Got this TV last week, upgraded from the 37LD460 I got last month. Had the slight problem with settings posted earlier, but now it's been resolved. This is my 3rd TV, having gone from an LG 32LH70YR to the LG 37LD460 to the Panasonic 42X20. While the LG has produced really good LCD TVs, I'd have to say that Panasonic Plasma this is indeed the better choice and best deal.
Size really does matter! I'll always recommend people go for the bigger size screen for the same amount of money. Despite the lower 720p resolution, it is just as good to watch as the 1080p since my movies are still in DVD. At the correct viewing distance, the resolution really is not discernable; you'd have to be sitting 2 feet away to really notice any difference, and that misses the point of having a 42'' screen.
To compare the experience, use a CG movie like Bolt or Wally on DVD, you'd have to be really OC and nitpicking to see any difference. But if you're OC and nitpicky, no TV will ever satisfy you, you will always find something you don't like.
Between resolution and speed, I would recommend that people go for speed; a smooth 720p is better than a juddery/jerky/blurry 1080p. Not that I would always go for 120/240Hz; but as long as its faster than 60Hz it will be ok. Although the problems are not often noticeable in the LD460, it really pops out and screams at the eyes at the times when they are. For example, the dogfight scene in Lost in Space and the missile chase scene in Behind Enemy Lines. I was really surprised at how uncomfortably blurry the scenes were in the opening dogfight, especially where the camera zooms in on Matt LeBlanc in the bubblefighter's cockpit. In Behind Enemy Lines, the LCD visibly dropped a few frames from the shot of the missile's "shotgun blast" just before it hit the RF-18. No such problems on the plasma.
While the LG's numerous control options seem like an attractive feature, the simpler controls on the Panasonic actually make for an easier tweaking to suit individual tastes because it is less complicated and gets faster results. With elaborate controls, you have to tweak way too many independent settings and balance them against each other, so that more often you just give up and go back to the presets. With simpler controls, tweaking via the THX Optimizer on Lucasfilm DVDs works well enough for the purpose.
As for the reflective screen, I don't think it should be a deal-breaker. If you're looking for reflections, you're not paying attention to what's showing. The eye actually tends to focus on the image presented and automatically shut out/look past the reflections on the screen surface. It also makes the TV really good and clean (and expensive) when turned off.
Color and speed more than make up for the 30% difference in resolution between 720p and 1080p. Add the size, and you've really got the best and most cost-effective deal for such a quality plasma screen! So in short, when choosing, in terms of priority, I recommend size, speed, color, resolution. 42x20 fits the bill very well!
So get 'em while you can, folks! Thanks SnS!
