Now this is an area I know a little about...I provide services to the factories where they build this stuff worldwide.... First off $1500 for a 50" LCD is impossible...unless it is a floor model or something...Its probably a HDTV Plasma not LCD...In the past the plasmas got a bad name because they run off a charged gas that leaves burns into the screen element so that little logo for like CBS or FOX would permanently be emblazed into the element forever. Subsequentially the life span for a Plasma is a lot shorter than a LCD. A LCD is basically a BIG computer screen much like the flat screens sold today with computer systems. In fact you could hook your computer up to your LCD and have a large computer monitor if you wanted. For a 50" LCD you are looking around 4-8K usd...but the holidays are coming so expect some bargains to surface. The HDTV thing...well that is an input signal. If you do not have digital cable or a direct TV dish you just will not see the picture as intended. You will know this if you have much better sound and picture through a DVD rather than your TV. Since plasmas introduction the MFR's have addressed the burn in problems and now TI makes a chip that works with tiny microscopic mirrors embedded within their chips so you have the same nice pic but no burn in...If you find a plasma with this technology in it they (the MFR) will offer you a burn in warranty against this problem...I believe Magnavox and RCA offer this to the consumer..... good luck...

Last thing...LG is Lucky Goldstar the Consumer branch of Goldstar and they are the top in LCD technology right after Philips right now. They build everything from toasters to washing machines to TV's to cellphones...They are Korean but as it stands they are no truly american companies building this technology..