I upgraded the idiot box and amp this spring and now use less than half the electricity and don't have to have a AC in the room in the summer.
I hear ya on the plasma for heat and wattage as it does heat up a room, (ceiling fan helps) but the pic is top notch from a brand that is no longer made. Overall I prefer plasma for Blu Ray movie quality and AFAIK, no one has beat the black levels of this unit yet. The heat is nice in the winter
Plus just got my elect bill for July where the heat and humidity were both sky high-I ran 2 a/c units far more than usual and the bill was still only 100 bucks. The a/c has not been on in 3 weeks now.