Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is the new "budget" plasma model from Samsung that was released early 2013. It basically replaces the 2012 model E530. I beleive my Best Buy started stocking this model in mid-February. Pros - 25% reduction in power usage over previous E530 series. Now 144 kWh ($16 per year) vs 193 kWh last year ($21 per year) - The Viewing Angle is perfect from side to side - Super Rich Blacks - Amazing vibrant color - More options in the menu system for customizations - No motion blur like LCD/LED 60hz - Best price for the size and quality - Smaller bezel trim than E530 (only 1 inch) - Extremly thin, you might mistake it for an LED - 1 USB input port for quickly showing off videos/music/photos on a usb drive Cons - I can see reflections if I do not have lighting setup correctly and the brightness very low. - Small amount of buzzing very close to the screen, though silent from about 3-5 feet away. (This is normal) - Limited HDMI ports (2), however, I use an HDMI switch: Portta PET0301S 3x1 HDMI Switcher Support 3D - Not a smart TV, however, I own a WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Wi-Fi 1080p that updates the firmware much more frequently than SmartTVs and an XBOX 360. - No 3d (but I don't want it... I wear glasses not contacts) General Notes - Plasmas are best where you can create a somewhat dim environment. LCD/LED for lots of ambient light. - Burn-in is not a problem in modern plasmas Rich Blacks Traditionally the deep black colors are the best reason to get a Plasma over and LCD/LED. To truly appreciate the black levels you will need to control the lighting in your room. In a bright room, you will see reflections on the blacks. This is because Plasmas have glass screens. With that being said, the new F series of this panel seem to have improved over the E series. Blacks seem to be completely void of any "grey" color. It is truly amazing and cannot be appreciated in bright show rooms. CALIBRATION Movie Colors are much more lifelike and real. Skin is a bit too dark and yellow and a bit dull. Whites have an off-white color and somewhat green tint. Contrast and blacks are still deep and impressive. Tweaks: Turn down the sharpness a bit, less than half. It should help with graininess. Under picture, change the Color Tone from Warm2 to Warm1, this will make a huge difference to offset the off-white color. You can play with some of the other "Enhancements" under picture to alter the color and picture to your liking. Standard The default mode. Looks a bit artificial and looks a little grainy. Color does not feel lifelike or natural. Using the standard settings without altering the settings, you will not get the best performance this panel has to offer. I think the default Color Tone in this mode is Cool2. Changing this to Cool1 will remove the pale blue tint. I have also increased the brightness in this mode because it felt a little too dark and dull. Dynamic This is the setting stores will use to display this model. Everything is bright and loud. It will appeal for some people, especially very short term. However, I think it does not give any type of realism. Colors are too bright and exaggerated. In this setting, I have left everything in the default mode. I typically will use this setting if I want to have the shades pulled back and I'm letting lots of light into the room. This should help counter some of the reflections. Picture Settings With true HD sources, you can use the "Fit Screen" setting instead of the default "16:9", this should help improve a little graininess and overscan as well. The F5300 is truly a winner at this price. Colors are bright and vibrant, while the blacks are deep and true. At this price, the whites are going to be a little greyish and the blacks aren't going to be as deep as the more expensive models. You can't really expect the quality to match the more expensive Samsung models. With the proper calibrations, this TV will still shine and can look extremely natural and true.