Samsung PN50B860 About the buzzing.

This review is simply to clear up the "buzzing" some people are experiencing. I do not own this TV but in my line of work I see the 850 version everyday. So I can at least attest to the picture quality, & it is amazing. Both the 850 & 860 have the exact same specs and features except for two things. The 860 has the Cinema Smooth feature, which the 850 does not, as well as a cooling fan. This cooling fan is the buzzing many have been mentioning. The fan only kicks in when the TV begins to heat up extensively, which it will b/c of how thin it is. It will also heat up when the TV is at a high altitude. In general, plasma TVs are made to function at sea level. If the TV is taken to higher altitudes it will have to work harder to compensate for the decrease in pressure. Occasionaly, when you view bright images, intense action scenes, or play video games on it, you will hear the fan go off, even at sea level. At my work place I noticed that the 850 was heating up quite a bit and after discussing it with my coworkers, I realized it had to do with the thickness of the TV. We also looked at the 650 series, which is thicker but very similar to the 860 in specs, for comparison. I noticed that it did not heat up as much as the 850 when we ran the exact same blu-ray film on it. The 650s thicker frame allows it to release heat much better than the thin frame of the 850. Outside of any uniquie experiences of other individuals, I can confidently say that these are the primary reasons why the TV buzzes. In any case where the circumstances may contradict what I've said, then I suggest contacting Samsung for any other reason as to why it buzzes. They may just say "our products are designed to function a certain way and the buzzing is normall," and that's an answer you'll have to accept.

Samsung PN50B860 No Buzzing here, looks amazing..

I bought this TV and received it 3 days ago and wall mounted it right away. It looks amazing and sounds great. i read other reviews talking about a Buzzing with the sound from the TV but it does not make any strange noises and the picture looks amazing. It is super thin and looks great on my wall. It's a great buy for the price....

Samsung PN50B860 Awesome Entertainment Television! Best Bang for the Buck

Like others here I did my research for about a month till I decided to buy this television, the PN50B860. 50" of glory in my livingroom. I tweaked the settings in Movie mode for watching Blu-Ray movies from my PS3 and the picture is amazing! Way better than Best Buy and Sears setup, and regular DVDs look awesome as well. I change the Video settings depending on whats on, like football, video games, or movie from the remote.
I had a Sony 46" LCD S-series before this, I know it's not apples to apples, but it still woops that TVs picture! Playing MGS4 was never so pleasing...
I bought this TV for 1900 flat from an ebay seller on July 1st, and pleased with everything. I like amazon too, but I saved 300 at that time.
Oh yea, no BUZZ here either, seems like only the same person complained about BUZZ on other sites and he had a PN50A850 or was it PN50B850? Anyways, it was a 850 model.

Good Luck on your TV search, mine had a happy ending.

Samsung PN50B860 Great TV.

This TV is utterly beautiful.... that really is all I need to say but I will continue.

First off, if you want a large TV to hang on a wall, this is a great choice as it is only 55 pounds or so for a plasma and only about an inch thick. However, going past that, the picture quality is beautiful, with rich colors and high contrast. It is very bright but with no washout. I bought this at a best buy and was blown away at the comparison between this tv and Samsung LEDs and the 240hz LCDs, all running HD movies.

I've watched 2001 on this TV and it brought the initial fears back that the film gave me. I've played Wii, PS3, and XBOX on it and all look fantastic. Even regular cable tv looks quite fine without the "blown out" view that my father's 65" Mitsubishi CRT gives.

It also has some interesting interactive features, such it shows you cooking recipes and then has pictorial step-by-step directions... as a avid chef, they are actually quite good recipes.

The TV itself, for its size, is quite minimalistic. The clear edge is actually quite nice as it reflects light and distracts from any light off the actual screen. They claim this has the red touch of color, but I cannot tell at all..... That being said, the TV has almost no issues with glare... I have it sitting right next to a bay window and you can almost always see everything clearly.

Samsung PN50B860 Great TV and Amazon Service

I wanted to write a positive review after receiving my 860 on Wednesday. I have purchased a lot through Amazon with no problems, and this is no different. I love the free shipping, no tax, and I didn't know it also included white glove service. They brought it into my home, unboxed it, set it up, and turned it on to make sure it was working properly and they left. I've read a lot before pulling the trigger, including AV forums. I too was worried about the "buzz", I was hoping since I'm sea level, I wouldn't have a problem. I'm not sure if that is the reason, the TV was made 09/09 in Tijuana Mexico. I don't even hear the slightest of anything and I'm very happy with the quality and clarity. I hope everyone else gets a winner too.

Samsung PN50B860 Great TV (no buzz for me)

This TV is beautiful and I have not experienced the "buzz" that other people have complained about. I heard the buzz might be related to high altitudes but I live at sea level...

Great picture, beautiful colors. The thinness of the set is great too.

Samsung PN50B860 absolutely beautiful

This plasma is absolutely the best you can buy for the money spent. I shopped and compared it to many others including the Pioneer Elites. A couple of reviewers mention buzz problems and because of those reviews i was really not considering Samsung, but as i shopped and looked at the many plasmas side by side, my eyes were constantly being drawn back over to the Sammy. I even considered buying a Runco at $8000+ and asked a Chicago area store to put the Samsung and the Runco side by side, they did and i could see no difference between them. both were just stunning! The only downside are the speakers, they're really cheesie. But my Samsung is mated with a Pioneer Elite SC-07 - AV network receiver - 7.1 channel with built in wall speakers, a LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player and a Direct TV Tivo (a sweet system), so the cheap speakers are not an issue for me, and I would guess not for most people either. This plasma is only 1 inch deep so i expected the audio to be not so good.

All said, buy the Samsung PN50B860 50-Inch 1080P Plasma HDTV if you're looking for a 50. The TV is pretty on and off and the extras just add to the value.

Samsung PN50B860 Incredible Picture!

I did a lot of research before I purchased a Samsung PN50B860. And I am totally pleased with the purchase! The picture is out of this world. I kept debating between the crisp picture of a quality LCD or the motion handling of a plasma. Because I like sports and action movies, I had pretty much decided on the PN50B550 when I saw the right price. But I went into the store and saw the PN50B860 right next to it, and could obviously see the difference. The picture was so crisp, but it had all the motion handling benefits of a plasma! Plus, it's the latest technology, so it's energy star rated (not the normal power consumption like older plasma's).

It is also DLNA certified and has a cool internet functionallity with Yahoo widgets. I really didn't buy it for the internet functionality--thought that was more of a gimmick. But it's actually pretty neat. I can bring up the weather (today, or extended) for several cities I program in, plus pull major news headlines for politics,business, sports, etc while still watching TV.

One slight drawback are the speakers. Not a deal killer for me, since any movies or sporting events I run through my stereo system. But at 1 1/2 inches thick, it's pretty impossible to put top notch sound in a TV. And the speakers work fine for regular TV. But to get the full movie experience, you'll want to hook to a home theater.

Go look at this set in a store with a quality feed, and you'll be amazed at the clarity, color and definition.

Samsung PN50B860 50" Plasma...Awesome

Well, I did not buy this TV from Amazon but found an authorized online retailer that had a fantastic price with free shipping. Let me tell you, I researched televisions for about three months straight. I had been debating between the Samsung LN52B750 LCD, which had a razor sharp picture and at the time was priced right. Aesthetically, it was a beautiful television in just about every way. My biggest hang up was that certain movies and shows looked too realistic (distracting) and not movie like, especially when watching animated films or TV shows and even with the 240Mhz refresh rate for motion, the motion in fast scenes felt a bit off or distracting. The picture was/is extremely bright and the features hit the sweet spot.

I had also been comparing the LN52B750 with several different plasma televisions, mostly from Samsung, several Panasonic Plasmas that were/are highly rated from several review websites and the Pioneer Kuro Plasmas. So, I read all of the reviews I could find on about 10 televisions total that were highly rated or new to the market for 2009. My buddy has the 50" Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD which I might add, has a beautiful picture! It is almost unmatched. Then I went to BestBuy and directly compared several lower model number Samsung plasmas and LCDs and the Panasonic TC-P50G10 50" plasma. I honestly do not see what the big deal about the TC-P50G10 TV is. The picture is okay, it even looked okay playing a Blu-ray movie, but I was not impressed. The picture was a bit green, the casing of the TV was not the most eye pleasing design and that huge Panasonic logo on the front "chin" with a grey back ground was not appealing to me. I also compared several LG Plasmas and LCD TV's for 2009 and the new Toshiba Regzas (nice picture for the price I have to admit).

Ultimately, it came down to comparing the Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD to the Samsung PN50B850 (which has one feature less than the PN50B860 Samsung, as no one had a PN50B860 on display that I could find) and was amazed at how awesome the picture detail, flesh tones, natural colors, fast motion, contrast, brightness and motion was on the two Plasma televisions. They are very comparable and I consider them dead on as competitors. I ended up choosing the Samsung PN50B860 having seen the PN50B850 in person at BestBuy. The PN50B860 has the Cinema Smooth feature which the PN50B850 does not. I got it for under $2k with free shipping online with the optional 802.11N wireless Samsung Linkstick (WIS09ABGN) for less than $60.

The picture on the Samsung PN50B860 is phenomenal. Not only is the picture on this TV one of the best I've seen after months of extreme research, I got the best price on it and it cost less than the Pioneer and the Samsung LN52B750!!! I've been watching Blu-ray movies on it via my Sony PS3 gaming console for the last few days through HDMI. Movies like Hellboy II and Casino Royale are stunning and unbelievable on this set!!! Motion resolution/rendering is phenomenal. I recommend it over the Pioneer Kuro because I think it is a bit superior in quality (build and picture), features, aesthetic and Energy Star rating. It's SUPER THIN! You would not be sorry for purchasing this set! It's simply stunning. The remote is surprisingly nice as well. I'm not a huge fan of Samsung's remote controls or TV interfaces (Sony and LG rule when it comes to remote control design an TV interfaces) but I'm happy with the one that came with the TV.

Audio is very acceptable in my book on this television. It's not super loud and robust but what television is, but for a small condo or apartment, it's perfect and very usable and enjoyable! The picture from the digital TV tuner for Over-The-Air broadcasts is pretty impressive as well.

Get it! You won't regret it! As for the other review regarding the buzzing...mine does not buzz at all. I'm guessing the person must be at a high altitude or may have received a bad set but this TV is pretty much flawless.

Samsung PN50B860 Review

From the Manufacturer
Manufacturer's Review
Samsung 8 Series plasma HDTVs represents their finest innovations in design and performance. E-Panel technology combined with Samsung's Ultra FilterBright Plus provides a stunning high contrast picture even in bright rooms. It's not just the images on screen that capture your attention--the ultra-slim cabinet with Touch of Color design adds beauty to the bezel and stand. Plus new Medi@2.0 connectivity offers customizable online content right on your TV.

Samsung PN50B860 Features

Features

• 50-inch high definition TV with 1080p resolution
• Four HDMI, two component, and one composite video input (2)15W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for a rich surround-sound experience
• Ultra FilterBright Plus, 600Hz Subfield Motion, .001 response time, and a Mega dynamic contrast ratio for a stunning high contrast picture
• Customizable online content via user-friendly "widgets, networking capability via the DLNA standard, and playback of camera and camcorder via USB 2.0
• One-year parts and labor warranty

Samsung PN50B860 Product Details

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74 in Television
• Color: Black
• Brand: Samsung
• Model: PN50B860
• Released on: 2009-05-25
• Dimensions: 29.60" h x 1.20" w x 48.70" l, 57.50 pounds
• Display size: 50

Samsung PN50B860 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Product Description

Samsung’s new 8 Series plasma flat panel HDTV represent our finest innovations in design and performance. Samsung’s 8 Series E-Panel technology combined with our Ultra FilterBrightTM Plus technology provides a stunning high contrast picture even in brighter rooms. It’s not just the images on screen that capture your attention – the Ultra Slim cabinet is only 1.2” deep and gives you added versatility with its stylish vibe. The new Medi@2.0 connectivity package offers customizable online content via user-friendly “widgets,” networking capability via the DLNA standard, and playback of your camera and camcorder via USB 2.0. Add 4 advanced HDMI inputs that feature Samsung’s Anynet+ (CEC standard) technology making system control of compatible A/V devices like a Blu-ray player or HTIB system a one-touch operation. If you’re looking for the best Full 1080p performance and advanced connectivity, Samsung’s new 8 series plasma HDTVs are designed with this in mind.