Which hdtv would you recommend and why?

Don't fall for the LED based on a hyped up store display! Plasma is still a very, very good technology, and they are affordable. LEDs are initially impressive, and my god, they are overpriced.

the ascendance of lcd is mainly a function of the lower manufacturing costs of lcd panels, not the superiority of lcd over plasma technology--in other words, manufacturers will push the more profitable product. lcd's energy efficiency is another factor. however, i've read that plasma's manufacturing costs are lowering, and energy consumption is evening out, so we'd expect to see something of a plasma resurgence. i do agree with bojack on led--it's initially eye-popping and astounding, but can get pretty fatiguiging in real world use. the great technological step-up is probably oled, which is very expensive and still developing, but from what i've seen is pretty amazing.

So we have 2 camps here, one camp is for the Plasma and one camp is for the LED.

It's true that Plasma will be outdated soon, period. However, no one can deny the PQ of the Pio Elite Plasma line. It's no longer in production and now the transformation to a less expensive line of the Panny. The Panny TCP58VT25 is the only one I would buy if I opt for Plasma. Otherwise, I would not recommend anything less than the Samsung LCD/LED UN55C6300/7000 series. They are not overpriced as some posters stated. The LCD/LED price drops substantially if you do not need the LED 3D.

It's true that you can get some Panny, Samsung or LG Plasma for under 1.5k ( 1080P/600hz) but the price of the un55c630 can be had for around 1.8k. Remember the 1.18" thin, clear pannel/ 120hz/ethernet port....and most of all, the mega contrast ratio and NO HEAT.

Don't think that plasmas are going away entirely, only the sizes below 50" are being discontinued eventually as far as I have heard. To me there was no comparison between plasma and LCD/LED - plasmas have much better blacks, which is very important for watching films, especially black and whites. They also have much better resolution of motion, so sports look much better. LCD/LED can have quite a bit of blur on the edge of motion. Also, I don't quite understand the glare comments - no one I know has a glare problem with their plasmas, whereas if viewed off center, LCD/LED just doesn't look right. Plasmas can be viewed even from very wide angles, which is necessary if you have having a bunch of people over to watch a game, for instance. And as for the heat issue, it simply isn't one for me - but mine is on a stand with lots of airspace. I had zero difference in my electric bill. They do run hotter, but if they are well ventilated, it's not a problem.