Stunning picture with a vast array of accessible inputs

Author's Rating:

Pros: Picture quality. Everything you need is supplied. Easy set up. Did I mention picture quality?

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: 
Very highly recommended after extensive online and retail research. This is as good as it gets with current technology and we bought it because of its exceptional picture/price

Author's Review
This is a first impression:

Setup
Very easy. Some minor caveats however. If you are hanging this on the wall [aftermarket bracket, approx. $200] rather than using the [supplied] table stand attach the [supplied] speakers prior to lifting it in place as the screws are recessed. Lifting it requires at least two and preferably three people unless you're into double hernias. The handles at the rear are beefy and rightfully so as this beast weighs in at 150 lbs [68Kg]. I used the supplied HDMI cable between the TV and a Hughes HR 10-250 HD double satellite tuner/DVR. Press the Menu->Options->HDMI Enable after pressing Input 1. I did not need to adjust color balance, contrast or any other parameter.

Visual appeal as furniture
Black surround to the screen and silver speakers gives it a very cool, appealing look. Only one input cable apart from the power line keeps it looking clean. At a later time I will put an outlet behind the screen and run the cable inside the wall to the control center so that it will be a "look ma, no hands" installation.

Picture Quality
This is the most stunning picture I have ever seen. Looking at it in a fluorescent lit store does it absolutely no justice. The picture quality is so crisp it is almost 3D. Even in bright sunlight there is no washing out of colors and in the dark it almost melts your eyeballs.

Sound quality
As my wife is fundamentally opposed to using more than one remote, we are using only the attached speakers and not installing a surround sound amplifier. Seems like a real waste to me but life is full of compromises. Slightly anemic is about as generous as I can get yet there doesn't seem to be any discernible hiss at the moderately high volume level from the internal amplifier. I don't have enough experience yet but stereo definition seems diffuse. We are looking at it from about 12 feet away which may contribute to that impression. I think with a suitably muscular surround set up it would blow yer socks off.

Manual
Good but hardly necessary if you have any savvy about setting up stereos and the like. Red to red; white to white blah, blah. Well, you get the picture.

Warranty
Spending this much made me do something I am fundamentally opposed to doing: buying an extended warranty. 93% of all buyers of extended warranties never use them. It added an extra $300 to the cost, is provided by a national aftermarket warranty provider called Mack and adds three years on top of the one year manufacturers' so you get four years total.

Packaging
Gonzo. Arrived in just over a week. One huge box weighing 236 lbs [106Kg] It took four beefcakes to lug it upstairs. Oh, and that double hernia I was talking about earlier? Well, never mind.

Buying Experience
Got a great price and excellent service from Beach Camera in NJ. I've bought from these guys before and will do so again. Wanted to buy local but they were almost twice as much and snots into the bargain.


Overall Impression
Absolutely fabulous.