55" Panasonic VIERA TC-P55GT50 1080 600Hz WiFi THX 3D Plasma TV $1,249 + FS

Quote from Darkmatter : No. The GT has a better antiglare filter on it and THX compliant as well.

Gotcha. Thought the ST was better. Thanks for letting me know.

Quote from Mako1215 : Gotcha. Thought the ST was better. Thanks for letting me know.

http://shop.panasonic.com/compare...TC-P55ST50

VT > GT > ST > UT

That said, the panel between the GT and the ST is identical, however the features are not , and there are aesthetic differences as well. When I bought the 65" GT, the price difference was about $300 between the GT and ST. The exterior differences, antiglare coating and THX modes were worth the extra money, knowing it was a once-in-a-decade main TV purchase.

The VT looked really nice, but I was unable fine one under full retail, and decided the $1k pricing gap (between VT and GT) was better applied towards a new AVR (Denon 2113CI) and entertainment center.

Quote from Mako1215 : Gotcha. Thought the ST was better. Thanks for letting me know.

The ST is a better value, that's why it gets a better score on Cnet. Plus the picture is pretty much identical once calibrated and that the extra features on the GT were not worth the premium. However, they said this on cnet when the difference in price was much greater, this price is only $50 more than what the ST is going for on Amazon, so if they were reviewing it now i think they would say go with the GT.

Quote from Darkmatter : http://shop.panasonic.com/compare...TC-P55ST50 VT > GT > ST > UT That said, the panel between the GT and the ST is identical, however the features are not , and there are aesthetic differences as well. When I bought the 65" GT, the price difference was about $300 between the GT and ST. The exterior differences, antiglare coating and THX modes were worth the extra money, knowing it was a once-in-a-decade main TV purchase. The VT looked really nice, but I was unable fine one under full retail, and decided the $1k pricing gap (between VT and GT) was better applied towards a new AVR (Denon 2113CI) and entertainment center.

I think the GT and ST have the same filter, the VT is the upgraded filter. The ST and GT are the same panel, the difference is with the GT having a dual core processor, extra shades of gradation and thx settings. On amazon you can see the chart showing the differences right before the reviews, and there is not much. Also Cnet said the extra Shades of Gradation that the VT and GT had did not make a difference.

Quote from jonhern : The ST is a better value, that's why it gets a better score on Cnet. Plus the picture is pretty much identical once calibrated and that the extra features on the GT were not worth the premium. However, they said this on cnet when the difference in price was much greater, this price is only $50 more than what the ST is going for on Amazon, so if they were reviewing it now i think they would say go with the GT. I think the GT and ST have the same filter, the VT is the upgraded filter. The ST and GT are the same panel, the difference is with the GT having a dual core processor, extra shades of gradation and thx settings. On amazon you can see the chart showing the differences right before the reviews, and there is not much. Also Cnet said the extra Shades of Gradation that the VT and GT had did not make a difference.

I did a lot of research and read all the reviews on C/Net, AVSForums, Amazon and more, then went out to Magnolia and Best Buy to see them in person.

You're right on the panel being the same, the AVS Forum GT 50 thread has a nice summary of the differences.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1403635...price-talk

Features that the GT50 has that the ST50 does not have:

THX Bright Room Picture Mode (daytime viewing)
THX Cinema Picture Mode (night time viewing)
THX 3D Cinema Picture Mode
24,576 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
1,080p Pure Direct
A 4th HDMI input
PC Input (but limited to 768p)
Dual Core Processor
Narrower bezel

The bezel and THX modes make a big difference IMO but let your own eyes be the judge, don't spend $1250 without showrooming it somewhere first. I sure as hell wouldn't have dropped $2500 without looking at the 65" and others in the same category (the Sammy plasmas to be specific). The VT had a distinctly nicer looking picture, if it was closer to the $3k mark, it would have been mine.

Quote : On a side note, every time I research buying something on Ebay I lose faith in humanity. I see people bidding higher than the BIN price on an identical item from a different seller. Just today some retard accepted a $50 offer when I had offered $65 for the same item the last time he listed it and it didn't sell.

lol - you think that is bad? I just sold a Samsung galaxy S3 on ebay for $405 that I had a $385 buy out on

i'm guessing amazon won't PM the GC and code but lets give it a shot anyway.

I was waiting for a lower price and no tax and I finally bit on this deal. Thanks ops. Could someone provide with me with some advice on whether I should purchase an extended warranty? I am thinking about getting one from Squaretrade. Thanks in advance

Quote from iskyi : I was waiting for a lower price and no tax and I finally bit on this deal. Thanks ops. Could someone provide with me with some advice on whether I should purchase an extended warranty? I am thinking about getting one from Squaretrade. Thanks in advance

If you have a Costco membership, you can get a 3-year Squaretrade warranty for $100 for this set. The squaretrade warranty kicks in after the Manufacturer warranty. http://www.costco.com/3-Years-%28...80336.html

Otherwise, you can buy from Squaretrade.com and there are plenty of coupons floating around (PM me if you need one).

Quote from jterp7 : i'm guessing amazon won't PM the GC and code but lets give it a shot anyway.

Any luck getting Amazon to PM?

amazon cs as usual is incompetent and stated that the price is lower (she picked another 55" tv)...will keep u guys updated.

Would be effin awesome if amazon can price match. If 1 of us can price match, chances are they may pricematch for others. Then you would be able to have the 24 months interest free financing and 2% amazon promotional credit and enhanced delivery into your living room.

Quote from jterp7 : amazon cs as usual is incompetent and stated that the price is lower (she picked another 55" tv)...will keep u guys updated.

Ask to be connected to the big ticket item or tv desk. The initial amazon csrs that you get are truly clueless and cant approve a tv pricematch anyway, at least not for tvs this size. Dont even waste your time with the first person you get when you call amazon.

Quote from 343guiltyspark : Ask to be connected to the big ticket item or tv desk. The initial amazon csrs that you get are truly clueless and cant approve a tv pricematch anyway, at least not for tvs this size. Dont even waste your time with the first person you get when you call amazon.

They opened a case with a promise of a response in 2hrs. Its been 2 already lol.

Quote from jterp7 : They opened a case with a promise of a response in 2hrs. Its been 2 already lol.

Apparently its been 3 hours.