Samsung PS60E6500 Pro Reviews

Previously some way behind Panasonic in the plasma stakes, Samsung is now scoring first in some categories, having produced an incredibly compelling PDP television. Keep in mind that last year, the smaller 51-inch Samsung plasmas had decent, but visibly lighter black levels than the 60″+ panels, meaning that Panasonic may still have a visible lead at the smaller end of the big TV scale. Although some buyers will (quite justifiably) be seduced by Panasonic’s outstandingly deep black levels, the Samsung PS60E6500 is not far behind at all, and also has lots of other strengths of its own which we think ultimately leaves it on equal footing with the Japanese manufacturer’s efforts. Samsung’s plasma TVs outperform Panasonic’s in terms of 3D resolution, with the E6500 cleanly reproducing a full, jaggy-free 1080 line 3D image at all times. However, 3D fans will want to wait until Samsung resolves the frame-skipping issue we found during the review – although with that said, every plasma 3D TV we’ve seen has had fairly severe picture quality issues in the third dimension when compared to 2D. Our final score of “Highly Recommended” is, admittedly, awarded from the point of view of general 3D malaise. (What we’re saying is, there’s so little 3-dimensional content, and so little of it worth watching, that we’re not hugely upset by the problem; if you’re a 3D aficionado then you’ll certainly have a different view.)

We’ve always been fond of the classic Samsung TV design, so the PS60E6500’s charcoal grey bezel with transparent strip surrounding was not an unwelcome sight; nor was the rectangular base-stand that we much prefer over the Quad version deployed in the E8000. As with the flagship product, the E6500 is equipped with only 3 HDMI inputs but it’s an easier pill to swallow at this price point. The remote control is a slimmed down iteration of those of recent years with a highly effective design, sensibly deployed button lay-out and is easily operated comfortably with just the one hand. Menus are simple enough to navigate, although the sheer number of options might bemuse some. Thoughtfully Samsung have provided an excellent e-Manual built in to ease the confusion. As ever, with a Samsung product, the number of Smart features is dazzling and the Smart Hub is filled with Video on Demand services, streaming possibilities, gaming and social networking apps and any number of diversions. Samsung still certainly leads the way in the Smart Stakes.

A very good, but not a great plasma, this 60-incher still steals a march on similarly-sized LCD/LED TVs on versatility, picture quality and value. Some minor issues with motion and brightness aside, this app-packed, media-savvy giant is a fine all-rounder that excels with 3D.