Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We have had two new HD TVs for just a bit over 5 months. One is a 23" Sony and one a 32" LG. The Sony hooked up easily, but the LG was like our first color set. We diddled with picture, sound, aspect ratio, and other settings to get the best picture and sound on each channel. I still don't know if the differences between channels is resolution, settings, or in the case of the news, makeup. But we were just happy to get it so that we could see all the face lifts... Now for the Haier, a relatively unknown Chinese brand of high definition TV. I plugged it into our Comcast cable box using an HDMI cable, and bingo, a bright and sharp picture with wonderful sound. For a few minutes I was sure a mistake was made, and we had been given a 1080p instead of the 720 that was on the box. Perhaps anything under 50 inches doesn't matter. We think that the Haier is just as good and maybe even a little better picture than the LG! Not one factory setting had to be changed! The sound from the built-in speakers is excellent - in part due to using an HTMI cable - and the Sound Leveler really works. No more spikes when changing channels and it even works on commercials that used to blare 10 db higher than the program. (The hookups and quality are very good with our DVD player and photographs on a flash drive, but they will not be used very much. The TV will not be used with our computer, so I can't address that either. Some will complain about the inputs being placed under a lip in the back, but most HD TVs use the same configuration because so many people will wall mount the TV. If the plugs were straight in, the TV would not be flush with the wall.) Initially, we had so much trouble with the remote from Comcast, that I was about to give this only 4 stars. We can only get HD through the Comcast box, and the Comcast remote - as bad as it is - should be our only remote. But the Comcast remote would not accept the two codes for the Haier TV, and I thought we would have to use two remotes. I called Comcast, and they gave me the same two numbers that came with their box. I called Haier, and they told me that they DIDN'T HAVE CODES FOR Comcast. All was not lost, however. I went on line, asked for "Comcast remote codes for Haier," and the second link was a discussion where one respondent said, "Try the codes for DURABRAND." The third code under Durabrand (10178), and we were set! (And, since I've now been asked this question 4 times by people who are concerned about whether it will fit into their cabinets, the set is 31.25 inches wide, i.e., side-to-side! The 37.8 inches they refer to is diagonally!) I said in the title of this review that it was unexpectedly fantastic. Well, this is a phenomenal TV especially considering that it was the least expensive of all 32 inch HD sets. We now have great Hi Def in our bedroom where, in six minutes, I'm going to watch the last game of the World Series! (Sure, I could watch it in the living room, but I like new experiences.) EW