Series information: I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 51-inch Samsung PN51E450, but this review also applies to the 43-inch size in the series. All sizes have identical specs and according to the manufacturer should provide very similar picture quality.
| Models in series (details) | |
| Samsung PN43E450 | 43 inches |
| Samsung PN51E450 (reviewed) | 51 inches |
The TV features a piano-black bezel.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Design
This particular Samsung is quite a plain Shane -- it doesn't have a funky, cephalopodic stand or any brushed metal in its design. The bezel features a piano-black finish and it's a standard inch or so thick. The stand is also a rectangular slab of the same material, and at this low price I won't complain about the lack of swivel.
This particular Samsung is quite a plain Shane -- it doesn't have a funky, cephalopodic stand or any brushed metal in its design. The bezel features a piano-black finish and it's a standard inch or so thick. The stand is also a rectangular slab of the same material, and at this low price I won't complain about the lack of swivel.
The remote control is small but well-formed.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The remote control is a stubby version of the company's standard remote, and its backlight button is quite useful for darkened rooms -- where this TV is at its best.
Samsung E450 series: A great entry-level plasma (pictures)
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| Key TV features | ||||
| Display technology | Plasma | LED backlight | N/A | |
| Screen finish | Glossy | Remote | Standard | |
| Smart TV | No | Internet connection | No | |
| 3D technology | N/A | 3D glasses included | No | |
| Refresh rate(s) | 60Hz | Dejudder (smooth) processing | No | |
| DLNA-compliant | No | USB | Mucis/Photo/Video |
Features
If you're paying about $500 for a television, you can't expect much in the way of features, and in some ways this is a blessing; too many midlevel and high-end TVs suffer from "feature bloat." It's actually easier to talk about what the Samsung doesn't do than what it does. For instance, it doesn't have any connected features like Smart TV or apps, but it does offer movie, photo, and music playback via the USB port.
If you're paying about $500 for a television, you can't expect much in the way of features, and in some ways this is a blessing; too many midlevel and high-end TVs suffer from "feature bloat." It's actually easier to talk about what the Samsung doesn't do than what it does. For instance, it doesn't have any connected features like Smart TV or apps, but it does offer movie, photo, and music playback via the USB port.
The E450 has only 720p resolution, which actually breaks down to 1,024x768 pixels. This pixel count is common for entry-level plasmas, and naturally the TV has an onboard scaler that processes any input up to 1080p to the screen's native resolution. The TV, like most plasmas these days, features a 600Hz subframe processor, which is the rate at which the TV sends the picture to the screen, and not actually related to 120Hz-type engines found on LCD TVs.
Grayscale adjustment is unusual at this price.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Picture settings: The TV comes with three presets: Vivid, Standard (Energy Star), and Movie. Beyond the standard Brightness and Color adjustments, the TV offers quite a bit of customization with a two-point grayscale control. Many entry-level sets do away with this kind of picture tweak.
Connectivity: The E450 has a minimal connection of inputs, but they should suffice for smaller setups. The TV has two HDMI ports, a USB, a combined composite/component input, and a digital optical output.
Picture settings:
Samsung PN51E450
Picture quality
While its competitors seemed to struggle with reproducing black and accurate color with any sense of fidelity, Samsung's E450 performs like a TV hundreds of dollars more expensive. The Samsung had the deepest black of all the plasma TVs at its price, and shadow detail was very good as well. The two-point system meant I could tweak the TV's black-and-gray response from the greenish tinge of the Panasonic X5 to something more natural. Colors were vibrant even if they weren't the most natural-looking. A lack of a color management system meant I couldn't tweak colors to get them to reference standard.
While its competitors seemed to struggle with reproducing black and accurate color with any sense of fidelity, Samsung's E450 performs like a TV hundreds of dollars more expensive. The Samsung had the deepest black of all the plasma TVs at its price, and shadow detail was very good as well. The two-point system meant I could tweak the TV's black-and-gray response from the greenish tinge of the Panasonic X5 to something more natural. Colors were vibrant even if they weren't the most natural-looking. A lack of a color management system meant I couldn't tweak colors to get them to reference standard.
Samsung PN51E450
100 out of 100 based on 100 ratings. 100 user reviews.
100 out of 100 based on 100 ratings. 100 user reviews.
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