Samsung PS50A557S3F

The basics

The stylish Samsung PS50A557S3F is a plasma TV that delivers a sharp full HD picture with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. It is an eye-catching 127cm plasma TV that comes with an easy hooking up digital kit. Other features include HDMI connectivity and Freeview Tuner which is ideal for movies, sports or gaming.

The good

This 50-inch monster plasma will wow friends, family and visiting vicars whether it's displaying Batman Begins on Blu-ray (it fully supports the cinema sweet 24p feature) or just switched off in the corner of the room. But obviously more so in the former case. It's at its happiest displaying pictures in full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, with impressively murky blacks and smooth, judder-free motion. So it's handy that it comes with a trio of HDMI ports. With a plethora of picture-tweaking options included, you'd be forgiven for double-taking the sub £1,000 price tag. We did.

The bad

We did notice some motion artefacts during quicker pans. It also doesn't eliminate noise as well as some of its contemporaries, such as the Pioneer PDP-LX5090, leaving even decent Hi-Def material from Sky HD looking a little shabby in the backgrounds.

The bottom line

While we'd rather have a Pioneer PDP-LX5090, this effort from Samsung is a top-class entry-level TV for less than half the price. Bargain.