Over 10 years outta the game!

At your viewing distance in a dark room, and coming from a plasma, have a look at 65" Panasonic plasmas. Cost effective, great PQ, big enough for your viewing distance.

Good luck.

Well, here comes the standard response: They both (plasma or led/lcd) have their advantages and drawbacks, This subject gets argued about a lot here.

I have a 7 year old 42" plasma still going strong, and a couple LCDs, and a 65" LG LED/LCD I got about a year ago. I don't regret getting the LED at all. It doesn't quite compare with current plasmas for black levels or most other respects, but it's "good enough". Newer plasmas are significantly better than mine, but LED/LCDs have improved as well, and my 65" LG looks better than my older LCDs And it's a lot brighter than my plasma with good whites, which may or may not be important to you. I watch a fair amount during daytime and don't want to darken my home theater, although I could. I also usually prefer some bias lighting in the evening and night.

It's going to depend on what matters most to you. The Panasonic plasmas are very well thought-of here, and reasonably priced. Again, since you already have a plasma, you should at least have a look at them. If you want an LED that rivals a plasma for picture quality, have a look at the Sharp Elite or a top-end Sony. If you're not a purist and your budget won't go so far, there are more possibilities.

Good luck.

Another vote for the Panny 65ST50. Tremendous value, and perfect for you since you are coming from plasma.

I vote against the Sammy 65ES8000. Not a BAD tv, but overpriced for the level of PQ. 70 inchers from Sharp & Vizio perform just as good, and even better in some categories -- for a lot less money. I consider the 70" Sharps & Vizio to be great LED values -- huge screen and decent performance at a nice low price.

If you want plasma again, I would go ahead and get the 65ST50 or VT50 now. If you want to try LED/LCD, I would wait and see the 2013 offerings. I think the 2013 LED/LCDs will have a significant jump in PQ over the 2012 models.

The review of the 65VT50 at CNET should tell you all you need to know. The 65VT50 is available for under two bits at several locations now.

I think 25 cents...I think he means 2 Grover Cleveland's and 5 Benjamins. Check out the deals thread for each TV you listed. Pauls TV has one of the better prices on units right now.
I just noticed your in Australia...I don't believe you have a Pauls over there.
Edited by Browninggold - 1/25/13 at 4:48pm

The ST series performs REALLY close to the VT series with regard to picture quality, at a considerable savings. The VT gets you additional inputs, THX mode and additional tweak options, and the single glass front panel. Tough call to decide if the extra money for the VT over the ST is worth it.