theRepublic said: This thread makes me long for the days when the only decision you had to make about a TV was how big you wanted it to be.
I'll probably be looking into getting a HDTV soon. How do you know if it has a good upscaler?
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I can give you a huge list of things that you should check for while shopping for a TV, but there are a few simple things you can do to make it easy. Also, you have to remember that hardly any sources actually transmit at 480p, so only DVDs, Wii, PS2, XBox, and a few other devices will actually transmit at this problem resolution. 480i doesn't seem to cause nearly as many problems.
As for buying a TV I suggest doing the following
1) Pick a price range - This is important, because it prevents you from saying, hey, this TV is only $100 more about 10 times 
2) Go online and do some research (cnet is good, but they are very tough on their reviews) and pick a handful of TVs you'd like to try out.
3) Take a source that you are familiar with (blu-ray or DVD disc, or possibly even your Wii with a familiar game) and have them play the source. Since you are familiar with the Source material you can better judge how you like the image
4) Play with all the TV settings, see what it can do and how it looks "the best" by your eyes.
5) buy the one that fits your price range, size requirements, feature needs, and looks the best to you, completely ignoring any review information unless it is pertaining to expected time before failure. In the end, it really comes down to if you like the picture, not if reviewers like the picture.
I did everything above but bring in a source that could output 480p and that is the only major gripe I have about my 3 year old TV.