I've been reading reviews and various forums now for about 3months:confused: I'm replacing an old Sony CRT. One concern is that the location for this display is our "family room". Due to aesthetical concerns my wife and I sit approximately 13' from the TV now and will continue to do so. She is directly in front and I am 20-25 degrees off center. Currently the Sony shows reflections from 2 table lamps on either end of our sofa and it is very annoying. Unfortunately, at least one of these lamps will be on almost always while the TV is on. My better half suffers somewhat from "night blindness" and refuses to watch TV in a dimly lit room. So, highly reflective screens concern me. I had hoped to buy in the 50-52" screen size range for cost concerns, but I am wondering if I really need to go larger. I want to get as close to the top of the line as I can, but am willing to accept less than the very best to save money. I will buy a BRD player with this purchase as we use NetFlix now and really enjoy watching movies. However, we also watch an embarrassing amount of "broadcast TV" and sports. I would like to have the option to connect a laptop or perhaps even our desktop to view photographs and even surf the net. There are no children at home so games are not an issue (due to our age). My wife works from home and the TV is pretty much on all day. Here are some examples that I have considered in 52" LCD: Sony XBR6; Sony KDL-52W4100; Samsung LN52A650, 750, 850; (I've read that Samsung still makes a few of the better panels in a matte finish screen, but that you lose some PQ?). For plasmas I originally had ruled out 58" sets due to cost concerns, but now I'm not sure is I won't regret stepping up to the plate? The Pioneer 5020 seems to be highly rated; as do the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U or 85U, or 850U. I'd not given much thought to the Samsung plasmas until my March "Consumer Reports" arrived. They have the PN50A550, A650, and A760 all highly scored. While I like CR's lack of advertising, I have questioned their expertise in the past regarding audio equipment. So there you have it. I'd appreciate any suggestions. One other note: I will be purchasing an AV receiver in the $750-$1,000 range (actual selling price not MSRP). I'm an old 2 channel guy and still listen to vinyl and CD quite a bit. I realize that I will need to upgrade my old AV receiver especially to help with video processing. If I could find one with really good analogue audio capability, that would be sweet. Thanks in advance for any assistance!

What is your display budget?

Originally planned to keep it around $2,500. That was assuming that I'd stay with a 50" or 52" panel. If I really need to go to 58" or 60" I'm guessing that I'll have to lower my quality preferences? I'm still uncertain about the size issue though.

You can get a 58 panny for about that much. Check with forum sponsors. There shouldn't be any real huge PQ difference.

Thanks for the info. I'm just curious, how much if any credence should I give Consumer Reports? I'm speaking to their ranking the Samsung plasmas ahead of the Panny and the Pioneer (though not by much).