So I have a Sony 60" CRT RPTV right now and am thinking about replacing it with a 50ish inch plasma, with a budget of around 2.6K.

I know for the money, the 58PX600U gives the best bang for the buck per square inch, and I hear PQ is superb. It really makes me laugh when i see that it sells online for less than the Vizio after tax. The 600U look isn't that great from the low-res pictures i've seen. Can anyone comment on it? The framing and the 32LX60-ish stand makes it look like a toy....higher resolution pictures would be very helpful

How does the Pio 5070 compare with the 50PX77U in terms of PQ? Anti-glare isn't that big of a deal to me. I head the 75U is basically the same thing as the 60U, except that it is black. Is that true, and in that case, would that make it slightly inferior to the 77U? Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Desired viewing distance is probably 8ft. My viewing distance right now from the RPTV is probably 12-15ft.

At 8' I would go with the 50", I went with the Pioneer from Roman at Invision Displays and it was less than the 2.6 budget you have. Good luck on what ever you decide, I am sure either way you go, you will be happy.

Going from a 60" to a 50" is a big drop. If you are watching a 60" from 8' now, you will probably regret moving to a 50".

The 58" Panasonic 60/600U (768p plasma) is a great value, but as a 768p plasma, it is really intended for viewing from 11' or more. With average to above average vision, you may see SDE from 8'. If you're going to buy a 768p plasma, you probably need to settle for 50" with that viewing distance.

If I were in your situation, I would wait until the 58-60" 1080p plasmas fall within your budget.

bump