Samsung PS64F8500ST Pro Reviews

As Samsung's flagship plasma TV for 2013, the F8500 manages to impress; it has all the features we've come to expect from the company, along with excellent picture and sound quality. However, it's very expensive and only available in large screen sizes, which makes it impractical for many. Panasonic has also just launched its own 2013 range of plasma sets, which includes mid-range as well as high-end models. Even so, right now Samsung's F8500 is one of the best TVs out there.

The Samsung PS64F8500 is yet another extremely impressive plasma television from the Korean manufacturer, representing the boldest (and forgive us for saying it, but brightest) move yet from the company when it comes to plasma. It’s without a doubt the best flat-screen TV they’ve ever produced, and it’s a very strong rival to Panasonic’s own gas-and-phosphor-powered Viera HDTVs. Relative to what the Japanese brand is doing, the F8500 offers much of the same quality – and also some strengths of its own – for a good amount less. In the UK, the PS64F8500 has very little competition, given that the only comparably-sized panel being brought to these shores is the Panasonic TX-P65VT65B, which is some £600 more expensive. That move could mean that Samsung dominate huge-screen plasma sales in the United Kingdom (which admittedly is not likely to be a gigantic market). However, for some users, the cost savings are dented slightly when you remember that calibration is more necessary on the PS64F8500 due to its less impressive out-of-the-box greyscale tracking (although this varies from unit to unit, and we’d always recommend getting it done regardless).

The PS64F8500 is easily Samsung's most aggressive assault yet on Panasonic's traditional dominance of the plasma TV market. Particularly remarkable is its brightness, which hits heights never before witnessed from plasma technology. Couple this with the Samsung PS64F8500's excellent black depths and sharpness levels and you've got a picture of stunning dynamism that makes Samsung's behemoth as usable in a bright living room as it is in a dedicated cinema room. The set's smart features are unprecedentedly sophisticated too, with the only issues being a little dither noise and momentary image retention.

It’s possible – just possible - that Panasonic’s upcoming P65VT65 and P60ZT65 TVs might offer a little more all-round picture refinement than the upstart Samsung PS64F8500. But there should be no doubt that Samsung’s revolutionary work in delivering a plasma TV that combines groundbreaking brightness with truly inky black levels deserves to win the heart of many serious AV fans – especially those whose rooms tend to have a bit of ambient light to contend with.