Sony KDL-46V5100 vs Panasonic TC-P46G10 vs Samsung LN46B630

I like the wider viewing area that plasmas give.

Panny....

All three are solid performers and will likely yield very comparable picture quality, to the casual viewer or hobbyist. None but the purist will see significant disadvantages in a PQ comparison.

The major difference here... you have 2 matte screens and 1 reflective screen (Panny). Will your viewing environment be bright? Light does not need to fall directly on the screen to diminish your viewing enjoyment; reflected images of lamps, pets, furniture and children will do just as much to make your viewing unacceptable.

As I always advise... if you're uncertain of how your screen will perform in a bright(er) environment, buy from a B&M where returns and exchanges are easy and without penalty.

Just be aware of viewing angle limitations, check both and see which is better.

Greetings

Viewing angles ...
Ability to handle fast motion ...

So you get the LCD for easier viewing with lots of day light ... but you lose the viewing angles and you have poor motion response all the time. Day or night.

On the plasma ... you get some reflections. Not like this is anything new. We have been dealing with reflections on TVs since the 1950's. But you get better viewing angles and better motion processing ... all the time.

regards

Go take a look... most people cannot discern the motion blur of LCD. I've been looking for that blur since January and I just can't seem to find any at all... and I have:
- 52" 120Hz LCD
- 40" 60Hz LCD
- 42" plasma
... they all look the same to me as far as motion blur is concerned. I was just in Best Buy today during lunch and was looking hard to discern motion blur on the Sony LCD next to the Elite... and I could not see a difference.

And viewing angle... just viewed Conan on NBC at a 45 degree angle on my 40" Samsung B550 LCD and I will admit there was some color-loss... but nothing sbustantial that makes the picture unviewable. I would say color-loss starts at approx 35 degrees off center. However,... I had purchased an LG 42" LCD (LG30) before the Samsung, and that screen had really bad off angle viewing, extreme color washout from 30 degrees. The technology is improving, but not perfected yet.

Just buy what you want... what looks best to you. If after a month you see limitations... exchange the screen and try something else. Since January I've bought 7 screens and kept 3; it takes a while to figure out what you will ultimately like in a TV and it's picture quality.

Tough choice... they are probably equal. Pick the brand that gives you greater peace of mind.