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Display Size & Technology
The PN58B550 is built around a 58-inch plasma panel. Samsung told us that this is the same panel that is used in some of their 2008 models; only the more expensive 7 and 8 series plasmas get the newer panel.
CaptionFormat & Resolution
The panel is a Full HD panel, so it has 1920 by 1080 pixels and can handle a 1080p signal without having to scale or process it down to fit.
Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio
There were no specific figures for the technical specifications of the panel released by Samsung, so we don't know the details here. However, as it uses last year's panel, it won't have some of the new innovations that are on the 7 and 8 series, such as the extended contrast range and the deeper black. And this was definitely visible on the model that we looked at; the blacks were definitely not as deep as the more expensive models.
Refresh Rate & Motion
All of Samsung's plasma models use 600Hz sub-field processing, and the PN58B550 has the same. This shouldn't be confused with the refresh rate of LCD HDTVs; plasmas use a different form of processing and screen updating, and the two aren't comparable. In sub-field processing, the plasma display divides the screen up into different areas, and updates them in between frames of video to make motion smoother and to compensate for a problem called dynamic false contouring, where the process of updating the screen creates false areas of color.
Viewing Angle
Plasma HDTVs generally have excellent viewing angles, and the PN58B550 looked to follow this trend; both contrast and colors remained strong to very wide angles.
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