Looking to Buy a Samsung TV: LN55C630 vs. PN58C550

G

GodspedEmperor

CAGiversary!
I'll make this quick & simple. I'm in the market for a new flat-screen TV, and based on my price range I've managed to narrow my choices down to two televisions. They're both Samsungs, and one is a 55" LCD, the other a 58" Plasma.

They are:

Samsung LN55C630 - http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN55C...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276158265&sr=1-1

I chose this over the LN55C650 because I don't really give a crap about widgets, and the C650 apparently has a glossy screen, to which I would prefer the matte screen of the C630. However, if I'm missing some more important difference between the two, please feel free to let me know.

Samsung PN58C550 - http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-PN58C...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276152450&sr=1-1

3 inches larger than the LN55C630 and Plasma instead of LCD. Also about $100 more expensive. Worth it or not?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
I own the lnc55c630 and think its fabulous. Very dark blacks, vibrant colors, decent sound. I recommend the c630 line and I will add that the screen is not matte , but glossy.
 
Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize there was a 55-inch model in the c630 series that was under $1500... Assuming it's the same TV as the LN46C630 except for the screen size, I guess it's more just a question now of the PN58C550 vs the LN55C630. In fact, I'm going to edit my original post to reflect this.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']For those prices you can get a 73" DLP and still have money left over!

Good luck on your purchase though.[/QUOTE]don’t dlp’s weigh like 17 tons?:shock:
 
[quote name='thegreek']don’t dlp’s weigh like 17 tons?:shock:[/QUOTE]


My 55" DLP weights 77lbs. A 55" LCD weighs roughly the same.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']My 55" DLP weights 77lbs. A 55" LCD weighs roughly the same.[/QUOTE]

my 55 inch samsung weighs 86lbs.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']For those prices you can get a 73" DLP and still have money left over!

Good luck on your purchase though.[/QUOTE]

DLP's have terrible picture quality. Plasmas have the best. LED's are fast catching up though.

You need to define the criteria of the room and use of tv.
Plasmas have a glass screen and would not be good in a bright room with sunlight.
An LCD can be used as a computer monitor should you wish to hook up your PC.
 
dlp rear projection sets certainly do not have terrible picture quality. they do require light control to maximize the picture quality though.
 
[quote name='gordojones88']DLP's have terrible picture quality.[/QUOTE]


Way to comment on something you know absolutely nothing about!
 
[quote name='thegreek']plasma’s explode if you lay them down. Go with the lcd.[/QUOTE]

WTF? As someone who actually, you know, owns a plasma tv I can tell you that absolutely is not the case. I don't know where you got that info but its a load of bullshit. While we're at it, here's a good article dispelling some more myths about plasma: http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-misconceptions.html

OP, I really don't think you can go wrong either way on the TVs there. My dad just recently bought the 46in version of that LCD and it looks fantastic. I haven't really had any experience with the Samsung plasma, though I've always heard they're good quality. The LCD would look better in brighter environments just because LCDs tend to be brighter, but if you're playing in low light the plasma would be just as good.
 
I have a 120hz Samsung B630 series and love it. The 630 is huge improvement over my previous Samsung LCD. No issues with glare and the TV is beside a window that is usually open with light coming shining in on the screen. I also have no problems viewing the TV sitting at a weird angle off to the side, where as my old Samsung the screen would become dark and nearly impossible to view. The screen is slightly glossy, but you can't really tell while it's on unless you are sitting two feet away from the screen.

If you're buying the TV for the 120hz, then you should know with much of what you view will have a "soap opera" effect and if your eyes are sensitive, then you may not like this. It's perfect for fast paced sports, but for myself I found it overly distracting for everything else and had to adjust the judder setting under motion processing options to reduce this. You may also need to turn judder off for your gaming inputs or you will experience delay/lag.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Malik112099']Way to comment on something you know absolutely nothing about![/QUOTE]


Been in the tv business for 20 years. Thanks.


[quote name='thegreek']plasma’s explode if you lay them down. Go with the lcd.[/QUOTE]


It's because they are chock full of the unstable element naquadah.

.
 
I agree with the plasma...I own a 50" Samsung and love it...the picture is crisp and it looks amazing...plus the fact that gaming has absolutely no lag that was a big selling point for me
 
[quote name='gordojones88']Been in the tv business for 20 years. Thanks.[/QUOTE]


You must be the Al Bundy of TV salesmen cause DLPs look great. Or you are a snobby self titled audio/visual afficionado.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']You must be the Al Bundy of TV salesmen cause DLPs look great. Or you are a snobby self titled audio/visual afficionado.[/QUOTE]

they look very very underwheling in a standard electronic store. in home or in a light controlled showroom they can look fantastic. if you can control the light in your room and want a big picture and dont want a projector, a dlp rear projo is appealing.

gordos comment was ridiculous, as is the comment about plasmas blowing up being a legitmate concern.
 
[quote name='paz9x']they look very very underwheling in a standard electronic store. in home or in a light controlled showroom they can look fantastic. if you can control the light in your room and want a big picture and dont want a projector, a dlp rear projo is appealing.

gordos comment was ridiculous, as is the comment about plasmas blowing up being a legitmate concern.[/QUOTE]


Yeah...i can understand if there is a strong light source pointed in the direction of the DLP. I have a 55" and my parents and inlaws both have 65s. The look great and you absolutely cannot beat the size for the price. My blu rays look amazing and within the next year I will probably pick up a 73" since they are coming down in price so much
 
[quote name='paz9x']
they look very very underwheling in a standard electronic store.

gordos comment was ridiculous.
[/QUOTE]

The OP listed a nice plasma and LCD and wanted to know which might be the better choice of the two. As always, some chump recommends something completely different that he owns and gets butt hurt when somebody doesn't think it's a good choice compared to what the OP is considering. My opinion that a DLP rear-projection is a poor choice compared to a plasma is in no way ridiculous. There's no need to be a jerk.
 
Noob question but how much does Hz play into HDTVs now?

I keep seeing all different types with different Hz's
 
[quote name='gordojones88'] There's no need to be a jerk.[/QUOTE]
I dont consider pointing out your statement "dlps have terrible picture quality"
as ridiculous to be a jerk.

Malik's comment was no more out of place than your two gems.
 
[quote name='gordojones88']The OP listed a nice plasma and LCD and wanted to know which might be the better choice of the two. As always, some chump recommends something completely different that he owns and gets butt hurt when somebody doesn't think it's a good choice compared to what the OP is considering. My opinion that a DLP rear-projection is a poor choice compared to a plasma is in no way ridiculous. There's no need to be a jerk.[/QUOTE]


Please quote me on where I actually recommended a DLP, chump.
 
I'd argue that the 73" DLP proposed earlier (Mitsubishi) doesn't have anywhere near as good picture quality compared to the plasma and likely the LCD. I used to own a Samsung DLP which had a very nice PQ, but a friend of mine owns the 73" Mits and the picture is not very good at all. I currently own the previous year model of the plasma you're looking at and have enjoyed it tremendously. Like another poster mentioned, I love the lag free gaming...not saying you'd have lag with the LCD, just speaking from my experience with the Sammy plasma. Good luck!
 
I have a westinghouse LCD and experience no lag when gaming. I don't think I have ever used a tv that had any noticeable lag during video games.
 
I would never buy another DLP TV. Besides the off-angle viewing being hella dimmer (something that *might* have been fixed in newer models, mine was bought in 2004), the biggest deterrent is the 'hidden cost' of the lamps over the life of the TV. Those bulbs can range from ~120 on the low 3rd party end to ~250 for some of the 1st party ones.

BTW: Have they ever worked out the 'rainbow effect' with DLPs? My wife never noticed, but I could sometimes. Anyway, I now have a couple of plasmas and an LCD and I'm happy with those. The newest plasma is a Samsung PN50C450 which is the 720p version but it looks fine to me. The only things I dont like about it is the menu labels for the inputs arent customizable; you can only generically label things as "game" and not type in "Wii" or "360" instead. Also, it only has 2 component inputs, which is a downer for me as my 360 and DVD player lack an HDMI port (the set boasts 3 HDMI ports; a rarity on this low end). Plus the thing was only 670+tax so, of course, I'm pleased.

But based on this relatively short experience (only had this set 2 months), I'd be comfortable with another Samsung. Then again, I'm not a hardcore videophile like some here. I just wanna watch the NFL in HD. ;)
 
Just so you know, Samsungs are the worst offenders for input lag. I forget the exact figure, but even in game mode it will be around 50ms and when not in game mode 100ms+. If you want an LCD for gaming go with Sharp.
 
[quote name='kell']I was leaning towards Plasma until I saw them next to an LCD. The LCDs had a much brighter picture.[/QUOTE]

lcd ftw!!! i think they have a more vivid icon and overall sharper picture.
 
[quote name='knotfan123']I agree with the plasma...I own a 50" Samsung and love it...the picture is crisp and it looks amazing...plus the fact that gaming has absolutely no lag that was a big selling point for me[/QUOTE]

what is this lag you speak of?:nottalking:
 
[quote name='kell']I was leaning towards Plasma until I saw them next to an LCD. The LCDs had a much brighter picture.[/QUOTE]

their are good and bad models within each tech display for sure, just dont confuse brightness with picture quality.

its very difficult when in a store like best buy, walmart, or costco. its so bright in those stores, it makes plasmas look very dim when thats not the case.
 
[quote name='maddog1419']Just so you know, Samsungs are the worst offenders for input lag. I forget the exact figure, but even in game mode it will be around 50ms and when not in game mode 100ms+. If you want an LCD for gaming go with Sharp.[/QUOTE]

lol.


If you are going to be doing more gaming OP, I'd go with the LCD. Either way you probably won't be disappointed. Also, don't forget with the plasma, you'll have to break it in for 200 or so hours (at least, I would).
 
^ What's so funny? I'm about a week away from buying my first HDTV, and I've been doing research for 6 months. I've done a lot of reading over at AVSForum.com and yes, from what I've read Samsungs are the worst for input lag LCD and Plasma.I had a Samsung PN50C6500 on order and I canceled it. I'm just about set on buying the Sharp LC52LE810 which has 16ms of input lag compared to Samsungs 50MS in game mode.
 
First off, thanks to those of you who actually recommended one TV or the other... It sounds like the sets are fairly evenly matched, although I'm curious - in terms of the fact that I'm going to be gaming a lot, at least one of you has recommended I get the LCD, while others have recommended the Plasma - which I always thought was the better choice for gaming since Plasmas tend to have less motion blur (or so I thought was the case).

Anyone care to go into a bit more detail as to why one screen type is better than the other for gaming?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
They are both beautiful tvs. The lcd does have a brighter picture, but brighter isn't always better. It really just kind of depends on your taste. Lcds are also generally better for gaming.
One thing that seperates this years C550 from last years B550 is the matted finish on the screen. This helps reduce glare which is generally a problem on plasmas. If you turn off the tv and look at it, you can actually see that color of the screen is little bit different compared to other plasmas.

On a side note... I'm pretty sure that next week Best Buy is having a sale on the Panasonic 3D plasma making it...2150 or 2250 and it will come with 3 pairs of glasses. If you have hte money to blow, you might want to consider holding off for that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top