So long story short, I just moved across the country, selling my really old TV in the process. Now I'm looking to upgrade to a HDTV for movies and xbox360 play. My question is what's a good size TV that isn't too expensive. I've heard anywhere from 27 inches to 40 inches being the minimum. Also, does anyone really notice a big difference between 720p and 1080p? I've heard that you need at least a 40 inch TV to see a difference between the two. Any advice is appreciated.

The difference between 720p and 1080p is pretty significant even on smaller screens but you really only need a 30"+ 720p tv for a xbox 360. You need to make sure it has the right input ports though depending on what xbox you get.

I have a 32" 720p DLP tv and it works perfectly for playing xbox.

On a 65" TV we were reviewing we had staff members walk out of the room while we switched it between 720p, 1080i and 1080p. They were standing about 12-15 feet away when they took their guess and no one could confidently tell which it was evey time and that's on a huge TV. Suprisingly 1080i won out overall for preference but since it's interlaced it's not as good for gaming.

Get a 42" plasma, Samsung & Panasonic make great plasmas (except the Panasonic X1, skip that series) that will cost you less than an even smaller LCD, plus you'll get far better contrast and no worries about motion lag. 120/240hz helps with motion lag but it's a problem inherent in the technology of LCD panels and will never be completely eliminated.

It all depends on how far you sit.
For me, I use a 26" LCD tv that doubles as a 2nd pc monitor. I'm either sitting at my desk chair or a recliner loveseat, max 10' away. Much larger and I'd simply be too close (32" would be ok I think) but would be too much as a pc monitor.
There is a formula of some sort for figuring your ideal size based on distance but I can't remember what it is.

Not many games are actually 1080P, but might be more in the future.

I bought a 42" Samsung Plasma in the summer of 2007 and it's been a great choice. I think Samsung has great picture quality. The unit I bought (720p) was on display on a wall with 1080i and 1080p models from other brands and the Samsung looked better than everything else on the wall with one exception (that being a 1080p Samsung plasma).

I paid about $1300 for this TV 2 years ago and the price is virtually half that now. If I were looking for my first Hi-Def TV without breaking the bank this is the one I'd be buying. In fact, two friends of mine have since bought Samsungs after seeing mine. And my father-in-law bought another brand (Sharp) and regrets it, saying he wishes he had bought a Samsung like mine.

Just my 2 cents.

I have a Panasonic plasma right now, my next TV will be a Samsung plasma. We review a lot of Samsungs and they make quality sets. Easily as good or better than any other brand save Pioneer who stopped making TVs and some of the boutique stuff like Runco.

I love my Samsung. I had a cheap brand before this and another in the bedroom. Noticed that anywhere I went that if someone was showing off picture quality, movies, games...they all put it on a Samsung and it looked a lot better than what I had at home. LOL
Got one myself not long after that and the difference has been like going from SDTV to HDTV.

I have a 52" Sony 720p LCD and I love it. Gming looks fantastic on it. Never have had an issue with motion blur while gaming.

I presently have a Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50" plasma screen and.....I LOVE IT!!! 1080P picture quality and I have a 360, Playstation3 and a Wii all hooked up to it. The PS3 and 360 are hooked up with HDMI cables and everything from dvd's, to blu-rays to games look phenominal. 50" was a perfect size for us for the room it is located. The TV is mounted on the wall over our fire place and we sit approximately 8-9ft away. We've had the set for about 18months and we have no complaints what so ever.

One thing to consider is that if you have any windows directly across from where you will have the TV, the glass on the plasma will relect the light which could be annoying and the picture can get somewhat washed out with a lot of light. Not a deal breaker by any means but just something to consider. If I remember correctly, the rule of thumb I was told when comparing LCD and plasma was:

Bright room go with LCD Screen
Darker room go with Plasma Screen

I'm not up on all the tech behind the magic so if this is no longer true please chime in. Just repeating what I was told 18 months ago.

Base on my experience so far, I would go plasma without hesitation.

Not so much anyore, you can get either with anti-glare screens but anti-glare screens have a pretty serious negative effect on contrast and picture depth. I'll just pull the blinds.