Notes in passing: We have SONY BRAVIA. I agree with the "a bit expensive" part, but it has a GREAT look. We got the 34 inch, which by coincidence fits perfectly in our faux fireplace. Honest, less than 1/4 inch on either side and we didn't measure it ahead of time. It just fits that well.
Those who want to consider plasma screens: More modern ones might be better about this, but some plasma designs have an unfortunate tendency to "burn in" an image. My best advice is if you wanted to go plasma, at least invest in a copy of some magazine that has test comparisons. In the USA we have Consumer Reports. Don't know what our UK cousins have, but it is a great reference for comparison shopping.
As to HDMI ports, the newer SONY models have more than one. The 2006 closeout models were limited to one HDMI.
Depending on what you are using for inputs, though, don't ignore the fiber optic option, which SONY supports. You lose very little signal on that. The USA Discovery channels, particularly the Discovery HD channel, are awesome through fiber.
As to which unit to buy, this is one case where magazine shopping cannot be the end. You MUST see the TV you want side by side with its competitors, if that is possible. That is the only way that you would realize that, for instance, the low-contrast models suck for nature shows but are OK for the studio-based comedies and dramas. Not great - but OK.
. . . . . overload. . . . . . confused
