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

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.

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?

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'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.....

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...