LCD or the newest LED's are the way to go Plasma's are cheaper but on the way out..

There's a good forum right here on the Garden Web site,

Who's going to service the Plasma tv????

I'd stick LCD Flat panel that you can hang above fireplace or something. Get HDMI Inputs.

Stick with major brands, Sony, Samsung, Sharp, there's more.

They will fix you up here I'm sure...

Here is a link that might be useful: See link

the new plasmas are excellent and are nothing like the old original plasma tvs, and are definitely not going anywhere they are selling just fine. I personally did much research and went and looked at all the various brands and types before purchasing our new tv. I got a Samsung 58" Plasma tv and I am so so so happy I did it is awesome, the picture is unbelievably crisp and clear the colors spot on. I just was not happy with the LCD pictures compared to the plasma it was an obvious difference. The plasma tv does weigh more.
I liked the fact that even from a sharp side angle you can still view the tv, with LCD you can not, you lose the picture quality dramatically when looking from the side. We have a lot of windows in our viewing room and the Plasma handles that beautifully. It also handles fast action so much better you do not get that motion blur. And since plasma has a glass screen it is so easy to keep clean, I use a microfiber mitt to dust it off, if anything gets on it, just a very lightly damp cloth will wipe it clean. I know from my LCD monitor for my pc how difficult it is to clean and I feared that in a big screen.

the LED tv which is now out and many are going with it. It is newer technology so there may be bugs that have to be worked out in them. There usually is to some degree with each new technology. And of course they will be quite a bit more expensive. They are though still actually an LCD tv that has LED backlighting.
Important Facts About "LED" Televisions

a comparison for each type
LCD, LED or Plasma?

This is what I would do and it is exactly what I did, if I am spending that much money I want to be sure, go to several stores that sell various brands and types preferably ones that have viewing areas (not walmart) like Fry's or Best Buy or even special tv stores, to view them side by side and see what looks best to you. Know that every tv in a store is set up in a special setting specific for store viewing so it may look different at home in your light. Look at them from angles, up close, far away, etc and then read actual user reviews, I read tons of them. All of my research and viewing led me to the Samsung brand and a plasma. I then went to Costco and bought my 58" Samsung plasma for an excellent price. I would not change a thing.
Now when I visit friends and family, whose tv I thought looked good prior to getting mine, I now can see a vast difference and mine wins hands down, especially against those that are LCD. I do have mine set up as a home theater with a home theater receiver(Onkyo) and a dedicated subwoofer and 5 surround speakers, we love it, we watch a lot of tv!

as to forums I have been a member at hometheaterspot for many years they have some good discussion and reviews
HomeTheaterSpot.com.
it is associated with this site
HomeTheaterReview.com

You people really are the best. This is very helpful info. I'm following all of it and will definitely check out the GW forum.

I would suggest taking a look at Cnet.com. They review TV's all the time.

Just to clarify a bit, LED is not a different kind of TV but rather how an LCD TV is lit. LCD's traditionally used tiny fluorescent tubes to provide the back lighting. The problem was that there was no way to selectively turn off those tubes. The result was that to display true black, the panel had to stop all that light from passing through which didn't work all that well. So now they use groups of LED's which can be turned off selectively and black appears "blacker".

Personally I think plasma TV's have a richer picture and I think you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with one from Panasonic.

If the budget is limited-LCD.
If you can afford to spend a little more-LED.
If you have $ to burn -plasma.

I'm very happy with the Samsung LCD I have, but would've preferred LED if I had the $ to spare. I honestly didn't think the pq of the plasma was that much better, but YMMV. It depends a great deal on the size of the screen vs the size of the room and how much ambient light there is. The plasma would be superlative in the basement rec room, but the LCD or LED might be better in the living/bed room with several windows.

Ginny I just went through this so I feel your confusion.

Plasma is the best viewing particularly for 50' or above since the new generation has remedied much of the original problems. Reflection glare is now their biggest concern, and no they are not on there way out.

LED has a better black surrounding the dot matrix. For most viewers they will not be able to tell the difference.

When you have time put LCD versus plasma in Google. Be prepared to read a lot.

Rely on manufacturer reliability first not model number.

A lot of well meaning people are going to tell you about dpi, refresh rate, along with other product specifications and features. Unless you are an electronics whiz or geek many of the offered features are not needed.Your research will tell you about the specifications.

I suggest you do all the research independently, including manufacturer's websites and purveyor websites. There is a lot of explanations and definitions available. Then when you do have specific questions seek assistance with the answers. If you go to others prematurely the well meaning opinions tend to just cloud the issue even more.

Finally, if you can purchase or borrow a Consumer Reports 2011 Buying Guide it will provide a lot of independent information. After all was said and done I purchased their recommended 46" "best buy". After a month I have no complaints or second thoughts.

If you wish to know what I specifically bought feel free to ask. I didn't want to share my purchase choice without permission.

All of this info is very helpful but I have to admit confusing too. Thanks for the explanation of LCD, LED, and plasma. And yes, Consumer Reports is always the first place I go. They did TVs in the December 2010 issue.

And Damccoy, I would like to hear what you got. That's about the size I am looking for--no bigger than 50".

Yes they did Ginny. However, the information in the Buying Guide may be a a little more complete while the magazine more current.

As you asked I purchased a 46" Samsung LCD LN46C630 $899.99 at Best Buy. The price was the same everywhere at the time. Plus, BB had re-established the return policy to 30 days without the previous 15% re-stocking policy. A return would still be subject to their standard disclaimer; original packaging, damage, etc. which I didn't have a problem with.

Double check with your credit card company to see if you have extended warranty privilege included. My VISA has it so when I purchased it on the card the factory warranty was extended an extra year, for a total of two, for no additional charge. When the bill came I just paid it off.

I also decided on a new mid-range surge suppressor for the TV to. Spending that kind of money one cannot be overly protective.

If I had decided to go with plasma I would have, as Mike Kaiser reported, gone with Panasonic.

What programming source do you have?

DA

Thanks for that additional info, DA. Also for the reminders about checking my credit card warranty policy and getting a surge protector.

I have Comcast for both broadband computer connection and cable TV.

Ginny your welcome.

I asked about the source as now you have to decide whether you are going to upgrade to an HD signal. I originally was going to stay with the Directv digital signal. However, my kids got together and decided for me that either I would upgrade the two HDTVs to HD signal on my own or they would do it for me. Since I didn't want to embarrass myself with them or have them waste their money on me I handled the upgrade myself.

DA

My two cents is that if you're going to invest in a big HD TV, then you want to pay for HD service from your TV provider. The difference is quite evident and with a good TV, rather stunning.

Yes I agree, there is a difference. However, the decision ultimately depends on one's viewing habits and the dissatisfaction/satisfaction with the standard signal.

I for one am not a couch potato. I have no movie channels or sports packages. My package is one step above the entry level so I can receive more educational programming. I work and have a life. In the non-winter months I am outside as much as I can. I might go days without turning either of the sets on. All-in-all television is not that big of deal to me.

DA

I also do not have HD service (it's mostly a cost issue with me). However it's likely that the tv you buy has a clear QAM tuner. If you take the time to learn how to program it properly, you may find that the cableco sends out an HD subchannel for all your local stations at no additional charge. Mine does (Time Warner) and I can see ABC-NBC-CBS-Fox-PBS in HD at no additional cost. It may be different with other cablecos, but it doesn't hurt to find out.

We have DISH Network satellite as our provider and have their middle package. By opting for autopay billing (which we do with all our utilities) we get HD service free for life. It does indeed make a difference in picture quality.