TV Bleg

Are there any videophiles among my readership?

The combination of being lazy and having an abnormally low time preference mean that despite all expectations, I don't own an HDTV even though it's 2008. I currently have one TV — a 27" CRT purchased over 8 years ago. It's long past time for an upgrade. In fact I had been talking with my co-workers about doing this around the time of the Superbowl… in 2007! Even I have to roll my eyes at such delay.

So, I'm in the market for a new TV. On the technology front I'm biased toward getting an LCD. (The wrinkle there is that I'm sensitive to black levels and I don't want black to look light gray.) I'm not very price sensitive so I'm happy to spend up to about $3000 on this TV. Based on my initial research that puts me at a screen size around 52".

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations about what brands to consider or avoid, things I should keep in mind when deciding what to buy, etc.