Which high definition TV has the clearest picture and best sound and is it plasma or LCD?

LCD's suffer motion lag on fast moving objects, while Plasma has a protective screen that with bright lighting can hinder the screen image. If you can control lighting, you will get a better picture with plasma, which also has better colors and deeper black levels than LCD. If in a bright room then LCD is the way to go. The best HDTV out there is the Pioneer Kuro Plasma TV which for two years now has topped the lists of all other flat screen displays, but they are the most expensive flat panel displays out there. Panasonic and Samsung both make a plasma that closely matches the picture quality of the Pioneer Kuro.

Plasma definitely has a higher contrast ratio, but you will be fine with LCD. Most won't even notice the difference. A couple advantages on the LCD are lower energy consumptions, easier to see in highly lit rooms, and no worries about burn in images. Both are great, and the prices are pretty close to each other. There are various manufactures that offer great products: Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Sharp, Toshiba. I own a Sony, and a Panasonic, and both are great! Samsung are very good too, but the best thing to do is to see for yourself, and consider which one looks best for you. But definitley, for best picture, you want a 1080p Plasma or LCD to watch HD movies and tv. I would go with an LCD though.

I prefer LCD but there are plenty of Plasma enthusiasts out there. I like he LCD for ease of bulb replacement and the lifespan is good as well. Better yet, look into the DLP LED sets samsung offers. My buddy go one and even though it is a projection, the color and brighness is great, the TV is stillpretty thin, and the bulb never needs to be replaced becasue there is not any inside. It is all LED lights. Unless you are a real A/V geek, you can get away with a LCD. Plasmas do have "Truer" color but no one will really notice. Go with a TV with a high contrast ratio, 120Mhz, HDMI, 1080p resolution, low reponse time (under 9mS), and a wide viewing angle.

I totally agree with everything Matthew has said. I would only add that if you prefer watching sports (and you have the ideal lighting conditions) then definitely go with plasma. And if budget is an issue and you don't plan on hooking up a Blu-Ray player then I would strongly consider buying a 720p TV and save the money (as opposed to the higher priced 1080p).