I vote LCD.
They don't reflect light the way Plasmas do, so I actually like LCD better in a bright room. OTOH, Plasmas have more natural colors. Samsung and Sony seem like the best brands for LCD. Panasonic and Pioneer seem like good brands for Plasma. I have an older DLP RPTV and a newer SXRD projector currently. I helped my parents buy their LCDs last fall. I'm planning to buy into this new LCD technology in a year or two once prices come down more (note that these new & pricey models are coming out very soon)...
Samsung 81 Series anticipation thread - AVS Forum
That AVS Forum site has lots of great info. LCDs seem to be getting larger and larger in size w/ some 57" models available. Contrast ratios have gotten pretty good in the past couple of years. LCD is more energy efficient than plasma. At 42", 1080p probably doesn't matter much (unless you sit super close) if that saves you some $.
