While the evolution of sony SXRD television came to a grinding halt when they stopped making them, the set was the best of its kind when it came out.

I was curious how people think it stands up to this current generation of 2008 Panasonic Plasmas (since as recent as 2007 i beleive it was still standing up well to competition).

While the evolution of sony SXRD television came to a grinding halt when they stopped making them, the set was the best of its kind when it came out.

I was curious how people think it stands up to this current generation of 2008 Panasonic Plasmas (since as recent as 2007 i beleive it was still standing up well to competition).

I have a KDSR60XBR1 SXRD. I loved this thing when I first got it. Like you said, it was the best TV out there at that time.

I would trade my KDSr60XBR1 for a 2008 panny plasma in a second.
The panny plasmas are flat out awesome.
I consider the panny plasma #2 out there. I will not even say the name of #1 because we all know this already. (hint: starts with a K and no other TV has been so perfect in every categorie than it).

My vote is for the panny plasma over the SXRD.
viewing angles are pretty bad on SXRD. Also, when watching cable HD on my SXRD, the picture would break-up when fast moving scenes come.

I too have the SXRD but not the XBR version. The TV is great, color is so amazing, crystal clear everything, no motion blur, no phosphor trails, no clouting, no blotching, no rainbowing (DLP).... you get the picture (ha, that totally is a double pun) the only two downfalls i can see is, like every rear projection, your stuck with the 'bad' viewing angles. And i quote that because lets be serious, who honestly thinks tv looks good when viewing it from the side, yeah it might get a little darker, but.....YOUR VIEWING IT FROM THE SIDE, ya know....so unless your having a slumber party and ppl are strewn about the room where they have to sit soooo far to the side, i dont think that should make or break your option on it. Lets be serious, all the issues i've mentioned for the other TV's happen at ALLLLL VIEWING ANGLES, including strait on....so.....

The one up i would give the panny is the truly deep black levels, i must say it does have the SXRD beat on that, which helps the colors appear more vibrant. But i dont want to make the SXRD seem like it lacks color by any means, and dark scenes look phenomenal on both, you dont lose any detail, but the dark is darker is all.

Really i dont see a problem with either of the two, but honestly, if your not hurtin on space, give the SXRD a try, they really kick but. I think they stopped making them because Sony has been wheelin and dealin into getting into alternative panels (OLED and FED) and i'm sure the SXRD wasn't a big seller because it wasn't a 'flat panel' (or in dumb terms 'i cant hang it on my wall, so it must not be cool or good'). If ppl had bothered to look into the technology, they would have realized it has the highest pixel density out of any other technology, even now. But i guess it was too late to get into the rear projection market.....

i would like to clear something up, i'm not asking for buying advice, you dont need to defend what's good about either set.

just how the 2008 Panasonics stack up against the last Sony SXRD XBR.

I would personally consider it a wash for viewing angle, even though the PQ stays the same on a Panasonic, you get ghosting, so neither set is really great to watch from the side anyway, i would evaluate their peak possible performance from the ideal viewing angle.