Compact for its size -- only about 20 inches deep. A 53" would have really dominated our living room. Automatic de-interlacing of standard broadcast signals. This makes standard TV broadcasts surprisingly watchable. Bright, with a very wide angle of view. You DO NOT have to sit directly in front of the thing to watch it. Superb color.

Convergence drifts more than I''d like, and the autoconvergence generally does more harm than good. Use the service mode convergence instead. (I''ve found this is true of all the manufacturers). Without additional calibration, there''s noticable blue "blooming" around bright whites areas, such as white movie credits on a black background. However, you can almost completely eliminate this if you''re comfortable entering service mode. For the first couple of days, the picture would sometimes completely "wig out", as if it had just been degaussed, only more subtle. I reseated a couple of daughter boards on the mainboard and it''s been fine ever since. Slightly uneven light output from edge to center, but rarely noticable. Due to the nature of RPTVs, this is more or less unavoidable.

I researched and viewed many different rear projection sets before purchasing. If you''re in the market, I strongly suggest reading reviews such as this one. I found that floor models of all brands were poorly calibrated. Thus it was very hard to judge quality in the showroom. If you plan on getting the most out of any RPTV, hire a tech, or buy the AVIA DVD. I''m extremely picky and a stickler for detail. Don''t let my list of negatives fool you. I love this television!

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Looked very seriously at comparable models from Hitachi, Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony. Hitachi was the runner-up.

DVD picture quality is superior to Sony and Hitachi. The unit is attractive, and the sound (for those w/o separate audio components) is great.

Regular cable tv picture is inferior to direct view tv (expected)

I spent two months reviewing HDTV''s. After careful consideration of all reviews, professional and consumer, I went with the Toshiba 50HX81. I personally viewed this unit in 4 different stores, just to ascertain it''s capabilities on an even keel. By my eye, this unit had a superior picture to the Sony, Hitachi, and was very close to the Pioneer (too close to tell) Anyhow, now that it''s in my living space, I can tell you that all my DVD''s have come back to life! The picture is pristine, and I haven''t even broken the set in yet. The audio is fantastic, bass response is great! Anyone purchasing this set without a home theatre audio system, will never see the need to get one! This Toshiba looks awesome in my living room, and the picure astounds me over and over again. Last night, I put in Jurassic Park 3, turned off the lights, and OH MY GOSH, what a spectacle! My wife thought (thinks?) I''m nuts, because of the time I spent researching, reviewing, etc... But it was worth it. The price on this set is dropping (due to the new model releases in the fall). You will not be disappointed...

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Sony Trinitron