It is easy to get all wrapped in trying to maximize value-for-money and hopefully minimizing post purchase disonance!
I have perused the specs of each of Sony's 2007 models. It seems to me that the specs for the 40W3000 are pretty darn good and provide HDMI-3, X.V COLOR, 10 bit color processing.
So it was that I found myself "skimming over" almost ALL the 2007 models at a Sonystyle outlet yesterday. My oberservations are limited to the 40S/D/V/W, 32S/3000 and 32XBR4 as they were all co-located along a "Pot-Lighy" corner of the shop:
1: They all looked great.
2: It was impossible to tell whether all sets were showing off their "out-of-the-box" settings or whether all were receiving an HDMI-3 level signal. Hence, this post post is kind of filled with "no information" ! Sorry!
3: Notwithstanding the above, the best-in-show was the 40W3000.
* it was a tad brighter overall -- without the generally over-saturated sRGB and slightly inky look of the 2006 XBR's
* the image looked like a professionally printed glossy poster.
* skin tones were bang on (zero red blush) but some varied tones
* a dark red background on the right side of the screen-filled images seemed lighter and that brought a subtle, "happier" tone to the scene
* motion artifacts were not evident -- perhaps reflecting on the selected DVD (I did not ask its title)
Itis hard to imagine a better rendition at 40" size. The thick, opaque colors and 1080 roots were world class.It was hard to walk away knowing that one's budget might only cover the cost of an 32S3000!
PS:
I was touched by this morning's BBC Documentary concerning te recent scarifices made by a Company of British Infantry in Afghanistan. Makes "worries" over HDTV's seem frivolous !