it's purely subjective of course, but i still think plasma is the superior technolgy for all but very bright rooms; plasma clearly has a significant edge in off-axis viewing and motion blur, and i've never personally observed a problem with heat with my several panasonics. however, several acquaintances and i have experienced some qualty issues with panasonic, esp. problems with power supply; all things being equal i might opt for a samsung plasma. if you scour web shopping sites like bradsdeals or dealnews, you'll find some often astounding daily deals from reputable sellers--for example, 6th avenue electronics is selling a 58" 1080 panny for $1375 + free shipping,