miketv

I'm looking to purchase a 37" flat panel HDTV and bump up our Comcast cable service to digital and whatever HD channels are available.

Due to the size of the room, I need to go with 37 instead of the popular 42 inch models.

So far, I've read all the introductory level material there is to read about flat panel displays
and feel pretty confident that I understand the fundamentals.

I'm interested in the following products (all 37 inch models):

Sony KDE-37XS955 (Plasma)
Samsung HPP3761 (Plasma)
Panasonic TH-37PWD7UY (Plasma)
Panasonic TH-37PX5OU (plasma)
Sharp Aquos LC-37D7U (LCD)

I don't mind spending some money on a flat panel as long as the quality justifies the cost.

I've got a few questions:
- The biggest problem I have right now is that I can't get a good feel for how well these tv's will
work with non-HD content. I was able to see DVD and DirectTV non-HD content at Circuit City on
the 42 inch Panasonic and Sony models but I haven't been able to get a good demo of the models
mentioned above. Does anyone have any recommendations for where to do this in North Jersey? Any places with knowledgeable
HDTV/flat panel sales people?

- I can't find the Panasonic TH-37PWD7UY at a major retailer. Does anyone know where I can see this in action?

- What should my expectation be for non-HD content? I thought the PQ on the Panansonic 42PX50U was
so obviously worse than a CRT and the Sony plasma that I cannot imagine purchasing that model. Could
it be that this TV was not set up properly in the store and therefore the picture looked worse than it would otherwise?
Due to the enthusiasm over Panasonic that I see on this board, I was surprised to see such a poor PQ.

- The comcast "digital" channels 0-99 in this area are really analog. I think they're supposed
to convert soon. Should I expect a better picture on these channels if they make the switch
from analog to digital?

- I've been thinking about LCD vs plasma and have ready many comparisons. I was all set to go with
LCD when I suspected that fast motion on LCD may not look so good. I'm concerned that this will
be a problem when watching sports. Is it too much of a subjective question to ask if this is the
case, in the context of the models mentioned above?

Thanks in advance for any opinions, advice and info. And thanks to everyone on this board who are already posting so much useful info.


Mike