Popping in to give my $.02!

Rowain, I read your posts and from my experience and what you describe, you'll honestly want nothing smaller than 32'' at the viewing distance you mentioned. I bought a 32'' Samsung a year ago, and my viewing distance is roughly 6-7 feet and at times I wish I went bigger.
 
There's a specific screen size to viewing distance ratio that gives a guide line to follow. One has to remember that with 16:9 aspect ratio there's a lot more content being shown at once vs. 4:3, so the proper ratio between viewing distance and screen size is necessary. I'd recommend 37-42'' for a 10' viewing distance, as long as you can find a good deal and afford it.

As for brands, I can recommend Samsung via experience. Oh and LCD. LCD TV's have made huge bounds over the recent years, and while it's true that their black levels aren't as good as plasma, LCD still performs comparable enough. That and Plasma's have a shorter lifespan and as other posters have mentioned, are ideal for 42+ sizes and above.

Edit: http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108580-2.html This should help explain things a little clearer.