Samsung LN-T4669, yo.

From most accounts, it's roughly the equivalent of Sony's XBR4 series, with all the features you're looking for. It's essentially the same TV as the 71 series, but with a matte screen instead of glossy -- basically you trade off a little bit of contrast for a screen that doesn't reflect (something a lot of people dislike).

It has a couple of kinks with the 120hz motion that some people complain about. Basically, it can occasionally stutter or display a "triple ball effect," which resembles ghosting on fast moving objects like sports balls. But every single LCD screen out there has issues of one type or another. With Sony, the problem is clouding, if I remember right. Samsung's problems are some of the few that are apparently purely software-driven, and are promised to be remedied with new firmware in 2009. If it becomes problematic on a particular source, you can also turn down the AMP feature that causes it.

I have no idea what's up with the outrageous price at that link though. I ordered one over the weekend during a sale for $1799 (CAN). I have no doubt you could find one for under $2k. But of course, if you're really willing to spend $3000, there are a few steps up you could go with... not many though.

120 Hz and 72 Hz modes are crap as they're not really what they say they are: there's no LCD fast enough to display these many frames by second, LCD are inherently too slow anyway.
Only 1080p24 input should be the requirement.
And if you believe most LCD people here, SD content (480ip and lesser) looks like crap on their LCD HDTV. You decide.
The best is to go look at them in a store where you can tweak the HDTV (the neon will prevent you from doing that correctly anyway, so ideally there's no light). If you don't know how to calibrate a TV, then you're screwed anyway, and you won't notice all the artifacts. Then don't bother to search for quality.

That samsung is your best choice, the sony is way too much money.

I'm sorry you feel that way about 120/72 Hz.  Having seen it in action, I know that it makes a huge difference.  I also realize that companies are overcharging for this feature, but it's typically found on the best quality displays anyway, so I'm willing to pay for it.

Yeah, sometimes the extra frames are calculated incorrectly and you get artifacts, but from what I understand, you can set different levels of motion prediction/compensation.

I only have Samusngs, I know they have game mode. If I were you I would look at some Sharp Aquos TV's those things are gorgeous.Best picture over Sony/Samsung back when I worked in the retail sector.

There are two levels, "Standard" and "High".
There's no artifacts on "standard".
"High" does have artifacts though.
Sony's excuse was that they were only suppose to ship the TV's with standard but decided to include "High" as a bonus. They said that they only did extensive testings only in "standard mode" but wanted to let people have a taste of how smooth "high" is. I think they'll get it right in the newer models.

I got samsung LN 71 first but I returned it for XBR4

let me tell you why:

The glass panel on the samsung is like a freaking mirror(it is way reflective),the picture quality drops severly in the day time ,,,if you get abit of light in the room ,stay away from samsung,,,It annoyed me so much that I rented a van again to return it and buy the sony one,,,,Sony XBR4 glass panle is absolute matt ,,so the colors are much more vibrant than samsung in the daytime,,,I absolutly recommend the XBR4 over samsung LN71

As others have said, go with the XBR4.

And the Motion Enhancer does artifact on some fast moving scenes (particularly when the camera pans over the Rohirrim cavalry at the battle of the Pelennor Fields in the Return of the King), but for the most part it makes things look great.

Samsung would certainly be my second choice, though.