got a new TV this weekend.

Funny thing... so did I. Nothing exotic or large or fancy, though -- just a replacement for my old 19" Toshiba that was so worn out that if I tried to watch X-Files, most of the time all I could see would be random small blobs of white on a black background. Of course, the permanent cyan spot in the exact center of the screen was entertaining -- it seemed to be right on somebody's nose most of the time.

What I got was a garden-variety 27" Akai model CFT2790, less than $400. It has a completely flat screen, and the performance compared to what I was used to is simply amazing. I don't have any kind of cable hookup, just an outdoor antenna, and two of the six channels I can receive that used to be completely unwatchable are now just fine. The only way I can tell which channel the set is on is to hit the display button on the remote -- I can't tell by picture quality any more.

With inputs for S-video, two composite inputs, 75-OHM RF, and DVD, plus auxilliary inputs for camcorder, and both composite and monitor outputs, it's living in a whole new world compared to my old set which had a single RF input.

Anybody have any experience with the Akai CFT2790? I did extensive, highly scientific research before I bought it: I paced off the distance in my house from my viewing position to the set location, then went to the store and paced off the same distance and bought the size and model that looked best to me.

tanstaafl.