answer:Check out Consumer Reports. There isn’t really one standalone best answer, because it can depend on your preference. 1080p, though, seems to be the emerging gold standard. We have a Sony Bravia 1080i, which we bought a little over 6 months ago. Sony dumped plasma and pour everything into LCD a couple of years ago. At the time of purchase, the Bravia had a much higher contrast ratio (blacker blacks and whiter whites) than any other LCD. With our older DishNetwork receiver, standard def images were fairly pixellated and laggy during close ups, but with a new HD receiver, the HD picture is really beautiful and standard def is better than what it used to be. Plasmas generally have better pictures overall, brighter colors, etc, and I think they use less energy than LCDs (which are kind of energy hogs), but they are subject to a shorter lifespan, especially in higher altitudes, plus you run the risk of burn in if an image (such as the tv channel’s little logo) stays on the screen for an extended period of time. A family friend got rid of hers after the power board burned out twice. The repair guy said that it’s new technology that they haven’t nailed down yet—this was about 6 months ago as well. She ended up getting a Bravia and loves it. Lastly, my buddy with a basement decided to go the HD projector route, since ambient light could be controlled and because he could essentially get a ginormous picture for the same price as a reasonably large tv set. I forgot what brand (there are two, I think that are at the top), but the picture projected onto a light green, textured wall (he hadn’t yet invested in a projection screen) was totally huge and amazing. The ambient light didn’t degrade the viewing experience one bit, although I imagine it would be richer still with a white screen and little to no light. It was the perfect solution for his space. The lamps for those cost like $300 to replace, so if you’re offered a choice in terms of a warranty or an extra lamp, the extra lamp might be worth taking. Good luck!