I understand what you are saying as far as feeling like you've made a descent jump in size vs what you have now. 19 to 24 at a desk felt like a huge jump for me, but considering you want this to be a tv at a distance your best bet may be to wait and get a 32" 1080p. Definitely stick to lcd though. The holidays are always a good time to find deals. Scour the tv sections of this forum and others as well as sites like slickdeals. It sounds like if you buy anything smaller you'll probably regret it. Good luck and happy hunting.
PS. Tell your family and friends for cash, checks, or visa gift cards for christmas. Every little bit helps
