Great so far

Had my Sony about 3 weeks now. Here are my impressions:

Picture Quality
Analog channels, not that great, digital channels - somewhat better. HD channels and DVDs - superb! My only complaint is the lack of contrast in dark scenes. There seems to be excessive shadows. I've tweeked the video settings some but have not gone through the exercise of using a setup DVD yet. HD sports are absolutely stunning.

Sound
Not too bad on its own but for serious TV I listen through my home theater setup. Lots of connection options to do whatever you want. I use an optical digital cable from the Sony to my home theater receiver and it sounds great.

Features
Wegagate is the term for a single button access to all of the TV's setup options. It is convenient and very user friendly. The remote that comes with the TV is functional. I programmed to take over most functions of my other HT components such as the DVD player and audio receiver. Since I'm using the cable card feature in the Sony, I've been able to ditch my cable box too.

Misc
This is a BIG TV but the back of the set is wedged such that it fits great into a corner with the frame of the TV flush with the wall. Sony sells a corner stand for $500 but I made my own out of a single sheet of birch plywood for about $50. Non- the less its still hard to keep it from being the focal point in the room ( much to my wife's dismay). You don't want to sit too close to this unit or you will begin to notice the "screen door effect" but- you do want to be close enough to feel immersed in the picture. After all, thats why we buy big TVs! Our viewing distance is 10-13 feet which seems perfect for this size TV.

Finally - I hope and anticipate that HD programming options will become more plentiful. I am doing a free trial on an HD package offered by my cable company but so far I am not impressed. The major networks now carry a good portion of their prime time shows in HD and they say its only a matter of time before all programming goes this way.