Here is another thread that will answer some of your questions - linked below. As to how heavy mine are - no idea. But they are not lightweight. What keeps them from sliding off? They are drawer glides, so they have stops on them. They won't slide off. We have to reach behind the panels (in open position) to release a lock in order to take them down. I have no idea how far they extend past the TV, if you mean when open how far they stretch out. The glides go a good ways, if not all the way, across the top/bottom of the panels. Sagging? My panels are quartersawn oak. The glides hold up to 100lbs. The ends/top/bottom are finished, so if you are looking from below/either side, you see finished panel. I can't really give you any more details than that. Someone who knows their way around the workshop should be able to make you something similar. I posted on a Decorating thread about other options, some lightweight: You could use pre-bought stretched canvas panels (paint, wallpaper, decoupage, fabric covered) for a more light weight cover. If your TV is not recessed, you could still make a cover deep enough to cover. If lower on the wall, the panel(s) could go up instead of sideways. This couldn't be done in our case due to height and surround sound speaker built-in wall above ours. Here is a link that might be useful: Other TV thread

The "Fading" referred to by the cable company for Plasma tv is normal wear and tear. Old fashioned CRT TV's also fade over time. The current Plasma TV technology has a lifespan of 60,000 hours until half-brightness. This is about 8 years of daily use. Since, when the TV is new, you want to make sure to turn the brightness WAY down, by the half-life point, you could just turn the brightness way UP, and have plenty of life left. The yearly Maintenance, that's something I've never heard of before. Unless, they are referring to replacing the light bulb in the rear projection systems (like DLP). Those are supposed to last 1-2 years under daily use, before needing replacing.

"Neither Consumer Report or Amazon reviews have proven to be worthwhile due to the reviewers giving 5 stars for something they have owned a short amount of time" Ridiculous statement. Of course CR owns the TVs a short amount of time. TVs become obsolete; should CR rate TVs five years old and no longer manufactured? The TVs are rated on performance. "I would take the advice of a post on here may be better in the television section of garden web over anyone else." That makes no sense. Each person has only one TV; he can't do side-by-side performance comparisons.

60” love seat with two ottomans: Leaves space for reading chairs on either side of window and console table at window with lamps.