Monitor advice.

I've got an ancient computer monitor from 1999. It's a 19" CRT that takes up a large amount of space on my desk. I'm thinking of buying a new LCD monitor. I'd want something with at least the same amount of screen area.

What is state of the art these days?

Concerns:

1) Image quality for games and movies. What kind of response time do I need?

2) Should I go for 1440x900 or 1280x1024? Which is best for productivity? For movies, the wide screen makes more sense.

3) How long should I expect a good LCD screen to last?

4) Is an analog connection good enough? How much does a DVI connection improve things? Is it worth the extra moneys?

5) How much should I expect to spend?