Sony Grand WEGA KF-42WE610 42-Inch HDTV-Ready LCD Rear Projection TV
Vivid colors, crystal clear DVD picture and great value
When I first laid my eyes on this set in the showroom, I couldn't believe it. I had just been ogling over a $10k plasma set an aisle away, thinking I would never be able to get a set with such crystal clear clarity and vivid colors. Then, I saw the 42WE610. Sony truly came through with an affordable combination of existing technologies (LCD and rear projection) to produce a value-conscious high-end set.<br />Now that I am through gushing, I have had this set for about 3 months and will attempt a more objective review. I have watched many hours of DVD movies as well as analog, digital and high-definition cable. The only video type I haven't watched is VHS. The Con section below may seem bigger but it is only because I am trying to be more descriptive. <br />Pros: Bright, vivid colors. Incredible clarity (over 3 million dots of resolution.) DVI input. Slim, sleek design. Light-weight, proportionate to its size (approximately 45lbs.)<br />Cons: Reasonable angled viewing but still has some problems when being viewed from wide, side angles or from above horizontal (i.e. 90 degrees, or above the set, such as when standing or if seated from a perched position.) Speakers are mediocre but I would think almost anyone buying a set like this has at least some sort of home theater system through which they will power it. Analog cable is a disappointment, not because the set is directly to fault but the resolution of analog cable is so low. The picture looks grainy and just plain unremarkable. If you plan to watch a lot of regular (analog) TV then you may want to reconsider. Digital TV is noticably better and HD TV is great. One last con is that I still struggle with 16:9 aspect ratio sets. It's in between true wide screen and a regular TV so either the scene is stretched and cutoff in places or there is that annoying strip missing across the top and the bottom. That is really a personal quibble though and any set with this ratio is like that.<br />Summary: Without being too repetitive, this is a great set at a great price, given the quality. Hook it up to a decent sound system and enjoy great digital broadcasting and DVD movies. I suggest getting at least a 2-3 year extended warranty since this is still new technology and its lifetime is unknown ...better safe than sorry. Watching traditional CRT TV's will never be the same after you watch this for a while. It is life-like and mesmerizing when displaying high quality DVD movies. It actually puts the theaters to shame since the colors and clarity are far superior to anything they can put on a big screen. I hope to see more technology and prices like this coming out over the next couple years.