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Originally Posted by Table 5

1. I live in a railroad apt. (aka, a glorified hallway), so 32" is the biggest I can realistically have in my living room. The question arises whether to get 720 or 1080p (which only Sharp seems to offer at that size). Is it truly worth it? Some seem to think you can't tell the difference at such a small size, while others argue it's the same. Is it worth the extra money? Seems like you can get a Toshiba for $600 bucks here....is it truly different from a $900 Samsung?

I think it depends on a few things.. distance is the biggest factor though, and if you have a small place and are only 4-5 feet away and have sharp eyes it might make a difference. The only real way to tell is to try it though, buy two and return one Pain in the ass yes, but then you know for sure and won't second guess yourself.

If you were using it as a second computer monitor, for example, you'd be close enough that 1080p would totally be noticeable.

1. Sony vs. Samsung vs. Sharp
These 3 seem to get the best reviews all around, but is there anyone that people here prefer over the other at this size? Or perhaps another brand like Toshiba (which Ive always liked as a brand myself)? Ive read in some places that Sharp's tend to hit the shop more often than the others...is that something to be concerned about?

I think a bit ago there was that survey of customer satisfaction and Sony came out on top. I have to Sony Bravias and they're very nice. I know people with both Sharp and Samsung ones and they all love them too. Not sure about repair rates, but I would suggest maybe trying to get it from Costco, their return and warranty support is awesome.

While I definitely want to get it watch Flames games, I (sadly) do a lot of regular tv watching, so something that looks decent in Standard Def would be nice. Obviously, the more channels switch to HD the better, but seems like there are still lots of SD channels out there. What features should i be looking for with this in mind?

The ability of the TV to upscale a SD picture nicely is something that varies widely from TV to TV, and something that cheaper units typically skimp out on. I really like my 40" Bravia's upscaling, it looks quite good. My friend has a 32" Sharp and I don't like it as much, it just looks more fuzzy to me.

That's something that a detailed review might tell about a specific TV, or check on a place like http://www.avsforum.com/ for people's experiences with a specific TV.