I'm currently in the market for a new television and a DVD player, and I still have absolutely no idea which way to go. There's plenty of educational material on the web, and I've read a fair amount of it. The classic LCD vs. plasma debate is the topic of conversation everywhere, and everyone seems to say the same thing: it all depends on what you want. Plasma has some great pros: deeper black levels, a better viewing angle, and (according to some sources) cheaper per inch than an LCD. One of the major drawbacks for me is that plasma screens are highly reflective. I've got four windows that allow in the bright afternoon sun, and they're directly opposite where the TV will ultimately be placed. I've got blinds, but they only do so much for the light. However, I primarily watch television at night, so it's not a major issue (though it might become one in the summer, when it's lighter later).

My current TV of choice is the Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U (which seems to be offered by a different 3rd party outfit every day). I've read that at under 50 inches, going to 1080p isn't really worth it, unless you plan on using the screen as a computer monitor. I'm not planning on doing that, so the cost savings is worth it to me.

As far as DVD players go, I'm not sure what to do. Lots of players do upconversion these days, but I've read some strange reports of problems with this feature. Some players upconvert to 16:9 only, forcing you to stretch older DVDs (e.g. older television shows) to fit the screen. Other players have reports of defaulting to 1080p, causing display issues on 720p sets.

What kinds of TVs and DVD players do you folks use? Any tips on what I should buy or avoid?