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Samsung's previous range of TVs were pretty legendary for falling short in the sound department while over-achieving in most other areas. So it is a pleasant surprise to find the PS50C6900's speakers doing a respectable job, with an open and powerful mid range that's strong enough to prevent the thin, feeble sensation that was Samsung's audio trademark last year.
As with so many flat TVs, a little more extension into both the treble and especially bass frequencies would be much appreciated. But at least the PS50C6900 sees Samsung raising its audio game to the point where it's at least on a par sonically with the majority of its flat TV rivals this year.
Value
It's here that the PS50C6900 makes its biggest impact. Getting a 50in plasma TV with decent performance for £1,300 would be a compelling proposition, even if it was only a 2D set.
Add in Samsung's most engaging 3D performance yet, plus excellent multimedia support, and you've got a bargain of quite colossal proportions.
Ease of use
Although the PS50C6900's main onscreen menus are easy on the eye and look suitably slick, there are one or two oddities about the way they're structured.
The arrangement of the Advanced Settings and Picture Options submenus is particularly peculiar, with some pretty important adjustment features divided along apparently arbitrary grounds.
There's room for improvement with the Internet@TV interface, too. It looks rather clunky by Samsung's usual standards, doesn't structure content particularly helpfully or intuitively, and generally feels a bit like an interface that's been outgrown by the amount of content it needs to support.
On the upside, while the remote control isn't particularly pleasing on the eye and initially looks rather overwhelming with the number of buttons it carries, it doesn't take long to feel comfortable with the layout.
There is also, happily, a dedicated 3D button for quick access to 3D features: something conspicuously, frustratingly absent from the remotes of numerous other 3D TVs.
