HDTV Update; Not Today

After doing a lot of R&R (reading and research) I convinced myself that a 40″ LCD was right for my living room. 40″ is about all that will fit where I want the TV to sit (or eventually be mounted), and while I could go a little higher (say 46″), a 40″ LCD seems to be the best value for my money.

I decided on LCD over plasma for a couple of reasons. First, I really wanted the highest resolution possible (1080p seems to be the way to go), and my living room is bright (lots of windows), which may present a problem for plasmas.

I was pretty convinced that I was going to go with a Samsung LN-S4095D 40″ 1080p LCD HDTV, but I finally decided on a Sony 40″ BRAVIA V-Series HDTV (KDL-40V2500). The Sony is a little more expensive, but seems to be the better set based on specs and my test viewing earlier today.

I am close to picking up the Sony today at Circuit City ($2249.99 + tax), but then I came message board that seems to indicate a serious ‘clouding’ issue with the Sony BRAVIA models. I am not sure if I would notice, but still, do I take the chance?

So now I am going to hold off for at least anther day to re-evaluate plasma, DLP, and do some more research on the Samsung and Sony models mentioned above. I wonder if this is kind of like the golden days of videogame reviews – things come up and average folks are never going to notice.

Anyway, I am a little disappointed that I did not get my HDTV set today, because I have been shopping around for over a year now (before finally deciding to get the thing done). I have a feeling that I am not going to pick up a new set for a couple of weeks. $2K (or more) is a lot to spend on a TV, plus I am traveling next weekend. No sense in rushing a purchase.

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