SVA VR-30 30-Inch Flat-Panel HDTV-Ready LCD TV
This LCD TV *Does* Do HD
Amazon's product description is inaccurate.  According to both manufacturer specs and my in-store testing, the SVA VR-30 LCD TV is HDTV-ready, meaning it will natively display 720p and seamlessly downscale 1080i.  (Side note: no LCD TV today can display native 1080i.)  Of course, you'll need an external HDTV tuner in order to receive HDTV programming, but yes, you can do it.<br /><br />The best thing about the SVA TV is its price point.  If you search on the web, you can find this 30\\" LCD TV for as low as $1250!  That's just an incredible price.  SVA, a major electronics company based in China but not a namebrand here in the U.S., recently launched a fifth-generation LCD panel plant with NEC, but this TV appears to use an older-generation panel: its brightness, contrast and response time specs are lower than those on the best panels in the industry (Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba, Syntax Olevia).  In real-world terms, its picture quality is acceptable if viewed on its own, but next to a Sharp or Toshiba, the image does look \\"flatter\\".  The LCD panel does have respectable viewing angles; just keep in mind that as you move away from the center, you lose a lot of dark-area details.  This is true of all LCD screens, but top-notch panels from Sharp and Hitachi deal with this better than others.<br /><br />Luckily, \\"cheap\\" doesn't mean \\"ugly\\" here, as the TV sports a stylish exterior.  But \\"cheap\\" does mean the lack of DVI and VGA inputs, a disappointment for those of us obsessed with total digitalness or those who wish to use this as a PC monitor.  On the other hand, the SVA is progress scan-capable, meaning if you have a PS DVD player (like my favorite CyberHome CH-DVD300) and use component video connections, you get as good picture quality as you can get out of analog.<br /><br />Recommendation:<br /><br />If budget is tight, the SVA gives you an impressive flat-panel LCD TV for a good price.  If you have an extra $500, I still recommend the Sharp 30\\" Aquos LCD sold through Amazon.  Another good choice is the Syntax Olevia 30\\" set for about $250 more.  But if you want a real inexpensive set without sacrificing HDTV capability, this SVA is a decent bet.  Just keep in mind that it's durability is rather unknown at this time -- another reason to go with an established brand like Sharp or Toshiba... esp. given how cheap the Sharp 30\\" TV is these days.through Amazon.  Another good choice is the Syntax Olevia 30\\" set for about $250 more.  But if you want a real inexpensive set without sacrificing HDTV capability, this SVA is a decent bet.  Just keep in mind that it's durability is rather unknown at this time -- another reason to go with an established brand like Sharp or Toshiba... esp. given how cheap the Sharp 30\\" TV is these days.