I recently purchased a Panasonic 50" Plasma in Shane's big sale. I wanted the 50" Panasonic because everywhere I went and viewed the sets, it was always the one I liked the most, without looking at the brand or technology. I know feeds are different everywhere but it was the overall quality of the picture I liked more... The LCD's looked edgier and the Panasonics looked smoother... almost a cd vs. vinyl type of presentation to me. I WANTED to like LCD's but just couldn't. On paper they're great but in person I couldn't fall in love with one.
There are 2 features I have really enjoyed about the new set... The image quality is fantastic but I'm used to that with my HD RPTV Sony 46".
#1 is the angle of view... it looks good at any angle that you can see the screen.
#2 is the reduced fatigue.
We watched the 'Emerald Bowl' last night on ESPN HD. Normally after watching TV that long I'd have puffy eyes, some eye strain, a headache, etc... and with the new Plasma, I had nothing... It just felt like I'd been sitting on the couch for a while.
Everything looks pretty good; the HD, SD, etc. It's crisp and smooth at the same time. There is no pixelation, artifacts, or other digital issues I can detect. Watching underwater coverage of fish on the discovery channel has a new depth to it... har har..
The LCD's probably would get the job done but the Plasmas seem special to me. I couldn't be happier with my choice.... Looks great on the wall too!
-C