Help with compact 30 inch choice, questions

Am also in the News forum but this is probably a better place to post.
Dilemma: have 18 yr old hutch in liv.room with Sony 27 CRT. Have widened interior of hutch a bit (took a day to do), can pry 31 3/8" maybe a little more. The Tosh 30HF85 will fit with aid of a crowbar, and it will look good. I like the set, price ok but noticed Samsung has sets which include ATSC, the Tosh sets do not (curses!). Samsung about the same price as the Tosh without tuner. Virtually all sets in this screen size will not fit my hutch except for Toshiba. I don't wish to have a smaller screen than 30. Am aware some LCD 30s & 32s will fit but don't want the expense.

Am really frustrated. Not excited about laying out another $240 for a tuner plus it's another box I have to place somewhere. Alternative of selling/replacing hutch which is also a display case, is not very appealing, am trying to do this particular room problem on a tight budget. CRTs offer great value vs LCD and Plasma. Also, can get better black on black detail with CRTs.

Curses on Tosh for making mid size sets without tuners.

Question, what is best way to look for deals on tuners?

When does FCC mandate tuners for sets in this size range?

Should I buy the CRT from a brick and mortar or thru some internet house? Sears and BB have the Tosh (no tuner) for $699, actually found the Samsung with tuner (too wide) at Fry's for $599 the other day! What a deal, and the pic was great!

After I am done with this problem, I go to work on my home theater room, different set of issues there.

You shouldn't buy the Toshiba 30HF85. I was about to buy that but I had some responses to my thread and did some research and they are supposed to have a lot of problems. I just purchased a Samsung TX-R3075WH today. I had to choose between the Samsung or the 30HF85, so I had no choice but the Samsung. When I get my TV I will probably make a thread about it. I got it for a really good price on B&H Photo.

Hi Mike. I am looking for help with a problem, I don't really need sarcastic remarks like the one in your heading. The new set I'm considering is hi def. The 32 Toshiba I presently use produces a very good pic. The reasons someone might not be watching hi def are as varied as there are different numbers in the phone book. For me (as I explained) it has been a matter of the product not being available for the cabinet I want to put it in. Now, Toshiba has one but I have questions. Thanks for the feedback, the suggestions point to my dilemma. Your set is about 35" wide, too wide for me. How do you feel about ordering a big CRT from B&H, and what was the shipping cost? ~~ Don

What do you mean by sarcastic remarks in my heading? If you are referring to the "how can anyone watch standard def?" under my name, I do not have any control over what text goes there, it changes with the amount of posts. Anyway it's not all Toshiba HDTV's that have problems, just the HF85's, or so I have heard. I have no problem with ordering a large TV off of the internet, this is my second time doing it. The shipping costs are the amount that is to be expected, but you still save a lot of money. It was about 130 for shipping, but the set was only 499.

How is the Samsung that you ordered? The price sounds great, am anxious to learn more.

It looks very, very good. I have yet to recieve it and I will tell you how it is when it arrives. :)