The whole thing depends on what your friend wants out of a TV. If he just wants a low cost value on moving up to HD then it might be a decent deal.
However, if he wants a TV boasting a lot of the latest, greatest HDTV technologies then he might want to steer clear.
IMHO, the best LCD-TVs currently on the market today are Sony's XBR4/XBR5 HDTV sets and the newest Samsung Series 7 / 750 LCD-TVs. Panasonic has a good 1080p plasma set that lists for around $5000. The Pioneer 60" Grand Kuro plasma is one of the best TVs available.
I think the 120Hz refresh feature on certain new LCD-TVs is a must-have feature when shopping for a new HDTV. The fast refresh effectively combats ghosting and smearing issues common to less expensive LCD-TVs. The motion enhancement feature is great for things like HD sports broadcasts. In turning off the motion enhancement filter, a 120Hz TV will give a perfect 5:5 pull-down from 1080p/24 content on Blu-ray Disc. Newer, more expensive LCD-TVs have better color quality and deeper black levels.
I own a Sony KDL52XBR4 52" LCD-TV. It's really a great TV set. There's smaller, less expensive versions available, but I think 40" is as small as they come.
A friend of mine wanted a TV like mine. I paid $2999 for it in January (before Super Bowl weekend). The price shot up $1000 so he opted for the new Samsung LN-52A750 52" LCD-TV. It sports all the same features as the Sony XBR4, but has 4 HDMI ports instead of just 3 on the Sony. It also has a built in LAN connection. The Sony XBR4 has a jack on the back for attaching an optional Bravia Link device.
However, if he wants a TV boasting a lot of the latest, greatest HDTV technologies then he might want to steer clear.
IMHO, the best LCD-TVs currently on the market today are Sony's XBR4/XBR5 HDTV sets and the newest Samsung Series 7 / 750 LCD-TVs. Panasonic has a good 1080p plasma set that lists for around $5000. The Pioneer 60" Grand Kuro plasma is one of the best TVs available.
I think the 120Hz refresh feature on certain new LCD-TVs is a must-have feature when shopping for a new HDTV. The fast refresh effectively combats ghosting and smearing issues common to less expensive LCD-TVs. The motion enhancement feature is great for things like HD sports broadcasts. In turning off the motion enhancement filter, a 120Hz TV will give a perfect 5:5 pull-down from 1080p/24 content on Blu-ray Disc. Newer, more expensive LCD-TVs have better color quality and deeper black levels.
I own a Sony KDL52XBR4 52" LCD-TV. It's really a great TV set. There's smaller, less expensive versions available, but I think 40" is as small as they come.
A friend of mine wanted a TV like mine. I paid $2999 for it in January (before Super Bowl weekend). The price shot up $1000 so he opted for the new Samsung LN-52A750 52" LCD-TV. It sports all the same features as the Sony XBR4, but has 4 HDMI ports instead of just 3 on the Sony. It also has a built in LAN connection. The Sony XBR4 has a jack on the back for attaching an optional Bravia Link device.
