Samsung's D550 Plasma TV is elegant without being flimsy. Its sleek black design complements most lounge suites, while its excellent graphics enhance every viewing experience.
The TV has a wafer-thin profile, yet sits sturdily on its bezel. The screen itself is quite heavy, but at 59-inches, this is hardly surprising. It takes two people to lift the screen, and attaching the screen to the bezel is also a two-man job. Once positioned on the bezel, the screen can be rotated effortlessly.
Installing the D550 should not take more than 20 minutes. It comes well-packaged with clearly-labelled cables and an easy to follow manual. The screen comes standard with the bezel, but the wall mount must be purchased separately.
The TV's graphical user interface is logical and easy to use; however, it lacks friendly graphics and is styled more like a spreadsheet. Simple, intuitive menus make for easy navigation and settings can be effortlessly customised.
The remote can be used to scroll up and down the menu, as well as to the left or right. Viewers can also exit the menu or return to the home screen with the touch of a single button. The remote definitely could have been more responsive as it only works if it is pointed in the exact direction of the screen, which can be frustrating when lying down.
Display
The screen provides a crisp display second to none. It offers full HD viewing at 1920x1080 pixels and excellent SD upscaling. The screen is also compatible with Blu-ray and 3D technology. The colour and motion display are also brilliant, as the TV operates using a 600Hz specialised refresh rate, which keeps sport and high action viewing crystal clear. This high refresh rate is also a necessity with active 3D.
Unfortunately, 3D glasses have to be purchased separately. The D550's 3D is based on an active shutter system, as opposed to the passive polarised glasses used for most Cinema 3D. The 3D illusion is created by displaying one right eye image followed by one or two left eye images in quick succession. The glasses actively sync to the refresh rate of the monitor so that each eye/lens shutters in time with the display.
This provides very clean 3D images, with no crosstalk (ghosting and double images on bright or high contrast objects) between the eyes. However, due to the unnatural rapid shuttering of the glasses (between 120Hz and 600Hz if the specs of the monitor are accurate), eyestrain and headaches are likely side effects after 40 minutes to 90 minutes of viewing. That being said, the higher the refresh rate, the less the eyestrain, so this is a lot better than some of the early 50Hz to 100Hz active systems.
The user can customise the colour and tint controls and there are no dead pixels, so the screen really does provide full colour. The screen's film mode option, coupled with the 59-inch screen, also makes for thoroughly captivating entertainment.
Connectivity
The TV includes a one-foot receiver, meaning it can pick up a wireless signal if the receiver is placed right next to a wireless router within that distance. However, it does come with WiFi adapter support and the user can attach a wireless dongle in order to access the Internet.
Once connected, the screen can be used to browse the Internet. This is great for live streaming; however, this is dependent on a strong wireless signal.
The TV can also play straight from USBs, external hard drives or computers. While the TV can provide enough power for most USB connections, it is advisable to use a separate power supply for external hard drives if possible. The screen syncs as well with any of these external devices as it does with a DVD or Blu-ray player.
The D550 has an auto channel search function, which eliminates time wasted on tuning. The TV automatically switches off when not in use, cutting down on unnecessary energy consumption. The clock timer allows the user to programme the TV to switch on when favourite TV shows are screened.
Summary
While viewers will have to buy extras to mount the TV on the wall and make use of the WiFi and 3D viewing, the Samsung D550 is incredibly well-priced considering what it offers. The sheer size, film mode and 3D compatibility ensure excellent entertainment.
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