It can happen to any brand, dont kid yourself it's not just Panny's is all brands these days. Weve had our Panny Plasma for 4 years knock on wood. Ive had friends with a Sammy, and other brands last less then 2 years.
Purplebunny, in the past 5 years plasmas and lcds are very comparable in quality. I highly researched ours when we bought and any good tv store will tell you they both hold up to each other.
Personally we liked the picture of the plasma better and for the positioning in our room it was the best choice :)
When we replace ours we will buy another plasma in a heartbeat.
