I second the recommendation for AVSforum, however, much like this video forum, people are given to having their favorites and it's not always easy to get an accurate read of what's true or not. Imagine not knowing much about graphics cards and walking into one of these SM2 vs SM3 debates...so, while I know this is lengthy, maybe this will help you and others...
I researched HDTV's for months before buying. CNET's HDTV reviews are decent, as is their overall guide to HDTV. Their main problem is that there are way more models than they can review, so some worthy models are overlooked.
For another CRT, Matthias99's recommendations are mine as well. No one has beaten the Sony's for CRT quality, although I like Samsung as well. The XBR series is the highest end Sony--about $1600-$2000 for the 34" 16x9. Sony also has a 40" 4x3--the largest currently available tube television weighing in at over 300 pounds. It goes for about $2000-2500.
The other technologies--plasma, LCD, LCD projection, D-Ila, and DLP, projection CRT--all have their ups and downs. For what you say you want to do, you are right to want 720p. (1080p TV's are starting to become available in the high-end, although I remain doubtful, for a variety of reasons, of 1080p becoming a broadcast standard like 720p and 1080i.) Fast motion on the screen benefits from having the progressive image versus the interlaced. The problem for you is your price range. $1500 for a HDTV bascially gives you two choices: CRT, which limits you to a size of 40" in 4x3 or 34" in 16x9 (and 4x3 shouldn't be an option frankly) while giving the best picture quality, or projection CRT. Projection CRT's have the advantage in that you can get huge screens for the money, but it's old tech. They are dying off--slowly, but surely. They also are 1080i, require calibration to look their best, and despite the strides made, you must still contend with the "burn-in" issue, which raises a question mark for gaming. That said, they are cheap, and produce the best blacks of any TV. So there are your options at that price point. Of those two, regular tube CRT's are better, but the size/weight can be a problem. You should measure your space, and aim to sit no closer than 2x the size of the screen, and no further away than 3x. That means for the largest CRT (34") you should sit no further back than 8.5 feet away. Sit outside of that zone, and the HDTV effect will be wasted in some way.
I recommend you save your money, or finance your purchase, and get a DLP projection set. I like them over the LCD projection, although LCD has its fans and the price is often a bit better. The smallest DLP you will find starts in the low 40" range. I also recommend that you go to your local electronics store at a time when they aren't very busy, like a mid-week day afternoon. Negotiate the price--managers have significant leeway to drop prices, and during a slow sales day they are more likely to do so. I also recommend getting the service plans. Though they are a waste of money for 99% of things sold, for DLP's they are not, esp. if the bulb is covered. DLP is still new tech, and I had to take my first DLP back due to a flawed screen. Second one has been perfect. WARNING: Although much more rare now, take a good look at DLP's and make sure you don't see rainbows!
For DLP's:
HD2+ or HD3 chipset only for 720p; xHD3 is the 1080p chip, which should be rather expensive. Avoid the HD2 chip if it's even still around--it's outdated. The HD2+ is actually the superior chip--it actually has mirrors for every pixel of a 720p signal, while the HD3 has half as many pixels, and uses a "wobulation" technique to mimic full 720p. The HD3 chip many people claim to be superior when using standard quality TV as it has a "softness" which conceals the inferiority of 480i SDTV. The HD3 chip is common in the 63 series Samsung models, which are now being phased out, so you may get a good deal on them. They lack a HDTV tuner, but give both a HDMI and a DVI hookup, so they're expandable. A few of the RCA models (165 series, IIRC) use the HD3 chip as well.
IMO, the Samsungs (the new 74 series is their HD2+ model--don't know much about them other than they finally added cable card support), and the Mitsubishis are a bit overpriced, although the Mitsu's are usually ranked very, very high and have strong feature sets. Many people are turned off by their incredibly reflective screens--THEY ARE REMOVABLE--which most people don't seem to understand. Panasonic and Toshiba have nice DLP sets, but I don't like their looks due to the elephant ears speaker style. RCA has wide variety of DLP sets--I own one, the 162 series--and they are probably your price/performance leader. Many people are wary of RCA because of their disastrous first DLP set (the 151 series), but the newer ones are very nice for the money. Keep in mind your needs for a separate tuner if necessary (many newer models do feature an ATSC tuner and a CableCard slot), your need for HDMI ports and component inputs, and the size of your room versus the screen size, and the cost of a replacement lamp (every couple of years on average--ymmv). There's a LOT to go over, but a good HDTV is big investment. Hope this helps.