In the market for a plasma.........suggestions?

I have a suggestion... LCD
And above comments from Soundsmith1 has it right with both the RPTV & Oppo suggestions, but I still suggest the newer LCD vs. CRT now. 2 years ago I would have said CRT.. The new SONY 3 panel LCD and SXRD's are just amazing and easily the top rated today.

Also the OPPO digital is the Best Video player on the market, it easily competes in picture with the Denon top units at multiple thousands and they can be had for under 200, unless you need the best SACD, DVD-a, Redbook performance in sound too, the oppo is the way to go.

I used a monster cable surge protector with my sony crt years ago and it made a big difference. Avguygeorge....Why do you think there isn't as much of a difference when using a conditioner with a HD set compared to a crt set? Thanks also for the suggestion of the Toshiba HD dvd player....I've read positive comments about it and didn't consider it because I thought that it wouldn't work with SD dvd's, but it's good to know that it will. It would be nice to know how the Toshiba's pq compared to something like a Oppo 970 pq. Thanks for the suggestion for the NEC plasma Unclejeff. I wished that there was somewhere I could see it with my own eyes though! Funny that you mentioned how people put their displays over a fireplace Soundsmith1...I've never understood why someone would have a display so high and with possible neck strain, instead of the recommended center of view to the center of a display. My wall for a display is free of a fireplace. The plasma would hang above a four shelf (34-36" high) rack in between the speakers. I've read that the Oppo 971 is known for not working well with Panasonic because of its Faroudja chipset...is that correct? The Oppo 970 though may be a better match with the Panny because of the different chipset. Sorry that I didn't mention it before, but my main purposes is to free up the space between the magnepans, therefore not interfering with the soundstage like it is now with my crt and to have a cleaner look. Thanks.

Chazzbo - I need to set the record straight on something you said.

..."but I am amzed at what lower end Hitachi and Samsung can do."

Hitachi plasma TV's are NOT lower end. The Hitachi brand is is less well known in the US, but they are huge in Japan and the rest of Asia. Hitachi plasma screens are made in the same factory as Pioneer Elite. All of the electronic "experts" I've talked to about Japanese and Korean electronics state that Japanese made products tend to be of higher quality. Based on my consumer experience with both brands I would have to agree with their take.

Earlier this year I did a side-by-side plasma comparison (all things equal) between LG, Samsung, Phillips, Hitachi, Panasonic and Pioneer elite. The best was the 50" Pioneer Elite, followed by the 55" Hitachi. With 5 extra inches and $1K+ price difference, the Hitachi was a no brainer - particularly in light of the only minor PQ differences.

Hope this helps.

Okay, Undertow, let's get the technologies straight. You gave kudos to the Sony SXRD, and I strongly agree, however the SXRD is Sony's tweak of LCOS, not LCD! Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) is actually my preferred of the "new" technologies for RPTV, CRT RPTV still being number one for many reasons. Why? Recently The Perfect Vision, after testing one, said that the SXRD had resolution and black level equivalent to the best CRT RPTVs!?! My experience as well. LCOS TVs do offer great resolution and picture quality and prices are coming down. JVC's tweak is called D-ILA, or Direct Image Light Amplifier. In any case I prefer these to DLP or LCD RPTVs, with an honorable mention to Sony's new three-chip LCD RPTV, which is outstanding for the money, but as deep as a CRT RPTV and costs more. LCD flat panels, if they're over 25", IMHO, suck. There has been no significant break-through in this technology nor do most experts predict one. The retailers are pushing them now since plasmas have come down in price, so the LCD flat panels are the new "cash cows," but one can do better for less with a plasma. I also agree with Dawgbyte that Hitachi plasmas are overall the best popular price displays I've seen, but I know that the Panasonics get good reviews as well. (They all have pros and cons.) The absolute, hands-down best plasma I've ever seen is a Runco, pricey, but probably worth it. And to Tvad, the "pros" use those because they likely get them for little or no cost; that's the way this industry works. If you mean the custom installers, they're going for availability and mark-up, not performance (generally).