I have found over many years of buying televisions that the choice of supplier of your equipment is almost as important as the make of TV itself. The best thing is to find a merchant who can combine the best products, locations, prices and after sales service.
As the prices on the new flat screen HDTV are falling, the choices open up for a bigger more impressive set for the same budget that once only got you an old technology twenty inch set a few years ago. So a pioneer 50 inch LCD set becomes far more affordable. Check out prices and specs online and you will see what I mean.