PHILIPS Widescreen HDTV (34PW9819) versus Sony or Panny Models

[smed1065]

I was just wondering if anyone has any input for me on this set? Do you own one of these? and your opinions on it? I have been in the market for HDTV 34" model and the more I look, the more questions I have. I have tried to research it more but not much info on this unit, so I am kind of concerned about it. I have also considered the Panny 34WX54 and one of the new Sony's (34XBR960 or 34XS955). I would like to hook my comp to it part-time and I will be using Comcast HDTV with the unit, so integrated turner and cable card would not be that big of a decision point. Any input would be appreciated. I would mainly be watching football, movies, and HDTV on the set. I watch TV in the winter but not very much in the summer. I need to replace my TV after about 15 years. I like the PQ of the direct views and I have a medium sized living room and would be watching from about 9' or less from TV. I am not rich, but am willing to spend what is necessary for a good TV with good PQ. I have an ATI Radeon 9800 video card already with TV and video out. Please reply with any input if you own any of these TV' s Please!

Thanks,
Brent

[rickmccamy]

shoulda bought it on sale at good guys for $999

[kny3twalker]

either one of the Sony's should be an excellent choice and the 9800 from dVI to HDMI will work great with the Sonys
you should want a cable card though because the image quality will be better than using component output from your HDbox
I know over the air DTV looks better than DirecTV on my Sony
the Super Fine Pitch Sonys are the benchmark for all CRTs
if you want a great set look at the Sonys
I do hope you are not planning to do a lot of reading on the TV though
cause even running resolutions like 1280x720 and lets the TV scale the image to 1080i can be quite hard on your eyes after a while

[hoss117]

Go for the sony XS. Great PQ, somewhat pricey, but worth it. I would stay away from Philips TVs, they tend to have terribly fake color, reminds me the colorized version of 'It's a Wonderful Life'. I work at a major electronics retailer and the sets that break/ go out for service the most out of all the major brands are Philips. Stick with the Sony if you care about PQ and reliability.

[rickmccamy]

I think of the colors on the Phillips as vivid and rich, what are you, one of those beige people? Phillips has a great reputation in Europe. And how many of the 9819's have you seen come back?