You Choose - Samsung lcd or Plasma

Ahhhh.... the eternal debate it seems - plasma vs. lcd.

So I recently finished my basement Home Theatre and purchased my first HDTV flat screen - a Samsung LN46B640.  Here's why:

• Not too expensive - I got it for $1299 at BB
• Liked the square look
• Do not need lots of bells and whistles including the online features and widgets
• The picture looks great

I chose this LCD as opposed to a Plasma for the simple reasons that I have been affected by the negative hype that plasma's have gotten over the years.  After reading and researching, I know that these are silly fears with the new plasmas being produced the past few years but for some reason couldn't put it past me when I made the decision.

HOWEVER....  I have a lighting controlled environment (basement), DO NOT game or use it for online things....  and really designed just like watching sports (football in particular), movies (action) and some regular tv shows.  I'm a perfect Plasma candidate i know...

After taking back the first defective-out-of-the-box 640 lcd, i picked up a brand new one.  The picture is great!   But I do notice that during football games and fast action sequences, there is a blur at times like a "comet tail" off fast moving hands or objects and sometimes it looks like "heat waves" are coming off the football players.. .  Also, when you get the close ups of the football players and they are walking to the huddle, you can see some "odd" things happening around the lines of their face gaurds with the background images...  Is this a response time or refresh rate issue?  Is it a calibration issue?

My questions to the home theatre gods are these:

1.  Would a Plasma have these same issues with fast moving scenes?
2.  If I was to return my LCD for a Plasma which of the following would you choose?

  Panasonic TC-P50G10, Samsung PN50B860, Samsung PN50B850 or the Samsung PN50B650S1F

The Panny and Samsung 650 plasma's are less expensive right now and the 850/860 are only about $50 more


I thank you all so much for any advice!

 

I just picked up a Panasonic TC-P42G15.  I've only had it up for a few days, but I am incredibly pleased with it.  I can only imagine that I will be even more pleased once I calibrate it.

I spent the better part of last weekend watching football (including my Hokies whipping Miami) and did not experience any motion blur at all (note that my source is an OTA HD signal).

Your problem is probably that you got a 50Hz LCD, the worst thing you could have done. You won't get the same smearing with movement at all on any plasma, however you won't get the completely smooth (read: unnatural) movement you do with a big Hz LCD. My advice is if you want to watch sports in a brightly lit room, get a 100/200/600Hz LCD  (they're all just marketing terms for the same thing), but if you want to watch movies in a darkened room, colours will be truer on a plasma, and you'll get no pixel drag or smearing that you've had on your nasty 50Hz LCD.

I know because I did exactly that. I made the same mistake, got a 50Hz LCD, even though I noticed the problem on all LCDs displaying in the store, and the salesman tricked me by not pointing out that if that bothered me, I should go plasma. A-hole.

The "G" series plasmas from Panasonic are some of the highest rated TV's on the market and I would choose it over the other ones you are looking at in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the advice thus far folks! 

In response to Ben....The LN46B640 Samsung LCD I have is advertised as a 120hz tv. 

Thanks again!

Ok, then avoid LCDs altogether. They're the only technology that still can't cope with movement. Plasmas you just be careful to fill the screen (no 4:3 movies or 2:35.1 movies for examples, and no video games) for the first 100 hours, then you don't have to worry about burn in after that. Modern plasmas have good tech that protects against that stuff anyway, but its worth warning still.

I bought the Panasonic 50in G15 last night and am more than pleased with the picture!   This tv is AMAZING!!!

Thanks everyone for your insight and advice, with your help I feel I made the right choice!

Thank you!