more than $1,000. For example, the 50" ST60 is selling new for $999 at many vendors, including Amazon. Amazon had the 60" version on sale for about $1,350 the other day.

Warning: the ST60 effectively has no "game mode." (Check these forums.)


Plus: think about an extended warranty. I've never bought one before, but my pink bands failure has changed my mind. These very thin panel TVs do not have a great deal of fixibility; almost everything is permanently fastenend to one large permanent panel, so it probably has to be replaced to remedy a variety of problems.