I was reading the March issue of Consumer Reports today and I noticed the (#42MF439B is ranked last (28th) in the 40/42″ category. According to Consumer Reports, the sound quality sucks.

I’ll get a flat screen eventually. My old 50″ projection screen TV still works fine. It’s not exactly a great TV, but why spend money on a new one when it still works?

•LCD Full HD display, 1920 x 1080p.
•Integrated tuner decodes digital ATSC and QAM signals.
•Dolby Digital for movies or concerts in full surround sound.
•Dynamic Contrast gives enriched color performance.
•Stereo sound system.
•Multiple Audio/Video inputs (480i/p, 720p, 1080i).
•HDMI for full digital High Definition connection.

http://www.magnavox.com/p/index_tv.php?id=12

Target.com, which doesn’t carry the same stuff as the store, has another model listed (#42MF439B), but it’s also 1920 x 1080.

Unless Target (the store) has an old model on special, it’s probably 1080. I can’t see the official ad online until midnight Pacific time.

I bought a Plasma, and found it is an energy hog. It basically sucks down as much energy as a second refrigerator. Try to get an LCD if you can. They are much more energy efficient and look better in a bright room.

One of the best things I did was spending time at Costco comparing the image quality among the different TVs. If the TV was alone on a shelf, I’d probably say that even the worst one looked good. But when you can do the side by side comparison, it is easy to see which TV gives you the best image for your dollar.

And finally, you live in Oregon man. We don’t pay sales tax here. What’s stopping you from getting a decent screen?