In the market for a plasma.........suggestions?


I've been researching plasma tv's for quite some time now and would like to hear any suggestions which brands to check out. My sitting distance is around 12.5' from couch to wall where I'd like to wall mount the plasma. The screen size would either be a 42 or 50 inch. Been reading over on avs forum and it seems many people are happy with the Panasonic and Hitachi displays. I've looked at the Panasonic th50px60u and Hitachi 42HDS69 and really liked them. Apparently though with the Hitachi, many people were having macroblocking issues in dark scenes. Do all plasma's have problems such as the Hitachi? I'd like to keep the purchase under 3k. Thanks for your help.
128x128bradz
Thanks to all who have given suggestions/advice. I'm awaiting delivery of the Oppo 970 dvd and will making the plasma decision soon. The HD dvd player looked nice at first, but have received mixed reviews and still needs to mature IMO. Have been out of town and while visiting my father, noticed that he now has a Hitachi plasma monitor in his office which looked great while watching the Colts game. I'm torn between Panasonic and Hitachi plasma. Which brand would you all go with and why? Thanks.
I'm torn between Panasonic and Hitachi plasma. Which brand would you all go with and why? Thanks.
BradzĀ  (Threads | Answers)
Panasonic for reasons already stated.
Does anyone know if the Panasonic pro models(9uk) have a wider range to adjust the pq than the commercial models(60u)? I thought that I read that before, but would like a confirmation. Thanks.
Well, after reading up on the Panasonic plasma's, I found out that the Panasonic professional models do have more adjustments such as the gamma level. Went over to my local BB to look at displays, and noticed a Pioneer 5070 model that looked very nice. Has anyone had a chance to compare a Panasonic 60u to the Pioneer 5070 and with what results? Thanks.
One thing is for certain Brad, you will be far more critical about TV's looking at them in store than once you have one at home.

There are so many different technologies right now that it becomes near impossible to select a TV. That said, I suspect most are very good and once you make your choice you'll be.