The Sampo has reasonable contrast ratio (600:1), but it is obviously no match for the Panasonic (3000:1 contrast ratio).
I have one on order (been having problems with that vendor, so I don't know if I'll actually end up getting that unit).
I got it for the same reason, it is CHEAP...
Another bonus is that it has DVI input!
I was told that the picture was grainy (I'm assuming that this is a result of flickering pixels, or because of the source). I plan to try it on a variety of sources and compare it to my current Fujitsu plasma.
It is also supposed to have a better scaler (but bad deinterlacer...) - since it is able to handle many PC resolutions properly.
Anyway, good luck!