SAMMY

A quick visit to the local Magnolia store impressed me yet again with the picture showing on the Samsungs. Of course, you have to remind yourself there COULD be a greater profit margin on one versus the others and it'd be really easy to stack the deck in any favor. However, Samsung's also impressed me at Circuit City. That's based on 'most lifelike picture.'

I am always amazed at the variety of looks you get from all the high end/high perfomance sets lined up side by side. They are not at all the same.

Neither are speakers, for that matter, in the audio rooms.

I eagerly await the next generation of SONY rear projector SXRDs which are out very shortly. Will they raise the bar or just touch it? Their variable iris is said to greatly improve the black levels and that's a key to lifelike - it takes away the filmy gauzy look that you see sometimes.