(B&M) Panasonic Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54 (50-inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma) - $499 + 2 yr warranty @ COSTCO

if you want the squaretrade warranty for this do you buy the "less than $500"

im not sure weather to get this Panasonic 50 inch plasma deal or get the Samsung PN51E530 51-inch 1080p Plasma for $569...anyone have any recommendations?

Will do.

Purchased the TV at Costco and the Squartrade 3-year warranty, for "under $500" was $29.99. Good deal if you have a habit of keeping TVs for longer than a few years.

CNET's review [cnet.com] of a similar model Samsung.

It's important to remind people that the TVs Costco sells come with a 2 Year manufacturer warranty (they're usually 1 year everywhere else), that's an added bonus just for buying it at Costco. When you buy one of those Squaretrade 3 year warranties (which run $30-$100 depending on the cost of the TV), it actually extends your warranty protection to 5 YEARS TOTAL (2 plus 3 more, this is often misunderstood). I'm normally not a big fan of extended warranties but Costco's prices are actually reasonable for what you get in return.

Thanks, though the "Free In-store pickup" is still in the OP.

Thank you. Appreciate your help, bud. Have a good thanksgiving.

A $300 TV has absolutely terrible color, poor/milky blacks, awful backlight uniformity, and it'll probably shoot craps in 18 months. IMHO People often mistake a cheap price with a good value. A $300 dollar TV is cheap,but not nessecarily a good value. I, for one am willing to spend a little bit more on a quality TV, knowing I am enjoying a crisper, more accurate, less distracting image. Not to mention, it has a far better chance of lasting a long, long time.

Short example: I spent $2000 on a closeout Pioneer Elite Plasma in 2006.
My buddy bought a 42" Olivia LCD the same year for 600 bucks. It died in 2007. He then purchased a 50 inch Akai Plasma for $1000, that lasted almost 2 years. He finally ponied up the cash for a closeout Sony 52XBR6 in 2009 for $1800. That TV has been flawless for over 3 years. His running total: $3200. Cheap =\= Value.

I can agree with this. You get what you pay for. I'd stick to brands like Panasonic, Sony, lg, Samsung and sharp. There's a good chance these TVA will last years longer while having a better picture quality. I too got burnt from buying a no name brand fhat died on me after only 4 years.

This tv looked horrible in person at the store.The glare was really bad compared to the LED LCD's. I decided not to get it based on that.The TV was going to be an Xmas gift but I couldn't in good conscience get a TV that would look bad in someones house.

I've experienced a few Panasonic plasma TVs develop problems in that time span so nothing is guaranteed.