Plasma 42 inch ....

The Panasonic units have been going gangbusters in the marketplace, and before I left retail earlier this year, I sold my share of them.

I work with Hitachi units for custom install both because of the quality of the Alis panels, but also because of the all-discrete hex codes, which not all brands have. Not a big deal to the casual buyer, but if you are programming a sophisticated control interface, then suddenly it really matters.

FWIW, my employer and I spec more 55" sets than 42" ones. What that says about the market, I don't know... :)

I like the Fujitsus a lot, but I don't like the silver cabinetry.

For most people, PVR's totally change the way they watch tv. It's one of those innovations that once you have it, you wonder how you ever lived without it.

Regarding HDTV, I think the 2 key content streams that benefit the most is sports, and the movie channels. It's not like Jay Leno is funnier, nor CSI more pompous in HDTV, but hockey or football in HD is stupendous, especially on a big-ass* display. And movies that are well rendered to HD from film are a joy to behold.

*big-ass is industry insider tech jargon. It means "large"