Philips 30PW850H 30" Widescreen HDTV-Ready TV
You get what you pay for, in this case it's a lot!
Like many other reviewers I wanted to research as much as I could before I bought a new TV set, especially online.  I found a website that offers refurbished Phillips products at beyond bargain basement prices so I decided to go with them.  It was shipped to my door almost 1 year ago and I love the TV so far.  It is indeed a heavy piece of equipment but then again, what tube television this large isn't?  In fact, like RCA's I shy away from big TV's that are light because I tend to think they are not built well, and when I saw one opened I did not like what I saw.  I have not used the HDTV signal yet since I really don't need it that badly but soon I will try the HDTV antenna with an HDTV box.  Remember, as other reviewers have said, this is an HDTV \\"ready\\" TV so you will need an external HDTV decoder to view HD signals. <br /> <br />With the TV hooked up to my basic cable the picture looks fine, not great, not bad, but that is all because I am viewing an analog signal on basic cable.  It will never be that great coming from an analog source but with that said, it is still a quality picture that I have no complaints about so far. <br /> <br />I have my DVD player hooked up with some quality component video cables running into the HD input.  My DVD's look excellent but for those of you who are not too familiar with them the aspect ratio can be different.  There is anamorphic, which is usually 2.35:1 and then the widescreen, which is 1.85:1.  If we do the math you will see that the anamorphic will not fit perfectly in ANY mode, 21.15:9, whereas the widescreen 1.85:1 will fit pretty well on 16:9, 16.65:9.  There was one reviewer who complained about the screen chopping it off, well, that is why, so blame it on the movie industry:)  The one time where I saw HD quality TV was when I was watching some extra features on Sea Biscuit.  All I can say is, WOW!  Well I can say some more actually, it was a phenomenal picture especially when you are used to analog cable!  One lastnote on adjustment, you have the ability to adjust the picture up and down when viewing an analog signal in a widescreen format.  This way you can have it cut off the top and bottom equally so it really isn't bad to watch 4:3 TV in a widescreen format without much stretching. <br /> <br />Now, about the options of the TV.  For the most part I am very happy with the remote and the adjustability of the TV, but there are a few little annoyances.  One is the fact that you cannot directly choose which input you want to use.  If you are watching TV and want to watch a DVD for example, you must cycle through Input 1, Input 2, and then you will get to the CVI.  Then to go back to TV you must cycle through Input 3 and Input 4.  I have learned to push the button 3 times in a row so it will go directly to the right input but it is an oversight on their part.  The remote works fine and I have yet to find the need to use the buttons on the TV itself so I can't comment on those. <br /> <br />So, in the end I am very happy with my TV.  It is a widescreen TV with a great picture at a great price.  Just remember, this is an entry level HDTV so it might not have the up-converting, built-in HD box, etc., but what you do get is a great TV at a great price.  I would always suggest that people looking to buy this TV should visit some showrooms to see it in action before buying.