If you don't mind a glossy reflective LED-like screen and don't really want or need an AR Filter, look into the lower-end Panasonic UT50 series and Samsung E550 series as these do not have an AR Filter like the higher-end models, but still have better picture quality than the LED LCDs.
The good mid-to-high end Panasonic Plasmas (ST50/GT50/VT50) and Samsung (E6500/E7000/E8000) Plasmas all have very good Anti-Reflective Filters that hold up very well in high ambient light. There's no need to hide them in a dark basement. Actually, most of the better LED LCD TVs do not have an AR Filter and are more reflective and more mirror-like than the Plasmas i've listed above, especially during dark scenes where the glossy reflective screen turns into a dark mirror. The AR Filters do a good job of rejecting light and softening reflections.
If you don't mind a glossy reflective LED-like screen and don't really want or need an AR Filter, look into the lower-end Panasonic UT50 series and Samsung E550 series as these do not have an AR Filter like the higher-end models, but still have better picture quality than the LED LCDs.
You can find the 55" TC-P55ST50 for a few hundred $ less than what your friend paid for that smaller (but higher end) 51" E8000, and a 60 incher for a little more than $1,600. The overall picture quality on the ST50 series is somewhat comparable to the E8000 but the ST50 has substantially better black levels and contrast, and the screen can be adjusted brighter.