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Matt,

I addressed your black level question in my roundup article that I posted last week. Here is what I said,

"I've been asked to discuss the black levels of these LCDs. I could quote their stated Contrast Ratios, but those figures are reaching the imperceptible at best and misleading at worst. So I'll ignore them.

Part of the other problem with comparing black levels is that almost all the TVs have some form of Black Level and Enhanced Contrast settings, which confuse the discussion.

I can tell you that I just finished looking at a Bang & Olufsen plasma and to my eye, none of the LCDs matched that black level. Even the new LED backlit LCDs with local dimming still have a step or two to reach the best plasma level, though they are closing the gap. If black levels are critical to you, then walk the plasma path."

I know it doesn't give you the definitive answer that you want, but whether you have Black Level On or Off can make a difference. Some TVs have this feature, others don't. And then sometimes, I prefer it turned off. It can become difficult to find a standard.

And now, with LCDs bragging about 100,000 to 1 Contrast Ratios, those numbers are beyond our level to perceive.