After all this: CRT HD Television it 'tis....

I also bought the 40" two years ago. No regrets - it's been rock solid. My Father-In-Law just purchased the 34" 16x9 XBR this year and it's awesome too. The Sony XBRs are pretty solid units....solid like my 40" weighs in at 326lbs. Weight is a consideration....

Rich, thanks for your info. Helped me out.

Looks like (thanks to you guys) my journey, from first hand viewing experience, has led me to the Samsung 43" DLP. Drop dead fantastic picture. Will get through the door and up to the bedroom with no problem. That, and a killer DVD player, HD cable box: I should be grooving. Thanks again. peace, warren

Check here if the model number is PLA-5303.

I can purchase a used Planus at a great price, but was wondering if that set is HD. Swampwalker's Planus is not, but I was told by the seller, that his Planus manual says his is HD. Anybody on this? thanks

I agree with Swampwalker that the Loewes are the Porches of TVs. The Perfect Vision had a review also online . In NYC there are Harvey and Sound By Singer stores.
I've seen them in Sound Advice in Orlando, very nice but out of my league.
Good luck in your pursuit of perfection.

I've been considering replacing my old 24" Wega with a 16:9 set and came to the same conclusion. The new technologies just don't look as natural when it comes to black levels and fast motion. The sales guy who asked me what I was looking for in our neighborhood box store was dumbfounded when I told him this. I guess most folks he meets are sold on plasmas, DLPs and LCDs. The weight of a CRT sure is a pain in the ass, though...

I've owned the Wega XBR 400 for a couple of years now. Great picture, not a hint of trouble. Great set!

Got my eye on that Panasonic 42" ED panel though, w/ 4000 to 1 contrast ratio.....

Warrenh, I got the 34" Widescreen Sony XBR and it's sweet. It's my 3rd XBR. I considered several plasmas (Fujitsu, Pioneer Elite) and LCD's (Samsung). The Sony picture is awesome. I bought it from ABT electronics (authorized Sony dealer). Delivered and setup in my house with no problems whatsoever.

I got to get this baby up the stairs (well the deliver guys do) and it's a very narrow stairwell/doorway, 34" tops, better 30/32 is the way to go. I'm very interested in the Loewe Aconda. Anybody on this other than swampwalker?

Bummer, Sony stopped producing their 40 inch CRT TV! My parents got theirs in 2002, and it has a truly magnificent picture. Forget about HDTV, the regular cable looks just super, with HDTV the proverbial icing on the cake! The 40" is a behemoth in size, and it was like wrestling a bear (2 people) to set it up on it's matching pedestal stand. This puppy wasn't going anywhere once it was set up. In 2003, Sony upped the ante to a 42" CRT TV. Now, it appears that 36" is Sony's largest CRT TV. You might try to hunt down a discontinued larger version, if you feel lucky.

Agreed - crt is the way to go

Swamwalker,
Do they have a 32 or a 30 inch model. Would you give me a little more info. Where to purchase? What should I pay? the whole nine. thanks..

I came to the same conclusion and bought a 34" Sony CRT last week. The ability to pop a memory stick directly into the set was a neat perk - negated by dragging ~200lb to the second floor.

Warren- You are correct. I good CRT is still the best, if you have the space. And the best CRT is Loewe Aconda, without any question.

You found the best picture quality already. CRT is still the best. Digital televisions have a long way to go.

I came to the same conclusion as you did. Mostly from a price standpoint, though. I purchased a 34" Sony widescreen, the KV-34HS510. It's a big heavy beast and it is beautiful. I was very tempted by the 30" Samsung so I'd encourage you to look there if you want a widescreen.
Good luck!