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
after years of waiting, i finally went with a Mitsubishi 57" DLP and have been loving every minute of it. A signal upconverted to 1080p through my processor via an HDMI cable is quite beautiful and to this point is without an equal. No buyers remorse here.
I broke down and bought a 50" Toshiba plasma this year. Yeah, the Pioneer plasma's are the best that I've seen, but they were out of my price range. For my eyes, LCD and DLP don't compare visually to plasma. Yeah, the gas burn out does scare me, but all these formats have their potential risks.
So I just went with the best picture under $3K.

I've had it for 7 months and no regrets.....so far... :-)
Thanks for all of the suggestions so far...keep them coming! I haven't considered projection as I don't want wires everywhere and the space between my main speakers has a limited viewing area. Danlib 1- Can you tell me where you bought your plasma from and what are the differences between the panasonic 50" model 6u, 60u, and 600u other than the obvious differences in the bezel color. I don't remember looking at a Toshiba before, I'll have to check it out at my local BB or CC. I'm also having to buy a new dvd player and would also like to hear any suggestions. I'm leaning towards a Oppo or denon dvd. If I do purchase a plasma from an online retailer, should I buy an extended warranty and if so, where? Thanks.
Of the current offerings out there the 2 best as far as picture are the Panasonic and Pioneer plasmas. Panasonics are known for having the best black levels in the industry where the Pioneers tend to be a little better in the color accuracy department. I personally own the 7th generation 50" Panasonic monitor. I bought the monitor to save money since I did not need a tuner or speakers. Panasonic, I think just came out with their 9th generation monitors and pricing has come down. Might want to check them out if you don't need a tuner or speakers.