Panasonic was the first to exit the plasma business, others will most likely follow suit, hence the future of plasma seems bleak,however if it is something you can live with,go ahead and buy it,the 51f5500 is an excellent mid range TV,but if you want something that is more futuristic,i would suggest you to go in for an LED TV instead,there are some very good LED TV's out there from almost all the major manufacturers.hope this helps!
