Brad,
I think if you asked this question a few years ago the concensus would be that the Elite is the better set. Back then the price would also be considerably higher than it is now. I was somewhat astonished at the price of the 53" set when I was at a Tweeter store a few months ago. My business partner paid double that for his set just over two years ago.
However, the competition has improved substantially, and in most of the shootout reviews that I have seen the Elite sets no longer hold the top rung of the ladder among reviewers. That doesn't mean the Elite is a bad set or that it is incapable of making a good picture. It's more a reflection of how far the competition has come.
Truth be told many of the sets available on the market today are capable of producing a great image once they are calibrated. What distinguishes one set from another is usually the feature set: quality of video processing, ATSC tuner, stretch modes, user adjustability, etc., etc. It's very hard, if not impossible, to judge a given unit from what you see on the showroom floor at a dealer because the sets are typically on display under bright flourescent lights.
One of the reasons I like to buy from places like Tweeter and Circuit City is because they will take a set back if you aren't happy with it. You usually have 30 days from the delivery date to make that decision. But that isn't always the case. A few years ago I bought a 51" set from Circuit City and nearly two months later decided it was just a tad too small. I spoke to the manager and he agreed to take the set back and exchange it for a larger model and I merely paid the difference.
Either set can be a good choice, but you should consider your most frequently watched source and that should weigh heavily in your decision. If you watch mostly SD from OTA or satellite sources then the quality of the stretch modes might a big difference in your level of satisfaction. Look over the feature sets of both TVs and compare what they offer. Usually, one set will have a feature that you might value that a competing model lacks.
Good luck.
--Jerome
PS: Guys, if you are going to respond to this thread don't bother posting "Get the Mits" or "Mits rules" type nonsense. It doesn't help the thread starter at all. Take a few moments to elaborate and give specific reasons why you would choose one model over another. The thread starter is making a legitimate inquiry, not trying to provide others with opportunities to drive up their post counts.
