[McG]

i disagree with the advice to go to a store and look at which one looks best and buy it. the reason is because many stores just set the things up without adjustment; this means that you are relying upon the manufacturer's settings (usually vivid or bright) and from all that i have read no one should be watching their tv at home on these settings. therefore, whatever setting that you see won't be the one that you use and therefore seeing it in the store and buying it makes no sense to me.

i would recommend that you go to a store and make sure that you get SAP (spouse approval points) with the overall design and layout of the tv itself; the looks of the tv, the stand and setup will make a big deal on how much you like the tv without the screen.

i would decide on a technology, lcd or plasma, and a size. make sure that you try out different sizes from your sitting position. read reviews about the best tvs in a specific area of interest, and for pete's sake find out the msrp in canada and the us. google your chosen tvs with the word review in them, and do check out avsforum.com.

oh yah. those pesky settings? i have found that people on avsforum have usually posted their preferred settings and you can adjust your set to those settings. many people have done the avia thing so they have the best settings for their tv; of course, only your eyes can tell what is best for you.

one other thing; make sure to check as many real life viewing angles as you can. not every person or chair is the money seat and you therefore need to ensure that other seats have just as good a viewing experience.

edit: i just wanted to add that you might want to wait until after the ces in january; 3d tv will make a big splash there an i would expect there to be alot of news about upgradeable tv models etc. from everything that i know about 3d tv, i will be waiting to see what comes out. it might not matter to you, but if avatar-like experiences are in the future then i want them in my home.