Lots of opinions here, not all of them accurate, so here's mine: Plasma TV's are not dead, and in fact, do some things better than LCD's and for less money. Plasmas and LCD's will both be around for quite awhile. 720P is basically the same as 1080i (P stands for progressive scan, which scans every line of resolution, whereas 1080i scans the even lines first, then the odd lines, etc). Most cable and satellite HD broadcasts are currently in 1080i. Why buy a 1080P then, if nobody is broadcasting it? Because even though you may not want a $400 Blu-ray player now, which do 1080P and look fantastic, where will their price point be this holiday season or next year? More than likely $200 or less, which means you'll probably want one then. On average, all things being equal, a 1080P flat panel will cost you about $500 more than a 720P currently. Bottom line: choose the right size TV for your room and viewing distance, set your price range, and choose the best LCD or plasma you can find. Remember, what and how you hook up to your flat panel will determine what your picture looks like as much as the type of TV itself...
what do i really need 1080p for?
if my only intention of getting a plasma/or lcd is to buy a new tv, that can accept the high def signal in the future, what do i need a 1080p tv for? arent they only really useful if using a blue-ray type source? my intention is to NOT use this as part of home theater , or even to watch dvds..simply watch cable tv. that being said...looking for 46" isnt plasma the way to go? ive got a sony 36" Wega XBR and not much rivals that...so whatever i get needs to outperform it. And 720p of course is way less coin.