Sony KV-32HS500 32" Flat-Screen HDTV Monitor
Outstanding picture, excellent value
One of the best things about DVDs is the great picture they are capable of displaying.  To get the best picture, you need a really good TV. My 4-year-old Magnavox, which had been fine for VHS and cable viewing, was not adequate for DVDs, especially in widescreen.  I found that the geometric distortions of a non-flat screen TV were starting to become very noticeable.  <br />I started looking and after getting over the initial sticker shock, narrowed my choices down to a 32\\" flat screen, or 32\\" flat screen high-defition.  I prefer the sharpness and brightness of direct-view, and stayed with the 4:3 aspect ratio, since most broadcasts are still full-screen and not widescreen.  For DVDs, I figured a 32\\" TV would still give me lots of picture even with the letter-box black spaces on the top and bottom.  Keep in mind that if you go with a widescreen TV, you'll have black spaces on the sides when you watch full-screen broadcasts.  You can, of course, choose to have the 4:3 image fill the entire widescreen, but you are going to get some distortion.<br />...<br />It's very heavy (about 180 pounds) but that's true of any large flat-screen TV.  You'll need a sturdy stand or entertainment center, and it's a good idea to have it all set before the TV is delivered.  Also have your other components ready to plug into the TV's inputs on the back, so that you won't have to move the TV once it's been put into position.  If you need to move it, you will need someone else to help you.  Once it's down, it does not just slide around. <br />This TV has plenty of inputs, including two sets of HD/DVD inputs, so you will be able to input your DVD's video signal directly into the TV, and later, add an HDTV converter box as well.  There's a set of inputs on the front, too, for video games or camcorders.<br />The picture quality is amazing, even for non-digital sources such as cable and VHS tapes.  The video menu allows you to adjust the color settings, as well as edge enhancement.  There are 4pre-set video modes (vivid, standard, movies, pro), but you can change any or all of the settings for each of them.  <br />For widescreen DVDs, Sony has an enhanced 16:9 mode.  To use this, you must set your DVD player to display at 16:9 aspect ratio.  When selected, this allows the TV to detect a widescreen video image, and adjust the set accordingly.  What it does is to use all of the TV's horizontal lines to display the picture, whereas most TVs use some of those lines to draw the black spaces above and below the picture.  This increases the clarity and resolution of widescreen pictures.  <br />The sound is quite good, certainly more than adequate for casual viewing, but not as good as the sound you will get through a good A/V receiver.  <br />The case is silver, not black, and the front of the case is a gently curving arc.  This helps make the TV look less obtrusive;  instead of a big hulking black plastic box, the overall impression is of a sleek, streamlined TV.  The arc helps to hide the sides of the cabinet from view.<br />The remote is needlessly complicated, though the main buttons are easy to find and use.  The on-screen menus are intuitive and easy to use.  The manual is fairly well-written, but not as comprehensive as it should be.