If you're not going bigger than 50" and you're sitting more than 8 or 9 feet away from the TV, it's impossible for the human eye to tell the difference between a 720p and a 1080p TV.
I would recommend taking a look at both the Panasonic TH42PX77 or the 50 inch of the same model. You should probably be able to find the 50 inch for $2500 or so right now and over boxing day it may even be around $2000.
Another option to look at that's a little more expensive is the Pioneer 5080... it's still 720p and will be about $200-$500 more than the panasonic, but it's jaw dropping how beautiful the picture is.
I'd say contrast ratio/black levels/overall PQ are much more important to me than resolution... but most salesmen will try and tell you that you NEED 1080p to "future proof" yourself. While they may have a point, by the time HDTV broadcasts are in 1080p format (at least 4 or 5 years away), 1080p TV's will be half the price they are now.
The best advice anyone can give you though is to just go see for yourself... just remember that all TV's in the store are in "torch" mode (contrast/brightness turned to max).
|