I’m a single mom here in NH my daughter is 3 yrs old now so I think I can upgrade a little bit.
I’m buying a new flat screen TV next week maybe a 42 inches for my small living room, I don’t know nothing about them because I never own one before.
What’s the best name brand out there please?
What’s the difference between LCD and Plasma?
Is it necessary to buy the extended warranty?
How should I know what size to buy?
Is Wal-mart a good place to buy a TV? They seem cheaper there.
Merci Beaucoup mes amis!
Suggestion:
1) there's a difference between flat SCREEN vs. flat PANEL. You can have a CRT TV that's "flat screen". You can even have CRT that's HD TV. Just make sure you get the right one. 
2) Vizio and Samsung are the best rated brands out there.
3) Different fundamental technology. Plasma use a bit more power but has better contrast.
4) Probably not. In general the "extended warranty" is a waste of money. Most credit cards double your existing warranty… if you buy with the card AND save the receipt!
5) The size is dependent on your distance from the TV.
6) Shop around. Walmart tends to stock lower-end models.
—
Kasey C, PC guru since Apple II days
I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
The "best" name brand out there is Samsung. They are consistently of very high quality
LCD and Plasma are two different technologies for producing a flat screen display. Both are good, but for a 42" TV, it's probably best to go with an LCD. LED LCD TVs are LCD TVs that use LEDs for the blacklight (as opposed to fluorescent or mercury bulbs) so those are certainly the "best" you can get.
Extended warranties are almost always a waste of money. The TV will come with a 1 year warranty already, and that will cover your needs quite well by itself.
You just said you were going to get a 42" TV. Obviously you need a TV that will fit the space you intend to use it. Most places will let you exchange or return the TV if it's the wrong size for your space. The TV will look smaller in the store than in your home as well.
Wal-mart is actually a pretty crappy place to buy a TV. Wal-mart gets manufacturers to make special models of TVs that use inferior parts. That's how they sell cheaper TVs. I'd recommend an electronics store like Best Buy or Fry's.
On a completely side note, you posted this question in the wrong section. :p