Latest and Close to the Greatest Quality at Good Price

Author's Rating:

Pros: HDTV,pc-link,surround sound,widescreen,picture quality,view angle,PIP,size,weight,price (Sept 2004)

Cons: need an outside adaptor for HDTV, image distortion in wide-screen mode for regular channels

The Bottom Line: 
If you have the money and want it now, buy it. You'll get more space and cinema-quality viewing. It simply one of the best 17 flats out there!!

Author's Review
AN IMPULSE BUY
I was in such a bad mood lately due to life matters that I decided it was time to treat myself to a brand new LCD HDTV flat screen for my crammed room space. I had a very nice Sony flat screen 13" TV that was about 15 inches thick...ugh. It was time to make the switch... I have always decided to wait for the prices to come down further (noting that the price of these types of TVs have come crashing down as of late..within the last two years! HECK it could crash even further..of which I would be so mad at myself if I found the exact same LCD TV on a store shelf for hundreds of dollars cheaper in two months...especially since Christmas is around the corner.) But I was in impulse buy mode and wanted to satisfy my latest and greatest technologies fetish...get my mind off other things going on. So, here is the story of my impulse buy.

[1] FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
I wanted to buy from a walk-in electronics store so I see with my own eyes the TV that had a picture quality that was most appealing to my eyes. I trotted along and found about 10 LCD TV's lines up together side-by-side. Also, being the savy bang-for-my-buck-even-a-few-months-down-the-road shopper that I was, I was looking for something that was HDTV-compatible, 3-line digital comb filter, had a PC-computer connection, Close to 180 Degree viewing angle, Surround Sound, Wide Screen, compatible with progressive-scan DVDs. Whew!

[2] CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!
I picked this out at an electronics store comparing all the pictures of similar LCD flat-panel TV's side-by-side....based on the fact that it had the
*most superior picture quality in my opinions due to:
(1) bright screen
(2) can view from almost any angle
(3) images were clear and sharp
(4) colors are distinctive (and not washed out like some other flat panels)
(5) no shadow effect when images moved fast

The picture on this TV really makes you feel like you're right there! If there's a fishing boat with a view of the dolphins, I'm there...along with my favorite beer, petting my cat, and getting my back massaged on my recliner... woo hoo!

[3] DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS

I recommend comparing the specs side-by-side with other TVs you're interested in. What makes this a great TV is in the details. I never thought I'd buy a Zenith, since my crisp clear stunning picture laptop is a Sharp, and my previous wonderful-picture flat screen TV was a Sony, but the pic on this T.V. really floats my boat...along with all the specifications AND THE PRICE! I doubt that you can get a better deal with everything you get...

[4] TOSS THE BOX

This T.V. is razor thin and is about 5 lbs lighter than comparable T.V.s in it's class. I really can't stand those GIANT, HEAVY, 50-200 pound T.V.s ... this LCD is the wave of the future..and with HDTV, there's absolutely no reason to think it will have a lower picture quality due to the fact that it's LCD.

[5] A HAPPY ENDING

I have so much more room and a wide screen with virtual surround sound now!! woohoo! And, if my computer monitor ever goes bad in a few years, I can use this T.V. to replace it...thanks to the PC-link!!! and upgrade my main living room T.V. with the latest and greatest T.V. around. This was quite a useful bargain for me..needing more room, wiling to spend a few bucks, and wanting the latest quality.


Addendum to the Bottom Line
Read all the details on this T.V. and compare side-by-side to others. Go to the electronics store and compare the picture to the others. Then get it! :) This is truly a great buy. I just saw the sharp aquios (impressed with the picture too) at Costco, but it was NOT HDTV-ready and was more expensive.

I bought this a month ago, open box from a large retail electronics store, with no problems. I have Direct TV and the picture is fantastic even without the HDTV hook-up! Would love to get an HDTV-receiver for Christmas and see what the picture's like!
If you have the money and want it, this is the best one for the consumer who wants the most quality out of their dollar...under $1K !