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Over the years, I have watched a lot of different Blu-rays as I am testing TVs. More often than not, the variation in color and contrast among the displays was noticeable - even after they had been set up. You begin to wonder if there is a standard.

When I view those same movies on the PN51D8000, I can't tell you how often I think to myself, "Ah, this is what the film should look like." The term that comes to mind is "reference monitor." This Samsung's 2D picture quality is that consistently on target.

And for years, I have extolled the virtues of plasma displays, with their deep, luscious blacks and the velvety rich colors. The Samsung D8000 series reinforces those exhortations.

When it comes to watching 3D Blu-rays, I have learned not to expect continuous swords-flying-off-the-screen-and-into-my-eye moments. And that's a good thing for both my physical and mental well being.

The PN51D8000 handles the subtler recreation of the 3D sense of depth quite well. For example, the floating lantern scene in Tangled was a radiant combination of color and dimension.

But one of the major challenges in displaying 3D involves the glasses, which by their nature cut down the amount of light reaching your eyes. To counteract that loss, when the TV goes into 3D mode, if the Picture mode is Standard, it increases the Cell Light and Contrast to the maximum.

If you have set the Picture mode to Movie, the Cell Light and Contrast settings don't automatically jump up. Which means, when you are viewing particularly dark scenes, like the night commando raid in Gnomeo and Juliet, you might think about juicing the Cell Light above its default of 13.

Actually, in my ideal HDTV world, I wouldn't need to futz with 3D. Just give me a simple 2D plasma TV with this PQ and I would be in videophile heaven.

For those 3D swingers out there, who just can't get enough, Samsung has included an Explore 3D feature on the Smart Hub. It offers 26 3D titles that you can stream for free. Some of them are movie trailers, but others, like National Geographic's Grand Canyon Adventure, are full length.

As for audio, over the last couple of years, Samsung seems to be making an effort to upgrade the audio quality from the pair of tiny speakers integrated into their TVs. And they are succeeding.

But with that said, the PQ from the PN51D8000 deserves the AQ that a dedicated 5.1 or 7.1 surround system can produce.

One final point, last year's PN50C8000 exhibited some minor temporary ghosting. I never noticed any ghosting artifacts on the PN51D8000.

The PQ on the PN51D8000, Samsung's top-of-the-line plasma, is reference quality. Add in the burgeoning Smart TV package of content providers and apps and this D8000 series earns our Highly Recommended rating.