Samsung HPT5054 Review:

Samsung HPT4254 50″ 720p plasma TV uses the company’s latest DNIe enhancement circuitry to deliver outstanding brightness, contrast, and image clarity. Use it for home theater and use it for your PC–it’s perfect for both. In addition to a standard-broadcast NTSC tuner, it also features an integrated ATSC tuner that can capture over-the-air digital broadcasts from local network affiliates (the set will still require a set-top tuner for receiving non-terrestrial HD broadcasts from channels like HBO or Discovery). Other noteworthy features include a 60,000 hour panel life, Samsung’s unique auto pixel-shifting technology to prevent burn-in, a gaming mode, cinema progressive film mode, and 3 HDMI connections. This model is also compatible with an Auto wall-mount Samsung will release this year that is controllable in 3-dimensions via the HTDV’s own remote control. While the Samsung HPT5054’s entry level 50-inch 720p plasma for 2007, it differs from the step-up HP-T5064 only in the cosmetic design, and the lack of a USB2.0 connection. Both models offer the same high level of digital image processing, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, and HDMI connectivity. If you want a USB connction for playing photo files or MP3s.

The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The HP-S4253 can produce over 549 billion colors (compared to the one billion colors that TVs with 10-bit processing can produce.

Single-tuner Picture in Picture
Samsung HPT5054 has a picture-in-picture feature, but it only has a single tuner which does not allow POP to function n the same mode. For example, you can’t watch one TV channel in the main screen and another channel in the PIP screen. You can watch a tv channel in one screen and view contnet from your computer or a DVD in another. This tends to be the functional limitation of PIP in most HDTVs currently available.

The Samsung HPT5054 is great to look at and the picture is excellent at 720p. You would be hard pressed to discern a difference over the 1080p HDTV’s. But, the HDMI input suffers from random audio drop off. Samsung offers no explanation, other than to blame the Cable box or the HDMI cables. You are watching a program and suddenly, no audio. You must turn the TV off and the sound does come back. Samsung says to bypass the HDMI and use the component inputs.Sort of like saying, just use the low speed on the wipers since the high speed does not work. Anyway, if HDMI is important to you, do not buy this TV. If you do not mind using low tech and cumbersome component cables, it will serve you fine.

—– By Richard Bonas

Samsung HPT5054 Features

Samsung HPT5054 Specifications

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