text: Samsung PN51F8500 51" 1080p 3D plasma HDTV with Wi-Fi® and voice/gesture control Zoom Front Angled left Angled top view Back (A/V inputs) Back (full view) EnergyGuide label Pop-up camera on top Remote Remote - angled view Side Photos Videos Item #: 30551P8500 Review Summary 31 people say This item is not available for purchase at this time. Contact us for other options Call Email Original price $1,399.99 Shop all Televisions Shop all Televisions Available sizes: 51"-$1,399.99 x By buying this product you'll earn up to 1400 Rewards points. When you sign up for a Crutchfield account, you'll be enrolled in Crutchfield Rewards. You'll earn one point for every dollar you spend on gear from us. You can turn your points into Rewards Cards that you can use toward future purchases. You can sign up for an account now, or after you complete your purchase (you'll get credit for the points either way). Sign up for a Crutchfield account Overview Details Staff Reviews Customer Reviews Q&A Articles & Videos Accessories Our take on the Samsung PN51F8500 by Steve Kindig The pros of plasma If you're into picture quality, and you want a cinema-like home viewing experience, you owe it to yourself to check out plasma for your next TV. Plasma holds the edge when it comes to smooth motion and rich colors high-def movies and TV shows look effortlessly real. Plasma's superior picture contrast and deep black levels are best enjoyed in rooms without a lot of windows or lamps, where you can dim or darken the lights. A new picture quality benchmark from Samsung The PN51F8500 is the finest 51" plasma TV Samsung has ever made. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show, while OLED and 4K TVs were grabbing the headlines, the F8500 series was definitely the most talked about "real world" TV. When our photo sample arrived and we had some time to play with it, the verdict was unanimous: It's the best plasma picture we've ever seen. Super Contrast Panel gets bright, goes deep We love plasma TVs anyway for their deep black levels, fluid motion and wide viewing angles. But plasmas generally aren't as bright as LED TVs, so we haven't always recommended them for rooms with lots of light. The PN51F8500 uses Samsung's new Super Contrast Panel, which is 250% brighter than last year's panel. It also produces incredibly deep black levels. Colors don't just pop off the screen, they explode. How did Samsung do it? They reduced the thickness of the cell walls in every pixel, allowing more light to pass through. That, combined with a nanocarbon anti-glare filter, delivers the picture quality advantages of plasma and adds LED-like brightness. Each pixel in a plasma screen has red, green, and blue cells. Samsung's F8500 panel has thinner cell walls, allowing the screen to produce a brighter, more colorful picture. Beauty on the outside, brainiac on the inside The PN51F8500 is one of Samsung's smartest Smart TVs ever thanks to a 1.35GHz quad-core processor. That's more horsepower than most tablets have. Besides surfing the web you can do things like multitask or use one app while downloading another. Whether your connection is wired or wireless, you can do a quick web search while you watch movies and TV shows, and enjoy TV while you chat with friends and family online. Along with built-in apps for services like Netflix®, Hulu Plus™, and YouTube™, you can download new ones from Samsung's large selection of apps. Samsung's Galaxy phones and tablets add handheld viewing and control Samsung's AllShare™ Play lets you wirelessly access and stream content from any compatible device. If you have a Galaxy S3 smartphone or Galaxy tablet, you can share movies, photos, and music via the PN51F8500. Your Wi-Fi® network lets you do things like toss photos from your phone or tablet to the screen with the swipe of a finger. Or push streaming video like Netflix movies from device to screen. Sending content from your phone to your TV is cool, and going TV-to-phone is even cooler. Just download Samsung's free Smart View app and use the TV View feature to mirror whatever's on the PN51F8500's screen on your Galaxy S3 phone or Galaxy tablet. You can leave the room anytime without leaving your entertainment behind. Think of it as whole-house television you hold in your hand. A 3D experience whenever you want The Samsung PN51F8500 delivers a spectacular picture in 2D or 3D. Just slip on a pair of the included active glasses to enjoy a deeper view, and not just with true 3D video sources — switch on the TV's 2D-to-3D conversion for added depth with regular 2D video. And even if you're not interested in 3D this set still deserves consideration if picture quality is your number one priority. The PN51F8500 offers the richest, most vivid colors and the deepest black levels this side of OLED. Learn about the ins and outs of HDMI connections at the Crutchfield Learning Center. Shop our selection of HDMI cables. See more info on this item Features:50.7" screen (measured diagonally)"Metal Flow" design with brushed metal bezel and curved basetuner receives over-the-air HDTV broadcasts (antenna required)QAM cable TV tuner (subscription required to receive cable channels contact your local service provider for details)Super Contrast Panel for exceptional brightness with deep black levels600Hz Subfield Motion for clear video motionReal Black Panel Pro enhances picture contrast and black levelsdisplays 3D images when you wear Samsung's active 3D glasses (4 pairs of glasses are included)2D-to-3D conversion adds 3D-like depth to non-3D video sourcesInternet-ready Smart TV plays Netflix® video and more (subscription required for some services)supports up to 5.1-channel audio with streaming movie services like Netflix and Vudu (audio quality depends on your connection speed)built-in Wi-Fi® to link to a wireless networkSmart Interaction 2.0 voice and gesture controltop-mounted pop-up cameraquad-core processor for improved web browsing and app multitaskingAllShare video and music streaming from a DLNA-compatible Windows® PCMHL-compatible HDMI input for viewing photos/videos from a compatible smartphone on the TV's screen2-way screen mirroring via Wi-Fi send content wirelessly from device-to-TV or TV-to-device with compatible Samsung smartphones and tabletsSkype Internet calling (subscription required)wireless keyboard-compatible (keyboard not included)built-in stereo speakers (10 watts x 2)illuminated touchpad remote with built-in microphone for voice controlfree downloadable Android app lets you use a compatible smartphone or tablet as a remote controlAnynet+ simplifies control of compatible Samsung components via the HDMI connection (HDMI-CEC)Connections and Dimensions:5 A/V inputs, including:4 HDMI1 component video (selectable component/composite)RF input for antenna/cable signalsoptical digital audio outputEthernet port for a wired connection to a home network3 USB inputs for connecting a camera or thumb drivedetachable standwall-mountable (bracket not included)47"W x 27-11/16"H x 3-3/16"D (29-7/16"H x 10-9/16"D on stand)weight: 51.5 lbs. with stand; 46 lbs. without standwarranty: 1 year parts & labor in-home service or pick-up for serviceOur 60-day money-back guarantee Tip: For a list of over-the-air digital TV stations you can receive, as well as antenna recommendations for your location, enter your zip code in AntennaWeb's mapping tool. Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?) Features and specs chart | What's in the box? | In-depth notes Features and Specs Display Screen Size 50.7" Screen Design Flat Aspect Ratio 16:9 Screen Resolution (pixels) 1920 x 1080 Screen Refresh Rate N/C Backlighting Type N/A 3D Active Features Instant Internet Movie Streaming Netflix,Hulu,Vudu,Amazon,YouTu Wi-Fi Yes MHL-compatible Yes Picture In Picture Yes Parts Warranty 1 Year Labor Warranty 1 Year Type of Warranty Service In-home Connections Total Video Inputs 5 HDMI Inputs 4 Component Video Inputs 1 Composite Video Inputs 0 RF Inputs 1 PC Input No Ethernet Port Yes USB Port Yes Optical Digital Audio Output 1 Rear Coaxial Digital Audio Output None Analog Audio Output None Power Consumption Estimated Yearly Electricity Use (EnergyGuide) 286 kWh Estimated Yearly Energy Cost (EnergyGuide) $31 Dimensions & Mounting Information Width (inches) 47 Height with Stand (inches) 29-1/2 Height without Stand (inches) 27-3/4 Depth with Stand (inches) 10-5/8 Depth without Stand (inches) 3-1/4 Stand Width (inches) 47 Weight with Stand 51.5 lbs Weight without Stand 46 lbs Wall Mountable Yes Wall Bracket Included No Pedestal Stand Assembly required Product Research What's in the box? Download owner's manual 51" Plasma TV 5' AC power cord Base 2 Metal guides Smart Touch Controller (AA59-00758A) IR Blaster (VG-IRB2000) 2 "AAA" batteries 4 Pair of 3D active glasses (SSG-5100GB) Four CR2025 3V batteries Component video adapter Composite video/stereo RCA adapter Twelve M4 x 12mm screws 3 Ferrite cores Cable clamp 2 Blanking brackets Cleaning cloth User Manual Smart TV Quick Setup Guide Important Safety Precautions "Stop/Samsung Support" note 3D Active Glasses Instructions Ferrite Core instructions Cleaning cloth instructions Our Product Research Team At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices. Video Features Audio Features Network/USB Functions Convenience Features Remote-Voice-Gesture Control Mounting Options Video Features Super Contrast Panel: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV's new Super Contrast Panel delivers incredible brightness, contrast, and clarity. Larger Red/Green/Blue sub-pixel color areas within the panel create a picture that rivals LED-LCD TVs for brightness. To further improve the already impressive picture, the Super Contrast Panel combines two key innovations for enhanced black levels and color reproduction Real Black Pro II: Through technology advancement to both the hardware and software of the TV, you can now experience a richer picture quality with deeper blacks, bolder color, and higher contrast. By improving the reflection reduction proprieties of the panel, combined with improving the reset pulse algorithm in the software, you can get the most cinematic viewing experience in a bright or dark room. Wide Color Enhancer Plus: Wide Color Enhancer Plus allows you to see picture color the way the director originally intended. Witness the entire RGB spectrum brought to life on your screen to bring you exceptionally vibrant, yet natural-looking images faithful to the director's original intent. Clear Image Technology: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV employs two advanced Clear Image technologies which help eliminate blurring caused by off-axis viewing or fast motion video. Single Layer Panel: The Plasma TV employs a single layer panel structure which eliminates the production of dual images and blurring, especially at off angled viewing. 600Hz Subfield Motion: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV generates a frame of video at 600 times per second. The result is smoother images with unprecedented picture quality, especially beneficial when viewing sports and fast action movies. Cinema Smooth Plus: Movies are shot at 24 fps (frames per second); Cinema Smooth Plus is a refined playback process of 24p movies from Blu-ray and Satellite TV sources that accurately converts and displays content originally shot on film at 24fps as compared to the 30fps of DVD and Blu-ray disc. This allows for smoother motion scenes when watching sources shot at the standard movie rate of 24fps. HDTV Tuner: The TV has built-in over-the-air HDTV (ATSC) and Digital Cable (QAM) tuners, so you don't need a separate set-top box to receive and decode over-the-air HDTV/SDTV or unencrypted Digital Cable signals. 1080p Resolution: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV displays all inputs at a resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080). The television's HDMI and component video inputs will accept 1080p (24/60Hz), 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i video signals. HDMI (v.1.4): The Samsung Plasma TV features four HDMI 1.4 inputs to connect to your Blu-ray/DVD player, Satellite/Cable receiver, or AV receiver. All HDMI inputs support x.v.Color, Deep Color, 3D, and CEC. The HDMI 3 input also supports the ARC function. The HDMI 4 input is MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) compliant. In addition, any HDMI input can be used to connect a PC to this TV. Component Video: The Plasma TV features a single component video input. The TV's component video input can also be used as a composite video input (480i only). HDMI (MHL) Port: The HDMI 4 port is designed for the connection of select mobile phones and other portable electronic devices using the new MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) standard. Simply plug your MHL compatible smartphone into the TV's HDMI 4 (MHL) port using the HDMI cable that is included with your mobile phone. MHL allows you to display full 1080p video and still images on the Samsung TV from your mobile smartphone. The TV's IR remote can be used to control basic playback functions (such as Play/Pause, Stop Fast Forward/Rewind, and Menu navigation). Your MHL compliant device will also charge while connected to the TV's HDMI 4 port. To find MHL-certified devices, go to www.mhlconsortium.org. Full HD 3D (via HDMI 1.4): The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV offers Full HD (1080p) 3D capability. Samsung 3D TV utilizes Bluetooth-enabled active shutter glasses (two pair included) for a full 1080p 3D viewing experience when coupled with a 3D source, such as a 3D-ready Blu-ray player or an HD 3D broadcast from satellite or cable providers (connected via HDMI 1.4). The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV automatically adjusts the overall picture to provide an optimal 3D effect. The Samsung 3D TV also offers a unique feature that allows you to intensify your 2D viewing experience by up-converting it to virtual 3D. In addition, you can adjust the overall 3D perspective (+/-5) and overall 3D image depth (1-10). Samsung 3D TV supports Full HD 3D for 1920 x 2205p (24Hz) or 1280 x 1470p (60Hz) video signals; and virtual 3D for 1920 x 1080p (24/30/60Hz), 1920 x 1080i (60Hz), or 1280 x 720p (60hz) video signals. The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV offers various 3D modes to match your 3D viewing needs. 2D-3D: Changes a 2D image to 3D; you can adjust the focus and depth of the image to maximize 3D experience. Side-by-Side: Displays two images next to each other. Available when the resolution is 720p, 1080i or 1080p. Top & Bottom: Displays one image above another. Available when the resolution is 720p, 1080i or 1080p. 3D-2D: Displays the image for the left eye only. Off: Turns the 3D function off. Note: 2010 Samsung IR 3D glasses and3D glasses from other manufacturers are not compatible. Some 3D modes may not be available depending on the format of the image source. PIP, Auto Program, and some Picture Adjustment functions will also be disabled in 3D mode. Included 3D Glasses (4 pair): The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV includes four pair of 3D active glasses with built-in Bluetooth. Samsung's 3D Active Glasses (SSG-5100GB) offer a comfortable fit through its lightweight frame and flexible noise- and ear-pieces. The Samsung 3D Active Glasses are powered by a single CR2025 3V lithium coin-type battery (pre-installed). The battery can last up to 150 hours when powered on. The Samsung's 3D Active Glasses provide a viewing range between 6.5' and 19.5' from the Samsung 3D-ready TV. Note: If the 3D glasses move outside of the recommended operating distance, the signal from the TV will be disconnected and the display of the 3D glasses will turn off after several seconds. If you lie on your side while watch TV with 3D glasses, the picture may look dark or may not be visible. When viewing 3D video under fluorescent lighting (50-60Hz), you may notice a small amount of screen flickering. Picture Control: You can make the following adjustments for an optimum picture. Screen Sizes: You can choose one of the following screen sizes. 16:9: Sets the picture to 16:9 wide mode. Zoom 1: Vertically enlarges the size of the picture and allows you to move the enlarged picture using the arrows on the remote. Zoom 2: Vertically enlarges the size of the picture more than Zoom 1 and allows you to move the enlarged picture using the arrows on the remote. Wide Fit: Proportionally enlarges the picture to fit the entire screen without changing the aspect ratio. 4:3: Sets the picture to 4:3 normal mode with pillars on the left and right of the screen. Screen Fit: See the full image with no resizing when HDMI (720p/1080i/180p) or Component (1080i/1080p) signals are inputted Picture Modes: Picture Modes apply preset adjustments to the picture. Dynamic: increases the brightness of the screen (suitable for bright rooms) Standard: suitable for a normal environment Relax: useful for reducing eye strain Movie: darkens the screen and reduces glare (appropriate for dark rooms) Entertain: sharpens images for a more dynamic viewing experience (only available when connected to a computer) Manual Picture Settings: The TV has several options for manually adjusting the picture quality. Cell Light: sets the individual pixel brightness Contrast: adjusts the contrast level of the picture Brightness: adjusts the brightness level of the picture Sharpness: adjusts the edge definition of the picture Color: adjusts the color saturation of the picture Tint (G/R): adjusts the color tint of the picture Advanced Picture Settings: The TV also offers more advanced picture adjustments for fine tuning. Dynamic Contrast: adjusts the screen contrast so that the optimal contrast is provided Black Tone: adjusts the black level on the screen to adjust the screen depth Flesh Tone: emphasize the pink flesh tone in a picture RGB Only: displays the red, green, and blue colors so you can make fine adjustments to hue and saturation Color Space: adjusts the range of colors available to create the image (Auto/Native) White Balance: adjusts the color temperature for more natural picture colors 10p White Balance: controls the white balance in 10 point intervals by adjusting the re, green, and blue brightness Gamma: adjusts the primary color (red, green, blue) intensity Expert Pattern: use this function to calibrate the picture using shades of grey and black, plus color Motion Lighting: The TV automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen in response to the brightness of the room. In bright light, the screen brightens. In dim light, the screen dims. Picture Options: Additional picture options provide you with a better viewing experience. Color Tone: adjusts the overall color tone of the televisions using one of four presets: Cool, Normal, Warm 1, Warm 2 Digital Clean View: if the broadcast signal received by the TV is weak, you can activate the Digital Clean View feature to reduce any static and ghosting that may appear on the screen MPEG Noise Filter: reduces MPEG noise to provide an improved picture HDMI Black Level: select the black level on the screen to adjust the screen depth when you have a component connected via HDMI to the television Motion Judder Canceller: Optimizes the TV screen for displaying face paced movie scenes. Black Optimizer: Adjusts overall black color depth to give a change to picture depth. This is not available when playing a media file or using the TV as a computer display. Note: Picture settings can be applied to all sources or only the current source. Film & Game Modes: The television provides Film & Game modes. Film Mode: The TV can be set to automatically sense and process film signals from all sources and adjust the picture from optimum quality. Film mode is supported in TV, AV, Component (480i/1080i), and HDMI (480i/1080i). Game Mode: When connecting the television to a game console, you can enjoy a more realistic gaming experience when selecting Game Mode. BD Wise: BD Wise provides the optimal picture quality for Samsung DVD, Blu-ray, and Home Theater products which support BD Wise. When BD Wise is set to On, the TV's picture mode is automatically changed to the optimal resolution. Anti Burn-In Technology: To reduce the possibility of screen burn-in, this Plasma TV is equipped with screen burn-in prevention technology. Samsung's Anti-burn-in technology uses auto pixel shift and signal pattern processing functions to ensure that no images are burned into the plasma panel. The Time setting allows you to program the time between movement of the picture in minutes. Pixel Shift: This function shifts the pixels of the displayed image every 1-4 minutes to prevent burn-in. Scrolling: This function removes after-images on the screen by moving all the pixels on the PDP according to a pattern. Side Gray (Dark/Light): When you watch TV with the screen ratio of 4:3, the screen is prevented from any damage by adjusting the white balance on both the extreme left and right sides of the television. Auto Protection Time: If the screen remains idle with a still image for a certain period of time (10, 20, 40, 60 minutes) defined by the user, the TV's built-in screen saver is activated to prevent the formation of host images on the screen. PIP (Picture-in-Picture): You can watch the TV's tuner and one external video source (component/HDMI) simultaneously. The component/HDMI source will be displayed as the main picture, while the TV channel will be displayed in a sub-screen, while which can be moved to each corner of the television's screen. You can switch the audio between the main screen and sub-screen. Audio Features Sound Customizer: The Samsung TV's Sound Customizer function lets you calibrate the television for the optimal sound quality based on the your hearing level and your room's ambient conditions. DNSE+ Processing: The Samsung Plasma TV employs DNSe+ processing which provides selectable custom settings for experiencing surround sound with maximum bass response, dialog clarity, and consistent volume levels from any content source, including Blu-ray movies, TV programming, streaming, and games. Virtual Surround: The TV delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through its two-speaker system. Dialog Clarity: This function allows you to increase the intensity of a voice over background music or sound effects so that dialogcan be heard more clearly. Auto Volume: Auto Volume automatically adjusts the volume of the desired channel, lowering the sound output when the modulation signal is high or raising the sound output when the modulation signal is low. This reduces the difference in volume when changing channels. The Auto Volume feature can be set to Normal, Night or Off. 5-Band EQ + Preset Sound Modes: You can manually adjusts the TV's built-in 5-band EQ (100 Hz, 300 Hz, 1 kHz, 3 kHz, and 10 kHz) for a more customized sound, or you can simply choose from the following Preset Sound Modes: Standard: Selects the normal sound mode. Music: Emphasizes music over voices. Movie: Provides the best sound for movies. Clear Voice: Emphasizes voices over other sounds. Amplify: Amplify mode is for people who have difficulty hearing. Audio Extras: The Samsung TV offers a variety of audio adjustments to meet your listening needs. 3D Audio: 3D audio technology provides immersive sound that matches the pop-up effect of 3 Video by using perspective in the audio depth control. 3D Audio in only available while viewing 3D content. Audio Delay: The Audio Delay function corrects audio/video mismatch, when watching TV or video, and listening to a digital audio output using an external device such as an AV receiver. You can adjust the audio delay from 0ms to 250 ms. Picture Off: You can turn the television's screen off and still listen to audio. Digital Audio (Dolby Digital/DTS compatible): The optical digital output terminal will output Dolby Digital/DTS (when available) or 2 channel PCM.The digital optical output terminal only sends an audio signal in Dolby Digital/DTS when receiving Dolby Digital/DTS surround sound from a digital broadcast channel through the tuner, network apps, and USB ports on the LED-LCD TV. The optical digital audio output will only output in 2ch stereo or a matrixed 5.1ch signal (DTS Neo 2.5) from sources connected to the TV via HDMI or RCA. ARC (Audio Return Channel): The Audio Return Channel in HDMI 1.4 enables a TV, via a single HDMI cable, to send audio data "upstream" to an A/V receiver; increasing user flexibility and eliminating the need for any separate S/PDIF audio connection. This feature allows audio to be sent from the television to your A/V receiver through the same HDMI cable already being used to send audio/video to the television. This eliminates the need for extra cables connected to the TV. ARC allows audio from the TV tuner, Network connection, inserted USB device, HDMI inputs, or any analog connected device to be heard through your ARC compatible AV receiver via the television's HDMI ARC input. The audio from the TV's tuner, network connection, and USB port can pass as Dolby Digital or 2ch PCM. HDMI and analog connected devices will be output as 2ch PCM only. Note: Both the television and the receiver must support ARC for this function to work properly. When connecting an A/V receiver that is compatible with Audio Return Channel (ARC), connect it to the TV's HDMI 3 input. If connecting a system that is incompatible Audio Return Channel (ARC), an additional audio connection via Digital Audio Out (Optical) is necessary. SoundShare: The TV is compatible with the SoundShare feature found on some Samsung Crystal Surround AirTrack active speaker systems (sound bars). SoundShare makes a wireless connection between the TV and the speaker system via Bluetooth. Once the two are paired, you can control the volume and mute the sound by using the remote control from the TV or the speaker system. If you change the AirTrack from TV mode to another mode or turned off, the TV audio will resume playing from the TV's speakers. SoundShare can be found on the Samsung HW-F450, HW-F550, HW-F551, HW-F750, and HW-F850. Network/USB Functions Samsung's Quad Core Processor: Samsung's Quad Core processing speeds allow you to perform multiple tasks at the same time, such as using an app while downloading another one. It also enables extremely faster web browsing and application access. Network Connection (wired/wireless): You can set up the Samsung Plasma TV so that it can access your home network and online Samsung Apps through your local area network (LAN) using a wired (RJ-45 Ethernet) or wireless connection (built-in WiFi). You can setup a wired network connection automatically or manually. You can setup the wireless network connection using these four methods; PBC(WPS), Auto Network Search, One Foot, or Manually. Note: The TV's built-in WiFi supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless LAN networks and WEP (open/shared), WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES), WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES) network security. WiFi Direct: When using WiFi Direct, you can connect directly with other devices without using a wireless router. You'll be able to wirelessly transfer personal content (such as photos & videos) to the Samsung Plasma TV without connecting to your home network. WiFi Direct completely bypasses your WiFi access point/router, so it's easy to set up. Streaming of copy-protected content and other certain formats are not supported. AllShare/DLNA Certified: The Samsung Plasma TV's AllShare function, along with its DLNA Certification allow you to watch videos (Divx/AVI/H.264/MPEG/MKV/MOV/WMV), photos (JPEG/PNG/BMP/MPO), and listen to music (MP3/WMA/AAC/FLAC/OGG) saved on your Windows PC (or other DLNA Certified media server) through the TV via its Ethernet (LAN) port or built-in WiFi (wireless). This eliminates the need to copy your photo, video, and music files to a separate USB storage device. Note: Windows PCs with XP and Vista installed require Samsung's PC Share Manager software, which can be downloaded for free at www.samsung.com. Not compatible with older Windows OS versions and Mac. Screen Mirroring: This Screen Mirroring function lets you view the screen of your WiFi-enabled Samsung Android smart phone or tablet (with support for AllShare Cast) on the Samsung Plasma TV. Samsung Apps: Once you have connected the Samsung TV to your home network, you gain access to Samsung Apps. Samsung Apps lets you download for pay or free-of-charge applications and services to the Samsung Plasma TV. You can enjoy a variety of content from various downloaded applications; such as videos, music, photos, games, and news. Samsung Apps has a growing collection of pay and free-of-charge online applications that connect you to some of your favorite online content; such as movies from Netflix or Vudu, TV shows from Hulu Plus, videos from YouTube, music from Pandora, and social updates from Facebook or Twitter. Movies: Watch movies and TV shows on Netflix (5.1ch), Vudu, HuluPlus, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, & CinemaNow. Music: Listen to music from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, SHOUTcast Radio, & vTuner Social Networks: Share your thoughts and comments about a program on the air through social networking services. Social Networks displays social network services such as Twitter, Facebook, & Google Talk, on a single screen. You can post messages and comments in the same manner as you would using a computer. You also have access to YouTube, & Picasa. News & Weather: Includes apps that provide information content; such as news (USA Today), weather (AccuWeather), and more. Fitness: Fitness is an application that helps you stay fit. Create a profile, set up an exercise plan, and start exercising according to a structured regimen. Kids: A recommended list for applications and content that is suitable for children and even provides services not currently installed on the TV. Using Kids, you can download applications and content for your children to your TV. Certain services, however, are fee-based. Note: Samsung Apps require an Internet connection with a speed of 1.5mbps or greater. Some application services may be provided in English only and the content available may vary, depending on your area. Visit Samsung's App Store for a complete list of available Samsung Apps. Web Browser You can access the internet using the player's Web Brower application. You can search web pages using Google or Bing. You may enter a URL addresses or enter a keyword search. The player will archive your web browser history. You can also save "Favorite" web pages and create a "Home" page. The playback of Flash videos is also supported. The Web Browser is optimized to fill your connected TV's screen. Use a USB- or Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and mouse (both sold separately) for a more convenient web browsing experience Note: The browsing experience, however, may not be the same as it is on your computer. The Web Browser is not compatible with Java applications. E-commerce, for purchasing products online is not supported. ActiveX is not supported. Skype w/ Built-in Camera & Mic: Samsung's free Skype app, plus the TV's built-in pop-up camera & mic lets you make video calls from the comfort of your living room. Using the TV's remote control, you can create free Skype accounts, log into existing accounts, and navigate via a simple Skype interface made for the big screen. You can make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls to friends and family, wherever they are in the world from the Samsung TV. Note: The built-in, pop-up Camera adds 0.5625" to the height of the TV. Tickers: The Ticker application provides useful News, Weather, and Stock Market information on-screen. Link Service Accounts: The Link Service Accounts function lets you link your player to your accounts with Internet services (such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.) so that the player can log you into the service automatically when you start the app for that service. Firmware/Software Updates: The television's Software Upgrade menu allows you to upgrade the TV's software & firmware for performance improvements & additional services. You can upgrade in four ways; USB, Internet, Alternative Software, or Standby Mode. The tested television contained firmware version(T-FXPAKUC-1013.2, BT-S as of 3/27/2013). There was an immediate firmware update (1015) available. Visit the Samsung Download Center for the latest Firmware/Software updates. Triple USB Ports: The television is equipped with three USB (type-A) ports. Two of the USB ports can accept a USB mass-storage-class device (5V, 0.5A), while the other USB port will accept a USB hard-disk-drive (5V, 1A). Either USB port lets you view photo and movie files, as well as listen to audio files saved on a compatible USB device. Files must be formatted in FAT16/32 or NTFS. The TV can recognize up to 1,000 files in each folder. Video Playback: The TV supports the following video file types; AVI, Divx, H.264, MPEG, MKV, MOV, and WMV. Movie files are displayed in a folder and title list in either date or alphabetical order. The TV offers Play, Pause, Search, and Resume playback functions for compatible video files stored on a compatible USB device. Still Image Playback: The TV supports the following still image file types; JPEG, PNG, BMP, or MPO. Still image files can be viewed as a slide show with background music or as a thumbnail view. Still images can also viewed full-screen and zoomed or rotated. Audio Playback: The TV supports music files supports the following music file types; MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, and OGG. Music files are displayed in a folder and track list, and can be sorted by Artist, Album, or Genre. Music files can be repeated or shuffled in a selected folder. Convenience Features Smart Hub: This TV features Smart Hub, an interactive multi-purpose menu system. With Smart Hub, you can surf the web, download applications, and stay in touch with family and friends through social networking services. In addition, you can enjoy photo, video & music files stored on external storage devices. The new Smart Hub interface organizes your entertainment and content into 5 convenient panels. Social: Connect to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also make Skype video calls to friends by connecting the TV to a camera (sold separately from Samsung). Apps: Samsung Apps offers an extensive collection of free and paid news, sports, weather, and gaming content you can directly download to and enjoy on your TV. On TV: Check a listing of TV programs that are currently airing and are scheduled to be aired (supports off-air, cable, and satellite programming). Movies & TV Shows: Purchase and watch movies and TV shows from an online service provider. You can browse content by Favorites, Featured, Movies, or TV Shows. Photos/Videos/Music: Play back photo, video, and music files from an external USB or network storage device. Content Discovery: The TV offers unique ways to search and access your favorite and new content from the TV's tuner and network apps. Recommendations (w/ voice control): The Recommendation feature helps you discover what you want to watch on TV or the Internet with customized content options based on your preferences. Select Timeline View to display program recommendations for different times of the day. You can even use the TV's voice control system to ask the TV to find things to watch and get program suggestions. Favorite Channels: You can designate frequently watched channels as "Favorites". You can create up to 5 favorite channel list for each member of you family. You can also rename and edit favorite channel lists. Genre: It is possible to filter channels by genre, if the channels contain proper genre information. Schedule Manager: Using this function, you can set the TV to display a desired channel automatically on a day and at a time of your choice. The Schedule Manager can be set to repeat only once, everyday, Mon-Fri, Mon-Sat, or Sat-Sun. Input Source Names: You can assign a pre-programmed name to each of the inputs. When input naming is completed, you will no longer have to remember which component is connected to each input when selecting a source to watch. Source names include VCR, DVD, Cable STB, Satellite STB, PVR STB, AV Receiver, Game, Camcorder, PC, TV, DVI PC, DVI Device, IPTV, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, and Digital Media Adapter. Hearing & Visually Impaired: The Samsung Plasma TV offers Close Captions and an Audio Guide for the hearing and visually impaired. Close Captions (CC): The TV provides Analog Closed Captions and Digital Closed Captions. The Digital CC offers customizable text, font, and size. The Caption feature does not work for Component and HDMI input sources. Audio Guide: Activate the audio guide for the visually impaired. This is only available with broadcasts that provide this service. Program Rating Lock: The Program Rating Lock feature automatically locks out programs that are deemed inappropriate for children. You can block TV program based on their ratings and Movies based on their MPAA rating, so you have more control over what your children watch. The Program Rating Lock function is protected by a 4-digit PIN. ECO Settings: The Samsung Plasma TV provides ECO settings to reduce the TV's power consumption and cut-down on energy costs. Eco Sensor: Samsung's unique Eco light sensor measures the intensity of the room's light and automatically calibrates the brightness of the image on the screen. In a sun-filled environment, the screen gets brighter and in dim surroundings, the intensity is reduced. This feature optimizes the viewing experience while also saving you energy. Energy Saver: This feature adjust the brightness of the TV in order to reduce power consumption. When watching TV at night, set the Energy Saver feature to High to reduce eye fatigue as well as power consumption. You can set this feature to High, Medium, Low, or Picture Off (sound remains on). No Signal Standby: The TV will automatically switch to standby mode, if no picture is being received for a predetermined set amount of time (15, 30, or 60 minutes). Auto Power Off: The TV will be automatically turn off after 4 hours of being left idle to prevent overheating. Self Diagnosis: The Samsung Plasma TV provides a Self Diagnosis menu which allows you to check the television for picture, sound, and signal problems. Picture Test: Use to check for picture problems. If the problem appears in the test picture, select "Yes" and follow the directions on the screen. Sound Test: Use the built-in melody sound to check for sound problems. If the problem occurs during the test, select "Yes" and follow the directions on the screen. Signal Test: An HD digital channel's reception quality is either perfect or the channels are unavailable. Adjust your antenna to increase signal strength. Timers: The Samsung Plasma TV offers On/Off and Sleep timers for your convenience. On/Off Timer: The three On/Off timers allow you to program the television to turn itself on and off by selecting a specific on time and a specific off time. An On/off timer can be set to repeat only once, everyday, Mon-Fri, Mon-Sat, or Sat-Sun. You can also choose the On Timer's content (TV, USB, or Antenna) and volume. The on and off timers work independently of one another. Sleep Timer: The sleep timer switches the television off after a specified amount of time. The sleep timer can be set to 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, or 180 minutes. Remote Support: The Samsung Remote Support service offers you one-on-one support with a Samsung Technician who can remotely diagnose your TV, adjust the TV settings, perform a factory reset, and install recommended firmware updates. Your TV must be connected to your homes wired or wireless network. Smart Evolution Port: The Smart Evolution Port on the rear-panel of the TV allows you to update the TV in the future. Samsung's Smart Evolution Kit (sold separately; available in 2014) plugs into this port on back of the TV and updates it with new software and technology that will improve the TV's performance - faster speed, more content, more features. E-Manual: The television only comes with a brief User Manual. A complete instruction manual is built-in into the TV and can be viewed on-screen. Open the e-Manual to learn how to use the TV's many features. Remote-Voice-Gesture Control Smart Touch Remote (w/ IR Blaster): The new Samsung Smart Touch Remote Control makes it even easier to navigate the television's entertainment sources, menu settings, and Smart TV features. Improved user convenience has been provided so that you can switch the channel and adjust the volume with just your fingertips while focusing on the TV screen. The built-in touchpad removes the need for a mouse when you change the menu settings or search for something on the Internet. You can even activate a virtual on-screen remote controller (w/ numeric keypad, playback controls, and shortcut menu) on the TV which can be operated through the remote's touchpad. It also has a built-in microphone that you can use to give the Samsung TV voice commands. In addition, the remote can be programmed to control satellite/cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and home theaters from other manufactures using the TV's setup menu and the included IR blaster. You can turn on the remote's backlight function for a brief moment with a press of a button. Note: The Smart Touch Remote communicates with the TV through wireless Bluetooth communication. This means you don't have to point the remote directly at the TV. The remote will need to be initially paired with the TV. Smart Interaction: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV offers Smart Interaction with voice & motion control, as well as face recognition through its built-in pop-up camera and integrated microphone. The camera is retractable and its viewing angle is adjustable. Using the TV's Smart Interaction, you can access and control menu options and functions using speech, hand gestures, and face recognition. Voice Control: Using the TV's built-in microphone or the microphone on the included Smart Touch Remote and the voice control function of the TV, your voice is all you need to turn on the Samsung television, navigate menus, and get to your favorite Smart TV content. You can use only your voice to switch the channel, adjust the volume level, and launch online apps while focusing on the TV screen, which removes the need for the conventional remote control. The Smart Touch Remote's mic even lets you use "natural language" to search for content on the TV, your network, and online apps. To use Voice Control, you must pronounce words and phrases clearly and correctly in the language (English/French/Spanish) you selected. The Voice Control function can be affected by unclear pronunciation, voice level, or surrounding noise. Make sure to speak in a loud (~40dB) and clear voice and reduce any background noise (below 40db) in the room. Use the TV's voice control management test for best performance. Motion Control: Thanks to the television's built-in camera and motion control function, a simple hand gesture is all it takes to access your favorite movies, sports, apps, and other Smart TV content. Use a specific hand motions to switch the channel or adjust the volume level, as well as to move the mouse pointer to a desired position while surfing online content from the Smart Hub. Simply use your hand to control TV functions by swiping (moving your hand left or right) to navigate and grabbing (closing your hand or making a fist) to select. The motion control function can be affected by user's location, motion posture, or ambient brightness conditions. The built-in camera's angle is adjustable to compensate for the television's mounting height (high on wall or low on stand). Make sure the palm of your hand is open, flat, and facing the TV when making "swiping" movements (not too fast or too slow). If your hand moves outside of the camera's view, motion control will be deactivated. Your room should be well lit room (50-500 Lux) with the light illuminating you. Use the TV's gesture control environment test for best performance. Face Recognition: The built-in camera also recognizes your face and logs you in to your profile, giving you instant access to your favorite apps, your personal Skype address book, and more. In order for Face Recognition to function, the TV's built-in camera will take a snapshot of your face and a thumbnail image of your face will be stored in the TV for logging-in purposes. The TV can store up to five face recognition profiles. Note: Samsung recommends using the Voice & Motion Control function within approximately 5-13' of your TV. The motion control's range may differ depending on the angle of camera or other conditions. Voice Control performance levels will vary based on the language spoken. Some TV and menu functions will require the use of the included IR remote control. Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC): This TV is enabled with Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC); a feature that makes it possible to control Samsung external devices connected to the TV with ease. With Anynet+, you can use the TV remote control to operate all your compatible Samsung devices that are connected to the TV via HDMI. Anynet+ can control up to 12 compatible external devices (up to 3 of the same type). Smart View Mobile App: Download the Smart View Mobile App from the Android Market on select Samsung smartphones and tablets (Android 2.2-up) for yet another way to control the Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV. If both your Samsung smartphone or tablet and TV are connected to the same wireless network, your smartphone or tablet will link to the TV automatically where you can use your smartphone or tablet like a remote control. The TV can also transfer live feeds to your smartphone or tablet. Main features include: Remote: Your Samsung mobile device can work as remote for the Samsung Plasma TV and a connected Samsung Blu-ray player or home theater system. TV View: Enjoy TV and other multimedia right from your Samsung mobile device that's connected to the Samsung Smart TV. You can watch the same content as on the TV or different content from other input source. Keyboard & Mouse Compatible: The Samsung F8500 series Plasma TV will also support either a USB or Bluetooth enabled keyboard and mouse (both sold separately), which makes web browsing a lot easier. 5-Way Joy Stick: The television is equipped with a 5-way "joy stick" like button on the bottom right side of the TV's rear-panel that lets you control the TV without the remote control or Smart Interaction. Mounting Options Base: The TV is shipped with its base unattached. The base attaches to the television using the supplied hardware. The television weighs 51.5 lbs with the base. Wall Mounting: The TV has four threaded inserts on the back for use with an optional wall-mount bracket. The spacing of the mounting holes is 400mm (h) x 400mm (v) in accordance with the industry standards set by the Video Electronics Standards Association. The threaded inserts require M8 (8mm) machine screws (not supplied). The television weighs 46.0 lbs without the stand. Note: When mounting the TV on the stand or a wall (with optional bracket) leave 4" of clearance on each side of the television and 4" above/below the television for adequate ventilation. Detachable AC Power Cord: The Samsung Plasma TV comes with a 5' detachable AC power cord. The power cord sits 0.9375" from the back of the television. The power cord is fitted with a right-angle AC plug that sits 0.875" from the wall. Product reviews from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?) Video: Samsung F8500 Plasma HDTVs Video: Samsung F8500 Plasma HDTVs by Tara W. The F8500 series plasma TVs from Samsung are the finest they've ever made. In fact, at the recent Consumer Electronics Show, while OLED and 4K TVs were grabbing the headlines, the F8500 series was... Review this product Submit a review and then enter to win a $500 rewards card Samsung PN51F8500 Reviews Average Customer Review: 31 people say: Review this product: Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences about this product. Please be sure to focus your comments on the product itself. Read our Review Guidelines for more information. Review title * Email Your email won't be visible. Please use the email address that is associated with your order. Display name (e.g., JohnD) Your review will be signed using the display name and location * Your location (e.g., Charlottesville, VA) * Your rating Click on a star to rate the overall product on a scale of 1-5 Rate the following specific attributes Value Ease of Use "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Picture Quality 1500 characters left * Your review Attach a YouTube Review Crutchfield Video Review Guidelines Only submit videos that you made or are authorized to use. Do not submit videos that contain music, video or visuals that are copyrighted and belong to someone else. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. Submit the URL of your YouTube™ video review or product demonstration. e.g., "http://www.youtube.com/v/o79TWHh598U" 500 characters left Pros 500 characters left Cons * Agree to Terms By checking this box you agree your review becomes the property of Crutchfield, that you are over 18 years of age, that you own or have owned this product, and that you are located within the United States or its territories. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. We reserve the right (but are not obligated to) review all submissions and edit or remove any review in any manner which we deem necessary. Your review should be posted within seven days. Filter by rating: 5 Star: (0) 4 Star: (0) 3 Star: (0) 2 Star: (0) 1 Star: (0) 5 out of 5 Best Plasma Written By MRW, Landenberg, PA on Sunday, October 26, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) In my humble opinion, the picture quality of plasma TV's is just better than LED's. Unfortunately, Samsung is following Panasonic and getting out of the plasma market. Get this TV before they are all gone. Great picture quality with all the cool extras - good smart hub and 3D. Must admit that I can live without the voice and gesture command feature (who really wants to yell and wave at their TV?). But the TV paired up with my DirecTV remote seamlessly. And the 51 inch size was perfect for my family room. Pros: picture quality that rivals vastly more expensive 4K ease of set up Cons: voice and gesture command is really not all that user friendly. Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Plasmatastic Written By Dapperdan, Nashville TN on Friday, October 24, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I wanted a Panasonic plasma. They stopped making them. :( So I tried a Samsung 4k. Pretty cool. Black levels and motion blur during 'upscaling' left a lot to be desired.. Read some reviews of the Samsung 8500 plasmas. DONE. I'm happy. Wife is too. Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Good TV Written By Matt, Charleston, SC on Friday, September 26, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Stepping up from a LN40A650 from 2008 so any new TV looks spectacular to my eyes. After going to a BB Magnolia store, and was told do not buy a plasma I went out and got this and couldn't be happier. BB did not even have any plasmas hooked up to a HD source... I wanted this for color accuracy and for sports and that is what plasmas do best. Couple interesting facts when you buy from Crutchfield... The TV came with two remotes, the infuriatingly complex touch pad one, and a simple 40 button traditional remote Also the TV came with a free samsung soundbar and sub, which is great because one of the small downfalls of this TV is its mediocre sound out of the box. Interesting when I hooked this up and used the IR blaster to control my cable box (directv) I would get a weird buzz/hum every now and again, unplugged the IR blaster and haven't heard a sound since. Yes the TV does have that traditional Plasma buzz, but it isnt noticeable unless you really get up close and concentrate. Also it is noticeably quieter than my old LCD (yeah I think she's on her way out) and I turned the cell light down to 15 which dramatically reduces hum/buzz. This TV has a great filter for blocking out light in a bright room but it does come with one big caveat. The vertical viewing angle is awful... Side to side its like you would expect, great. If you get too close and are laying down on the floor, like watching a movie with the kids, everything is faded... Not a deal breaker in my book. Pros: Awesome picture When bought from Crutchfield, came with extra remote and free soundbar/subwoofer Cons: Will never use all those apps will never use the voice/gesture controls I suppose out of the box the sound is a bit lacking for an $1800 TV Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 One View. Written By Myself, Fernley,NV on Friday, August 08, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Cant beat the black depth and levels of a plasma. The colors (due to black rendering) are phenomenal. Image retention is a thing of the past. What with auto pixel shift and ,if needed, image renew this worry is almost a non thing! Off angle is awful on all LED sets,but on a plasma it is not a worry. As to life expectancy,another worry exploded, all good plasma panels these days are expected too go way beyond 30,000 hours continuous viewing before even getting even a little bit dim! 30,000 hours of viewing would be beyond your life time. Dimness in bright light is not a problem with this model of Samsung,they seem to have that under control with their panel brightness control. So, if you want exceptional depth,clarity and color get a plasma and Samsung has the last of the good ones! Pros: black level,color intensity,off angle,motion capabilities(600 HZ), best panel for sports!! Cons: none Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Stellar TV Written By Bryan, Ohio on Thursday, August 07, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Upgraded to this beauty from a Panasonic TC-42pz80u (42" 1080p plasma) and was definitely worth the upgrade. Have this wall mounted in a family room with a full-size window and all-glass sliding patio door that let plenty of sun in and this thing is plenty bright to stand up to a sunny day and barely reflects anything. Colors are stunning, detail is excellent, contrast is phenomenal. Picture quality blows my 6 year old Panny plasma out of the water. Surprisingly the bright scenes are almost more impressive than the dark scenes. The SmartTV features are very easy to navigate. Thin and lightweight, I was able to lift and hang the 51" version of this on my wall mount above my fireplace by myself. Almost disappointed to not be using the stand given is beauty and sturdiness. At nearly double the price of similarly sized LED TVs though, you'll have to decide if video-phile PQ is what you're really after. Pros: Picture quality, brightness, black level, anti-reflective, good smart features, thin, lightweight, stand. Cons: Price per inch of screen is pretty high relative to other TVs 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Decent Written By edog, Chapel Hill, NC on Sunday, March 16, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I haven't owned a television in 8 years. Technology has certainly changed. This is quite the tv. The picture is outstanding. It's expensive, but maybe that's just me feeling sticker shock since I've been out of the market for so long. There are a lot of extras I don't need and I doubt most people will care about. But you can't get a tv these days without all the extra crap. Overall I'm happy about this purchase. Pros: Beautiful picture. My girlfriend (who has a tv) says describes this one as, "Crazy good!" Cons: Too much unnecessary fluff. 4 out of 5 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 LED back to Plasma ? Written By carolinaphil, Charlotte, NC on Monday, March 10, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This TV is almost 4K , OLED comparable . With that said it is a good bargin ! Blows my led E6400 out of the water and speaking of water the picture on Wicked Tuna is outstanding . The PN 8500 is a 2013 model and Samsung will offer bundle deals through it authorized dealers such as Crutchfield every so often. So my main concern was going back to plasma in my well-lit highrise with a glass walls and well I could not be happier . This TV is in a league of its own in plasma brightness . Changed picture to Dynamic and then tuned it down a small small amount across the board and it is outstanding. The picture is so good it is hard to watch anything else anywhere. So yes it's back to wonderful warm PLASMA and remember what the color black can look like !! Pros: Picture, build quality, price and compares 4K-OLED (almost) Cons: All metal front, back and base construction is noticeably heavier but nice. 5 out of 5 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Fantastic Written By DrB, NYC on Friday, March 07, 2014 I own a two year old 50' Samsung Plasma 3D TV. The best TV I had seen until now. The new feature ridden 51"Samsung Plasma 3D TV is sharper, same great blacks, beautiful contrast, saturated colors and terrific new remote. It runs cooler than its predecessor and is Energy Star Compliant. The unusual stand is as wide as the TV and allows the screen to sit lower. This makes this larger screen seem smaller than my other Samsung now in my bedroom. This is the most lifelike picture I have experiences. Even 2D High Def. movies have a 3D feel. The 3D is great but I'm not a Disney lover. Best 2D ever. Pros: Blacks, brightness, contrast, features (write in the channel, speak, wave), apps, fabulous remote, striking looks, low profile, cool running, internet ready and waiting, easy set up. and did I say it has a great picture Cons: Need a sound system cause, well you know. 2 out of 2 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 TV Written By diva, Atlanta, Ga on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) OMG. This by far the most exciting Television I have ever viewed. The picture quality is beyond awesome. sometimes it looks like 3D or you are in a theatre. color and clarity is beyond expectation. I love the smaller remote, the slide of a finger navigates through choices. I can't wait to get my next one for my den. i love the apps so when your cable is out you can still enjoy movies . The soundbar is a must for high quality sound. The only con is hlding onto Netflix and I think it is more to do with the router than the TV. I have a MAC and airport Express but it sometimes has a difficult time holding the connection. Pros: Awesom picture quality and clarity, think superior diamond Cons: keeping connected through WiFi Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Samsung PN51F8500 Review Written By Hank, Willimantic, CT on Thursday, January 30, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) We've had it 3 weeks and so far it's great! Unfortunately, it not in the best room for it, but...oh well. Hand motion sensor and voice activation are out of my league. Pros: Good picture and good built in sound. 4 HDMI ports and plenty of USB ports. All the feature's a 67 age old could want. Cons: The finger pads is a bit cumbersome going between smart screens, as are having to use both TV remotes plus the cable box remote. We've only had it 3 wks, so maybe it just a matter of the leaning curve. The camera should have more motion flexibility. 4 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Great TV; Poor Customer Serice Written By LaneZ, Frederick, MD on Saturday, January 18, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This TV has a stunningly vibrant and realistic picture. This is my first plasma TV, and I think it's miles better than LED. The picture clarity is amazing. However, I do not like the remote control that is included. It doesn't have a numeric keypad for entering channels and is too cute by half. It has motion control and voice control that doesn't work too well and is gimmicky. I have read reviews that say if you call Samsung customer service, they will send you a remote with a keypad. But when I called, they nastily informed me that I would have to call a separate division of Samsung, which doesn't have extended or weekend hours, and I would have to pay for it. What, they can't give me a $15 remote control after spending this much on their TV? Also, the TV wouldn't let me wirelessly connect to the Internet. I called, and a woman, who didn't know anything, put me on hold for 15 minutes before I hung up and tried again. The next person had a heavy foreign accent and finally and unpleasantly guided me through an update that resolved the problem. And occasionally, a channel grid will unexpectedly pop up on the screen. This is annoying. So it has little bugs that need to be worked out. But the picture? Unbelievable. Despite everything, I still give it 5 stars. Pros: Fantastic picture. Good sound, but I use a sound bar instead (recommended) Cons: Poor customer service; mediocre 2D to 3D picture; horrible remote control; per my overall review, some bothersome quirks 3 out of 3 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Samsung PN51F8500 Written By Anonymous, Long Beach, CA on Saturday, January 11, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great TV -- but the voice and gesture stuff doesn't work well and I turned those functions off. Also, the touch-type remote is pretty useless. 4 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Samsung PN51F8500 Written By Dennis, New York on Tuesday, January 07, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Best TV I've ever had the privilege to view. Better than advertised. Outside of the deepest blacks on the market, the thing that struck me most was how little the screen reflected ambient lighting. This feature is worth it's weight in gold. Pros: Blacks, non reflecting screen, stunning picture Cons: Small remote should do more. Cannot work netflix effectively without use of the larger one. 2 out of 2 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Incredible Picture Written By AJR, Rochester, NY on Wednesday, November 27, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The picture on this TV is far and away the best I've ever seen. Watching CBS last night my whole family was amazed at how clear the picture looked, it was almost weird, it was so clear. It was like watching live tv, or like you were actually there. The PS4 looks great too. I haven't tried 3D yet. The remote is a head scratcher though, I'm not a fan. There are no numbers on it, and it's very cumbersome to use in my opinion. I'm probably going to stick with my old cable remote for most of the time. Fast delivery with Crutchfield, and I just noticed that the price dropped a week after I bought mine so I called and they are sending me the difference. Love it! Pros: Picture quality is unbelievable, fairly easy to set up, price just dropped again. Cons: The remote is not user friendly, the hdmi jacks are too close to the edge of the tv, the cable ends up sticking out the side, make sure to buy 90' angles. Internet connectivity dropped and wouldn't work, I had to chat w support to fix it. Seems to be ok now. The base of the TV is as wide as the tv, so make sure your table is as wide as the tv. 3 out of 3 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Samsung PN51F8500 Written By Dave, Hudson, Oh on Saturday, October 26, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I bought this set for the picture quality. By far the brightest plasma picture I have seen. The TV is loaded with gimmicks including a "smart" touchpad remote with voice control, a camera mounted at the top of the set for Skype and motion commands, and the usual variety of apps including Netflex, Hulu and so on. Set up was complicated until I abandoned the "smart" remote in favor of my Harmony universal remote. Before I did that I experienced issues when changing inputs and attempting to turn the entire system (receiver, blue ray player and Apple TV) on and off using the supplied remote. So, my bottom line is that this is a top drawer TV with a smooth, bright picture with deep blacks that happens to be saddled with what I consider bloat ware gimmicks that are best switched off so one can enjoy the picture quality without distractions Pros: excellent picture, deep blacks, brightest plasma picture I have seen Cons: it is expensive. gimmicks such as the touchpad remote, voice and motion control and web browser are great for the sales pitch, but in real life, not so hot 6 out of 6 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Samsung 51 inch Smart TV Written By HansK, Hernando Fl. on Thursday, October 24, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) TV was easily set up and worked out of the box. Great picture, good sound without external speakers and the remote control that came with the TV replaced several controls used with the model TV it replaced. Pros: Easy assembly and handling the is a comprehensive user manual stored in the memory of the TV which is very useful. Cons: The connection to the external amplifier for surround sound was somewhat challenging but after a few tries this was solved. Both manuals were little help with this feature. If you enable the energy savings features the picture quality suffers. 4 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Samsung F8500 51" Plasma 3D Written By JeffreyE, Dayton,Oh on Thursday, October 24, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) AWSOME AWSOME AWSOME . this unit speaks for itself. Pros: Picture is so real and life like Cons: Remote is a little odd 1 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 8500 great bang for your buck! Written By Josh, Point Pleasant Nj on Monday, October 21, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great picture and features for under $2K look of top of the line LEDs but with deep stunning blacks as well. A little bogged down with features but easy enough to figure out that it doesn't drive you crazy Pros: Picture, design of frame and base, voice control and price! Cons: Be wary of the screen saver for gaming. Motion control isn't worth your time, and voice can be activated when you don't want it (but can be switched off) 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Sweeeet Written By Brian, Baltimore, MD on Monday, August 19, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The best picture I've come across. This is definitely the TV for movie buffs and sports fanatics. The picture is amazingly smooth with little to no jitter, the colors are vivid and true to life, and the 3D is way better than the theaters. The TV is remarkably versatile. There is a learning curve to get the picture tweaks just right, but they are easy to access and change. The durability seems to be there in both build quality and panel longevity. A sound bar is highly recommended to get the best experience. Big thumbs up so far. Pros: Amazing picture Versatility Build quality Cons: TV sound Expensive 3 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Great Picture Written By seans, Chicago, IL on Sunday, August 11, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The best picture I have ever seen. Extraordinarily sharp, beautiful colors will blow you away Pros: best picture Cons: expensive 3 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 Samsung Plasma F8500 series Written By LESJR, Bay Area,CA on Saturday, July 13, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) This is a great TV, great picture the only flaw is getting use to the remote control. Pros: NA Cons: Gestures, takes time to learn how to do use it. 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Great TV!! Written By Jimm H., Concord, Ohio on Wednesday, June 05, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Picture is fantastic! Gimmicks are cool but really are rarely used by me. Really wanted the picture quality. Replaced a. P51E8000 that my wife now uses, which also had a great picture and all the gimmicks also, and I thought that was a fantastic picture. This TV blows last years model away! It was a great deal also through Crutchfield! Run sound through a sound bar and sub, but initially sound quality from the TV was surprisingly pretty good. Pros: Picture, sound quality, ease of use, cool factor with the gimmicks, great 3D! Cons: None that I have come by in over two months 6 out of 6 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 2 out of 5 Not Happy with it Written By Anisio, Connecticut on Tuesday, May 07, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Very vivid picture, but brighter you make the picture louder the buzzing noise gets. The color is beautiful but I found it far from reality specially when it come to the skin tones, The smart feature very cool, nice remote control. In a week that that I have the Tv it froze three times, and not corresponding to any command, so it got to be unplugged from the wall.... annoying. Too many pop and crack noise from the heat that it generates, even after it has been shut off for about 30 min....not happy sending it back! 6 out of 12 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Best TV ever! Written By Anonymous, Boulder, CO on Saturday, May 04, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The picture on this tv is unbelievable. All the features are great and the 3D picture is outstanding! With an audio system connected, the theater experience is amazing. My girlfriend and I are in love with this Samsung. I'm still figuring out a few things but so far the Smart features are easy to navigate and it's fun to play around with all the apps and the motion sensor. It is definitely THE tv to have! 4 out of 4 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 PN51F8500 Samsung TVJim Written By JimT, SW Kansas on Monday, April 15, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) The remote has very few buttons making it easy to use. The picture quality is great, it connects to my souround sound system without me having to do a thing. I just recently hooked up a USB 1T Ext. hard drive, now I can watch movies on it that's like VOD from a cable box or internet streaming site. 5 out of 7 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 Samsung PN51F8500 Written By Anonymous, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl on Thursday, April 11, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Great Purchase Pros: It's a Smart TV what else is there to say... Get One!!! 1 out of 16 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 1 out of 5 Another Samsung I have to return :( Written By MarkY, Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday, April 09, 2013 I purchased the F8000 LED and had to return it because I couldn't take the jitteriness in the picture, and the light bleed in the corners. Everyone said this TV would be better as plasmas don't have jittery to them. While I found this to be true and liked very much it was smoother, the Buzzing was so loud that my cat wouldn't come in my family room. He was too scared of the buzz that's how loud it was. There was also some weird bands across the top and in 3D when I tried it. I thought it was my provider at first but it did it while watching the dark night blu ray. I can't keep buying TVs and returning them like this. This is my second one this year. I think I need to purchase a different name brand. To much of a hassle and I wish Samsung will fix these problems. The whole point in me not buying a TV last year was because of all the problems being reported. So disappointed now. Pros: No jitter. Looks nice on my entertainment center except it wobbles. Cons: Very loud Buzzing. Wobbly stand. Worried about life span. seems Samsung doesn't care about issues.or wanting to fix problems. Turns on and off by itself. Hand and voice aren't good. Price it too much for what I got. 14 out of 32 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 3 out of 5 Great, but... Written By Dsall467, Anaheim, CA on Friday, April 05, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I've been extremely impressed with the quality of the picture. I bought this unit specifically for the image quality, and I have not been disappointed. We used the Disney WOW disc to do the setup, and it made a big difference in the quality of the image. We watched Tron in 3D, and it was spectacular. The SmartHub is ok, but I still prefer to use my AppleTV. All in all, it's a very good set, but Samsung blew it on a few things. The rubber feet on the bottom of the stand are too small, so the base ripped up the top of my entertainment center. Next, the SmartHun interface is sort of haphazard. I'm used to Apple's products (including apps) all being uniform, this felt a little disjointed when using individual apps. My biggest complaint, though, is the Skype camera. I have my TV on a normal sized entertainment center, but the camera isn't adjustable, so when I turned it on, the image was of the very top of my head and the top half of our living room. Very, very irritating that nobody at Samsung would have thought about making this camera adjustable. I also still have not been able to get the voice or motion controls to work. Overall, image quality was my #1, and that's what I got. Everything else (SmartHub, built in camera, stand, motion and voice control) are all great on paper, but fall short in real life. Pros: Image quality 3D Black levels Contrast Design aesthetics Motion Judder is virtually non-existent Cons: Idiotic camera design SmartHub is mediocre Voice and motion controls aren't working Pretty much everything other than image quality 21 out of 21 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 GREAT customer service Written By ljmart, tn on Thursday, April 04, 2013 don't know what happened on my prior review... had ALL boxes checked rated five! Pros: forgot to mention crutchfield customer svc is incredible! extremely satisfied 3 out of 11 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 out of 5 AWESOME TV! Written By ljm, knoxville, tn on Tuesday, April 02, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) absolutely amazing picture quality!!! deep dark inky blacks, rich accurate color, white whites, super bright, sharp picture, the list could go on and on! for those not doing professional calibration, 'out of the box' movie mode is excellent! i think it is everything samsung claimed it would be. haven't spent much time playing around with all the smart features yet so i can't comment on those... pleasantly surprised i also really like the remote. quick response and easy to use. as well, ipads 'smart view' remote app works on this tv. love the forward thinking industrial chic stand! hides cords easily too. way to go samsung... overall can't go wrong with this one. oh, and no buzz as most plasmas are known for! Pros: already stated, STUNNING picture quality... extremely impressed :) Cons: none so far! 5 out of 9 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 4 out of 5 PN51F8500/Samsung Written By David E, Harvey, LA on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 Finally a leap forward in plasma TVs The only thing that's been holding back plasma's has been there brightness or lack of any You had to be in a dark room with no direct light,LED lit LCDs didn't have this problem, plasma's were dead until now. The new Samsung plasma's have fixed this with the great picture of a plasma and the brightness of a LED lit LCD. Add 3d and quad core you can't do better. Pros: Beautiful picture and faster than my last lap top. Cons: Energy consumption 19 out of 32 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No "Coolness Factor" Build Quality Ease of Use Picture Quality Value 5 questions already asked Show all answers Does this model compare favorably with some of Panasonic's better plasma screens? [ Brian Jun 22, 2014 ] 10 answers Only had a Sony plasma prior to this and was very pleased with it. This Samsung's picture quality is excellent, sound is good although we always use external speakers. Once you have tweaked the Menu settings you should be very satisfied with it. If you like old movies especially (or even all content, possibly excepting sports) there are 2 settings that must be made in the menu. Because otherwise everything comes out looking more like ultra-video and Not Film. Originally we were so disappointed with the picture (because of the default settings) we seriously considered returning the set. But the adjustments work fine. To get more film-like presentations, use the SAMSUNG Remote. Under PICTURE OPTIONS, set 'Digital Clean View' to OFF. Also set 'Motion Judder Canceller' to OFF. Hope this is useful information. [ TOM Jun 24, 2014 ] Originally I intented to purchase a Panasonic that was the same year and relatively close to the same specs as this tv for about 700 dollars less. Due to lack of availability I ended up purchasing this tv. However, my expectations have been exceeded with this televsion. Compared to the Pansonic plasma screens, this tv does very well in well lit areas. For example, I have my television in a living room with a very large picture window and I am able to use this television just fine with the blinds up and the sun shining through. As for the picture, the panasonic is slightly better, but for most people it will be the best HD they've ever seen. If you're looking for the best plasma television for the price, I'd recommend doing some quick research as there are well written articles and comparisons available for you to read. This tv is ranked very high, but there are a few panasonics ranked higher. As plasma is becoming less and less common, it will be harder to find the higher ranked tvs on their list; especially from panasonic who have discontinued their plasma development. I hope this helped. [ CHEYENNE Jun 24, 2014 ] Brian, I'm sorry to not be able to answer that question as I've never owned a Panasonic plasma. I will say this Samsung is just great. Hank [ Hank Jun 24, 2014 ] Yes. In fact, some would say it's better. There was a plasma shootout comparing these 2 models by the best calibrators in the world, and the samsung won. [ Kevin Jun 23, 2014 ] Absolutely! My previous plasma was a Panasonic. I had to replace the Panasonic in less than 2 years... It burned out twice after the warranty expired... Stay away! [ MARK Jun 23, 2014 ] This is the first plasma I've owned and I can't imagine the picture quality can get any better. It is absolutely stunning. [ ROHNALD Jun 23, 2014 ] I am not familiar with Panasonic Plasma, but I can tell you that the Samsung Plasma has the best picture I have ever seen. The detail and nuances are unbelievable!! I did get calibration settings off the internet, and tweaked those settings to my satisfaction. I am in heaven!!! I would recommend the following reviews to help you in your decision: I cannot include other links but google Samsung PN51F8500 Reviews and look at the CNET review & Plasma buying guide reviews I do not see how any HDTV could produce a better picture!!! GoodLuck [ John Jun 23, 2014 ] sorry but I have no experience with Panasonic plasma screens [ RAYMOND Jun 23, 2014 ] In my opinion, yes. I have owned two Panasonic Plasma TVs. Both performed very well. However, the Samsung PN51F8500 I purchased has a brighter overall picture level. The picture is crisp and sharp. The detail capture in faces and scenes is exceptional. I am very pleased with the Samsung's features and quality. [ GEORGE Jun 23, 2014 ] I think it is better. I have a Panasonic plasma also and when I was looking for another one the Samsung was the best picture I could find. I am extremely happy with it. The picture is great. I had some friends over watching a hockey game and they could not believe the quality of the picture. [ JEFFREY A Jun 23, 2014 ] What is the evolution kit on the back of the tv? [ Brian Jun 21, 2014 ] 5 answers The evolution kit enables the TV to upgrade for future enhancements, for example software and processor speed settings. [ LEONARD E Jun 23, 2014 ] Not a clue what you are referring too. It's a Great TV and I'd buy it all over again. I don't use the smart features, Netflix etc as I watch everything extra on Apple TV. I run everything through my Bose system and watch BlueRay, Cable, Directv and 3D. Hope this helps [ TOM Jun 22, 2014 ] So you're seeing all of the talk surrounding the upcoming 2013 Samsung Televisions and home entertainment products, but what about the Samsung Smart TV you purchased last year? Lucky for you, the Samsung Smart TV is the world's only evolutionary TV! Because technology is rapidly evolving, it's sometimes difficult to ensure that you're keeping up-to-date. Thanks to a handy little device called the Smart Evolution Kit, we're taking away this worry! EvolutionKit_img-0.JPG The easily installed chipset, pictured above, upgrades key components of your TV so that you can enjoy some of the most cutting-edge entertainment every year without buying a whole new television. What does that mean for you? That means, even if you own one of the select 2012 Smart TVs, you'll be able to enjoy new innovations announced at CES, like S Recommendation and an updated Smart HUB. [ JOHN Jun 22, 2014 ] The evolution kit upgrades the software on your old tv, to the new software.for.that current year [ RODEICK L Jun 22, 2014 ] Evolution kit is an add on that would up grade your tv to UHD signal if available to you. No kit came with my unit but it can be added saving the purchase of another TV with UHD capability...that's what they claim...my 8500 is a very nice unit, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase from June of 2013. [ GARY D Jun 22, 2014 ] What are the "ferrite rods" mentioned in the "what's included" list for? [ Brian Jun 21, 2014 ] 9 answers I'm not using them, right or wrong, but here are there purpose. 2 answers ANSWER 1 They are ferrite core clips. Ferrite cores are small semi-magnetic iron pieces encased in a plastic snap enclosure. Designed to fit around power cords and interconnects, they block electromagnetic interference and unwanted high frequency information. They are designed to clip to the power cord and/or any inputs (HDMI cables, component cables, etc.). Double over the cord, wrap the ferrite clip around it and snap it shut. 2 years, 4 months ago Posted by: ucffiji10 from Tampa, FL 0out of0found this answer helpful. ANSWER 2 These small cylindrical objects are Ferrite Cores. The ferrite cores are used to shield the power cables from interference. When connecting the ferrite core to a cable, open the ferrite core and clip it around the cable near the plug as shown in the figure. One ferrite core should be no more than 8 inches from the end of the cord that is inserted into the TV. If your TV came with a second ferrite core (the 43 inch model), the second core should be no more than 3/4 inches from the end of the cord that is inserted into the AC outlet. -MrSamsung [ JOHN H Jun 25, 2014 ] They are ferrite core clips. Ferrite cores are small semi-magnetic iron pieces encased in a plastic snap enclosure. Designed to fit around power cords and interconnects, they block electromagnetic interference and unwanted high frequency information. They are designed to clip to the power cord and/or any inputs (HDMI cables, component cables, etc.). Double over the cord, wrap the ferrite clip around it and snap it shut. - FOUND THIS WHEN I GOOGLED I WASNT SURE :) [ SHANNON Jun 23, 2014 ] My understanding is that they are just line conditioners. Mine are in a bag in a drawer. It's kind of like having 3D capabilities on your TV: It's free, but you really don't know what the point is. ;-) [ ERIC Jun 23, 2014 ] These are for shielding against magnetic interference on your power cords. I have not bothered and not had any ill effects. If you use place near the power plug that goes into the outlet [ HOWARD Jun 22, 2014 ] The ferrite rod is something that looks like a weight that you clamp around a cable. It's supposed to reduce or limit stray, unwanted electrical signals from creating static or interference. I found that it wasn't necessary for my particular installation so I didn't install it, and have had no problems as a result. [ JON Jun 22, 2014 ] I appreciate your time in answering my questions! I'd never heard of doing such a thing. I use a power conditioner that prevents interference that occurs when using the microwave or when the washing machine switches cycles, etc. It's also important to avoid running A/V cables parallel with power cords due to electromagnetic interference. [ Brian Jun 22, 2014 ] I don't recall what they were for, I had a professional installer set it up. [ DENIS Jun 22, 2014 ] They are cylindrical clips that go on the power cord to prevent interference. You might also see them called 'ferrite cores'. [ ADRIENNE Jun 22, 2014 ] Here's samsungs answer. I don't use them. TV is awesome and worth the money. Ferrite cores are small semi-magnetic iron pieces encased in a plastic snap enclosure. Designed to fit around power cords and interconnects, they block electromagnetic interference and unwanted high frequency information. They are designed to clip to the power cord and/or any inputs (HDMI cables, component cables, etc.). Double over the cord, wrap the ferrite clip around it and snap it shut. [ David Jun 22, 2014 ] Some customer reviews complain about a "buzzing" noise that has resulted in some customers returning the set. Please comment and advise on whether you are experiencing the "buzzing" and if so how much of a problem is it. Also is the picture truly as GREAT as they say? Thank You [ John May 08, 2014 ] 10 answers We had the Samsung for about a month. I have had no problem with buzzing, or any type of noise. It is hooked up to an external amp and speakers. The picture is excellent, Is it as great as they say? I guess? Other TV's looked great in the store, but I relied on reviews from CNET. I did turn off the voice control because it kept popping up on the screen. I understand it was "hearing" external noise in the room and was sensitive enough to think it was being given a command. I am very pleased overall with the product. [ JOHN May 09, 2014 ] I don't have any "buzzing" noise at all coming from my set and I have owned it for about a year now. The picture is absolutely amazing! Very comparable to my Sony HD tube TV. I highly recommend it and don't regret my purchase! [ JARED J May 09, 2014 ] I have had the television for a year now, and have never heard any sort of buzzing. I have the tv hooked up to an Onkyo receiver, so I never use the television speakers. As far as the picture, it is outstanding, but the difference is incremental when compared to other good plasmas [ SEAN C May 09, 2014 ] We have not had a problem with buzzing and the picture has been great. As a caveat, this is the first high definition television that we have owned. Overall, we are very satisfied with the Samsung television. [ LEONARD May 08, 2014 ] I have not experienced a buzzing noise from this set, and yes, the picture is great. [ MARK May 08, 2014 ] John there is absolutely no buzzing at all on my set... super quiet... and yes this TV is as great as people say it is... great black levels, great colors, and contrast... must be seen to truly believe it for yourself! [ RODEICK L May 08, 2014 ] John, I have experienced no buzzing whatsoever. I do have it set up with surround sound so I am not using the TV speakers at all. The picture is fantastic with no issues. I have it set up in a bright room and the picture is sharp and clear as anything I have seen. I am extremely happy with Samsung. [ TIM May 08, 2014 ] Hi John, I have had the set since June 2013. Have had no buzzing at all. Also, it has the best picture of any i've seen. My son uses a test CD to set up the picture on tv sets. He could make no improvement to the 8500. [ CLYDE May 08, 2014 ] Nah, buzzing wasn't an issue and the picture is great. But I ended up with the Panasonic V60. I just thought it gave me more of what I was looking for. [ MYRON May 08, 2014 ] The buzzing is driving me insane. I would have guessed it was a poorly grounded outlet, but I've had the electrician out multiple times and that can't explain it. It is worst (loudest) when the TV is showing bright content. It is clearly dependent on the current draw by the set. The picture is incredible. It really is remarkable. If you are sitting far back from the TV, if you watch 'darker' programming and/or if you listen at an appreciable volume (call it a '4'), then you won't be too bugged by the buzz. Otherwise, skip this set, even with the great picture. [ MIKE J May 08, 2014 ] Can the stand be removed for wall mounting? If so, how does the set look without the stand? [ Frank Jan 05, 2014 ] 15 answers All I can tell you is that YES the stand can be removed and the TV can be mounted on the wall. I have this TV on my mantle but my older Samsung plasma 55" is and they all are awesome. Hope this helps you. Best of luck. Bob [ ROBERT Jan 08, 2014 ] It looks GREAT! That's exactly how we have it installed. Incidentally, the t.v.and its features are simply AMAZING!! From the HD picture quality to the 3D performance to the ease of operation when during the web - it is quite simply an AMAZING product. EVERYBODY that has seen it cannot stop praising it. I believe you will be extremely satisfied with the unit, should you choose to purchase it - in my humble opinion, that is. Not to mention that Crutchfield is simply one of the most incredible companies with which you can do business; I've yet to encounter a situation in which every single person I contact does not bend over backwards in an effort to help resolve the issue at hand. I hope was helpful. Bob S. [ ROBERT Jan 08, 2014 ] Hi Frank, Very pleased with this television. I actually ended up purchasing two. The first for my home which is on the stand, beautifully designed, stand is very cool, looks great and I was so happy with the quality, picture, design,as well as the price for a beautiful plasma, I bought another one for my parents for Christmas which they have mounted on the wall ( mounted by a carpenter, wires in the wall). Either way the television is stunning. [ SHANNON Jan 08, 2014 ] Yes you can mount it on the wall. I use the stand but I think it would look very nice on the wall. The border around the screen is pretty thin. You can view the manual on Samsungs website. The 'quick guide' includes wall mounting information. [ ALLEN Jan 07, 2014 ] Yes it can, it comes in box detached and requires easy instal.. It's a very nice unit. I am very happy with my set after several months of use!!!! Great picture with abundant fine tuning for personal prefeance. [ GARY D Jan 07, 2014 ] The TV looks good without the stand, however I do wish it had a much thinner bezel as it's previous Samsung models. [ LEONARD E Jan 06, 2014 ] Yes, it is shipped with the stand unattached. Given it's low profile (thickness, narrow surround), it looks smaller and less obtrusive on the wall than it's 51" would suggest. [ Robert Jan 06, 2014 ] Thank you, Robert, for the detailed information. [ Frank Jan 06, 2014 ] Thanks! [ Frank Jan 06, 2014 ] Thank you! [ Frank Jan 06, 2014 ] Yes it can. With the stand off it looks pretty much like any other flat panel set. Just be aware that plasmas weigh more than LCD's so you'll want a wall mount that's safe for the weight. [ MYRON Jan 06, 2014 ] From the manual: Mounting Options Base: The TV is shipped with its base unattached. The base attaches to the television using the supplied hardware. The television weighs 51.5 lbs with the base. Wall Mounting: The TV has four threaded inserts on the back for use with an optional wall-mount bracket. The spacing of the mounting holes is 400mm (h) x 400mm (v) in accordance with the industry standards set by the Video Electronics Standards Association. The threaded inserts require M8 (8mm) machine screws (not supplied). The television weighs 46.0 lbs without the stand. Note: When mounting the TV on the stand or a wall (with optional bracket) leave 4" of clearance on each side of the television and 4" above/below the television for adequate ventilation. Detachable AC Power Cord: The Samsung Plasma TV comes with a 5' detachable AC power cord. The power cord sits 0.9375" from the back of the television. The power cord is fitted with a right-angle AC plug that sits 0.875" from the wall. [ ROBERT Jan 06, 2014 ] I have the TV mounted on the stand which I had to attach to the TV. Wall mounted, the TV will be surrounded by a symmetric frame. I hope this helps. [ LEONARD Jan 06, 2014 ] I don't know. I use the stand because I rent. Sorry, I am not much help. [ John Jan 06, 2014 ] The stand is removable for wall mounting and in my opinion looks great! [ JARED J Jan 06, 2014 ] Add accessories for the Samsung PN51F8500 Add Accessories Add a Warranty HDMI cables are the best way to connect your high-definition sources to your TV. See all categories & accessories HDMI cables are the best way to connect your high-definition sources to your TV. HDMI Cables Connect your HDTV to your home theater receiver or compatible sound bar with an optical digital cable, and get high-quality sound. Optical Digital Cables Wall-mounting your flat-panel TV? We carry a wide range of sturdy mounts. TV Wall Mounts Protect your investment from power surges and interference. Power Protection To let everyone watch in 3D, pick up additional pairs of these compatible 3D glasses. 3D Glasses Bring your new flat-panel TV to life with sleek speakers that deliver full, rich sound. Sound Bar Speakers Place your TV and A/V system on a solidly built stand that matches your décor. Entertainment Furniture Blu-ray Disc Players Ethernet Cables Enjoy the online capabilities of your Internet-ready HDTV without running Ethernet cable across your floor or through your walls. Networking Replace all of your remotes with just one that is easy to use and easy to set up. Home Remote Controls Optimize the picture quality of your new TV or tune up your home audio system for maximum performance. CD & DVD Care Get free HDTV in most areas with an antenna. TV Antennas Accessories for securing or mounting your flat-panel TV. Furniture Accessories Safely clean your TV. (It works well with computers too.) Screen Cleaning Keep the area around your wall-mounted TV looking clean with solutions that help conceal the A/V cables and power cord. Cable Management No room for your center speaker? Add a shelf without having to drill a hole in your wall. Speaker Shelves Have your new TV installed by qualified professionals. Professional Installation Use high-quality, shielded cables for clean, noise-free audio connections. RCA Audio Patch Cables Use coaxial RF cables to connect your TV to an antenna or wall cable TV outlet. Coaxial RF (F-type) Cables Connect your non-HD video sources to your TV with composite video cables. Composite (RCA) Video Cables Use component video cables to make high-definition connections when HDMI isn't an option. 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