We just got a 50in Samsung plasma for $1334 back in May or June after doing a LOT of research. I asked around and some local hardcore video guys (who all own several brands/types of TV's) and for my setup/needs in a room were I can control the light plasma was better than LCD. MANY of the issues with plasma are no longer valid...think of it as the old 347 oil burning issue or that the 94-95 eec is not tunable and you need a fox pcm. If your not a gamer plasma may be an option.
Not everyone is broadcasting in 1080, only Dish has just started with 1080 Video on Demand. Direct is 720, and local (at least here) is 720. Cable and phone connections might be to some extent but I not 100% sure so I am not saying. That and even if it is broadcast in 1080 it still has to be filmed in 1080 to actually be 1080 and most are not expected to do that for several years. I notice a lot of HD channels running programming that is not HD even as it was filmed in SD def. Again if your a gamer LCD alone seems to be the choice and most seem to need the 120hz off to work right so that is something to think about, I just noticed some "tracer" or funky motion stuff with the 120hz LCD. That and to get a 120hz or just 1080p the price went to 2500+ for starters when I was looking.
If you want to compare and view rankings...I was sent to pricegrabber.com
Sony IMHO is overpriced and the top brands seem to be Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung for Plasma and Samsung and Panasonic seem to be the best for LCD.
Another thing I found when asking around/looking is about warranty stuff.
"No matter what type of television you own, the chances are you won't experience any problems during the set's first few years of service.
Repair rates have been very low for LCD and plasma sets, according to a 2007 survey of more than 93,000 consumers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center covering sets bought new between 2004 and 2007. Rear-projection sets have been somewhat more repair-prone, but most of those still remain trouble-free for their first few years. For more on TV reliability, see our online reports: Repair & reliability of LCD TVs, Repair & reliability of plasma TVs, and Repair & reliability of rear-projection TVs (all available to subscribers.)
In the small number of cases where a set did need servicing, most repairs reported by respondents were free, presumably because they were covered by the manufacturer's standard warranty. The few respondents who paid for repairs spent an average of $264 on flat-panel LCD, $395 on plasma, and $300 on rear-projection sets. That's about the cost of an extended warranty.
Given the low likelihood of a repair, an extended warranty usually isn't a good value, especially for a flat-panel TV. But if you're very risk-averse and an extended warranty gives you peace of mind, ask the salesperson for a lower price. Warranties are high-profit items, so a retailer might be willing to bargain."
Linked from
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electro...v-breaks-ov.htm
here is a place I was directed to in order to get my own after the fact if I still wanted a warranty - Mack warranty
Mack Television Warranty - 3 Year TV (under $1,700) In-Home Service
A local guy who gave me a lot of good info suggested this model LCD - "Samsung LN52A650. The 650 is 120hz (Auto Motion Plus) 50,000 to 1 contrast ratio and a really nice glossy screen instead of a matte one like most LCD's. Amazon has it for 2199 with free shipping"
Some more good reading I was pointed to
120hz explained - Blu-ray Forum
