Tough decision, samsung Samsung PN65F8500 or


Panasonic TX-P65ZT65B, I'm having a hard time deciding, the Samsung seems brighter and sharper my family room is a little on the bright side, the Panasonic, blacks and colors are awesome.
your feedback would be appreciated.
thank you.
tesseract86
I read a 2013 test review between the Panasonic VT & ZT series and the Samsung PN64F8500. Flat panel shoot-out audience and a Flat panel shoot-out Experts. The audience liked the samsung by 9.1 average to both panasonic at 8.9. The experts were 8.9 both Panasonic to 8.9 samsung.

What I got from the review was that the Panasonics having better, deeper, crisper blacks, while the Samsungs contrast/brightness was better than the panasonic giving it a better overall picture preference. If the blacks are amazing with the best of contrast and brightness, your 3dimensional image depth will be topnotch. Even with 3d viewing. I presently have a 58" 850 series plasma which still is an amazing picture but I think my next bigger TV will be the Samsung PN64F8500...Just search Panasonic vs Samsung plasma 2013.
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If you plan to connect it to 2-channel DAC Panasonic outputs only DOLBY and it won't work.
Schubert, Mofimadness, Jjrenman, thanks a lot for your input, should I have the tv calibrated when I get it or do I need to wait awhile?
thank you very much guys!!
My CEDIA certified tech told me to put at least 200 hours on the set before it was to be calibrated.
Bacardi, I like the sharpness and brightness of the Samsung, but you're right they're both very nice TV's, my room is kinda bright but not too much so I thought the Samsung's brightness would work better for me maybe not.
Bob_Reynolds, thank you for the links, great reviews.
agree either one would be fine.
thanks
Kijanki, thanks for the heads up, I will be connecting the tv to my Arcam avr400 5.1.
This year I sold a few Panasonic plasma's. In the lower price tags I prefer them over Samsung. The ST60 is for the money a bargain. Like I love the 42 inch GT60, Panasonic has no competition at all in these price range. The light output is better than last year. This makes it during daytime a lot better to use. But wenn money doens't matter I prefer the F8500. 3 weeks ago I bought the 64 inch F8500. I thought about thinking buying the ZT or VT60. The blue steel of the F8500 on the outsite is so much better looking than the cheap looks of the Panasonic. But this is only looks. The F8500 can give a new level in realistic image I never have seen before. The stunning light output of almost 11000 ansilumen sets everything in a new perspective. During daytime blacks are still inky black even with a lot of sun in the house. The extra light output gives a new higher level in realistic image. It gives you more a feeling like you are there in real. All recordings which are done at daytime are stunning and sometimes breathtaking to see. The blacks are already stunning ( only 000.1 lft less than zt60/vt60) and the extra light output makes the image more 3-dimensional. The extra ligth output gives you more details at high light video. The Samsung is sharper than the Panasonic's. I use Audioquest diamond pure silver hdmi cables what makes the image even more stunning. Since this day i have not seen ( I tested many hdmi cables) a hdmi cable which can give this level in audio and image quality.
The blacks of the Samsung with the extra light output gives a more 3-dimensional image ( even without glass) compared to the Panasonic. The Audioquest pure silver hdmi cable can give you even more light output. It also is superior in speed and sharp image than any hdmi cable I have seen so far.
Bo1972, I went to see both TVs again side by side, the sharpness and brightness of the Samsung F8500 is making all the difference for me.
thanks for your input !!!
All the filter settings of the Samsung and Panasonic has to be set to off. Wenn you buy a Panasonic most of the filters are set on. Check at the shops if they have set these to off. To compare them only make sense wenn they are set right. Ask how many hours they both made. The image of a plasma gets better and more fluid after a few hundred hours.
The quality of both Panasonic and Samsung plasma's are these year f...awesome. Wenn you want for less money a flawless image with superior blacks, realistic colours, smooth image and a sharp image the ST60 is unbeatable. You must be a f..cow to buy for this money a led screen.

LED SCREENS ARE FOR DUMMIES or people who are blind and do not see the difference

I am a perfectionist at the highest level in sound and vision. My statement is that far over 90% of the better sound and vision is still not worth there money. Buying an allmost flawless image never has been this cheap. 2 years ago I had to learn the people who work for Samsung the difference between plasma and led. They did not know it. It is not about what is the best for them, it is only about what will deliver the most money. In the US there is a lot of info to find that plasma is better. But in europe you will get most of the time wrong and stuppid info about what is better.
Internet use and also app use of the F8500 is very good. This I would normally not use. But wenn it is that easy as with the F8500, it is maybe worth it to use. Menu settings with the F8500 is a lot better and easy to use compared to the menu settings of the Panasonic. App's of the Panasonic is at a much lower level compared to Samsung.
Bo1972, I'm about to go to another store that has both TVs, I agree they may be set differently, but the two things that jumped at me was the sharpness of the Samsung, also they seem to be the first to achieve this level of brightness which is not seen on other plasmas, looks like a breakthrough to me, the blacks and colors are awesome, the contrast brings out a very pleasing depth as well. No doubt LED or LCD do not compare with plasma in my book.
thank you very much for sharing info about your Samsung F8500.
The Samsung F8500 plasma is the strongest screen in light output of the world at this moment. Also there is no led screen with almost 11000 ansilumen. The depth of the F8500 is f...aweseome. Even commercials is great to watch. For the money it is a bargain what it gives in quality and smiles on my face all the time!
I've seen both the 65" Panny ZT and the 64" Samsung PS64F500 at a local Best Buy.

The Sansung is brighter, no doubt. They both have exceptional picture quality, clearly better than the LEDs nearby.

If I had a dark room I'd buy the Panny, though it'd be only to get the extra 1" diagonal.

Since my room is pretty bright during the day, I'm going to get the Samsung during the black friday sales. Well, that's my plan anyway...
Wenn I read the articles about the way how people compare them. People Always make the same mistake. The focus is only at the black level. This is an important part, but only a part. Sharpness is very important as well, maybe even more important because the blacklevel is only a fraction better for the vt60 and zt60. White is a very important part. Samsung is a lot more clean compared to Panasonic. The extra light output sets the level in 3D image to a higher level. I have not seen this level at the VT60. We are talking about more depth without 3-d glasses. Take a look at video what is taken during daytime. Look at the realism it gives you. And compare the difference in definition during these video which are taken during daytime. People have to learn to look at more different parts. You see a lot of tv wich is taken during daytime or in a studio with losts of light.
Even wenn you have a dark room the extra light output of the Samsung which gives you a far more realism as you are there in real. A darkroom is not able to solve this new level in watching tv. Second the more details in the lighter parts you also will see in very dark rooms.
After much research between the Samsung f8500 and Panasonic zt60, there's no doubt that they are both excellent TV's.
But for what suits me and my room best is the Samsung its brighter and that will work well with my room which is on the bright side(can always regulate brightness).
BTW, I went to a local and more professional retailers in Electronics, they had the Samsung f8500 tweaked very differently then BestBuy's.
BestBuy's Samsung f8500 was tweaked for max brightness and black blacks. where you couldn't see detail in the shadows, contrast as well was maxed out.
At the other store the Samsungf8500's detail and resolution was awesome, more importantly it was sharper.
The shadows were much more prevalent, brightness was subdued somewhat, looked great to me.
So my choice is the Samsung f8500.
Thanks to all for your valuable input!
One suggestion: wenn you have the possibility just try an Audioquest Diamond hdmi cable. And take a look.....
Bo1972, a few months ago I bought cables and power cords from Morrow audio, so far I'm happy with the difference they made to my system.
I'm sure that you're Audioquest Diamond is great for that price it better be.
thanks though!
Pure silver gives you a much sharper image than any copper hdmi cables ever can give. And the light output even gets higher. Audioquest is the most easiest hdmi cable I ever sold. I give 1 or 2 Audioquest hdmi cables to clients. So they can test them in there time. Wenn you compare you cannot go back anymore. It is that convincing. It is the same as the stunning convincing image of the F8500. Have fun!!
Bo1972
Just bought the Samsung 64"f8500 and a wall mount,
Sanus XF228-B1, hope it works well its a double arm, full auto, extends 28".
I read the home theater review of the F8500 and they suggest some tweaks before calibration.
I'll be sure to comment on the experience when I get it.
thanks again
I use the flattest wall mount you can get. I needed to cut some plastic from the powercable. I wanted it to be flatter. Do not forget to see if you have the latest firmwire. You easilly can check this.
Just got the tv, its everything I expected, awesome picture, excellent sharpness and brightness that I can control. Great resolution and contrast can see every detail from sweat to zits, couldn't be happier.
thanks to all for your input.
Question for Tesseract86. Does the Sammy have a fixed powercord or can you put your own into a male inlet?
Bacardi, this link gives you some tweak ideas, good article.

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1375254254#7
Bo1972, just curious I got one remote (I like it) instead of the two remotes that most reviews say you're supposed to get the other is a black plastic type, they say some people prefer it to the silver one I got.
did I get short changed??
I'm happy with my remote.
thanks
There need to be 2 remotes. The small black one. And the small metal remote control. The F8500 is deliverd with 2 remotes.
I'll ask the dealer for it, I only got the silver one which is fine but if it comes with it why not,
thanks a lot Bo!
Bo1972, can you recommend settings for 3D viewing? or perhaps you could share your favorite settings on either 2D or 3D.
The more I watch the Samsung f8500 the better it gets, the colors are beautiful, its very sharp.
Waiting for 100 hours to calibrate it.
thanks
This it not possible. Because I uese a ttal different digital box, different hdmi. And I live in another country. To many different things. They only thing I can say is that I hate the warm setting of the colours. In many articles you read it. This setting sets the white colour to a little yellow. I prefer normal. Because the white is much cleaner and like in real. I use the Audioquest Diamond hdmi pure silver on my digital box and also on my surround pre amp. This cables has a very big influence on the sharpness, black level and dynamic range. So far I never tested a hdmi cable which can change the overwhole image this much. In a very positive way.
I'm very happy with the multiple menu and choices of tweaking this beauty to your lighting environment and liking.
My settings for 3D, I use gamma -3 it darkens a bit also gives the overall picture a punch
cell light 20
all the reviews I've read recommend warm 1 for 3D but I'll try the normal and see.
thanks
You have to focus on the white colours. White is the most diffricult colour for plasma. With the setting on warm you will see that white never will be clean white. Also snow is never white. I f....hate wenn white is a little coloured to yellow. Panasonic has also difficulties with white. White at Samsung plasma is a lot cleaner. I worked for a company which had one of the best knowledge in technique. Here we did learn about colours of screens.
you're right about the yellow, I tried the "normal" as you suggested and the yellow disappeared .
thanks for the info.
What I said before in audio and in video I can see Always 3-4 steps further than any person in this business.