I have a toshiba 52" lcd (1080p), and a vizio 42" lcd (1080p).

I did quite a bit of looking around, and decided that they're not that much different, except for the sony brands which commanded about 30-40% premium for better quality.

These things recycle every few years now, just like computers. Get something cheap, and upgrade later.

1080p is something I would recommend, however, as it can also function as a computer monitor (1920x1080 resolution).

Costco has good prices, but also check the two web links I provided in the computer hardware forum for where to get deals.