MD:
I think you will be very happy with the 60" SXRD. My 50" is great, I am amazed at the picture.
LCD? Well, it is a variation of LCD, actually LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon). Read about it here:
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_te...i=45980,00.asp
and here:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcos.htm
Warranty: I am a firm believer in not buying extended warranties on home electronics, opting instead for name brands such as Sony. However, after a painful experience with the first Sony DVD recorder for home theatre (replacing it was cheaper than fixing it in year two), I decided to top up the warranty on the new SXRD to 3 years. That was the best price break at my Sony store, around $300 CDN as I recall. I chose the Sony plan over the Best Buy/etc options, as it was half the price. It required me to buy from the Sony store, but they beat the Best Buy/Future Shop price in a moment.
If you have the option of DVI or HDMI cables on your cable box, great. Get good ones, it isn't a good place to save money. If you don't have the option of DVI or HDMI, it isn't all bad, as the component video cables, to my eye, don't show much degradation. The downside to the DVI or HDMI connections is a slight delay when changing to that source, reminding you that there is a microchip in the circuit somewhere.
Stand: you didn't mention it, but the factory stand is a good option. It is the right height (low), and it fits the base of the TV perfectly, with a trim piece to cover base of the TV. It is pricey, but worth it, IMO. The other stands didn't really do the TV justice.
Enjoy it.
Jeff