Posted Tue May 28, 2013 at 09:30 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Digital Trends praises the plasma-powered, gimmick-filled set.
Nearly half way through 2013 and 4K UHD sets have made steps towards affordability and content delivery, while OLED remains almost as elusive as ever. In this light, Digital Trends has declared that the Samsung F8500 and its three screen sizes is likely the TV of the year.
The conclusion, which gives the PNF8500 the edge over Panasonic's VT60 and ZT60, precisely echoes the recent Value Electronics Flat Panel Shootout . In both cases the message is clear, and Plasma sets remain critical darlings.
For Digital Trends, the F8500 is "the brightest plasma" ever seen, and the overall display quality trumps the myriad of gimmicks that have been shoved into the TV. The TV's bezel and stand were also praised by Digital Trends, as was the backlit Bluetooth remote control.
The TV's gesture and voice control actually received high marks. The TV's remote's trackpad received less love, much like the TV's set of apps that are said to be less enjoyable than Roku's offerings. The TV's attempt at displaying a program guide and controlling an external cable box seem less than useful as did the TV's "social" features. The poor sound quality for the set was attributed to speaker placement in the rear in order to support a cleaner overall look.
Those issues paled in importance though when the set was described as not needing any kind of picture calibration out of the box.
Time will tell if 2014 can yield a better plasma, but in the meantime it seems that F8500 is the set of choice. Discerning viewers can find the 60 inch PN60F8500 at Amazon.
Source: Digital Trends
Author: Brian Hoss
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