Sony KV-34HS420 34-Inch FD Trinitron WEGA HD-Ready CRT TV
Amazing picture!  Wow!
I bought this new Sony earlier this week and it is amazing.  Of course, the grain-of-salt part of this review should be stated - this is my first HDTV and I am still in awe of the images.  Truly remarkable.  I was looking for a 34-inch direct-view tube TV (CRT) mostly because of the price.  But, what I've found out since (even finding this out AFTER my purchase), is that direct-view tube TVs have better image quality, especially blacks and contrast, than plasma or LCD!  I couldn't believe that at first, because I truly thought I was making a compromise by opting for a CRT display.  Not so.<br /><br />I also must admit my slight embarrassment when I found out that I bought the biggest direct-view widescreen tube TV that there is.  This was also an accident, as I thought there must be bigger.  In the store, of course, this TV looks much smaller than many of the others that surround it.  But in my decent-sized living room, it's big!  Oh, and so crystal clear.  I'm not usually a documentary buff, but I'll watch ANYTHING in HDTV at this point... the Olympics will be awesome in HDTV.<br /><br />One last thing - I feel like I received two presents in one because the widescreen display now makes all of my DVD collection look brand-new again.  It's truly awseome!  Oh, and by the way, I insisted on the salesman at circuit city showing me a better model for my money (limiting to approx. 34-inches and only widescreen considered) and he couldn't do it.  The only better model I was considering was the XBR version of this TV (which comes with a built-in tuner, but with cable or satellie, you won't need a tuner).  But, it was $600-$700 more!  No way!<br /><br />In summary, I don't usually consider myself a top-of-the-line A/V guy (\\"good enough\\" has always been my and my wallet's motto), but this new Sony makes me feel like a big spender!  Enjoy!<br /><br />October Update:  It's been almost 3 months of sheer joy with this TV - the price hasn't gone down yet either, and that makes me think I got a good deal ($1350 on sale at Circuit City pre-olympics).  The sleek, uncluttered look combined with the bragging rights of Sony quality and reliability make me the envied early adopter in my neighborhood.  The HD channels that I get through Time Warner are adequate, but I always want more.  Discovery channel in HD is your best bet for showing off to visitors.  One last thing - I've talked with a number of people and done some more reading and it's pretty clear that the CRT (tube) version of HDTV is a safe bet now - it's cheap, but also tried-and-true technology that has been perfected over a 50-year period.  Forget expensive warranties.  This Sony is at the top of its game!  :-)0 on sale at Circuit City pre-olympics).  The sleek, uncluttered look combined with the bragging rights of Sony quality and reliability make me the envied early adopter in my neighborhood.  The HD channels that I get through Time Warner are adequate, but I always want more.  Discovery channel in HD is your best bet for showing off to visitors.  One last thing - I've talked with a number of people and done some more reading and it's pretty clear that the CRT (tube) version of HDTV is a safe bet now - it's cheap, but also tried-and-true technology that has been perfected over a 50-year period.  Forget expensive warranties.  This Sony is at the top of its game!   :-)