correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the samsung and sony panels are one and the same (manufactured in the one plant).
you read my mind - the kuro would have just blown anything else to bits! imagine the b&o design + audio and the kuro panels.
although the pioneer lcd panels and future plasma panels will be made by panasonic.
but i agree with moxxey - SD quality/upscaling has to live up the the HD performance and it's definitely a bummer than an "integrated" blu-ray drive uses the external HDMI port.
seems like b&o have rushed it out to curb the losses but may have been better to spend bit more time to work out design issues and make it properly integrated product.