Samsung makes 2 DLP models that would have fit. My cost would have been about $2,800 for the TV at Tweeter. By the time I added on a surround sound system with installlation, the cost ballooned to over $6,000. Since there is no clearly superior technology, and some of the input formats may become obsolete I got discouraged, and decided to continue looking around. (I read one article that said even the DVI input was a possible worry because some DVI inputs include integral digital media rights protection while other DVI inputs don't. If your set has one, and the other becomes the standard, . . . well, you could be on the outside looking in.)

Costco is 2 blocks from work, so I dropped in to just check out what they had during lunch. The reason the Akai got may attention was that it was a simple, inexpensive unit, that fit the "buy cheap now, and wait for a few years" strategy. Costco broadcasts HDTV signals to all the TVs in the store, and the picture on the Akai PDP4294 looked just as good as the next two cheapest models (Vizio 42" HD unit at $2,000 and a Pioneer HD unit at $3,000). Thanks to two reviews on this site that warned about poor picture quality with standard definition signals, I made sure that I carefully unpacked the unit and saved the box, just in case I wanted to take it back. I was prepared to consider an upgrade to from analog cable to digital cable, or even HD digital cable, if the picture was poor.

I was amazed at how clear my picture is. It is perfect. I hooked by DVD up via the component inputs, and I'd bet that I can not tell the analog cable picture from the DVD (DVD player is JVC model ?? in 480p mode). I think that what it comes down to is the quality of the analog signal that your cable provider put out. If your cable provider puts out a nice clean signal like mine, then you'll be pleased with the quality of the standard definition picture. If, however, your cable company does not put a lot of emphasis on providing a good quality analog signal, ... well then you might have something that is pixelated and looks bad.
Anyway, my picture is absolutely, without qualification, perfect. Plus, a side benefit is that the plasma display is so bright that I no longer mind when the sun hits the screen from about 6:00 to 8:00 at this time of year (summer).

On the negative side, the remote is a little odd and difficult to work with. There is this center "joystick" thing that you need to use for setup menus ... my wife couldn't work with it at all, and I had some difficulty with it. Plus, if find that I need to hold the remote high, and point it just so, or else the TV won't respond.
Another negative is that the TV is slow to display the channel when changing channels, or using "swap" with PIP. In fact, it is so slow, that I consider PIP unusable. (It takes a full second, maybe even two. An eternity for the modern man who has perfected the fine art of rapid fire channel surfing.)

Summary: For $1,500 I replaced my 32" tube with a 42" plasma. The picture is crystal clear and bright. In three or four years, when my plasma starts to get dim, I can take the money that I saved and buy whatever technology has become stable and inexpensive.

======== update ==========================
Been almost a year now. My opinion has not changed much. I am still very happy with my choice. The TV is working fine and the picture is still bright and generally sharp.

I have noticed the pixelation that other reviewers referred to, but only when the scene is a dim setting and there is alot of movement. Most of the time, there is nothing at all noticeable, just like I said in the earlier review.

I am no longer bothered about the time it takes to change channels. Guess I got used to it. Haven't used PIP though because of the lag time, and I don't think I will change my mind on that issue.

I still don't like the remote much. But I have learned to be more effective with it.

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1,499.99