Pros: Vastly improved black level and
light output capability combine to deliver a dramatic increase in Contrast
Ratio. The panel is processing RGB correctly going well below video black (16)
and well above white (235), further improving contrast ratio. Video processing
correctly handles 24p Blu-ray content at 96Hz, and also offers a Judder
Corrector feature.
Cons: The 2pt and 10pt white balance
and Custom Color Space CMS (Color Management System) calibration features seem
to interact quite a bit making professional calibration time consuming. Vertical
viewing angle is poor at close range, due to the ambient light rejecting filter
on the panel, but is not a problem at normal viewing distances.
To Buy or Not to Buy: As of this
writing, the Samsung PN60F8500 series plasma is clearly one of the best flat panels money
can buy from a picture quality and video performance perspective. Highly
Recommended!
I spent another full day calibrating and evaluating the PN64F8500 plasma panels. This afforded me the time to measure black level and ANSI contrast ratio on the larger 64-inch model so we could compare results between the different sizes. Some clarification from Samsung on the video processing of the F8500 series made me revisit the 24p tests. The Cinema Smooth feature on these Samsung’s series is the 96Hz processing scheme for 24p, which introduces so much judder that it is unusable. See the Contrast Ratio and Video Processing sections for updates on these important areas of performance. The bottom line is it does not change my overall conclusions about the F8500 series Samsung plasmas.
PROS: Improved black level and
color accuracy, and 50% brighter than last year’s VT30 series panels. Color
decoding is now accurate in both the Custom and THX modes.
CONS: The CMS (Color Management
System) is not fully functional with the Luminance control not working. The
Luminance of Red, Green, and Magenta are a little too high.
To Buy or Not to Buy: Currently the best
performing flat panel on the market. Available on line at well under $3,500,
this 65-inch panel is very reasonably priced considering its performance and
features. Highly recommended!
ISF ccc implementation was done using ControlCal software. Pre and
Post calibration and Color Tracking reports were created with CalMAN Pro
versions 4.2.6 and the beta version of 5.0
Under NO circumstances can this material be copied or posted on any other site
except TweakTV
Pros: The PRO-60X5FD, a full array LED
backlit LCD panel with Local Dimming Technology, produces superior blacks to
the vaunted reference Pioneer Elite panels, and is definitely one of the best
performing most color accurate flat panel displays available today.
Cons: Quite pricey
carrying MSRPs of $5,499.00 for the PRO-60X5FD and $7,999.00 for the PRO-70X5FD. Off
angle viewing is not as good as plasma.
To Buy Or Not To
Buy? If you want the very best in an LED based LCD flat panel in a very large
screen size, then one of the two Elite models is definitely what you are
looking for.
Pros: Good brightness and contrast ratio. Very accurate color gamut and grayscale tracking. Good feature set. 3D capable.
Cons: Somewhat limited calibration setup features. Lacks selectable color spaces, and a Color Management System (CMS) feature for fine tuning color space. The remote lacks backlighting.
To Buy or Not to Buy? Very good overall performance for an edge lit LED LCD. At a list price of $2,900, this panel represents a reasonably good value. Highly recommended for an edge lit LED LCD.
I spent another full day calibrating and evaluating the PN64F8500 plasma panels. This afforded me the time to measure black level and ANSI contrast ratio on the larger 64-inch model so we could compare results between the different sizes. Some clarification from Samsung on the video processing of the F8500 series made me revisit the 24p tests. The Cinema Smooth feature on these Samsung’s series is the 96Hz processing scheme for 24p, which introduces so much judder that it is unusable. See the Contrast Ratio and Video Processing sections for updates on these important areas of performance. The bottom line is it does not change my overall conclusions about the F8500 series Samsung plasmas. 
Pros: 
