First, what is your budget and what size TV do you want?

You might be able to afford a plasma set; prices have been dropping steadily. To simplify things there are two basic kinds of sets:

Direct-View: These are plasma, CRT and LCD sets. You view the picture directly from the screen. Direct-View TV's are much more expensive the larger the screen size. In the largest sizes (50-60"), the rear-projection sets will be cheaper.

Rear-Projection: LCD projection, DLP, CRT projection. With these sets, they use different types of technology to project an image onto the screen from behind. They usually include some sort of projection bulb light source. CRT projection sets are the cheapest of all, but they are very large and bulky and take up a lot of floor space. The other types of rear-projection are smaller and take up much less space. However, none of these could be considered really "flat", and are not meant to hang on a wall, for example.

It's really not necessary for you to worry about the technology behind the set (DLP, LCD, etc.). You need to be concerned about what size screen you need, how you will be displaying the set (do you want to hang it on the wall, or sit it on a stand?), how you will be watching it (just you and your husband, or will you be having Super Bowl parties?). Also, once you decide on a size and style, you should go to a TV store and look for yourself and decide which picture you liked the most (same as when you used to shop for a TV in the olden days). It's what your eyes see and enjoy that matters, NOT the technology.

The main drawback of the rear-projection sets is that they don't usually have a wide viewing angle. If you look at the screen from too far up or down or to the side, the picture washes out. Also, personally, I'm not happy with the fact that there's a very expensive light bulb which needs to be replaced occasionally (8000 or so hours, and usually costs $400 or so).

For the direct-view sets, the main drawback is price in the larger sizes (40" and up). Some people who are especially attuned to variations in picture quality will say that LCD tv's don't have a good picture. That's a personal thing to decide for yourself. If you want a 42" set, the plasma prices have come down a lot, and you can get a nice set for $3000 or a bit under. In the 42" plasma world, you might see some sets which are EDTV, not HDTV. That means they don't quite have enough resolution to view Hi Definition TV in its complete and total glory. The advantage to EDTV is that they are usually about $1000 cheaper than the HD models. AGAIN, don't let the labels drive you crazy. If you look at the two types side by side, and you can't see a difference, decide for yourself if you want to pay the extra money for the HD tag. Also, don't let people worry you about plasma burn-in. The new sets don't burn in any worse than the old-fashioned TV's did.