Sony KDF-E55A20 55-Inch LCD Rear Projection Television
Pretty Good, But....
OK, so the last TV I purchased was 1990.  Yes, technology has come a long way for sure.  I've been really wanting to make the jump to a big screen, and last weekend I finally purchased the Sony 55\\" LCD.  While at the store, this TV was near a plasma, and with some tweaking of the remote, I was able to get the picture on this TV to be as close to the same as the plasma as possible.  It looked GREAT!  BUT.... <br /> <br />When viewing TV on a non-HD receiver, the picture leaves a bit to be desired.  I have this set hooked up to my DirecTV receiver using the S-Video connection, and there are things that are well, disappointing.   <br /> <br />1.  Using the Sat guides--they look horrible--muddy and blurry.  Yet if you pull up the Sony guides built in to the TV, they are crisp and sharp. <br />2.  Most TV is still in 4:3 format, which means you have the black bars on the sides of your picture.  A minor complaint, but a bit annoying.  Yes, this Sony has 4 viewing modes to stretch the picture out to fill the screen, but when you do this things look, well...obviously stretched out. <br />3.  The owner's manual is pretty lame as most manuals are.  It would be nice if a company stated in plain language how to use their TV, how to get the best picture using various sources. <br /> <br />I have hooked this TV up to my progressive-scan DVD player using the THX certified Monster cables. The picture was more of what I expected it to be.  I also recommend using a calibration DVD to get the set adjusted as best as possible.  If you don't have one, you can cheat by using most any movie from George Lucas, as he usually includes a THX calibration program on the DVD (Star Wars, and Raiders for example). <br /> <br />I have 30 days to look at this TV.  I purchased this mainly because of the great deal Best Buy was offering (2400, including shipping).  I am on the fence as maybe a smaller plasma in the same price range will suit me better.  Of course I could pony up for a HD satellite receiver.  My scores overall: <br />Ease of Setting Up (B+) <br />Remote Control (C-) <br />Picture Quality (Regular programming) (D+) <br />Picture Quality (HD) A- <br />Sound Quality  A <br /> <br />Hope this helps fellow big screen devotees in their quest for the perfect picture.