Samsung, and Sony brands seemed to be the best when I was looking. I have been told that plasma screens give off a lot of heat in front of them, so I'd stick with a LCD. HD, with HDMI ports, 1080p (not 1080i), and 120Hz motion (that you can turn off if it annoys somebody) is the way to go.

Another tip: Once you've decided on a model, get the model number, and search for it on Amazon.com. We got our 40" Samsung from them for about $500 less than any retail store.

Be well,
Glenn