Okay, gunslingers, I've got a question from a co-worker here. His 10-year-old Sony XBR TV was a victim of our big storm last month (although it took two or three trips to the shop to verify that it was down for the count), and he's looking for a replacement. On the one hand, he can pick up a comparable 27" standard-def TV with the insurance money and be out nothing. On the other hand, he can step up to an HD set. Plasma caught his eye earlier this year, but he eventually concluded that it was too expensive to mess with (especially for one that'll do HD resolution). He's not interested in going to a rear-projection set. At the moment, he has narrowed it down to a 32" or 34" direct-view HD set (which he's currently estimating will set him back around $1900 and may not include an HD OTA tuner) or a 27" standard TV for under $500. Either way, he'll also be picking up a DVD player.

His question is whether to stay with standard set for now and get a direct view or plasma HD set in a few years, or go ahead and get a direct view HD set now? Since I'm still sort of locked into waiting for a couple more years due to space limitations, I am not as up to date on the TV market. (For what it's worth, according to this map , the major local stations have all started broadcasting in HD now.) What do you all think? Take the plunge into HD now with a direct view set, or grab a standard set for now and wait for a few more years to see what happens to prices and alternatives?

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