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

Question about the Panasonic 60 vs. 600 models. I've seen the 60s but not the 600s in store displays. Don't know if it's poor setup or endemic to the budget model, but I've observed mild problems with jagged razoring along edges during motion sequences. Are the 600 models any better in this respect?

After a ton of research, I just purchased a SONY KDL-46XBR3 LCD TV, with 1080p capability for my office. I was going to get Plasma (Panasonic, etc) but since I will be hooking my laptop to the TV to give client presentations, the higher resolution capabilities and computer-friendliness of the Sony won me over. While doing paperwork this weekend at the office, I had the TV on - big mistake - I got very little work done. The picture in High Def was amazing, to say the least. I was truly in AWE of how good the picture was - no artifacts, no problems at all.

I then went home to my 65" Hitachi Diamond Series rear-projection HD TV and found myself yearning for the better picture of the Sony. I had been perfectly content with the Hitachi prior to the Sony LCD, but now that I see what is possible visually, I'm afraid the Hitachi may have a shorter life than originally intended. I just have to wait until the LCDs get bigger and less pricey.....

Is it still a wise decision to also purchase the after market warantees when buying a plasma? Do the newer plasma's still suffer from issues that will need warantee work within 2 years?

I'm also interested in the Panny TH-42PX60U, and see great prices from several on-line merchants (@$1300). Or is it worth it to buy from a local store (@$300-500 more) where you can bring it back easily if/when something goes wrong.

Thanks,
Bob

Actually, some of the online retailers offer better customer service as far as repair and returns than Brick and Mortar stores-- a large swathe of a general comment to be sure, but easy to assess-- ask any retailer wherever they may be, what their dead/stuck pixel return policy is and go from thewre. The variance in answers may surprise. Also-- get it in wiriting-- or at least see who is willing to write anything. Soundslike overkill- but you dont want to be looking at a display with a red pixl near the center for instance--it happens.

Just last night I picked up the Tosiba XA1KN-- (Sept build). From above; my displays are: the Mits 65815 and the Sony Ruby. I only watched one movie--(twice) Now in my case the dif between 480p 720p and 1080i are huge!! 480 and 720 are crap, compared to 1080i. DON"T buy a HD- player unless your display has an HDMI. Hooked by component cables---the player WILL NOT allow 1080i,so there.--There is a resolution toggle between the 3 choices.At the lower resolutions the Tosh. ain't much to write home about. My Arcam 27 is pretty great; compared to the Tosh's 480p and 720p.(i.e. the Arcam has a much better upconverter/ deinterlacer--. BUT, now that I've seen HD-DVD at 1080i--- hi=def on HBO pales---AND by a huge margin!!!