The best plasmas can provide slightly better real-world blacks and better off-center viewing than the Samsung. But what Samsung offers here is one of the five best flat-screen HDTVs I’ve yet tested. In no particular order (apart from the first set listed), the others are the Pioneer Elite PRO-141FD (60-inch plasma, no longer available and not 3D capable); the Panasonic TC-P65VT50 (65-inch plasma, exceptional 2D but the dimmest 3D of the group); the Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch LCD with full LED backlighting, continued availability unknown—the Sharp Elites were a no-show at the 2013 CES); and the Sony XBR-55HX950 (55-inch LCD with full LED backlighting). The latter two are also notable for their bright 3D. And while I’ve only compared the Samsung side by side with the Panasonic, I’ve experienced all of the others (apart from the Sharp Elite) in the past year—and have lived with the Pioneer for four years as my personal television.
