The TV Addict 

Personally I like Sony’s tvs…. the 40inch bravia is within your price range - around 1500-1600 in Canada… 1080p and 3 hdmi ports…

I have a 42″ Phillips plasma and I love it. I’ve had it for 2 yrs so I don’t remember the exact price but $1800 sounds right in the ballpark. I bought a stand and sound system at the same time and the total was around $2200.

Samsung is always a good option. I own a similiar model of this 40″ 1080p that is on sale at Sears this week for $999:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05771067000P?sid=I0084400010000100367&AFFL=Y

I’d go for the Sony Bravia as a first choice. I recently got a Sony DVD Player, a new Vaio, a Sony cellphone and next will be a camara, so i’m kinda sony-tized! and that TV is all kinds of awesome! Teehee…

But if you happen to think it’s not you at all, then Samsung is definitely a great bet!

if you want 42″ Full HD 1080P Plasma, then Panasonic is your only choice, since they are the only company making 1080P native resolution at 42″. I suggest TH-42PZ800U, which is THX certified (look for cnet review), and it’s around your budget (on amazon) if you shop around. now, Weeds please.

For your budget, I’d suggest Toshiba 42XV540U. it’s 42 inch 1080p LCD with 10 Bit Display Panel, and 120HZ processing to display smoother film-based material, and Wide Color Gamut enhanced backlight, and 4 HDMI inputs. All of this for the msrp of $1699, you cannnot get all of these features at this price if you buy Sony/Sharp/Samsung, so it’s the best value for a name brand. For example, the Sony model that has similar features is the 40Z4100, and it cost $2299 for 40 inch.
I’m in the market for a new TV myself, so I’ve been doing a lot of research, hopefully I’ll get a TV before the fall season begins, and to enjoy that boxset of weeds you’re sending me.