Top 3 ~$2500 60" TVs ... Do I Have These Right?

[exospire]

Max Budget: $2500

40% Uverse / 30% PC / 30% Bluray

Must Haves:
No Flashlighting or Edge-Bleed
Great Blacks
Great Shadow Detail
Great PQ
Great Motion

Worries:
Image Retention
Buzzing
Glare

In No Particular Order:

1. $2000 Panasonic GT50 60"
+ Excellent Bluray PQ
+ Great HD Cable PQ
+ Least Chance of Buzzing
- Highest Chance of Image Retention

2. $2000 Samsung E7000 60"
+ Excellent Bluray PQ
+ Excellent HD Cable PQ
+ Least Chance of Image Retention
- Highest Chance of Buzzing

3. ???????????????????????
$2000 Sony HX850 - Only available up to 55" (otherwise almost perfect, if there was a 60HX850 I would get it)
$2500 Samsung UN60ES7100 - Very mixed reviews - flashlighting - reliability issues - edge bleed

I've Already Gone Through:
LG 55" 7600 - Blacks were grey / bad flashlighting & edge-bleed
Samsung EH6000 60" - Purple edges(Hxxx verson #) - Average PQ - Unsatisfactory Motion

What do you guys think? I'm in a BAD jam. I've already returned 2 TV's to Best Buy. I could try a plasma, but I'm worried about IR since I watch the same channels and use it as a PC monitor and don't want to baby it. Good thing is Best Buy's Protection Plan which covers Burn-In and IR. I would get the HX850 in a heart beat if it came in a 60" version. Ever since having the Samsung 60" EH6000, I don't think I could go back to 55". Not sure which to try next.

 

[allargon]

If you want great blacks, great shadow detail and great motion, go plasma!

$2500? We didn't spend that much on our 82" RP DLP. It's too bad you want a flat panel, otherwise you could get a lot more screen for your $$$. RP DLP has zero IR--period.

 

[ImcLoud]

How about Samsung UN60ES8000 I seen them and they are really nice, last years model is on clearance a few places, not sure how in your budget it is..

 

[jonnythan]

The Panasonic, no question. At that budget though I'd get a 65" ST50. The extra 5" is a way bigger benefit than the virtually zero picture quality difference between the GT50 and ST50.

 

[exospire]

What about Samsung plasma wins CNET's accidental burn-in test | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews

 

[jonnythan]

Burn-in really isn't worth worrying about, IMO. The Panasonic is a much better TV.

 

[ChunkyDark]

With my old samsung plasma (6-7 years ago) if I played WOW for a few hours afterwards I could see some slight retention from the actions bar. Within 5 minutes or so of watching TV, movie ect it was gone.
I now have a pioneer elite and have a htpc hooked up to it. I'll be online for hours and haven't seen retention yet.
Modern plasmas really don't have a problem with burn in (retention is different it's temporary). It's just an unfortunate stereotype that has stuck around since the first plasmas 20 years ago.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I have the 64" Samsung 7000 and it was a great purchase for me. A replacement for a 60" Pioneer so I was prepared to be disappointed, but I simply have not been. The Samsung basically got higher marks than the GT series for color accuracy and generally identical everything else. I've always put it on a decent power conditioner and I've never experienced 'buzz' that others have had issues with, so it may be necessary to feed it a very clean power source for best results, but I've been very happy.

I love Panasonic as well, but don't consider it much of a huge difference between Samsung and Panny in terms of image quality differences. The VT series is nicer, but not the same price class as the 7000 series was in.