[HDTV1080P]

Samsung LN55A950 55-inch LCD HDTV Flat panel
(December 2008 review link)

This top of the line Samsung model is already on the list. Here is the latest review from Sound and Vision magazine.

Quotes

"Video processing was superb. The film pulldown mode worked very well, and the set could display full-resolution 1080p signals even with moving images —but only when the Auto Motion Plus circuit was turned off."

"LCDs have always been good at delivering the kind of bright and punchy image that keeps them flying off the shelves in brightly lit Costcos. But their picture contrast and shadow detail have never been quite as impressive as the finest plasmas. Unlike a plasma, where each pixel generates its own light and can be turned on and off individually, most LCDs use a fluorescent backlight that’s constantly on, with the LCD crystals opening and closing sequentially to block the light. This system is less than perfect because each pixel lets a tiny bit of the light bleed through even when fully shuttered, resulting in a decreased overall black level."

" While testing the LN55A950, I got the impression that Samsung wanted to prove once and for all that an LCD TV can effectively compete with plasma TVs. The 950 manages to overcome most of LCD technology’s traditional weaknesses, even if Samsung has yet to perfect off-axis performance. And while undeniably expensive, it demonstrates that any traditional notions of what LCD can and can’t deliver are now void."

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hdtvs/3043/samsung-ln55a950-55-inch-lcd-hdtv.html