I have the Syntax Olevia 30" set, and I am very happy with it. Everyone who's come by to see it are just surprised how it performs, especially when I show them locally broadcasted HD television or the recording of the Preakness Stakes horse race that the local NBC affiliate broacasted. It was as if they saw the race for the very first time.
I consider my LCD TV the most important component of my system. Everything connects to it, and it makes everything else more worth while. For instance, I have a Windows Media Center Edition 2005 connected to the Olevia via DVI. Not only is HD television great, but PC games like HalfLife2 and Far Cry play far marvelously on the LCD than on my 17" CRT.
Also connected the Olevia are an XBox, Sony VCR, and DirecTV set top box; the Olevia greatly enhances the performance and enjoyment of these other components.
Incidentally, I do not consider my system to be a home theater PC. It's far more than that.
Anyway, since you asked, I'd seriously consider the Sharp Aquos models. If I had had an extra $1,000, I'd probably had bought an Aquos in stead of the Olevia. Accordingly, I believe you will pay a premium price for the Aquos, but they are excellent LCD sets.
Beyond a 32" screen size, you should consider a plasma panel. From personal observations, the bigger plasma screens have better picture quality than the LCDs. A DVD movie at 1280 x 720p resolution looks better on a 40" plasma than on a 37" LCD. The pixels on a 37" LCD are bigger (producing a less sharp image) than on a 27" LCD. But, plasmas handle this better as the size plasma increases.
Panasonic and Samsung are the brands with the great plasma screens. Be aware, Panasonic mixes up HDTV resolutions in its marketing, so be sure of the specs of any particular Panasonic model. Sometimes Panasonic will call an Extended or Enhanced Definition (EDTV) panel a HDTV panel.
Generally, you can find a thread on a flat panel models at AVSForum.com.
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