I've stopped apologizing for the novels....
The choice between LCD and plasma is a matter of personal taste. Go to the store and sit in front of both and see which one you like more.
LCD is brighter, causing you to lose the darker blacks. Virtually no chance of burn in.
Plasma is a better mix of colors because the color is actually on the screen as opposed to being projected on the screen like LCD. Burn in is almost no longer a problem because of "pixel-orbiting" which has been added to the new TVs, but older models will still burn in if you watch a lot of the same thing with a ticker at the bottom(or the play the same game a lot).
A newer technology that has caught my eye is DLP. DLP is almost as bright as an LCD or a Plasma, but costs significantly less. It also takes up less space then a CRT. It's sort of the mix between CRT and plasma/LCD in that it's not as small as a flat panel, but not as big as a CRT, nor is it as expensive as a LCD or Flat Panel. If you have an old TV or a CRT but don't want to fork out the big bucks for the Flat Panel, DLP might be the way to go, especially if you want to go big like 42 or 50 inches and don't have $2500-$5000 to drop.
As far as built in HD tuner, it's only necessary if you don't use cable or satellite TV. But if that's the case, why are you buying a big screen? Cable card technology is going to be nice, but with a DVR, which everybody will have someday, you're still not going to use your built in tuner.
