There are lots of much better brands like toshiba. Even sanyo is likely to
be an improvement over the sony.

I hear ya.

I have a 22 year old Toshiba TV and still kicking. I was thinking
Panasonic. Always had good experiences with Panasonic products. But I
wonder if these days, even Toshiba, Panasonic QA is still the same.

Thanks for the suggestions: Toshiba and Sanyo.

I disagree about Sony. They are a quality set with an excellent picture when
working properly. However, I would rate their reliability as average, perhaps
even a little below average overall. The brands I recommend are Sony, Toshiba,
Panasonic, Hitachi and Mitsubishi.

Alan Harriman