Question about buying a hdtv

Hi, since there are so many people in the guild, I figured that this might be a good place to ask about HDTV recommendations.  My wife and I want to get a new one, but there's a lot of stuff on the internet about which one to get, and it's getting a bit overwhelming to some extent.

What we're looking for is

1.  between 400 to 900$ including shipping

2.  works well for gaming (which I think means the refresh needs to be 120hz?) as in ps3 and possibly computer.

3.  Works well for movies

4.  is between 49 to 60 inches

That's all of the requirements I can think of... doesn't need to be a smart tv or anything since the ps3 and computer can handle those things.  If anybody has a specific model or place to buy them, feel free to speak up!  Thank you in advance.  It'll be nice to stop using our old 1996 crt tv :)

I would go Plasma Panasonic TC-P50S60 50" 1080p Plasma Its an awesome TV my Brother In Law has one and Ive used it on my PS4 and it rocks the colors on BF4

Plasma is outdated and inferior to most LED tvs now. The one true benefit of plasma is that it has tempered glass in front of the display, making it a great buy if you have small children or adult children who like to fly those remote control helicopters in your house!

If you want a good HDTV, stick to LED (and try to avoid LCD/LED unless it is a bang on deal). LED is the only display that can show true black - it can turn off individual pixels entirely to get black. Visio and LG are my favorite brands. I suggest you just make sure the TV has at least 2 HDMI ports and is a "Smart" TV (has Android built in). You may not think you want it, but once you have it, you wonder how you lived without - it's really nice to stream video, Netflix, Hulu, whatever without the whirr of the PS3 droning on. You don't necessarily need 120Hz, but you do want at least 1080p.

My personal favorite and current living room TV is the LG GoogleTV. It's 55" and even 3D (which works great, if'n you're into that). I don't think you can get it under $1000 at normal retail though. You should be able to find a 50-55" LED SmartTV for under $1000 even at a big box store.

You might also want to consider either waiting a little longer or upping your budget. 4K TVs are down to around $1500 and are the future of TV. HD is reaching the end of its run.

Plasma is old technology, but it isn't outdated or inferior to LED TV's. Even the new 4k LED manufacturers are trying to produce plasma-like images because plasma still provides a better image quality and cinema experience.

The Plasma has a better viewing angle, no screen blur when there is fast motion/transitions, and much better black levels. To get the full benefit of a Plasma using it in a dim or dark room is best. At 50" and higher the Plasma out performs LED tech.

The LED has a better brightness of colors, use much less power, weigh less, can be used in rooms with a lot of windows/light.

I own a 55" Plasma and a 55" LED, and the side by side comparisons of the picture are noticeable. The Plasma is actually 3 years older and still produces better cinematic colors and richer blacks. Both are Sony Bravia, so not comparing a great Plasma manufacturer versus a no name LED, both are 1080p also.

It really comes down what will you do most with the TV. My Plasma is my bluray viewing set in the computer room, and my LED is my everyday set in the living room. Also if you're going to hook up a console or computer for gaming go with an LED as Plasma will develop screen ghosting if left too long on a pause menu and the like.

Aalwein posted a great LED and they make a good Plasma also, that can be found on sale around the 600$ mark,

LG 60PN5700 60-Inch Class 1080P 600Hz Plasma TV with Smart TV.

That got lengthy, anyhow good luck on your TV search.

I love my plasma but I would not use it for video games because of potential burn-in. Mine is few years old, maybe burn-in is not such an issue on new models. Also do not buy a plasma to put in a room with windows or lights that will cause reflection off the glass.

A good place to find reviews of stuff like this is at http://thewirecutter.com

They relate the best $500 TV is the Samsung PN51F4500 - should be easy to find the article there, though, and I advise poking around there to see what they say.