WHAT TV SHOULD I GET RIGHT NOW?

Figure out the features YOU need.
I want a total ability to resize the screen. Not just a few 'zoom, wide zoom settings.
Better sound management than what i now have (sucks)
The subtitles: mine sucks as I have to go into five menus to pop it up (to watch a sports while listenign to music..) same to turn it off. Should be a single button on the remote (PLENTY of useless, never used buttons on the remote, why not for that?

See. I would look for the simple things you use and want. Mosst TVs are pretty good. and then with the features, you cna choose easier.
(Yeah looking at the picture too. Problem is you have to adjust it to be decent first.. hard to do in ANY big box store. ((this alos lets you know if the menu system is any good or screwed up)) ditto an adjustment DVD or Bluray useage, nope, they only have the junk they allow to be viewed.)

I have a sony XLR LED I got last year. Oh my is it nice. Best TV I've ever had...including 2 samsung plasmas...

Panasonic VT50 series plasma or JVC Black SapphireLCD/LED are the two best pictures I have seen in my shopping. Don't waste the money on the Sharp Elite from what I can tell the Elite is just a higher end Sharp with fancy trim and higher price. All my opinion based upon my eyes. YMMV

Definitely the 50" Panasonic plasma. Don't know of a single person who is unhappy with one, assuming that they have had it calibrated properly after the break-in period. Fantastic color and clarity, and Panasonic has great customer service.

Since you don't get direct light plasma is possibly a good option, especially if you have off-angle seating positions as mentioned above. The other thing I've noticed in watching some friends' LCD-based sets is that motion seems less fluid than with plasma sets -- like it has a hard time catching up with motion. For instance, watching a pass play in football looks much smoother and more seamless with plasma than with LCD. I realize LCD is getting better in this regard, but I still see it as a comparative advantage with plasma especially if you watch sports. LCD can obviously go brighter, but with a properly set up TV in a non-bright room you don't need that much brightness anyway. And blacks are generally a strength of plasma as well which is good for movies, but LCDs seem to also be catching up there although at a price premium for now. Oh, and I'd bet the plasma would come in quite a bit cheaper. LCD would be thinner and lighter, but that doesn't seem to be much of a concern of yours.

By the way, I've had a 50" Panasonic plasma in very heavy use for about six years and am thrilled. No problems and great picture. Samsung also supposed to be good for both plasma and LCD. If you live in an area where you have power outages or brown outs you might consider a good power conditioner (such as APC, etc.) to protect your investment. One last piece of advice: buy the biggest TV you possibly can -- over time everyone I know (including me) wishes they got a bigger TV and nobody ever says they wish they went smaller. Best of luck.