720I,1080I and choosing a HD CRT.

[Bsmooth]

This question has probably been asked but I couldn't find a direct answer,so here goes.
Both I and a friend at work are both looking at buying a HDCRT fairly soon.Sony and Panasonic both seem like the way to go with JVC a distant third,though not much info about JVC. This and the fact I just don't quite understand all the talk of 480I,720I and 1080I.Are these what is visible on the screen or the highest available?These are horizontal lines of resolution,correct?
The model she is looking at is the Sony KV34HS420.This model has a 1080I display and would probably give her the best picture available for the least amount of money.Correct?
So what are our options and what would be the best in the range of say 30" to 36" and also for the best price. For the Sony KV34HS420 at Best Buy she is looking at around $1200. Can she do better for a slightly lower price and possibly go down to a "30? She sits about 8 - 10 feet away from the TV.
Also I have DirectTV and wonderen what type of tv I nd.I am assuming HD ready as I have a HD signal already in my DirectTV. Correct?
Thanks for any help,advice and info !

[Biochemlab]

I don't have direct TV, so I will leave that answer to someone else.... but my assumption is that Direct TV has a set top box that tunes and outputs HD, so HD-Ready should be fine.

As for your first question. The 34HS420 is a great set. I wouldn't suggest anything cheaper. In fact, it may be my 2nd (3rd technically) favorite CRT on the market. #1 being the Sony KD-34XBR960 and #2 being the 34XS955. Both my #1 & #2 choices have the same picture tube, so really, they are the same TV with some different functions and inputs.

$1,200 seems slightly high for the 34HS. I just read of someone finding the 34XS for $1,299 - and I REALLY believe it is worth the $100 difference. Also, I was VERY lucky and found the 34XBR960 for $1,216 after haggling - $1,350 shelf price.

That TV is great, but if you can find the XS or XBR for anything near that price, jump all over it.

[chobany]

I have the 34HS420 and I love it. Make no mistake, ITS HUGE!! You will need at least 2 strong dudes to move it. Other than that, this TV gives me great PQ and I have had no problems with it at all. Make sure to search the boards for calibration help as this TV sucks out of the box. Red push is about 25% high and there are contrast issues. A few hours with Avia and you will be floored by how awesome this set is. I bought mine right before march madness last year and it has had no problems. I just wish she would lose some weight ....

I have Comcast HD @ 1080i and Samsung DVD @ 1080i and it looks awesome.

[harpeth]

[QUOTE=Bsmooth]
So what are our options and what would be the best in the range of say 30" to 36" and also for the best price. [/QUOTE]

For us budget-minded folks, there's another alternative: Philips. Via the Philips Outlet website, there are some great deals. I bought a 30PW8420 (30" widescreen) from that site for $389 plus tax, delivered. I've had the 30PW8420 for a month, and I'm totally pleased with this set. Using HDMI (high-density multimedia interface, I think) to connect to the separate LG HD tuner, this TV delivers beautiful 1080i (1080 horizontal lines, interlaced) images. I've had no service menu issues, as the color to my eye is great, subject to on-screen fine tuning. This TV's one flaw is pin-cushioning on the sides when displaying bright white areas, such as skies, which is more noticeable on 4:3 images than it is on WS. Watching Olympic coverage has been so enjoyable, with the vivid colors and lifelike clarity, plus DD 5.1 sound.

Overall width of this set is a little under 34", and it weighs 144 lbs.

[kny3twalker]

This and the fact I just don't quite understand all the talk of 480I,720I and 1080I.Are these what is visible on the screen or the highest available?These are horizontal lines of resolution,correct?

480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i are scan rates of the electron gun in the CRT
horizontal resolution would be the horizontal phosphor dot or aperature grill slot count from left to right

but in relative term 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i are resolutions
720x480 interlaced, 720x480 progressive, 1280x720 progresive, and 1920x1080 interlaced

all HD CRTs display High Def content at 1080i, although it a greater resolution, its actually a slower scan rate than 720p since only 540 lines are displayed every 60th of a second

any of the Sonys are great TVs, if you want the best though check out the XS955 or XBR960 models

[Myke256]

Order the TV from Best Buy. They have a delivery service and will carry the TV to any room in your house for no charge. No need to carry that big ass TV around.

Anyway. I have that TV and it's freaken nice. The only adjustments to make in the service menu is the red push(and overscan if you'd like). Than you should run DVE or AVIA for more basic stuff like Contrast, Sharpness, Brightness, ect. and it will look great. I was just in Best Buy(picking up SAW2 DVD) and they had some HS models on display and they looked surprisingly good for floor models. I looked in the menu and it looked like it had been calibrated. You can't go wrong with Sony's CRT. I highly recomend them.

Here are some nice pictures of the TV

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Rvq5kwogo3Y/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=148350&id=morephotos&i=158KV34HS4#Tab

And here are some customer reviews

http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/masterid=3046640/id_type=masterid

[avhed]

Bsmooth, do not consider a 30" at 8-10 ft. That is enough for the 34".
The only advantage to going down to the 30" may be the slight depth reduction and the weight reduction.
I agree with you on the JVC. I am trying to find out why people on this forum recommend it.