Samsung PN51E8000 3D Smart Plasma HDTV Review

Connectivity

As you can see from the picture below, the Samsung PN51E8000 has a decent variety of ports allocated to the cutout behind the TV, but they're ordered in a somewhat strange way.

All in all, you've got 3 USB inputs (for flash drive, portable HDD, etc.), 3 HDMI inputs, and a shared Component/AV input. Those will handle your connected devices. The EX-LINK input is a dedicated port for software upgrades. You've also got the option to run a wired internet signal, via ethernet cable, and a dedicated jack for cable/antenna input (for broadcast content). Finally, a digital audio out allows the integration of a surround sound system, whereas DVI audio in will route the audio output from the connected DVI device to your TV's speakers.

We like Samsung's L-shaped cutout, but are not sure why the EX-LINK port is placed first on the side, or why the USB ports are split up rather than together. Other than these mild complaints, we think the E8000's got a good port selection with a standard design.

While you're looking, take note of the Evolution Kit. The Evolution Kit is a removable tech component that will allow Samsung to make hardware upgrades to the processor and dedicated memory in the future.