At a press event in New York City this morning, Samsung unveiled details of its 2012 HDTV line-up including sixteen new plasma TV models, ranging from affordable 720p sets to top of the line cutting edge 1080p Smart TVs. Voice and gesture controls are available on the higher end models as well as facial recognition technology via a built in camera. Why does a TV need to know who you are? To remember your favorites and log you in automatically to online services such as Netflix, Pandora, VUDU and more. Also, for those who want the best picture performance, Samsung offers "Real Black Pro" to enhance black levels while minimizing interference from ambient room lighting.
Last year, Samsung touted the "Plus One" screen sizes, squeezing an extra inch of picture out of their entire plasma line by reducing the bezel width. In the same cabinet size as their 42 inch models in 2010, Samsung gave us a 43-inch TV in 2011. Likewise for 50-inch, 58-inch and 63-inch screens: all one inch larger in 2011. This may not seem like much but if you're trying to maximize the screen size for an existing piece of furniture, or you like the look of a thinner frame, that extra inch can make a difference. This year, they've done it again, but only on the 59-inch screens which now sport a full 60-inch diagonal picture. So now, Samsung's screen sizes range from 43 inches to 64 inches, with prices ranging from $549.99 for the 43-inch E450 model to $3949.99 for the top of the line 64-inch E8000. Note that not all of these are listed online on sites such as Amazon yet but should be shortly.
Pricing and Availability of Samsung's 2012 Plasma HDTV Line:
|
Series/Model |
Size Class (inches) |
Estimated Selling Price |
Availability (Estimated) |
Buy on Amazon |
|
PN64E8000 |
64 |
$3,949.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN60E8000 |
60 |
$3,079.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E8000 |
51 |
$2,199.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN64E7000 |
64 |
$3,399.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN60E7000 |
60 |
$2,529.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E7000 |
51 |
$1,649.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN60E6500 |
60 |
$2,199.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E6500 |
51 |
$1,519.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN64E550 |
64 |
$2,529.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN60E550 |
60 |
$1,919.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E550 |
51 |
$1,199.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN60E530 |
60 |
$1,649.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E530 |
51 |
$999.99 |
March 2012 |
|
|
PN51E490 |
51 |
$799.99 |
February 2012 |
|
|
PN51E450 |
51 |
$719.99 |
February 2012 |
|
|
PN43E450 |
43 |
$549.99 |
February 2012 |
We were able to get a sneak peek of the new LED and plasma sets at a briefing last week, and, although there were still a few glitches in voice and gesture control (the TVs did not have their final production firmware and software), the picture performance of the E8000 plasma looked stunning, even in 3D mode in a fairly bright room. Crosstalk was virtually non-existent, colors were well saturated and shadow details were maintained nicely on darker content. For those who do want to take advantage of Samsung's active 3D technology, glasses have come down to under $25/pair with an estimated battery life of over 70 hours for an inexpensive button cell battery. The glasses are much lighter than previous generations and seem to fit fairly easily over prescription glasses.
Not all features are present in all models but some of the new features in Samsung's 2012 Plasma TV line include:
