darn it. I'm very sorry i didn't see this thread before it was too late Cadboy. i have the Sears version of the Samsung (TXN2668WHF) you were contemplating and will tell you that I'm very happy with it!

you can watch 4:3 shows with black bars on the side (not really recommended full time due to burn in concerns) or in one of four stretched modes. for regular shows, I rather like the "Panarama" mode ... the aspect is nearly normal in the middle of the screen and stretched at the sides. only time it's really noticable is during higher speed pans or when there's a ticker along the bottom or top of the screen.

i've got two 1080i sources feeding it via Components ... my CATV box and a Zenith DVB318 upscaling DVD player. HD (or near HD upconversions) look great! If you check HTF and AVS, you'll find that while there are some people who had problems as curegeorg reported, the majority of owners where very satisfied with these two particular models.

I'd highly recommend the set if it's not too late to change your (or your wife's ) mind.

Not sure what to do about the scratches on your current replacement ... maybe some jewellers emory paste? you know, the stuff they use to polish the scratches out of watch crystals?

either way, good luck!

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pat----

email: pat@sklenar.info ---===--- home page: Grumpy's Lair