(September 11, 2010) The C8000 models are Samsung’s top-of-the-line plasma HDTVs. In addition to 3D capability, Samsung loads this series with a number of high-end performance features and functionality including 96 Hz refresh rate for smooth pans (for 24 frame per second film based material),a single pane front glass, a state of the art anti-reflective filter, Internet connectivity for movie streaming and firmware updates and more. It is a self contained HDTV (no external tuner/switcher) with a depth of only 1.4″.
Features and Styling
Samsung’s 8000s contain almost every feature available in today’s HDTVs. While we applaud Samsungs long list of Internet services and the promise of adding new exciting “apps”, the list of picture controls and settings are almost mind numbing. This is a trend shared by a number of other vendors and one we would like to see reversed. It is very inexpensive proposition for a set maker to add a new picture controls, so they do it under the “more is better” school of marketing. Items like “Black Tone” and Dynamic Contrast” may appear to the uneducated purchaser to increase the contrast ratio of the TV by creating more black area and brighter white areas of the image. Actually, they only compress (crush) the light and dark details within the image, degrading the picture.
We fell in love with the styling and back panel functionality. The edge of the bezel is a thin strip of clear plastic that blends beautifully with the set’s black frame. Who needs reds, yellows or whatnot on their TV? The inputs are all on the back of the set. Samsung’s wafer thin LEDs require adapters (dongles) that consist of a non-standard connector on one end and a standard jack on the other that hang off the back of the TV like a price tag. We wonder if those odd dongles are often thrown out with the packing material before consumers realize their use. Thankfully, every input on the PN58C8000 is an industry standard jack. There are four HDMIs, one component video, one composite video, two USB, PC and an Ethernet input jack. Samsung sells an optional wireless (WiFi) adapter, although we continue to recommend using an Ethernet cable for maximum reliability.
The 8000s infrared emitter (used to sync the TV to Samsung’s 3D glasses) is contained within the bottom left side of the screen bezel. Switching to 3D mode is automatic when using the DirecTV HD set top box and tuning to one of its three 3D channels or using a 3D disc with a compatible Blu-ray player. There is also a manual override for choosing side-by-side or over-under content 3D format used by cable systems and Internet downloads (select3D content is available from websites via PC and transferred to a USB flash drive for playback).
The remote control is laid out smartly, but nearly impossible to read in the dark, especially when wearing 3D glasses. Although backlit, the fonts are too small, with insufficient contrast due to its brushed aluminum finish. We found the backlight times out too quickly and lacks a motion sensor to keep the control lit while being used.
The 8000 is equipped with a pivoting stand. Like many other large screen TVs we’ve tested, the PN58C8000 tends to wobble a bit when swiveled. We would like to see set makers invest a few more cents in a sturdier swivel.
The Internet connectivity includes services from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand, Vudu, Pandora, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Hulu Plus and Dailymotion. Internet apps include Yahoo widgets, Weather, Facebook, News, Twitter, Sports, Picasa/Flickr (photos), Stocks and Google Maps with many new apps promised in coming months.
2D Performance
The PN58C8000 produces outstanding 2D images. The internal signal processing for 480i and 1080i signals aced all the HQV tests including deinterlacing, 3:2 film conversion, detail, noise reduction and freedom from jaggies. The 8000 also passed all the various non-standard video capture rates such as Varicam and animation sequences, a minor yet notable achievement. The motion resolution comes in at the full 1080 lines per picture height.
“Cinema Smooth” control converts 24Hz based content such as film to 96Hz, repeating every frame four times (as opposed to normal 60 Hz conversion known as 3:2 pulldown). A new feature Samsung only offers with plasma models in its 8000 series is “Dejudder” option which employs motion estimation-motion compensation (ME/MC) for 24Hz content. Activating “Dejudder” creates very smooth, fluid motion sequences using film based content. This circuit is included in all LED (LCD) and LCD HDTVs with 120 Hz or higher refresh rate. The ME/MC has a side effect. It makes film based content look like video, often referred to as the “Soap Opera Effect”. We don’t like the effect as we want film to appear as film which means hitching in pans with the 96Hz refresh just as it appears in a movie theater. We retained the “off” position for our viewing evaluations.
Black level measured .009 ft lamberts using our Minolta LS-100 meter, making it very dark but not as deep as the Panasonic TCP50VT25 (which measures .004 ft lamberts). The difference is noticeable in a dark room; however, the higher black level becomes nearly obscured with normal room ambient light levels. Plasma TVs have the ability to produce these deep blacks even with adjacent bright areas. LED (LCD) HDTVs with local dimming can produce deep blacks, but always create halos around the bright area. This is because plasmas can produce blacks at a single pixel level while LEDs can only dim in multi-pixel zones.
Image brightness was excellent with a measurement of 38.06 ft lamberts (post calibration “Movie” mode) while maximum brightness (“Dynamic” mode) came blasting in at 56 ft. lamberts, far brighter than needed for daytime viewing in most living rooms.
The anti-reflective filter coating is similar the one in Panasonic VT25 series models and is extremely effective in reducing off-axis light. Like the Panasonic, this Samsung series uses only two sheets of glass (top and bottom as opposed to models with two top sheets), eliminating contrast robbing internal reflections.
We found “Movie” mode gave the most accurate preset image with nearly neutral gray scale. The 8000 allows gray scale calibration using two points (low and high), or ten point adjustments (or one can combine the two controls).  Color temperature in the “Movie” mode pre calibration measured 7179K at 20 IRE and 6844K at 80 IRE. After calibration the gray scale results were near ideal with readings of 6340K at 20 IRE and 6447K at 80 IRE.
Color accuracy measured well, (“Movie” mode) with primaries very near the Rec. 709 standard (in parenthesis) Red x=.643 y=.333 (0.64, 0.33) Green x=.290 y=.598 (0.30, 0.60) Blue x=.152, y=.062 (.15, 0.06). Gamma (tracking of the transition from black to white) was just under 2.2 in the default 0 setting. We recommend a slightly higher gamma of 2.4, afforded by changing the setting to -1.
Power consumption was very good for a 58″ plasma, although not as energy efficient as big screen LED/LCDs (per sq. inch of screen area). The PN58C8000 came in at 270 watts using the industry standard IEC test disc with our wattage meter. With plasma’s lower purchase price than comparable sized LCD, a far wider viewing angle with a consistent off-axis image, deep blacks with fine dark detail, no halos and overall better picture quality, we feel the higher power consumption is a worthwhile tradeoff.
3D Performance
The PN58C8000 produced excellent image quality in the 3D mode (as it does in 2D), with one notable exception. Crosstalk (seen as a ghost image due to leakage of the left eye image to the right eye and vice versa) was occasionally visible in content that was crosstalk free on the Panasonic VT25 plasma. However, the frequency and severity of the crosstalk was significantly less than observed on the Samsung UN55C8000 LED (LCD).
Conclusion
The PN58C8000 is the finest Samsung HDTV we have tested to date, with very high marks in a large number of performance areas including color accuracy, signal processing, motion resolution, gray scale, and detail. The styling, svelte form factor, coupled with a large array Internet services places it on the short list of the big screen HDTV readers should consider when shopping for a top performing display. The only significant areas where the Panasonic VT25 bests it is in black level and 3D crosstalk. Priced at $2999 retail, it can be purchased at [amazonify]B0036WT41U::text::::Amazon for $2549.98[/amazonify] with free shipping, a free BD-C5900 3D capable Blu-ray player ($230 retail) and a free starter kit consisting of two pairs of Samsung 3D glasses, and the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Blu-ray disc ( $350 retail), making it a really sound deal. The HD GURU awards the Samsung PN58C8000 ♥♥♥♥ (four out of five hearts) overall and ♥♥♥ for its 3D performance*.
*Beginning with this review HD Guru will provide overall performance rating and a separate 3D performance rating with all 3D capable HDTV reviews.
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It really sucks that Samsung has not seen fit to upgrade the Netflix App on this top of the line TV and it’s sister BD-C6900 Blu-Ray Player to properly support Netflix HD and Surround Sound options that have been available for some time now and is available on their slightly newer models. If Samsung thinks this is going to get their clients to put out for newer models they have another thing coming. I will be looking into different brands such as Panasonic etc…
Carl.
Just one thing I want to add. The PN58c8000 and the PN58c6500 have virtually identical picture quality. There are only a few differences in these models.
The c8000 has the real black filter an anti reflective layer to help if you go lots of windows in the room and the c6500 does not. Sure it’s a cool feature but all you need is proper fitting blinds or drapes and reflections are no longer an issue and the filter is not required.
The c8000 has 96hz cinema smooth which is great for 24p playback but in the service menu of the c6500 you can trick the firmware into thinking your tv is a c8000 and you can get the cinema mode on the c6500 which negates that benefit.
A number of tests has shown that for some unknown reason the non 3d set is .0005-.001 deeper black then the 2 3d models. Couple people have stated something with the phosphors of the 3d tv’s makes them slightly brighter which makes there blackest black just a hair lighter then the c6500. So you actually get better blacks on the cheaper tv set!
The most obvious difference it has 3d capabilities. Wow big deal honestly 3d is like the biggest gimmick ever and even the people that like 3d at most will be lucky if even 10% of the tv’s lifetime will be used watching 3d movies. I think it’s a waste.
So as I’m looking now I see the best price from a reputable online dealer ONLY
pn58c8000 – $2080.00
pm58c6500 – $1607.00
so 473 more dollars for a tv with .001 HIGHER blacks and you get an anti reflective filter and 3d the 96hz cinema smooth doesnt count as a one up because u can enable it in the service menu of the c6500 and cinema smooth SUCKSSS anyways because it raises the blacks.
So use your own mind. Is spending an extra 473 dollars worth gimmicky 3d that even lovers of the feature will only spend a tiny fraction of the tv’s lifetime using (not too mention the cost of the glasses etc). Having a TV with a slightly higher black level. And an anti reflective filter that can be rendered useless by getting proper fitting drapes or blinds for your windows.
PN58c6500 anyone smart enough will see this tv is the killer of all for price/performance ratio and quality in the 55-60″ range. $1600 for possibly the 1st or 2nd best overall 58″ PQ performance for 2010. What a steal midrange prices for top end quality.
@JamesJ, yes the C8000 has ARC
Guys- plasmatvbuyingguide’s review is pretty much spot on about this set and gave it a 95/100 for PQ… Vs. 90/100 for PQ on the VT25. I find his reviews to be very accurate.
Could the difference between your readings and David’s be due to the Cinema Smooth option being engaged. There seems to be a black level rise with this engaged which may have caused the discrepancy between your readings.
I read cnets ftl’s for the panasonic v25 and the pnc8000. Dave K got .004 for the panasonic and .019 for the pnc800. In your review you got .009 for the pnc8000. Do know why the results are different? Now he is saying that the v25 is increasing to .007 and maybe maxing out at about .009. Would this make the black levels closer to the same now? I wouls appreciate your comment on this.
Thanks Jerry
I don’t know the answer. We use the Konica Minolta LS-100 light meter for our black level measurements. I don’t know what the other reviewers use.
Since David K at CNET and I obtained the same minimum light reading in the “out of the box” condition of the VT25, I presume his aging test number is correct (FYI, I have the highest regard for David and his work) . What we don’t know is if the Samsung’s or LG’s plasma (or any other HDTVs) picture characteristics significantly change with aging since neither of us (nor anyone else I am aware of) performed aging tests on other make and model displays.
From a practical point of view, the VT25 still has the deepest blacks of any plasma tested and overall is an superb 2D (and 3D) HDTV, even at David’s .007 ft lambert “aged” measurement.
Thank you for your questions and support.
HD Guru
Does this (or any) TV yet support the Audio Return Channel of HDMI ?
Is there a TV on the market that gives an excellent picture like this without the 3D feature?
Sorry the reason why I bring up the methodology is that traditionally there are HUGE differences in the quality of upconversion processing.
HQV (Hollywood quality video) and Anchor Bay tend to be around the best.
Sony’s latest XBR chipset tends to be very good (along with Pioneer’s Kuro).
Toshiba use to be crap, but lately their ‘cell’ processor found on some of their higher end TV’s is close to Sony in quality.
Panasonic tended to be on the next tier.
Lower-end Toshiba’s and Samsung’s tended to have VERY poor up-conversion quality. Sharp tended to be in this range, along with LG…
Hey guys just curios because I use a different cable subscriber (Shaw) but they use the Motorola boxes.
On the DCX-3400 I am able to specify it to natively output 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p (that way the box does NO up-conversion to the signal and passes the original signal quality to the TV. This way you can accurately compare the up-conversion circuitry of the TV’s without the processing of the box muddling results at all…
Have you guys done a comparison with similar methodology?
I had purchased the Panasonic VT25 based on many positive reviews. Yes black level is great, but the tv is useless in rooms with ambient light. And further- the processing chip used seems like it would be the same as low end models… Lots of noise, poor handling of SD etc. I picked up the C8000 and I am now happy. Black levels are still great, and color, processing are all far superior. Very noticeable indeed. this set looks like a winner.
Which one buzzes less the Samsung reviewed here or the Panasonic VT25 series?
When can we expect your review of the Sony Bravia NX810 55 inch? Tks
Hello JC,
I can only relay personal information that I have gathered through months of store visits and what I can see in my own home with test discs and actual content. I actually purchased the Samsung 8000 after the VT25 to use it for normal TV viewing because I was not satisfied with what I saw on the VT25, which has now become the movie TV. On BluRay material or with any HD source, the Panasonic looks fantastic. With SD material I have to say that I am disappointed with it’s processing quality. The Samsung handles it much better. They are both on Comcast Motorola HD DVR boxes and both have their own BluRay players. The Panasonic BDT350 and the Samsung BDC6900 which were bundle offers when the TV’s were purchased. I actually swapped the players with opposite TV’s because the Samsung does a better job with up conversion of SD DVD material. This kind of surprised me as I was more of a Pioneer and Panasonic plasma fan and never really even thought of Samsung for plasma TV’s until researching them this year. Neither is perfect and both are nice TV’s that can produce great pictures with quality material.
M your results suprise me because I own a Panasonic 58S1 and a Samsung 58C6500 (similar to the 8000).
Connected to a motorola box that permits 480i/480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p signals to be natively passed onto the display via HDMI,
(so in theory the motorola box passes the original signal, with no processing, onto the TV)
, I noticed that on non-1080i/p content the Panasonic 58S1 (a 2009 model) utterly destroys the Samsung 58C6500.
This is especially noticeable with 480i / 480p content …
Now the Panasonic G and VT series (Supposedly) feature better elecronics and the Samsung C8000 is supposedly similar to the 6500 on the upconverting electronics side so I am suprised to hear that your experience has been that the Panasonic VT series is so poor with SD content….
We test 480i performance using HQV test DVD disc with the output of the player set at 480i using (unless otherwise noted) composite video. As written the Samsung did an excellent job with these tests while the Panasonic did not fare as well in some of the same tests.
HD Guru
How is the standard definition viewing?
I happen to own an 8000 plasma and a VT25 plasma. While both are great TV’s, I will say that the Panasonic does miserably on non HD content. The Samsung has better processing and handles SD material much better than the Panasonic. Both produce gorgeous pictures with HD. Of course there are differences between them.
How does it compare head to head with the VT series panny? nice write up…now we need a review of the un65c8000 ! :)
Do you mind giving us the picture settings you used for you review?
Panasonic’s (and Sony) TV’s usually feature superior processing at non-native resolutions (e.g. resolutions that aren’t 1080p).
How did you find the Samsung do perform at 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i HD content?
It’s been my experience that, particularly with 480i content, the Samsung scaling is very poor…
Thanks for the review it was very good. You did not mention the 2d to 3d aspect of the tv. Do you have any comment on that? Also do you think the loss of black level in panasonic tv’s would make this a better choice ?
thanks jb