I'm looking for a big new LCD or projection type

You should check out Vizio P50HDTV. 50" Plasma. I am not a plasma fan, but I bought one! Multiple inputs and 1080i and will only set you back about $1,400. View it in theater mode and you will see what it is capable of. Out of the box it is not great, but I used the custom settings from the Sound and Vision review and it is hard to justify spending more. IMHO

Just got another Sony KLD-46xbr, this time an xbr4, which is the latest 1 that just came out (my house got jealous of my office). This new TV sets the new standard and I've noticed it's even a little better for watching sports, probably due to some tech improvements. People who have seen the set immediately ask where I got it and how much it cost. Retail is around 3500 but it can be found online for a lot less. That would be my recommendation - if you can swing the funds, why "settle" for something less?

NEW 1080p 58 inch. flat panel LCD from Panasonic or new 1080p Samsung 47 inch.LCD with 15000:1. These would be my choices in 4 large price range. New 47 inch LCD 1080p from Vazio or Westinghouse if your are on tight budget.

I would wait and do a bit more research on the LED backlit LCD. You want a high contrast ratio? How's about 500,00.00:1 ?. DLP will eventually go away except a few big size like 72" or 73". The retail price of these dinosaurs has dropped drastically and so is the retail price of the Plasma. Some company as Toshiba has stopped making the DLP. Mits still have some 65" to 73" DLPs untill their Laser tvs debut.

We have the Aquos LC52D62U and are delighted with it. There are some better spec numbers out there but the 'D62U looked better than anything we saw at a large Best Buy store with the exception of a couple of super big Pioneers in the $7500 - $12,000 range which impressed me as "equal" picture quality as the Aquos. Our in home experience with this TV has been as impressive as was our showroom experience...Ultimately, I suspect the individual preference factor for these devices is quite similar to that with higher end loudspeakers - what impresses one may not be as impressive to another. I'd have a look at each of these units you're considering in person and up next to one another if possible. As with audio, what's visually most "musical" to you may or may not depend upon spec. numbers so much as what the experience provided in real time is like.