Samsung TX-R3080WH 30" Wide SlimFit HDTV
Pretty good
I've had this model for close to a month now, and I've been pretty satisfied with it. I picked the R3080WH over the nearly identical R3079WH because the cabinet space I had would just barely accommodate the speakers-on-the-bottom '80 but not the spearkers-on-the-side '79. <br /> <br />On the positive side, the picture is generally quite good. I'm no true video expert, but I've been quite pleased with the overall picture quality, especially in widescreen, in a variety of lighting conditions. The audio is probably nothing to get too worked up about, but it's a vast improvement over the tinny speakers in the 10-year-old 20\\" stereo TV this model replaces. Not bad sound at all, really, for built-in speakers, though any serious audio fan is going to want to spring for a separate set of speakers. The set does have a nice look to it--superior, in my view, to that of the '79 and '81 versions, and it looks fairly slim despite the obvious protrusion of its tube. No one's going to be fooled into thinnking that this set's an LCD or plasma, but it's not a bad look, anyway. The TV also has a built-in HDTV antenna, which would be a better deal for someone living in an urban area with more nearby HD signals than I get where I live. <br /> <br />My chief complaint is, probably no surprise, the bowing. It's neither as severe and disturbing as some would suggest nor, I dare say, as insignificant as some others have implied. It's quite noticeable even in normal viewing; when you call up a satellite-receiver menu or even the volume slider, it's pretty darn blatant. Your mileage may vary. I find it to be distracting, but I pretty much knew from other reviews what I was getting into, so I have no room to complain much. I'd advise trying to see a '79/'80 in the store first before buying. <br /> <br />For the price, this is, I would say, a pretty high-value set, and I'm happy enough with it. Allegedly, the '81 version of this set has better geometry, but it appears totally unavailable. If you think bowing's going to be a problem for you, wait for forthcoming models or try another brand. For me, the '80 was a pretty good choice given my available space and budget.