Sony KV-36HS420 36-Inch FD Trinitron WEGA Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready TV
Excellent large-screen HD TV at a reasonable price
Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have to buy an expensive plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display) TV to get a great high-definition picure. In fact, many experts (including Consumer Reports) assert that high-definition TVs using traditional cathode-ray tube technology -- as this high-definition Sony does -- currently offer a sharper picture than plasma and LCD TVs plus are lower priced and more reliable. This Sony HD TV has an excellent picture with standard broadcasts and a superb picture with HD broadcasts. <br /> <br />Yes, this model -- despite being a high-definition TV -- has the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio rather than a widescreen 16:9 ratio. But my cable system currently broadcasts 175 channels in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio and only 9 widescreen channels. How many widescreen channels do you currently receive? Widescreen 16:9 TVs have smaller pictures with gray bars on the side when displaying traditional 4:3 channels. Furthermore, because the screen on this TV is so large, when widescreen pictures are played on this set, although there will be letter-boxing bars above and below the widescreen picture, the picture will still be the same size as on a 34\\" 16:9 TV within a fraction of an inch. Thus, compared to a 34\\" 16:9 set, this TV will give you bigger pictures from conventional 4:3 channels and virtually the same size pictures when watching 16:9 channels or widescreen DVDs.  <br /> <br />Widescreen high-definition broadcasts and widescreen high-definition TVs will be the norm in a few years, at which time the prices of such sets will be significantly lower than they are now. However, with the current situation where most channels still display traditional 4:3 pictures and only a few are in widescreen and high definition, a large screen 4:3 HD TV, such as this 36\\" Sony, is a good economical choice for many people at this time.