Good thread this,im also upgrading my 42" rear projection tv to a 50" plasma/lcd
Wanted a plasma originally and had looked at the samsung one would love a pioneer but way to expensive
Now im being told to get a lcd.
Have read this in a magazine recently.
Lcs screens have a higher resolutions(good news if your after 1080p,are lightweight and cost less at larger screen sizes.
However the blacks look slightly washed out and some lcd panels struggle with fast motion.
Plasma,contrastingly,deals with motion confidently and delivers rich black and vibrant colours but the sets are chunkier and guzzle electric.
Theres also a slight risk of screen burn(which i got told about for rear projection and has never happened,it all depends on how your tv is set up ie brightness,contrast etc).