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Introduction
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01.Tour & Design
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02.Blacks & Whites
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03.Color Accuracy
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04.Motion
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05.Viewing Effects
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06.Calibration
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07.Remote Control
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08.Connectivity
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09.Audio & Menus
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10.Formats & Media
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11.Power Consumption
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12.Vs Panasonic TC P42X1
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13.Vs Samsung PN50A760
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14.Vs Vizio SV471XVT
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15.Conclusion
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16.Series Comparison
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17.Ratings & Specs
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18.Comments
Samsung PN50B430
Previous: Page 4
MotionNext: Page 6
Calibration
Viewing Effects Summary
• Excellent viewing angle
• Reflective display without significant diffusion
• Testing done using DisplayMate Software
Viewing Angle (11.37)
As is typical with Plasma televisions the Samsung PN50B430 help up very well when viewed from a variety of angles. In our testing the contrast ratio did not drop below 50% until it got out to 70 degrees. You can see below that this is comparable to the other two plasma televisions to which we are comparing it, and significantly better than lone LCD model, the Vizio SV471XVT. Not only did the contrast ratio hold up well, but colors also held up well, with no obvious fading even at wide angles.
| Viewing Angle | |
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Reflectance (6.0)
The Samsung PN50B430's is very reflective, with almost no diffusion on light displayed on it. As the screen is so large this means in practice that light direct light doesn't effect much but a small area of the screen, for example we didn't see the streaking we've seen on other Samsung HDTVs, which made the whole experience only slightly annoying rather than really annoying.
Video Processing (4.0)
The Samsung PN50B430, like most HDTVs, offers a variety of different video processing options. Here we look at each and see whether they actually provide any benefit.
| Setting | Claimed Function | Our Impression |
| Black Tone | Enhances the picture depth by adjusting the black color density. | No visible effect. |
| Dynamic Contrast | Automatically controls the contrast level to avoid excessive level differences while maintaining the optimal picture contrast. | Obvious effect on contrast in the scene. |
| Gamma | Adjusts the middle level of luminance. | Visible brightening or darkening depending on the setting. |
| Flesh Tone | Adjusts the flesh tone to be more or less red. | Visible increase or decrese in flesh tones. |
| Digital NR | Reduces the noise of the picture to avoid distracting flickering. | Visible decrease in noise, especially at higher settings. |
The result is that most of these options do in fact make a visible impact. We generally recommend leaving these off, but if you're unhappy with the quality of your picture it can be worth playing with these options.
| Compare the Samsung PN50B430 to other HDTVs | |||||||
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| Panasonic TC-P42X1 42 inches |
Samsung PN50A760 50 inches |
Vizio SV471XVT 47 inches |
|||||
Shop for the Samsung PN50B430
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