If you're speaking of the 50" Plasma I'd strongly suggest buying a service contract with the unit if you're going to go with the Vizio. 

In a nutshell, Vizio only offers the main system board and or tuner/AV switching boards available for repairs if your set fails in or out of warranty.  Everything else, from the power supply bd to logic to the sustain boards and buffers are considered part of the panel.  Vizio doesn't make the PDP panels available so any failure of any of those boards under warranty  results in you getting a new set.  If it's out of warranty you're SOL.  With an extended warranty you'll normally wind up getting a new set since the current one won't be repairable due to parts availability if it would fail out of the warranty period.

My company is Vizio authorized, for the money the Vizio plasma's are pretty good I suppose.  The picture isn't outstanding by any means.  Their LCD's are a better deal as far as picture quality goes.  

Hey, Dkaz, when you decide what model and type, let me know what an extended warranty is going to cost you, as I have friends in the biggest extended warranty firm in the US and I will get you a 15% discount if not better on an extended warranty. I will give you a promo code and you can buy it yourself online if you like and there are dealers all over the US to service them.  Hey this is not a sles pitch by the way, just trying to safe you over 100 bucks or so.  Let me know.  Good Luck

"Those who do not know their opponet's arguments, do not completely understand their own".

I bought a vizio 50" plasma at circuit city about 3 months ago.  So far it works ok. I am thinking about purchasing  a 5 year extended warranty for the set. Should I buy it from circuit city or Vizio? The price is about the same.

don't you mean a 46inch?

"Those who do not know their opponet's arguments, do not completely understand their own".

yes I knew that.

"Those who do not know their opponet's arguments, do not completely understand their own".