PN64F5500 vs PN64F5300; PN60F5500 vs PN60F5300; PN51F5500 vs PN51F5300

The Samsung F5500 has numerous Smart TV features, including the Smart Hub interface, which has all the content grouped into five thematic panels, the S-Recommendation engine, a Full Web Browser, the AllShare technology, which allows sharing of photos, videos and music from supported mobile devices to the TV. On the other hand, the F5300 omits all of the above, thus the only reminiscent of smart TV functionality is the ability to play video (and also image and audio) files stored on an USB flash drive.

• The F5500 has the active 3D system on-board and includes two pairs of shutter glasses, while its counterpart is devoid of any 3D capabilities.
• In order to deliver better Smart TV experience, the F5500 utilizes dual core processor. The step-down model has only a single core, but since there aren't any Smart TV features on the F5300, there is no need for a faster processor, either.

TC-P65ZT60 vs TC-P65VT60; TC-P60ZT60 vs TC-P60VT60

Although both Panasonic ZT60 and VT60 use the NeoPlasma black 3000 panel, which translates to the black levels being mostly identical, there is one significant distinction: in case of the former, the air layer that is typically found between the front glass and the panel itself is removed, which allows the ZT60 to have an improved light transmission, as well as to reduced internal reflections, which in turn leads to the best overall picture quality any Panasonic plasma TV has ever achieved.

• The ZT60 also has more advanced AR (Anti-reflective) filter: the Ultimate Black, in comparison to the tier-two model, so if you plan on using the TV in predominantly bright environments, the flagship set is the better option thanks to its beefed-up abilities to counteract on-screen reflection, in addition to preserving the black color depth when viewed in high ambient light conditions.

PN64F8500 vs PN64F5500, PN60F8500 vs PN60F5500; PN51F8500 vs PN51F5500

The Samsung F8500 has larger RGB (Red, Green and Blue) sub-pixel color areas, thus it's able to get considerable brighter in comparison to the F5500, which means the top-tier can be used in bright environments without any degradation of the picture quality. That said, the Super Contrast Panel of the F8500 is not the only difference with the step-down series:

• The flagship set has new and improved 3rd generation AR filter: the Real Black Pro, which helps preserve the black color fidelity, regardless of the ambient lightening conditions, in addition to working towards minimizing the on-screen reflections, thus the higher-end TV further increases its lead on the F5500 in terms of its suitability for bright rooms.
• Being Smart Evolution ready, the F8500 is more future-proof when it comes to Smart TV capabilities, because it can be upgraded via a hardware kit (that is sold separately), which updates the TV with new software and adds new features and more content. On the other hand, the F5500 doesn't support the Smart Evolution kit.

TC-P65VT60 vs TC-P65ST60; TC-P60VT60 vs TC-P60ST60; TC-P55VT60 vs TC-P55ST60

The panels used in Panasonic VT60 and ST60 are differentiated mainly by the focused-filed drive technology: the former is rated at 3000Hz FFD, which has the sub-fields packed into 1/3000th of a second, while the latter has a 2500Hz FFD, so in this case the sub-fields are packed into 1/2500th of a second. That said, the advantage of a 1/500th of a second the step-up model has over its opponent doesn't necessarily translate to any huge visual difference between the two in terms of their performance when presented with fast-motion content, because the plasma technology in general needs only one impulse per pixel in order to create an image, so both have exceptionally low response time and are equally suited for sports and action-packed movies watching. However, there are also other more pronounced distinctions between them:

• The VT60 is better equipped for counteracting the on-screen reflections, as well as to maintaining the black color intact in brightly-lit environments, because of the more advanced AR filter (the Infinite Black Ultra). The ST60 has the Infinite Black Pro, so it still has the ability (albeit reduced) to minimize reflections.
• The 30720 gradation steps on the VT60 result in better shadow detail in dark scenes, and more subtle color hues as a whole in comparison to the step-down set, which provides only 12288 shades of gradation.

60PH6700 vs 60PN5700

The presence of the 3D system on the LG PH6700 makes up most of the differences with the PN5700, which is a non-3D set. That said, there are no active shutter glasses included with the PH6700, so you won't be able to watch 3D content unless you get the required eyeware separately. There are few other variations between the two models:

• While they both have the same Smart TV platform, with a dashboard consisting of various cards used for organizing the content into, the difference is that the 3D World card is omitted from the PN5700, and so is the option for 3D Content Streaming.
• The Magic Remote is included with the PH6700, but not with its counterpart. That said, the PN5700 is compatible with the motion-controlled remote, so you can get it as an optional accessory in case you plan on using heavily the Web browser, or any other application for that matter.