So, what kind of Pioneer Elites do they carry?
I have a friend who bought the same TV as yours, as you might recall. I still haven't seen it at his place. He got a steal on it, as my good friend hooked him up with a Pana discount. Even with that deal on the table, did I make sure to tell him about the pros/cons of going with Pioneer.
Well, I haven't told him about the rising blacks. He can't return it. I will tell you my thoughts honestly: 1) I doubt the blacks will rise so much to become a light grey! (can't say it won't, just doubt it). 2) Even if they did rise considerably, I honestly don't think he will notice.
If it was super bad, and super rampant, EVERYBODY and their mom would be complaining and returning their sets.
The above all said, you paid a lot for your set, and you're pretty obsessed about this stuff. Therefore, because you can return it, I think you should, if you can land a Pio. When you pay that much, it should better work, and work damn well. If you can't land a Pio, perhaps a Samsung (given that their report card is excellent for '09), otherwise, honestly, I'd stick with the V10 over any LCD. That's just me, and I hope you get more opinions.
I'm sorry that you have to stress over such a major purchase. Sometimes it is more painful to be educated about product purchases.