Mitsubishi WS-55809 55 in. TV

Stop right here if you're looking for positive reinforcement for purchasing any television set over $300. My wife and I had delayed purchasing a new television set for the family (living room) because we were looking forward to HDTV. The hype at the time was, "HDTV is a technological leap equal to or greater than B&W to color!"
To make a short story, long, in 2002 we went to ABC Warehouse with money-in-hand. To choose Mitsubishi was a no-brainer for me because of very good luck with the brand in the past. The biggest choice at the time was wide-screen or regular. I knew that most of broadcast television would appear distorted on the wide-screen, but chose it for the prospect of theater-like dvd viewing. The large, full wooden cabinet on the WS-55809 55 in. wide-screen stood out from it's plastic competitors with their narrow tops and their lean-to rear appearance. "What a wonderful place to put all the home theater components (receiver, dvd player, etc." I thought.
Mistake #1: For whatever reason, (I can't remember now) I let the salesperson talk me into putting the set on my ABC charge account. "Quick, convenient, just pay it when you get the bill, no interest." Funny, they never billed me until $60 in interest had accrued. My fault for not paying attention.
Mistake #2: My wife shampooed the carpet in the living room, being very careful to stay well away from the television set. Well, somehow the moisture wicked it's way across that barrier into the unbelievably cheap pressboard that these sets are made of. Thus began the swelling of the pressboard and the popping-off of the thin, black, vinyl paper they generously refer to as, "finish." To their discredit, I've had a wide range of furniture, including cheap pressboard entertainment centers, which never responded this poorly to moisture.
Mistake #3: Thinking that cable providers would do anything to bring HDTV to their customers other than increasing rates, stonewalling and offering over-priced, phoney "digital" service in place of any real advancement. (Try to find any real digital output on your $100/month "digital" box.)
Mistake #4: Spending a dime to fix this tv. I should have done my homework before it was due. In other words, I should have researched this model before I bought it. It seems that a weakness in rear-projection television sets in general, and the WS-55809 in particular, is failure of the I.C. (or convergence) circuits. Apparently they generate, or are subject to, great heating and cooling cycles. The resulting diet of steady expansion and contraction either loosens the solder joints or causes failure of the convergence circuit boards.
I finally did my homework after my picture turned into a fisheye parabolic view of the world, and called the Mitsubishi-authorized repairman. He concurred with my diagnosis and happily installed new I.C. circuits and only charged me $320 for his efforts. I was happy again in TV-land as my soggy-bottom Mitz played flawlessly for another year and a day.
Now, regarding the WS-55809, the honeymoon is over, the divorce is eminent, and bitterness from this experience will undoubtedly follow me into any attempt to begin a fresh relationship with another "big-screen TV." My family has gotten used to watching "un-converged" television. I really haven't even heard any complaints. The center of the picture is ok, it just color-separates at the outer edges. Luckily, I can't afford to replace it, and my wife refuses to eat a $300/year repair bill, so the only thing I can do is tell my tale of woe.
In all fairness, Mitsubishi has agreed to maybe do something if we send them all our paperwork with a new authorized estimate of repairs. Might do that, don't know yet. I might just have to watch this set die along with my hopes of ever seeing anything high-definition on it.
Cable companies are still stonewalling hi-def. Oh well, live and learn.
Lesson for the new millenium: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!