I can't stop watching TV long enough to write this review

I can't believe we finally got a flat screen TV. We've been looking at them since they first came out and were about $20,000. I still remember when that first set I saw went on sale. For $14,000. Yeah, right.

Now, however, some of the high quality sets are sort of within reach of regular household budgets. Especially when the stores offer deferred payment plans.

Around Labour Day last year, Circuit City offered a 3-year to pay plan and put a Sharp 36" flat screen TV on sale for an awesome price. My husband finally said, "Let's go get one." Woo Hoo! But when we got to the store and we saw all the different types and brands side by side, the Sharp didn't appeal to me. It was also only a few hundred more dollars to get a larger TV.

I examined all the sets carefully and used green grass and human flesh tones to try to figure out which one had the best colour. We finally settled on the Sony Bravia KDL-46W3000.

My review won't be too technical as I just don't understand all the technicalness of technology but I'll try to explain some of the features I do understand.

The Sony website, www.sonystyle.com lists all the specifications and features for those who understand what they're looking at.

Dimensions
Without the stand, the TV is 4.8 inches deep, 28.9 inches high, 44.7 inches wide and 71 pounds.

Video
Contrast Ratio : On Screen 1,800:11,
Dynamic 16,000:12
Display Resolution : 1920 x 1080
Native Resolution : 1080p

The 1080p is a better picture than the 1080i (progressive versus interlaced and it has to do with how the 1080 lines are displayed)

For the ratio's you are looking for a high ratio for a brighter clearer picture.

The motion blur I mentioned doesn't seem to be happening anymore. When we first set up the TV, it seemed that when people moved their hands, that area of the screen became pixalated. I don't know if the cause was the TV or the feed from the cable company but I haven't noticed it in months.

Audio
I don't understand anything about the audio specs. I do know it has all the input and outputs you could want and it was easy to hook up to the new home theatre system we bought to go with it.

Included accessories
Remote Control - I liked the remote a lot even though we ended up replacing it with a fancier all-in-one model. It allowed me to freeze the picture and do a picture-in-picture mode.
Battery (2 AAs)
AC power cord
Operating Instructions
Quick Setup Guide - this worked, hubby had the TV up and running in no time.
Warranty Card
Table Top Stand - very classic and nice looking.

Other stuff
The HDMI cable did not come with the TV. It has a built in tuner so you can just plug it into your cable when you get home but to get a better picture, you need a better cable system. We also had to get a digital cable box from our cable company since we didn't have digital cable before this purchase.

The TV has a 178 degree viewing area. I'm not sure exactly what this means technically but I can tell you that I can stand anywhere in the room and see the picture. You can watch it from the front or the side.

This TV is Energy Star compliant using 260W when in use and .4W in standby mode.

The Experience
It's been nine months since we've had this TV in our home and I still marvel when I turn it on. Sometimes it's distracting to be able to notice all the lines and wrinkles on actors faces but you get used to that after awhile. The Discovery Channel and HD movies, well let's just say that I'd rather watch a movie at home now instead of going to the movie theatre. The colours are so rich, the picture so clear... I am totally happy with this purchase.

I should mention that the great picture is only when watching high-definition TV shows. The channels that are still being broadcast in analogue are not fantastic and some say they appear worse on this TV. Personally, I don't notice that they are worse than on the older TV.

I highly recommend putting this TV in the list of ones to consider when you are doing your research. There are many features I didn't list here. One of the best tests is to compare this TV in the store next to the other TVs you are considering.

P.S. You can now buy this TV for less than we paid. We bought it on sale for $2699. It now seems to be available for anywhere between $1999 and $2499.