WHAT TV SHOULD I GET RIGHT NOW?

After 14 years my Toshiba 36in. TV seems to have heard the fat lady sing.
so now with about 45-48 inches of space i would like to get a nice piece
of AV furniture and get a top-rated (picture quality 1st) TV on it.
Panasonic gets an enthusiastic rating. that, along with a salamander cabinet
underneath (i really would rather not wall-mount the set) would "seem" to be
one of my best options.
SO before i go insane shopping around, and especially with new
technology coming onto the market every 2-3 years, i am open to suggestions.
Thanks for any input. P.S. the room doesn't get direct sunlight.