HDTV

My 2006 42" Hitachi Ultravision Plasma is stuck on standby.  I turn it on and the screen pops up for a half of a second and then it switches to standby and the red standby light just flashes.  I found this on the internet:

Please try a hard reset. Unplug the TV from power supply and other units connected to it.
Restart it after 30 minutes. This should drain all the charges and reset the unit.

If that doesnt help then its a hardware problem. You can try cleaning the unit from inside after taking it apart. There are high voltages present inside.
Most likly the high voltage transformer as well as the horizontal transistor is bad. if you have no solid state repair experience, you will not be able to fix this set on your own as the circuits in these sets are complicated and there are safety issues you have to know and equipment you have to have.

If the set is still under warranty, immediately arrange for a repair and keep a record of all dates, names, phone numbers, and promises made.
Finally, if your set is NOT under warranty, consider carefully whether to make a repair or buy a new set. New set prices have dropped sharply, and the difference between a repair and a new set may not be significant. Of course, you can wait until the set fails.

Now I have no business taking this thing apart.  The hard reset didn't work, even after a full night of having nothing plugged into it. so it seems my 6 year old plasma is dead to me.  So I have two questions:

1. what type of tv should I buy now?  I still want a 42".  I don't want 3D.  Should I get another plasma, or should I get an LCD?  Or what about an LED?  I like to watch sports and movies.  I don't play video games. 

2.  What the hell should I do with this broken plasma?  something tells me that someone who has more patience and knowledge than me could fix this thing.  It was working perfectly just yesterday.