Samsung PN60E7000 Review

60" 3D Plasma TV with Smart TV

Strengths

• Very deep black levels
• Colors warm and pop from dark background in low light room
• Design Aesthetics
• Smart Hub Smart TV selection by Samsung is strong
• Picture Depth Perception
• Audio Output
• Value Pricing

Weaknesses

• Peak Brightness/white levels
• Picture can appear dim in brightly lit room
• Smart TV Apps can be slow to load/limited memory

The 2012 model of Samsung PN60E7000 is one very sharp looking and performing TV. The picture quality and black levels, but it is the color that really stands out. It's an excellent choice for darker, controlled light rooms. It's a great TV for those with a large living room space as long as you do not have tons of bright light coming in from windows. This TV is not meant to get that bright. There is some very good anti glare louvered screen technology in this TV. The new panel actually absorbs the light without allowing it to escape - thus reducing glare. Apparently, energy costs were the reason Samsung and other plasma manufacturers cut their contrast with normal picture settings last year. The issue looks much better in 2012. They key is being able to ramp up the color and phosphor output through the white balance controls and unfortunately this Samsung plasma does not give us that ability. Still, it's an awesome picture both in HD, SD, and 3D. And the prices are right.

Picture Quality Rating: 9.2/10

Contrast Ratio – Black Levels

If you were standing in the store looking at this TV side by side next to an LED TV set on Dynamic Picture Mode (peak brightness) you might think this was the dimmest TV you had ever seen. However, if you took the same TVs and put them in almost almost dark room, you would think this TV had one of the best pictures you had ever seen. The depth of images would immediately seem incredible with and HD signal.

That's one of the advantages to superb black levels and plasma technology on the whole. Since video-files generally consider black levels and darker rooms the correct ambiance for TV and movie watching, the E7000 series gets a high score. Black levels are very saturated as the picture above shows. You cant even tell where the black borders begin! Great black levels cause colors to pop more, thus giving you more picture depth. The overall contrast ratio is not high on this TV due to the restricted contrast and peak whites.

Color

Realistic colors have always been a high point on Samsung's plasma televisions and with the new All Black Pure Filter the E7000 continues that. Colors on the PN51E7000 look like you would expect them to if you saw them off the screen, there is none of the over saturated look you find in many of today's LED and LCD televisions. SOme viewers may feel that the colors are a bit muted on the E7000 but we were quite impressed with them.

A vibrant shot from the NBA playoffs on the E7000

3D Viewing

The active 3D on the PN51E7000 is impressive, Samsung has improved the 3D performance on their televisions again in 2012 and paired with the new, light weight 3D glasses it is very immersive. There isn't any of the blurring or flashing we noticed in older models, colors pop, there is plenty of depth and the full HD detail really shows.

Features Rating: 8.9/10

Appearance

The PN51E7000 is only 1.9 inch in depth, thin for a plasma. The bezel is about 1 inch wide and is a charcoal black color, the matte brushed metal look will not distract while watching movies or TV.

Smart TV Smart Hub

The E7000 comes equipped with Samsung's newly expanded Smart TV suite for 2012. The app store has grown to 1500 apps this year and it continues to grow. We've done a very thorough examination of the Samsung Smart Hub Review which you can read here. Samsung's is the most thorough and highest rated of all the Smart TVs (Internet options) even though it does have its negatives such as slow load times for some Apps and limited memory and very slow browsing on the web browser.

Three strong negatives and it is still the best. There is a dual core processor included that is supposed to help with load times on Apps and allow you to use other functions at the same time, but it's still very slow from my perspective. Download apps to stream video from major providers like Hulu and Netflix, get news, sports, financial and weather updates or access you Facebook or Twitter acount directly from your television.

The new dual core processor built into the PN51E7000 allows you to multitask on your television. Keep your TV program on one part of the screen and use an app or the built in web browser on the other part. The E7000 also comes equipped with built in WiFi for easy connection to your home network.

Menu and Remote

The new menu is very similar to 2011s and is excellent. It's simple design is fast and easy to use and there is a well done pop out tutorial description for each function out to the right. Menu options are complete without going overboard. There is no dejudder control function on the E7000 series. We've mentioned the picture modes above in the HD picture section.

Audio Output Quality

Audio output was impressive from the 15W X 15W speakers. Compared to most super thin TVs these days, sound from the PNE7000's speakers is much fuller with more base and better quality. There was plenty of volume to fill a large room at the 50% level. There are impressively 5 Sound Mode options whereas most TVs only have two. We have preferred the Clear Voice option in the past so give that one a try. The Standard mode is also good. Music was not great but we felt the sound quality was well balanced.

Bang for the Buck Rating: 9.3/10

This is where this TV really shines at around $1999. You're not paying for the Smart Interaction features of the E8000 series which you likely would not use much. The Panasonic TC-P60GT50 plasma sells for a couple hundred more, while the Sharp LC-60LE847U is about the only quality oriented 60” LED that can come close in price and it sells also for a couple hundred more, however without the picture quality of the E7000 Samsung.

Quick Specs:

• 1080p Full HD
• 3D Compatibility
• Smart Hub
• Full Web Browser
• 54.9" x 32.8" x 1.9"
• 54.9" x 36.3" x 13.8" with stand

Overall Rating: 9.1/10