Getting New Panasonic ST30 Plasma TV

Don't know about the Panny in particular, but almost all sets come out of the box in "torch mode", with brightness and contrast set high to make the set look good in a showroom. You will want to dial back the settings, especially on a plasma, since they are subject to image burn in if static images are displayed for long periods of time.

You'll like the wide viewing angle and deep blacks.

I own a Pioneer 6010, and have never had any burn in or other problems.

Check this link:

http://www.televisioninfo.com/content/Panasonic-TC-P50ST30-Plasma-3D-HDTV-Review.htm

It is a review of the 50" version of your Plasma. I recently purchased the 55" version in this series. The review includes recommended settings for this set. I have applied those settings and I am very pleased with the results.

Although the review I linked you to does criticize this TV for motion artifacts, I have not noticed them at all, and I replaced a standard definition RPTV with this plasma, so I thought motion artifacts on my first high def set would be very obvious. My only complaint is some false contouring, but I think that may be from my AVR's upconversion of 480p DVDs. I do not yet have a BRDP. My only high def source is FiOS, and the picture is spectacular. But, I am an audiophile, not a videophile, so take my comments for what they're worth.

Enjoy the new TV!