JVC HD-61G787

Summary: Bottom line is: The TV is a great buy for the price. The picture is excellent, however, the sound is terrible.
Simply put, it's definitely a worth buying. Just be sure to have a surround or stereo receiver to hook to it.

Summary: Read this review keeping the following things in mind: I got the TV free from American TV & Electronics (free promo item after spending $3100 on furniture- the wife wanted furniture from American & said it was the only way I was getting a big screen), I do not have the TV hooked up to HD programming (not yet willing to spend the extra $$$ to get an HD Dish Network receiver/box/programming upgrade for only 26 HD channels), & I have never owned an HD or projection TV before (replacing Sony, 36", flat/CRT, non-HD TV).

Overall the JVC is a solid performing TV. The picture is bright, the colors are realistic and natural (after minor tweaking), the sharpness is a bit inconsistent (TV seems to exaggerate the quality of the source material- the good looks great & the bad looks worse), & the imagery has a healthy amount of depth (even highlights & shadows contain detail/shape). The weak point of the picture is sometimes it experiences a slight/brief raster effect (smooth picture details appear as digital blocks). I have only noticed this effect a few times & it only lasts for a second or two (happens when picture is filled with lots of quick in-focus motion, example: panning shot of shifting smoke or steam). The other negatives about this TV are it's bad menu design (single tiered scrolling list) & it's less than spectacular sound (sound is a bit flat and weak, but I listen through a surround set-up).

The biggest positive about this TV was the price, free. If American runs this promotion again, if you need a couple significant pieces of furniture, & if you have the space to accommodate a 61' TV (3 big if's), I thoroughly recommend this promotion and this TV.