Samsung's 102" Plasma TV

Samsung Electronics showcases the world's largest plasma display panel (PDP) TV, measuring 102". Designed to provide the ultimate home theater experience, the LCD and PDP products offer unrivalled functionality, with the highest quality display and picture resolution.

"The 102" PDP TV is a perfect combination of screen size and picture resolution," said Shin Sang-Heung, vice president of the Visual Display Division at Samsung Electronics. "The television is the epitome of design and performance - a must-have for any serious home theater buff."

With its progressive scanning capability, the 102" PDP TV offers smooth video playback with a contrast ratio of 2000:1. The television also features the latest in Samsung's proprietary DNIe™ (Digital Natural Image engine) technology, which enables 68.7 billion displayable colors and a brightness ratio of 1000cd/m².

To ensure that the 102" PDP TV is always center stage, Samsung has included custom tallboy-style speakers and a matching specialized component rack. The unit's built-in SRS TruSurround XT Sound System, complimented by top of the range speakers, brings cinema sound quality directly into the living room.

Top HDTV's

Top flat-panel HDTV plasma:
Pioneer PDP-5080HDThe Pioneer PDP-5080HD produces the deepest shade of black--and thus one of the best pictures--we've ever tested. The good: This 50-inch plasma TV displays an exceedingly deep shade of black with excellent shadow detail; clean image with little noise; "smooth" video-processing mode removes most judder; excellent antireflective screen; sleek, minimalist styling; removable speaker; superb connectivity with four HDMI inputs and one PC input; CableCard compatible with TV Guide EPG. The bad: Expensive; inaccurate primary color of green; no user-menu fine color temperature controls.

Top flat-panel LCD HDTV:
Sony KDL-46XBR4Although not quite as impressive as the best plasmas, the 46-inch Sony KDL-46XBR4 outperforms any flat-panel LCD we've tested so far. The good: Excellent black-level performance for an LCD; accurate color; 120Hz processing smoothes judder in motion; fine screen uniformity and off-angle viewing for an LCD; numerous picture controls; solid connectivity with three HDMI inputs and one PC input; distinctive "floating glass" design; interchangeable bezel color option. The bad: Expensive; benefits of 120Hz blur-reduction hard to discern; smooth motion seems unnatural for film-based material and introduces some artifacts; main menu system kludgy to operate; many picture adjustments seem unnecessary and/or harmful.

Top budget flat-panel plasma HDTV:
Vizio VP42HDTVThe low-buck, high-value Vizio VP42HDTV deftly avoids most of the picture-quality pitfalls of inexpensive plasmas. The good: Inexpensive; relatively accurate color; solid standard-def performance; clean image with little false contouring; user-menu fine color temperature controls; connectivity includes two HDMI and one PC input; unobtrusive two-tone styling. The bad: Below-average shadow detail; color tends toward red in darker areas; nondefeatable edge enhancement; emits faint buzzing sound.

Top budget flat-panel LCD HDTV:
Westinghouse TX-47F430SDespite its lighter black levels, the Westinghouse TX-47F430S 1080p LCD wide-screen television produces an otherwise solid picture for a very good price. The good: Relatively inexpensive; excellent connectivity, including four HDMI inputs and one PC input; solid range of picture controls, including fine color temperature settings; helpful menu system. The bad: Reproduces a light shade of black; subpar detail in shadows; uneven screen uniformity; no independent input memories for HDMI; clips detail in white areas; ho-hum all-gray styling.

Top rear-projection HDTV:
Samsung HL-T5687SAlthough we couldn't quite ignore its uneven screen uniformity, the Samsung HL-T5687S still makes a compelling alternative to flat-screen wallet-busters at this size. The good: Excellent primary color accuracy; produces a deep overall shade of black; no rainbow effect compared to other DLPs; comprehensive connectivity with 3 HDMI and one PC input; numerous picture controls; compact, stylish cabinet. The bad: Hot spot visible in dark scenes; no user-menu color temperature controls; lacks 2:3 pulldown processing.

Top home-theater projector:
Sharp XV-Z20000Sharp's XV-Z20000 is a top performer among 1080p projectors, and delivers a solid feature package and sleek design to boot. The good: Solid color decoding, excellent black level performance; good shadow detail and accurate gamma, comprehensive feature package with numerous picture adjustments; great connectivity with two HDMI and one DVI input. The bad: Primary and secondary colors are off; all lens adjustments are physical rather than electronic

Plasma Pros and Cons

Plasmas have wide viewing angles, meaning you can sit off-center and still see a very good picture. They have high contrast ratios, excellent color, deep blacks, fast response times for viewing scenes with a lot of motion such as sports, and generally lower prices than LCDs above 42 inches. Today’s plasmas have a long life expectancy. Many of the top tier brands are now rated at 60,000 hours, which is equal to over 16 years of use when operating the set 10 hours a day, every day.

Plasma disadvantages are few. In the early days, the most common criticism was that they suffered from “burn-in,” meaning that when a static image such as a video game logo is on the screen for too long, its shadow may linger even after it’s gone. Burn-in really is the uneven wear of the phosphors within the plasma panel. The risk of burn in has been greatly reduced by the set makers and can be minimized with a simple precaution. Like with LCD, upon unpacking and connecting the set, change the “picture mode setting” from factory preset (usually Vivid) to Movie, Cinema or Standard (depending on the TV) and lower the contrast (also called the “picture control”) to about one half level for the best picture.

LCD Pros and Cons

LCDs are available in smaller sizes, allowing them to go where a 37-inch plasma will not fit. They also provide incredibly bright images when viewed on center. If you plan on watching your TV in a room with a lot of light, LCD has the edge over plasma, both with its bright picture and its special surface coatings that reduce room reflections.

LCDs generally have slower video response times than plasmas, which is noticeable primarily on sports and fast action scenes. They also have a narrower viewing angle, meaning that as you move off center, the image contrast and brightness drop off. Most LCD panels (as well as plasmas) are factory preset to stand out in the very bright lighting at most stores. When you get them home and out of the box, however, they are way too intense. You should change the menu setting from factory preset (usually Vivid) to Movie, Cinema or Standard (depending on your set) and lower the contrast (also called Picture Control) to the halfway point for the best picture.

If your television is going to be in room with normal lighting, plasma will provide superb image quality, dark blacks and bright whites over the widest viewing angle. However, if you need a screen below 37 inches, LCD is really the only choice available. Enclosed patios, really bright rooms with skylights or untreated windows, and sunny kitchens are all excellent spots for LCD displays of all sizes.