Stoney - Olevia only makes LCD's and they have been given very good ratings. They have an excellent picture, and cost several hundred dollars less than comparable models from the "big" names (Sony, Sammy, etc.)
Recently given a "Best Buy" rating from Consumer Reports. Blurb:
"This TV had very good HD picture quality and was good for DVD and very good for standard-definition content. There was some edge enhancement and inaccurate flesh tones, but these minor issues didn't detract much from the picture quality. The remote control is excellent and easy to use in low lighting. The viewing angle is fairly wide. But the on-screen display menu is difficult to navigate. Black levels could have been a little deeper."
Plasma vs. LCD - I decided to go LCD mainly because (as I understand it) the industry is largely going that route. I believe Sony has phased out Plasma completely and is going solely LCD with their TV's. The Plasma's use much more power, run hotter and at one time at least there was a concern about screen burn-in. That may have been resolved buy some manufacturers, but I sure don't want a shadow of the CNBC ticker burnt into the bottom of my screen.
At one point it was a price point / screen size issue. Plasmas gave the most bang for the buck on larger screens, but now LCDs are available in larger sizes at similar prices.
Sound - Not a highlight with the factory speakers, but another plus for the Olevia is that the speakers are removable. Just toss them and use your home theater system.
There is a receiver in the 542I, not sure about other models. You really only need it to receive Over The Air signals. If you have HD Cable or Satellite, it isn't necessary.
Anyway - I am still holding the stock. Opened strong today, but couldn't get any momentum. I still think it'll see $10
soon.