Which hdtv would you recommend and why?

If you're in a very bright room or are into gaming I'd go with LCD/LED. If light is not as much of a concern and you're into movies and sports I'd side with plasma for better blacks and less motion blur. Plasmas also have a much wider viewing angle if that's a concern.

I've had a Panasonic 50" plasma under heavy use for 2 years and it's been fantastic, and you can get them very cheaply these days. A buddy of mine has a Samsung 55" LCD and it also looks very good, but I noticed as we were watching a soccer game I saw the motion blur that I don't get with my plasma and it bothered me quite a bit. His LCD is about a year old and is not top-of-the-line so maybe the newer/pricier ones are better in this regard.

It's like others have said, assess your priorities and choose the technology accordingly. Once you've got that down you probably can't go wrong with a Panasonic plasma or a Samsung LCD/LED -- they're both great. Best of luck.

Another vote for the Panasonic plasma from me too.
I have been very happy with my Panasonic 58 inch THX certified plasma HDTV. It has a great picture with deep dark black backgrounds

FYI: I am actually surprised that the heat output is not more than it is. My father has an older 42 inch Panasonic Plasma that pumps out the heat, whereas my 58" barely seems warm. (Especially in comparison to the Lamm M2.1 monoblocks that are in the same room!)

My two cents worth.

Oh yeah - besides many of the good points here regarding ambient light, LCD / LED's are not so good off axis as the plasma's.

If you're going to be milling around while watching versus having a dedicated position to watch, the plasma's have an advantage there.

find one which reproduces 100% of the NTSC color spectrum. They are scarce; most tv's only reproduce around 70% of the available colors. Like high-end audio or marriage, you don't know what you're missing until you experience it, then you're done for.

It seems like now that Pioneer is not making their top-rated Kuro line, Panasonic is the one to go with if you decide on plasma. That is what I will do when I get enough money, and I have low light in the living room and the seating is really spread out. I think those are the main contingencies as to which type to get. If you have a lot of light and maybe one couch, go with the lcd/led. Samsung seems like a good start for these.