Help me find a new HDTV...... for $3500

I recommend you go to a different store than CC or BB, one where there is a better chance they have all the TVs reasonably well adjusted to provide a better comparison. You'll also get better advice IMO. I ended up buying from a relatively small local audio/video chain, and I got a better price than the big name stores!

Different people prefer different sets, and different people have different priorities.

For me, my first priority is DVD and I opted for the Samsung DLP (HLN617W on order) because it seems to thrive with a DVI equipped DVD player, much more so than other sets. DVI DVD on a Samsung is supposed to be outstanding, and this was very important to me.

My second priority is HDTV, and I did a lot of comparison viewing with HDTV sources. I thought all the new technology sets (DLP and LCD, never saw an LCOS) were better than CRT based sets. Of the newer technology sets, on average I preferred the Samsung. Sometimes the Sony GWIII looked a bit better than the Samsung while other times the Sony looked washed out and pale in comparison. The Samsung was more consistently appealing to me. The few times I saw the Hitachi and Panasonic LCD sets, they did not stand out to me compared to the Sony or Samsung.

SDTV is a distant 3rd priority for me, so I did not do any SDTV comparisons.

Good luck in your choice,
Bruce

Thanks again to all. I agree CC and BB are AWFUL places to shop. I just grab the remotes and fix the TV set up, then the teenage salesmen walk by and say "dood, that TV is like, weird or something. The people, they're like flesh tones and stuff. We should like, crank the color temp back up so they look like colorized films of George Hamilton."

FWIW, I went with a CRT based RPTV. I have good light control in my room, and while the slimness of the LCD and DLP RPTVs would have been nice, I can deal with a TV cabinet that's 28" deep, the puny 32" that is being replaced is 24" deep on its stand anyhow.

Why didn't I buy DLP? Well, basically it was price. I don't think that the DLP gives you more of what I wanted, and it's way more money. DLP is bright, no doubt about it, but I'd just be turning it down most of the time, reference comments re: light control. The room will be dimly lit, the TV calibrated to a film-like color temp, so why do I need the ability to go super bright? I also didn't care for the blacks on the Ssmsung DLP, as someone else noted, and found the moire not terrible, but there. I also don't like the idea of buying a $320 bulb, and the insidious, yet inevitable, decrease in light output as the bulb ages.

Why didn't I go LCD? Pixels. I don't like looking at them, and I don't like it when they fail. With my luck, I'd get a failed pixel dead center of the screen. What's the manufacturers' standard for when a pixel failure becomes a warranty issue? Sales dood told me 6 pixels TOUCHING each other. That means if 6 go, and they aren't in a clump, you get no warranty. Man, would I be peeved.

I went with the 57" Hitachi Ultravision, which for my money stacks up quite well. It was purchased at a Video Only in Portland for just a few bucks over $2000. So, for my initial desired TV budget, I also got a progressive DVD player, and will be getting an HD satellite box with built in off air HD tuner, and an antenna to go with. THat will still leave me a few $$.

I had to cut that post off a little-- computer issues. But, it's interesting to see that everyone's preferences on TVs are as diverse as on say, speakers. While DLP and LCD have merit to be sure, I guess I'm still a CRT guy.

Whomever reminded me to go to AVSforums, thank you. THere is a ton of info there.

You might want to consider a CRT projector. Following all the research I did, I went for one - an Electrohome 8500. Check out AVSforum for more info. For your budget you can get a 100inch screen and better quality than an RPTV, Plasma or DLP etc. For me - more quality for same/less money makes sense. Only downside is the size, weight and challenge in setup/calibration. Again, a downside I overcame by getting a custom case that makes the projector look very cool, and I just did my homework and calibrated the thing myself - a big learning curve, but I got there. My image now pretty much exceeds any cinema/theatre quality. The tubes last about 10k hours as well - enough for three movies a week for 25 years or so. I drive the projector with a PC (HDTV via PC Card, and two DVD drives), and Replay TV for regular TV. Overall, I think I have the best image, maximum flexibility, value - everything. It's the way to go, hands down. Just my two cents, following exhaustive research.

Outlier-

I wish I had the room for a projection setup. For a while I installed them for a living, and I think it's tough to beat a properly set up CRT projector in the right room. Someday, I will have one, but for now the Hitachi is working great, and it was so cheap if we move in a few years and i can get a projector, great, I haven't made a huge investment in it.