I would opt for the 27".  Make sure you get a Stereo TV with plenty of AV inputs and S-Video inputs.  This will allow you to easily add components such as DVD players and VCR's.

Get the Best Buys special - a 32"

Why 32"?

Cuz it's the biggest most folks can carry home.


(just a sarcastic observation from what I see everytime I go to that store)

You don't need a TV.  Mine broke a month and a half ago and I still haven't gotten a new one.  I've been so busy that I don't even miss it.

I've been eyeing a 5" AC/DC powered black and white at Office Depot.  It's $30.  Just mentioning it since the money is coming out of your firearms fund.z

Our T.V. just bit the dust too. We splurged and got a 32 inch Sony flat screen. Not alot of toys on it but "Nice Picture".

Figure you're going to be looking at it for the next 10 years or so.

If it wasn't for DVDs and the History Channel, I wouldn't even own a TV.

I would get a mid-level 32". If you have a DVD player, you want component video input. You also want an S-Video input and as many AV inputs as possible. Stereo, or course, surround maybe. PIP is cool if your TV has two tuners, but this usually cost a lot more.

Another option is to stick with crappy TVs, just so you'll get frustrated and do something more constructive with your time.

Ha.  My 34" is 185lbs.

There are a lot of good cheap sets now, good time to buy.  You can find a good 27" with component inputs for around 300 bucks.

I picked up a Sony 32" a couple of months ago. $175 with matching Sony stand.

Or course, it was manufactured in 1995.

The used TV market is a great resource. Some people have to have the latest and greatest, and will give you 3 year-old models for next to nothing if you do all the moving.

If it's larger than 32", you may get an even better deal because like fight4yourrights said, it's a nightmare to move those big ones.

Get a Magnavox, one with smart sound, geesh, I hate those loud commercials.

Sony.  I bought a 32" about 8 years ago and love the TV.  Only thing thats went wrong is the remote control broke about 2 years ago.  

I don't know how much it weighs but that damn thing is heavy.  I think I've moved 4 times with that TV, and almost killed myself every time I moved it by myself (I'm only 5'6" 140lbs).  But the picture is still good, so I've been happy with it.

We bought a new 32" Toshiba a little more than a year ago...

The model we bought, had every conceivable option, including the dual tuner PIP...  I can certainly say, that the PIP has turned out to be the biggest possible waste of money, since we could have had the exact same features w/o PIP, for a couple of hundred less!

If you get the upgrade features for use with a home theater and DVD, make sure to get high quality cables, and go fiber optic if your system allows for it.

[*] I should mention that we bought from Rex-TV.  Ours was a floor model that was missing the remote, so they dropped $150, doubled the warranty, and gave us a "generic" remote.  We contacted the manufacturer and bought a new factory remote for $45.  Although a floor model, this particular TV had not even been hooked up, before we boughht it![/*]