Since my last post here, my girlfriend has basically approved my plans for a new tv (and agreed to split the cost) so I've been all over this subject like a fat kid on cake for a couple of weeks.
Here are my basic findings. Keep in mind, that my budget is about 2k WITH a Bluray player, so more like $1700-1800 for the tv. So slightly less than the OP.
First, decide what size (min/max) you want, that's first and foremost IMO. Ok, not exactly, price is first, but you get the point.
Our viewing distance will be right about 10' so we decided a 52"-60" tv would be optimal. THX guidelines would say we need a 70" for that distance, but this is a living room, not a theater. Still, 50-60" equates to roughly a 23° or so viewing angle. That will be a size with some real movie watching impact.
I looked very hard at the Samsung LED DLP tvs, namely the HL61A750. We like to watch from the dining room table and the kitchen so the biggest problem with the DLP is the poor viewing angle. Other than that, it's still a supurb TV. Look up the CNET review on it and check out the AVS forums for more info. It's pretty much the only DLP worth buying any more before the laser tech DLPs are out.
Then I looked into LCDs. The Samsung LN52A650 and A750 models are about the best you will find in the sub $2500 price range. The contrast and black levels are stellar. CNET and the AVS forums love this line. The only others comparable are the Sony's which are slightly more expensive and don't have quite the same black levels. The largest LCD you will find in this price range is 52". There are bigger ones out there, but they're exotic and cost no less than $4k.
One thing to look for in the LCDs is the smooth motion technology. In Samsungs, this is dubbed "AMP". It's a common feature of the 120Hz tvs. Some people like it, some don't, but it can be turned on and off and adjusted in between. It really does bring out huge detail in natures scene and sports though. I personally don't like it turned on for movies since it makes everything look like it's being fast forwarded or 'soap opera' like.
I also looked into the latest generation of plasmas. I had the notion going into this that there's no way I'd spend so much on something that would only last me a few years. This is antequated thinkig apparently. The new (8th/9th generation) ones are leaps and bounds better than the ones I'm familiar with and have panel life expectancies of up to 100,000 hours (see the Panasonics). Right now, the Pioneer Elite Kuro series plasmas are considered the best HDTVs money can buy, short of the future OLED technology and better than LCDs. THe only LCD with black levels comparable to the Kuro plasmas are the above mentioned Samsung A650+ series. With this in mind, I'm kind of warming up to the Panasonic TH-58PZ800U plasma (with the assumption it will drop in price by Feb). It's been widely accepted as the "affordable" alternative to the Kuro. It's big, it's sharp and the black levels and color accuracy are on par with the Kuro series but about half the cost.
As far as 720p vs 1080p goes, there is more to it than just the resolution. Yes, 720p and 1080p are very close on sharpness, but the latest and greatest tvs in terms of overall image quality (colors, contrast, black levels, smoothness) are quite a bit better than they have been the past couple of years. They just all happen to be 1080p as well. So if you are spending upwards of $2500, it's going to be a 1080p set, so there's no debating that any more.
Anyway, just thought I'd share. This already is too long of a post
