Comparing Five Models, Need Help - LCD and Plasma

watch them side by side to compare picture quality using same source. If you watch them individual it will be very difficult to decide.

watch them side by side to compare picture quality using same source. If you watch them individual it will be very difficult to decide.

Im kind of in the same boat. Bought a 50" gt50 Panasonic Plasma....I like it but wish I could have seen it next to a Samsung led. Doing a side by side at bestbuy with somewhat balaced sets is impossible. I wouldn't be too worried about burn as it can take 12+ hours before it happens, depending who you talk to. Who leaves their tv on this long with the same image.

Volodymyr,
Just got the same Samsung model and it's okay so far but haven't done a real good calibration yet. However it seems that all the 60" models have screens made by Sharp which some people have posted problems with. Mostly not as good blacks and color as panels made by Samsung and "blue ghosting" issues with dark objects moving quickly over light backgrounds. Checked my panel and I haven't noticed the ghosting issue. Can't really comment on the color and black level since I don't have anything to compare it to.

However, from everything I've read LCD/LED can't compete with plasma in terms of color, black level, and motion response so you might be disappointed if you have a plasma now. But I watch my TV in a moderately lit condo and plasmas might not be able to get bright enough for me and the glare would probably drive me nuts. So that's why I went to the UN60EH6000. However, I have a 55" EH6000 on hold at BB which has a Samsung panel. I'll calibrate the 60" this weekend and decide if I want to 55".

Congrats on the GT50, its an excellent tv, in order to get something with equal PQ in a samsung LED/LCD you would spend a fair bit more money. LED/LCD's can match plasma's for black level, color and motion processing (thinking of the Elite's ) but they are WAY over the $1,000 price the OP is looking at.

To the OP
I would ask what your primary use is ? I'm 80% movies so a plasma is a good choice for me. If you do long hours of gaming or watch sports for hours at a time, there can be some IR (image retention) on a plasma, it can be cleared up, but some people freak a little bit when they change the channel and the ESPN logo stays on the screen for the next half hour. I also have a low-light room with no windows, so again, the dimmer picture of a plasma doesn't cause an issue. If you have lots of light, then a LCD will handle that better. Not sure if this matters at all, but plasma's are heavier, and use more electricity. Never thought of this being important until recently when I was helping a friend shop for a tv, and she is much more eco friendly than I am, and very much liked the fact that the LED/LCD she bought uses something like $20 a year in electricity. And the plywood table she has it on can support the weight.

Ultimately, trust your eyes, if there is anything I have learned from going through 4 tv's in 3 years (wife put her foot down on the last one, no more upgrades for awhile ) its that there are flaws in just about every tv made. Its more a matter of narrowing down what you can live with, and just being happy with it. Hope any of this helped.

Depends on what your purposes are. I too was worried about burn in but read that it wasn't nearly the issue as it used to be. So i went ahead and got a Samsung PN60E7000 which is supposed to be one of the best for anti image retention.

Most things were ok but for gaming it just didnt cut it. After just half an hour playing an MMO the static images in the gui began to burn in, and that was after 100 hours break in with image slides. For something ill probably have for 10 years this isnt acceptable to me. Ended up replacing it with a Sony KDL60EX645 which looks fine.

If its mostly for tv and movies then you should be fine with a plasma. Otherwise id advise an LED/LCD.