WHAT TV SHOULD I GET RIGHT NOW?

Panasonic VT50 series plasma or JVC Black SapphireLCD/LED are the two best pictures I have seen in my shopping. Don't waste the money on the Sharp Elite from what I can tell the Elite is just a higher end Sharp with fancy trim and higher price. All my opinion based upon my eyes. YMMV

Definitely the 50" Panasonic plasma. Don't know of a single person who is unhappy with one, assuming that they have had it calibrated properly after the break-in period. Fantastic color and clarity, and Panasonic has great customer service.

Since you don't get direct light plasma is possibly a good option, especially if you have off-angle seating positions as mentioned above. The other thing I've noticed in watching some friends' LCD-based sets is that motion seems less fluid than with plasma sets -- like it has a hard time catching up with motion. For instance, watching a pass play in football looks much smoother and more seamless with plasma than with LCD. I realize LCD is getting better in this regard, but I still see it as a comparative advantage with plasma especially if you watch sports. LCD can obviously go brighter, but with a properly set up TV in a non-bright room you don't need that much brightness anyway. And blacks are generally a strength of plasma as well which is good for movies, but LCDs seem to also be catching up there although at a price premium for now. Oh, and I'd bet the plasma would come in quite a bit cheaper. LCD would be thinner and lighter, but that doesn't seem to be much of a concern of yours.

By the way, I've had a 50" Panasonic plasma in very heavy use for about six years and am thrilled. No problems and great picture. Samsung also supposed to be good for both plasma and LCD. If you live in an area where you have power outages or brown outs you might consider a good power conditioner (such as APC, etc.) to protect your investment. One last piece of advice: buy the biggest TV you possibly can -- over time everyone I know (including me) wishes they got a bigger TV and nobody ever says they wish they went smaller. Best of luck.

Thank everyone for some great responses. i DO need to watch from an angle at times, so plasma seems to be the best choice. as for a nice piece of furniture,
should i just get a salamander cabinet or try to be more "creative"? the cabinet could cost as much as the TV. which is OK, But i don't want to find ANYTHING
where the manufacturer cut corners. Salamander does offer casters as an option which is a necessity- i already have 4 things that have to get hooked up, and counting.
Of course i now just look at the Toshiba set with all of its built-in conveniences and the great cabinet it comes in and feel a little blue...

On the theory that size matters:

http://www.nextag.com/Sharp-AQUOS-LC-80LE632U-942569798/prices-html

this would be my recommendation, if +/- $4K is manageable for you.

Marty