It doesn't make much sense to buy a 42" 1080p panasonic for $2500, when you can get pioneer 50" 720p (5080) for the same money. Everything I've read about the new 5080s show that they kick panasonic's tail in color quality, black level, scaling, etc.
I understand that there are some who would pay a premium for a 1080p plasma... but a $2500 MSRP it just does not make any sense.