Plasma is alive and kicking! That was the word from Samsung as it announced the pricing and availability of its 2013 HDTV and UHDTV lineup at an event held in NYC's Museum of American Finance. Eli Manning, Kate Upton, and Flo Rida were on hand to introduce the new Samsung Smart TV lineup, but in my humble opinion, the new F8500 plasma was the real star of the show. Samsung claims the F8500 renders 400% deeper blacks with a 250% increase in brightness versus plasma panels from previous generations. I had a chance to take a good look at several 64" F8500 HDTV sets, I scrutinized the demo material, and I asked some tough questions about the future of plasma.
Samsung 64" F8500 Plasma HDTV - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Flo Rida, Kate Upton, and Eli Manning endorsed "Smart TV" by Samsung
Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Samsung's reps were knowledgeable and well versed in the technologies on display. I wanted to know if the F8500 represented a "last hurrah" or a commitment by Samsung to continue developing the technology. The answer is an emphatic "plasma is here to stay"—Samsung will continue to design and build plasma HDTVs. The logic seems hard to argue with, because plasma technology appeals to two audiences: shoppers who want maximum screen real estate per dollar in a flat panel, and the videophile who wants maximum quality. The F8500's raison d'etre is to make videophiles happy. With an MSRP of $3,699 for a 64" unit, the F8500 is not exactly a "budget" TV, but its features put it in the category of a "halo" product without the "halo" pricing, allowing Samsung to claim leadership in image quality with a product that is relatively affordable.
Samsung's newest plasma HDTV rests within a "one body form" bezel crafted from a single piece of metal, giving the whole unit a premium look and feel. That perception carries over to the screen, which is the star of the show. Samsung says, "The F8500 delivers the same brightness and eight times the black levels as standard LED TVs"— a statement I am tempted to agree with. The press event was flooded with ambient daylight, yet the F8500s on display looked every bit as bright and contrasty as their F8000 LED brethren. Looking at an F8500 in a darkened corner, flanked by a Panasonic plasma and a Sharp LCD, Samsung's technical achievement was much easier to see.
F8500 "One Body Form" bezel - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
"Black is black" is an inaccurate statement – there is no pure black, just darker shades of gray. The F8500's black reproduction stood out for several reasons: It is not limited to dark rooms, it is more tone-neutral than screens I have seen in the past, and it passes the "Is the TV on or off?" test. Samsung calls its technology "proprietary Deep Black Algorithm and Real Black Pro II"—I call it impressive. Real Black Pro II is a carbon-nano coating that absorbs ambient light, making the blacks blacker, even in brighter spaces. At the same time, the added brightness touted by Samsung is the result of efforts to make the sub-pixel walls in the plasma cells thinner, allowing each cell to hold more phosphor. An added benefit to this approach is improved brightness, which does not come at the expense of energy efficiency; I was surprised to find that the demo unit was not emitting any noticeable heat.
There is more to Samsung's latest high-end TV sets than improved image quality. The F8500 plasma series is compatible with Samsung's "Smart Evolution" upgrade kit, which guarantees four years of updates (from the date of manufacture) to the TV's core functions, including image processing, smart applications, and inputs. The Smart Evolution kit costs $299, with a new kit released on an annual basis.
Samsung 2013 "Smart Evolution Kit" - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Inside the Smart Evolution Kit is the brains behind the new TV sets: "Smart TV," now in its sixth generation. As Samsung describes it:
• A redesigned Samsung Smart Hub that offers five dynamic menu panels to help consumers manage and navigate different types of content.
• With S-Recommendation, consumers can easily find the content they want—whether on TV or via premium VOD services—thanks to personalized recommendations based on their viewing habits over time.
• A quad-core CPU enables quick app launching, web browsing, and multi-tasking.
• Smart View lets consumers move content seamlessly from the TV to connected devices and back in real time.
• Advanced Smart Interaction allows consumers to use everyday language and casual gestures to control the TV.
The fact is, no other currently available flat-panel HDTV technology offers as much value as plasma. At the same time, plasma remains the critical favorite for image quality and dark-room movie viewing. This latest iteration of plasma technology suffered no image retention, the TV itself felt cool to the touch, and thanks to the Smart Evolution Kit, there is an upgrade path to keep up with new features.
Samsung's F8500 plasma HDTV line will be available in late March 2013 and carry the following MSRPs:
F8500 64" - $3,699
F8500 60" - $3,199
F8500 50" - $2,199
I have been a certified plasma skeptic in the past, but it was clear to me that Samsung breathed new life into the plasma segment by introducing a panel with such exceptional image quality. The F8500 is compatible with full-HD 1080p 3D and features Cinema Smooth Plus for the best compatibility with 24p sources. The absolute highlight is the black level sported by this plasma panel—deeper than what I've seen before—and grays that are more neutral in appearance. This HDTV opened my eyes to how great plasma can look, circa 2013.
Samsung 64" F8500 Plasma HDTV - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Flo Rida, Kate Upton, and Eli Manning endorsed "Smart TV" by Samsung
Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Samsung's reps were knowledgeable and well versed in the technologies on display. I wanted to know if the F8500 represented a "last hurrah" or a commitment by Samsung to continue developing the technology. The answer is an emphatic "plasma is here to stay"—Samsung will continue to design and build plasma HDTVs. The logic seems hard to argue with, because plasma technology appeals to two audiences: shoppers who want maximum screen real estate per dollar in a flat panel, and the videophile who wants maximum quality. The F8500's raison d'etre is to make videophiles happy. With an MSRP of $3,699 for a 64" unit, the F8500 is not exactly a "budget" TV, but its features put it in the category of a "halo" product without the "halo" pricing, allowing Samsung to claim leadership in image quality with a product that is relatively affordable.
Samsung's newest plasma HDTV rests within a "one body form" bezel crafted from a single piece of metal, giving the whole unit a premium look and feel. That perception carries over to the screen, which is the star of the show. Samsung says, "The F8500 delivers the same brightness and eight times the black levels as standard LED TVs"— a statement I am tempted to agree with. The press event was flooded with ambient daylight, yet the F8500s on display looked every bit as bright and contrasty as their F8000 LED brethren. Looking at an F8500 in a darkened corner, flanked by a Panasonic plasma and a Sharp LCD, Samsung's technical achievement was much easier to see.
F8500 "One Body Form" bezel - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
"Black is black" is an inaccurate statement – there is no pure black, just darker shades of gray. The F8500's black reproduction stood out for several reasons: It is not limited to dark rooms, it is more tone-neutral than screens I have seen in the past, and it passes the "Is the TV on or off?" test. Samsung calls its technology "proprietary Deep Black Algorithm and Real Black Pro II"—I call it impressive. Real Black Pro II is a carbon-nano coating that absorbs ambient light, making the blacks blacker, even in brighter spaces. At the same time, the added brightness touted by Samsung is the result of efforts to make the sub-pixel walls in the plasma cells thinner, allowing each cell to hold more phosphor. An added benefit to this approach is improved brightness, which does not come at the expense of energy efficiency; I was surprised to find that the demo unit was not emitting any noticeable heat.
There is more to Samsung's latest high-end TV sets than improved image quality. The F8500 plasma series is compatible with Samsung's "Smart Evolution" upgrade kit, which guarantees four years of updates (from the date of manufacture) to the TV's core functions, including image processing, smart applications, and inputs. The Smart Evolution kit costs $299, with a new kit released on an annual basis.
Samsung 2013 "Smart Evolution Kit" - Photo ©2013 by Mark Henninger
Inside the Smart Evolution Kit is the brains behind the new TV sets: "Smart TV," now in its sixth generation. As Samsung describes it:
• A redesigned Samsung Smart Hub that offers five dynamic menu panels to help consumers manage and navigate different types of content.
• With S-Recommendation, consumers can easily find the content they want—whether on TV or via premium VOD services—thanks to personalized recommendations based on their viewing habits over time.
• A quad-core CPU enables quick app launching, web browsing, and multi-tasking.
• Smart View lets consumers move content seamlessly from the TV to connected devices and back in real time.
• Advanced Smart Interaction allows consumers to use everyday language and casual gestures to control the TV.
The fact is, no other currently available flat-panel HDTV technology offers as much value as plasma. At the same time, plasma remains the critical favorite for image quality and dark-room movie viewing. This latest iteration of plasma technology suffered no image retention, the TV itself felt cool to the touch, and thanks to the Smart Evolution Kit, there is an upgrade path to keep up with new features.
Samsung's F8500 plasma HDTV line will be available in late March 2013 and carry the following MSRPs:
F8500 64" - $3,699
F8500 60" - $3,199
F8500 50" - $2,199
I have been a certified plasma skeptic in the past, but it was clear to me that Samsung breathed new life into the plasma segment by introducing a panel with such exceptional image quality. The F8500 is compatible with full-HD 1080p 3D and features Cinema Smooth Plus for the best compatibility with 24p sources. The absolute highlight is the black level sported by this plasma panel—deeper than what I've seen before—and grays that are more neutral in appearance. This HDTV opened my eyes to how great plasma can look, circa 2013.
