Although I have no axe to grind or cheque to cash if it helps people making choices you could do a lot lot worse than take a look at this set. It's now been in action for a week and the picture has got better every day. My brother, no stanger to fine TV's and music systems described the picture as stunning and it is the best 32" I've seen. I came to it through the angst of 2 bad PD30's and I wouldn't go back now if offered one half price. The sound, on some programmes and adverts is sublime and bassy but I've invested in a sub woofer system to give it a kick - the case is popular furniture wise but set to the 50 DRMC or whatever they call their system you can see every hair on a person's head - put either of the 100mhz options on and its good but the 50 option is amazing. The factory set up is abysmal ..with the contrast high ( but not full Sony, not full) and the brightness right down you have a picture postcard effect - forgetting purple patches the PD30 was fine otherwise but I could not get a sport setting that I was comfortable with - the Sony is unreal ..in fact it was so good and unblocky it took 15 minutes to get used to it. Having moved from a good Philips to a PD30 and suffered there I am impressed by this set all round ..certainly worth a look and some time spent setting it up ( ..I thought the PD30 was handsome but after it had gone for good the ladies of the house said it was too tall and dominating and that they prefer the Sony..plus ca change..)

Do you not miss the component inputs and progressive and scan modes of the PD30.

I myself had two of the panasonics and they were both utter crap via RGB, but superb via component. They had to go back.

I was waiting for the new JVC to come out but this Sony does look very sexy.

Are there any signs of colour smear which plagued a few older Sony's.

Is there anything that you are not happy with ?.

There are quite a few gizmos that I miss from the PD30 - especially as I selfishly live 35 miles out side of London so therefore can't enjoy the free digitial and two pictures at once. I miss freezing the picture, the sound quality and when the family settled down to watch Finding Nemo it was like being at the cinema - but it didn't work in the basics. But it has a nice picture alongside Text mode that I didin';t see on the Panny ..maybe didn't find it.
With my set and my settings the picture is perfect - no edging, no smear no dirty screen - through digital telewest the quality of BBc broadcasts compared to the rest is poor ..too often not as sharp. I tend to use Emmerdale as a bench mark through the digital cable ..not the bilge of the plot lines but the stunning quality of the picture. The Sony outshines the PD30 in a straight match and I only had the purple patches on the first one - nothing else. Composite on both PD30's was poor - I have a good Panasonic DVD and connected it via composite - Scart RGB was better so that was weird. Although I very much wanted the PD30 to work out it was in all honesty a little too high for our room - the Sony looks good, has a stunning clear picture and the sound can be easily boosted with a £40 set of Creative sub woofers ( I know I know but it works for me - my old audiolab amp doesn't pack a cinematic punch. When the DVD dies we'll go home cinema but I don't have any money left right now. The only thing I suppose that makes me laugh is I've spent £ 1200 on a TV that pays in a specialist 50mhz mode but I'm past caring ..the family are downstairs singing its praises, it works brilliantly and when we get Freeview all will come together - I highly recommend it but just hope you don't get a duff one!

Oh sorry almost forgot ..the scan modes ? The Sony has 3 50 drm. 100 drm and 100 ordinaty. The first two are excellent and clearer than any opf the PD30's in my view or to my eyes and the 50 wipes the floor with it completely.
Find a well set up set and watch some football on digital cable - it used to be like one of those square puzzles you move round ..on the Sony its so good its almost unwatchable if that makes sense - I only used the high res on the PD30 ..the screen looked blurred and messy on any other - and no - I'm not missing progressive scan but maybe that says more about my DVD player. DVD's on the Sony are superb - apart from Pc created image films like nemo, the PD30 was a complete let down on DVD's.

Does this model feature "Picture Power" the lastest version of DRC ?.