um, this is hardly quantified by a long shot, but let me tell you my story.
i've been looking for a big screen tv for the longest time, i've considered technologies from dlp (not my type, distance required and rainbow effect), lcd rptv (sony ones sucked for me, ugly colours, limited connectivity), to plasma (burn in issues for games, high def is expensive), to lcd (bad as of last year).
then i accidentally saw the thread on the samsung 32" r71b's, then i got back to looking again. i was amazed: lcd tvs have progressed sooo far from just last year.
so, i looked and looked: 32" tvs were a tad too small, and since i could budget a bit more, i looked at 40"'s. that got me to choosing between the hitachi 37" 8800's and the samsung 40" r71's.
the hitachi was amazing. lots of connectivity options (2x hdmi, dual tuner, usb photo, sd card reader) and nice colour management/control (something you can only find in m61 series samsung lcds). the deal was even sweeter, the hitachi folks were able to give me lower than srp (172k) and longer than 12 month terms (i dont really want to divulge terms as some folks might get angry, but go to western megamall for a nice deal, talk to albert :>) PLUS a DVD handicam (dvd-ram/-r cartridges).
samsung, on the other hand, has limited features vis a vis the hitachi, at a more expensive price 180k. they had a 24 month 0 interest deal going, but your free celphone (a d820 slider phone, nifty
) can't be had for free at this price. i haggled it to 18mo with free celphone but the monthly price was too steep.
anyway, i eventually settled for the larger size samsung, as the stock was already available (hitachi would take 3-5 days), and since i'm stuck between the two of these sets, i chose availability as my final criteria
well, i'm watching matrix revolutions right now and i have to say that it just rocks. even with a cheapo dvd player with component cables, it rocks so hard. the blacks (which i am sensitive to) are deep enough for me. the clarity of images is razor sharp and i dont see much by way of shimmering. in short, its well worth it.
as someone else said: lacking any other comparison to compare your purchase with when it gets installed to your room, the sheer size, resolution and wow factor would override any doubts that you had when you get your set. just follow the simple rule of buying the best you can afford. you'd prolly do well to compare after sales service more than anything, oh, and do look around for good deals: you can haggle, even with 12/18/24 0 interest deals.