We review the PN58C7000 3D TV, part of the C7000 series of Plasma TVs from Samsung. The C7000 series of Samsung plasma 3D TVs is oriented towards price conscious consumers who are looking to enjoy a 3D experience in the comfort of their homes without having to give up an arm and a leg in the process. After dominating the 3D TV market in 2010 with its early release of LED 3D TVs, Samsung is looking to stamp its authority in the Plasma 3D TV market with the 58 inch PN58C7000 that features a number of innovations and neat features despite its lower price tag. The PN58C7000 is the cheapest 3D TV
3D Ready HDTV58 inch Screen600Hz Subfield Motion for smooth motion and great performance even for fast action sports/movies.1080p Full HD resolutionUltra slim design“Cinema Smooth” technology for judder free viewing of 24fps movies (Blu-rays and DVDs)Clear Image Panel: Reflection reduction technologyFilterBright Antiglare technology to minimize reflections and glare from ambient lightSamsung’s Touch of Color design for an elegant and stylish lookInternet@TV to connect seamlessly with several online services like Pandora, Netflix, Youtube, etc.Picture in picture capabilitiesHome networking capabilities via DLNAThe Samsung PN58C7000 3D TV has a 58 inch plasma panel and it features an elegantly styled brushed black bezel with a cabinet that is just 1.5 inches deep. The PN58C7000 is both lighter and more energy efficient than the previous generation of Samsung Plasma HDTVs.
While the PN58C7000 is certainly an attractive 3D HDTV, it is perhaps overshadowed in the looks department by some of its sexier edge-lit LED siblings that feature ultra-slim cabinets and excellent aesthetics. On the plus side, it does bring to the table the advantages that Plasma panel displays have over LED/LCD displays when it comes to 3D TV technology as well as a cheaper price tag than comparatively sized LED-LCD 3D TVs. If price is not an issue and you are looking for the most elegant looking 3D capable TVs for your home, then you might want to look at some of Samsung’s LED TVs instead, however, if you, like most people are on a budget, then this is an excellent television to consider for your hometheater system.
The PN58C7000 features a plasma panel display that brings with it all the advantages inherent to plasma TVs. In particular, the ultra fast response times of plasma displays means that the PN58C8000 exhibits extremely low cross-talk and motion-blurring and other motion artifacts that commonly affect LCD based displays.
While we are yet to take an in-depth look at the PN58C7000, from initial impressions, it seems to have great picture quality. One of the strong points of Plasma HDTVs like the PN58C7000 is its excellent viewing angle specifications along with excellent color fidelity and exceptional black levels (thanks to the absence of an active backlight in plasma displays). Additionally, the lack of a backlight in plasma panels prevents any of the issues with non-uniform backlighting and “cloudiness” that can be observed on some LED TVs. On the downside, plasma panels are not as bright as LED LCD TVs. Thus, viewing 3D content through 3D glasses can be a bit dimmer on Plasma 3D TVs as compared to LCD 3D HDTVs. If you tend to watch movies and TV in a very bright environment, you might want to consider getting the UN55C8000 instead of the PN58C7000.
This plasma 3D TV also features Samsung’s Real Black Filter technology which helps to minimize glare and reflections from external light sources, thus improving the image quality and black levels in situations where there is considerable ambient light.
The PN58C7000 has a native resolution of 1080p, i.e. 1920 x 1080. This is pretty much the standard for all 3D TVs being released in 2010. The only exception to this rule is the Toshiba Cell TVs which have a native 2K display. However, given that there aren’t any sources of HD content with a resolution higher than 1080p, this resolution should be plenty for the next 5-6 years.
The Samsung PN58C7000 plasma display features Samsung’s 600Hz Subfield Motion technology. Make sure to check out our guide regarding subfield drive in Plasma TVs if you aren’t clear about the meaning and implications of 600Hz sub-field drive technology in Plasma 3D TVs. Essentially, this number is meant to compete with the ever growing refresh rate numbers being quoted by LCD TV manufacturers. The take home message for you is that the PN58C7000 display has extremely fast response times which allows for very smooth display of fast paced 3D content without any cross-talk and ghosting artifacts.
Samsung’s Motion Judder Canceller (MJC) technology also helps remove stuttering effects due to the pulldown effect, and provides a smoother display of video content on the PN58C7000. Additionally, their CinemaSmooth technology also helps with the smooth display of 24fps content from 1080p BluRay discs.
While we don’t have any official numbers yet, Plasma TVs are well acclaimed for their exceptional viewing angles that are close to a 180 degrees. We expect nothing less from Samsung with the PN58C7000 3D TV.
Samsung, like most other manufacturers in 2010, has adopted Active shutter based 3D technology for the PNC7000 series. Given that the advantages of Active Shutter technology when it comes to LCD and Plasma panels, this seems to be the right choice for now. The 1080p display will allow viewers to enjoy full HD 3D content in 1080p. Samsung has already released Active Shutter 3D Glasses for their lineup of 3D TVs in 2010.
The PN58C7000 features Samsung’s Internet@TV that includes new apps allowing consumers to easily navigate a large assortment of content and applications from services such as AccuWeather.com, The Associated Press, Blockbuster, Fashion TV , Netflix, Picasa, Pandora, Twitter, USA TODAY, Vudu and a number of other online content/service providers. These applications can be downloaded and viewed while watching TV. A number of paid apps will also be made available for the PN58C7000 throughout the year.
The PN58C7000 also has DLNA networking capabilities for streaming content from other DLNA devices. It comes with a slew of A/V ports including 4 HDMI 1.4 ports, 2 sets of component inputs, a VGA port and 2 high speed USB ports.
The PN58C7000 from Samsung is an excellent 58 inch 3D Plasma TV for consumers who are on the lookout for a relatively cheap 3D capable TV that still retains excellent image quality and the ability to deliver an immersive 3D experience. It is also cheaper than the PN58C8000 and there isn’t much of a difference between the two, so we would gladly recommend the PN58C7000 to most consumers.
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