My approach is don't buy new technology up front. Let them iron out the bugs first. Let the competition drive the price down, then buy. You only lose big time on trying to sell 2nd hand goods that you paid mega-bucks for because you wanted the latest technology first.
I have a Sansui 84cm tv and while it's not the best picture, I've been hard pressed to notice the 'awesome' HD improvement that LCDs, LEDs, etc have that warrants the price difference. I am working towards a HDTV. I understand when you go bigger than 42", then resolution makes a difference, but until then.. ?
But the point is I believe half the price of new TVs is marketing hype and advertising, and then the balance is the actual product.
I've auditioned the big name brands against the lesser name brands. I noticed a huge difference - the PRICE!
