One of the things to bear in mind when comparing these things in the store is that they are almost always set to Vivid or Game mode. Super bright. Kodachrome. Grab the remote, try Standard and Cinema. It still won't be a plasma, but it'll be better. Sometimes the Cinema modes are even a bit too dark and need to be adjusted a bit. best bet is to find the mode that's closest write down the settings, go to the Custom mode, set it to match, then begin tweaking.
Or just call a good tech and get it calibrated.
Tim
Very true. You want to see maximum Vivid mode? Walk into a Costco. I swear I burn a retina every time I walk through that place.
Actually, for the reasons you mention (as well as other reasons), I usually don't even bother viewing anything in the stores. There are just too many variables to make any store demo worthy, IMO. When it comes to video I rely almost entirely on objective data and professional reviews/opinions (unlike audio). Though, it would be nice to get a look a perfectly calibrated current LCD against a plasma to see if I can tolerate it.
TV buying used to be easy; just buy the best plasma. I've always been happy with plasma, and LCD has always looked plasticky (for lack of a better word) and smeared to me, but maybe I've just never seen one set up properly.
Thanks for the tips!