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So they're close enough in price for that to be a wash, the 650 has a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, vs 70,000:1 on the 550, and the 650 is 120Hz 4 ms response rate, whereas the 550 is 6ms and doesn't list its refresh rate, though I'd guess 90hz.
So I KNOW the 650 is the better picture, but I have no idea how much better the picture is going to be, and I really don't know if it's so much better that it's worth giving up 6 inches. I suppose I could go to Best Buy and look at both, but I don't really trust them to have them calibrated properly, to not be splitting one source across all 60 TVS they have, I don't have oppressive florescent lights 20 feet above me in my house etc etc etc.
Does anyone have experience with both, or with similar models? How much better does the 120Hz and the extra 30K contrast make the picture look? I'm probably going to do about 40% TV 40% Gaming 20% blu ray.