I have an Sony LCoS set and love it - I gave it the nod by a hair over a DLP set. As with a DLP (lamp based) you will need to replace the lamp every 2 or 3 years, but it's only two or three hundred bucks. The runner up in my process was a Samsung 1080p DLP, which is also a nice set and somewhat cheaper to boot. But to me the Sony just flat had better picture quality. JVC is the other major player that makes LCoS sets, but they have a pretty significant SSE issue so if you go that route make sure it won't bother you. In my opinion the Sony LCoS sets are the best RP option available for a reasonable price at this point, but the DLPs are close and obviously some will prefer those. In either case get 1080p because, if nothing else, you'll get better video processing and black performance. Plus you'll be set in terms of a blu ray player down the road.

Flat panel LCDs are improving and I guess have gotten to the point that motion blur isn't a problem, but they still suffer from very poor black performance. Plasmas have very nice pictures, but burn-in is still a significant problem, the screen glare is bad unless you can control the ambient light in your TV room, and they suck the power down like crazy. In terms of bang for buck, your best bet is still the better RP sets such as LCoS and DLP.

RP CRT sets can be very good if they are properly calibrated, and they're cheap. The downside is that they have finicky settings, very poor viewing angles, aren't widely available (not many are produced any more), and they are bulky and weigh a metric ton. But if you're on a tight budget they're a good bet.