Dunno what the prices are for 42" plasma's but Sony got their flagship 42" LCD on sale now (still gonna cost ya £6259 tho ) and it is simply gorgeous. It is the smallest 42" I ever seen, in as far as the LCD is floating in between two sheets of glass, and there's no plastic surround or anything. It is just this glass with the screen in it, on a stand (or wall mount) with or without speakers clipped onto the sides (they can clip on the sides or stand on their own)

The quality is just stunning - puts plasma's to shame if you ask me