We got a Hitachi 850 about 6 years ago. My memory is not good but we got it when it first came out. Our 3rd bulb is getting dim so its time to upgrade. We are thinking of sticking with 720 [only if there is a superior one] because we have 3000 DVDs and will not be chasing the HD disks. We watch a lot of sports in HD from dish and the DW likes lots of daytime shows.
So whats the best 720 LCD [we have the ticker going for hours so no plasma]. We are looking forward to not having to get bulbs. We also want to improve our black levels but are not foolish enough to figure we will get top of the line just significantly better blacks than our current set.
We are prepared to spend for a top 1080P LCD if it will deliver a noticeably superior pic to a 720 set for regular DVDs. Do we need to upgrade our player for 1080P if we are using regular DVDs on a 1080P set.
Lots of questions but being retired we do not want to make a mistake. Thanks for your thoughts guys.
Forgot to say we are looking for a 50" set.

I don't have any specifics on LCD's being a Plasma guy, but I have done quite a bit of reading on 720P vs 1080 P(I bought 720P for both of my daughters-42" and 50"). The consensus is at 50" and below the 1080P will not give you a better picture unless you are viewing from approx. 7 ' and closer.

Are they still making 50" (52") LCDs that are 720?

I don't have any specifics on LCD's being a Plasma guy, but I have done quite a bit of reading on 720P vs 1080 P(I bought 720P for both of my daughters-42" and 50"). The consensus is at 50" and below the 1080P will not give you a better picture unless you are viewing from approx. 7 ' and closer.Well my old eyes see a very noticeable difference on a 50" 1080p set even at 10 feet and i'll be 52 years old in two weeks (but not close to retirement) :)

In addition to the complete lack of SDE and clearer sharper text on the 1080p sets, typically they will also have better processing and better colors and to a lot of us the extra cost is worth it.

Personally, the only reason i would settle for a 720p (768p) model is if i absolutely could not afford a 1080p set. But as MikeBiker pointed out, i think all the 52" LCDs on the market now are indeed 1080p anyway. I like the new Toshiba in this size range.

We can afford a 1080P and will now be looking at the possibilities in the 50 to 55 size. Thanks

We can afford a 1080P and will now be looking at the possibilities in the 50 to 55 size. Thanks

In that size and only looking at an LCD there are some pretty good deals to be had for the Samsung 550 and the 650 series. The 650 steps you up to 120hz technology which helps with sports and motion blur however, I have a 40" 550 and watch a lot of soccer and haven't been bothered by the motion blur on it. I think Samsung right now is the best bang for the buck in the LCD market and makes a nice quality set and the 550 and 650 seem to be a best bang for the buck right now. They also have an 850 and 950 but they can be on the spendy side.

As for DVD players, you can purchase a quality upconverting player to get the most out of your standard DVD's which will give you a very good picture and much better than a progressive scan DVD player. Oppo makes a quality player.

You could also look at the toshibas. They are as goos as samsung and sony for less money. Their 52xv545u is a 120hz set with a lot of great features and can usually be found for less than the samsung 650.