Yes, it can be done. I bought a 19 inch Sharp LCD TV last summer and experimented with feeding a signal from an older laptop to it. The RGB video connection was used sucessfully. (An RGB cable is much lower in cost than a HDMI cable plus many older laptops do not have a HDMI output. The cost range of an HDMI cable is from $45 to $120.) On the laptop, I set the "display" to both screen and external device. On the TV, I entered its menu and changed its input to the RGB port. Both worked well. I intend to use this combination for a rock-hound club show to demonstrate gem cutting software. I can sit behind a table facing people who come forward to view the display. I can operate the laptop and monitor the results on its screen while the viewers can observe on the larger TV screen facing them. I plan a live demonstration, but as an option, I could also prepare a Power Point presentation and let that run when I take a break.

Rob, Even if you use a digital or HD cable box, you still have to connect it to a coax cable since that's what's coming into the house. It's only between the box and the tv that you have the option to connect an HDMI cable. My tv is HD ready, meaning that if I connect it to an HD source, it will display HD without a separate box. I'm simply connecting the coax directly to my tv's tuner, and eliminating the middle man--the cable box's tuner. After shortening the cable to my tv, the reception is fine. I'm even receiving some HD channels, and you are correct, the difference between HD and SD is like night and day. I also have a smaller HDTV (27")in my bedroom and it receives many HD channels. In the livingroom, I get a "HD signal too weak" for most of the HD channels. I'm thinking about adding an amp to see if that helps. Maybe I'm cheap, but I just don't want to give the cable company any more money than I have to. I already feel that I'm paying way to much for standard cable. In any event, I'm very happy with SD for watching tv--for now. It's only when I'm watching movies that I care about HD, which is why I have my 1080p upconverting DVD player connected to my tv via HDMI cable. While that's not true 1080p, it still looks pretty darn good, something I'm happy with until the BlueRay/HD DVD dust settles. Thanks, Al

Yes, it has been discussed before, although those threads may have fallen off already. Neither one is "best". It all depends on personal preference, budget and what you will be doing with it. Most videophile magazines and websites will say that plasma has a better picture. That may be true, but I've seen some fantastic pictures on LCD screens. Plasma doesn't have the burn in or life-expectancy problems it used to have, and LCD TV's do allow more wide-angle viewing than they used to, so the differences between the two technologies is closing up. However, I still think that Plasma has an edge in that you can view it at any angle, up down or sideways, and the picture will look the same (like "traditional" tv sets do). For screen sizes of 42" or higher, plasma is also cheaper than LCD, for the moment. The best thing for you to do is decide on a screen size, think about how you will be using the set (do you play video games? Watch a lot of sports in HD? Do you have friends over and they watch the tv from an angle?) and then go to a store and see which picture in your price range looks best to you, and buy it.

We've owned a Samsung 4661 for about six months now. Both contrast and colour are excellent. We were looking also at the 4665, which is also an LCD. It was a no-go because of its shiny screen (unusual for an LCD). There are skylights in the living room. This is why a plasma was ruled out early on. We looked at a lot of LCD and plasma sets - including the Sonys - and preferred the Samsung 4661. We were limited by width - a 49 inches - so the form-factor sealed the deal. My DVD playwer delivers very good video through the component video inputs. Over-the-air 1080i HD broadcasts are spectacular. I've not yet used HDMI. If the picture is as good as broadcast HD, I will be pleased. There are two "quirks" I've found with the video quality. One has already been discussed - response time. Blurring was not very noticeable on sporting events. However, the slower response was obvious on the Nasonex commercial. The bee's wings are nearly invisible on the Samsung LCD. The "flapping" is just too quick for the screen. This is the only response issue I've seen. The other "quirk" relates to blackness uniformity. All LCDs have minor brightness variations across the screen. These can be seen only during very dark passages. In the Samsung, they appear as barely-visible pillars of light covering the left and right 10% of the screen. They disappear as you get to within five feet of the set. From what I saw in the store, the pillars are more obvious on the shiny screen of the 4665. Viewing angle is very good. The contrast dulls only slightly when seated beyond 45° either side of center. Audio quality is not bad. However, the speaker location and the set's thinness take a toll on the bass. Wiring it up to our stereo fixed that. Speakers placed near an LCD or plasma set will not affect picture quality. From my experience, the picture controls on the Samsung are set too aggressively. Here are some of the ones I settled on... Brightness - 45 Contrast - 9 Colour - 45 Backlight - 8 Please note that setting the brightness too high will exaggerate the "light pillars" I mentioned before. Conversely, the backlight level has little effect. The "enegy saving" setting sounds like a good idea - until you use it. The backlight level changes dynamically to match the material. Ideally it should do so without being noticed by the viewer. Unfortunately, the control cannot keep up with sudden changes in overall brightness. The result is something like the "blooming" effect seen on some CRT sets, where brightness regulation is often an issue. All-in-all...the Samsung is a fine set. It has plenty of contrast and great colour. The dark matte screen handles the skylights without trouble. Even direct sunlight doesn't wash out the picture - a real problem with our old picture-tube television. Peace. Marco