The prices keep coming down.
When I shopped for mine back a year or so ago, I was frustrated with the displays in the store. They don't have the settings all the same on all the tvs, so you can't compare apples to apples. I ended up doing a lot of research online and
buying a brand I'm feeling pretty loyal to these days that also got a pretty good review online.
The models change so often that it won't help you for me to recommend anything based on my 1.5 year old research.
Regarding size and resolution, it's helpful to look at the charts out there that show what the human eye can see from different distances, and then compare that to your normal viewing distance. For example,
this chart points out that with a 40 inch screen, 1080P doesn't become visible over 720P until you are sitting around 7-8 feet from the screen. I personally sit around 10-13 feet from the screen, so 1080P isn't needed for me at that size. (You may only be able to find 1080P in the 40" sizes. I think 720P doesn't become common until you get down to the 32" screens.)
The bigger the screen, and the closer you sit, the higher the resolution you need.
The only recommendation I can give you is to read the reviews at cnet and other similar sites. I can say that I love my Panasonic LCD.