CRT's won't last forever, and so consumers are being torn between two competing technologies. Plasma vs LCD. While a conundrum to some, the manufacturers themselves are choosing sides. While normally you'd assume there is a strong bias towards one or the other, some of these companies are manufacturers of both types of device. Panasonic is endorsing Plasma TVs as the display of the future, for technological reasons (though I'm sure for monetary reasons as well):

Panasonic, the consumer electronics company owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial, is the world's biggest seller of plasma TVs. And it has long extolled the benefits of that technology compared with LCD, another flat-panel TV product. At the same time, the company sells a full line of LCD sets.
On top of an aggressive marketing campaign they have launched to demonstrate the advantages of Plasma over LCD, they also have limited their product line for LCDs. The largest Panasonic LCD reaches 32", while other manufacturers go as large as 65". Not everyone agrees about the benefits, including Sony, who recently departed from the Plasma TV market:

Not so fast, says Sony. The company, which exited the plasma TV market to concentrate on LCD sets, is running its own series of sportslike newspaper and magazine ads that promote what it calls an HD challenge. Once consumers see reflections of fluorescent lighting in the plasma set, they will opt for LCD, the ad contends.
Then again, we've all seen how well Sony's marketing has played out this year, what with being sued for fake product reviews and controversial ads. Regardless of what consumers are choosing, both LCD and Plasma are overtaking CRTs, and likely within a few years will be the only option.