Sony KDF-E50A10

Pros: HD picture looks better than plasma, compact size

Cons: Analog picture looks average at best

Summary: For anyone trying to figure out what HDTV to buy, this is it. The picture on this TV is as good as any that I have seen except the SONY Bravia XBR 46 inch set. But when you compare the cost, it is a no brainer. I bougt my set a year ago and got a great deal at the time but today you can get this TV for $1,700. Forget all the stuff professional critics (including CNET) write about deeper blacks etc. When you put this TV in your house and don't have any other TV sitting next to it, you will think you have as good a picture as you will ever want. I would also stress that this TV does not have many of the problems Plasmas bring with them such as the terrible glare if any light is in the room (ever wonder why the showrooms have all the plasmas away from a lot of lighting? The only reservations I have are the following: Because TV stations are so slow to convert to HD programming you have a limited number of stations though your cable provider (in my case DirecTV) so be ready to get a mediocre picture when you watch regular analog stations on any HDTV set. Some stations are better than others but overall the quality of analog stations on an HDTV is poor regardless of the HDTV you own. Also analog stations will have black bars on the right and left side of the screen and if they are broadcating in widescreen you have to adjust your set or the picture looks like a square box (regardless of the HDTV you own). This is annoying. You can use your remote control to fill the screen but I would only reccomend using the zoom function as all the other functions that fill the screen stretch the picture and it looks bad. When you use the zoom ******* it looks fine but does cut off the very top and bottom of the picture. The other reservation is only one HDMI input however you can buy a multi-hdmi box the will let you plug in as many HDMI connections as you like. Even though everyone keeps saying the HDMI is better than component video connections, I really can not see the difference. I use the HDMI because it carries the sound so it saves having to connect more lines to your TV (you still have to use an optical or digital connectore if you want sound through your AV receiver) and also because if you have an upscaling DVD player, the HDMI is the only way to use it.
Long story short, this is the best buy in town. As long as you can wait for more stations to convert to HD you are set. Just make sure you have at least 10-12 stations in HD available through your provider to make the investment worth it. DirecTV probably is best for this.