This is my second Wega, the first being a 21" model (that's still in my bedroom).

As far as CRT TVs go, you can't get a better picture tube than the WEGA. It's different from other tubes, in that the electron beam can actually be focused differently, depending on the aspect ratio of what you're watching. What that means to you is, when you watch a DVD in 16:9 mode (with the black bars on top and bottom), the electron beam is actually changed to only draw in that area. So, who cares? You do, because this means you get the full resolution (480 lines, in 480p progressive scan mode) of your DVD in the smaller area. With other 4:3 TVs, you'd actually get reduced resolution, because the electron gun is still producing the same number of scanlines. It's difficult to explain without pictures. There's more info on it online. Just trust me, it makes other CRT displays look evil by comparison.

Anyway, back to the review:

What you get:
The first thing you'll notice about this is it's BIG and HEAVY. It's almost 250lbs. On the plus side, no one's going to steal it in the middle of the night :) I really like the silver/black styling of the WEGAs.

There are 7 different inputs selectable. There are at least 2 component inputs for your progressive scan DVD player or satellite dish.

The remote is outstanding. It's got great range, and I love the little joystick. Another reviewer complained about the lack of separate INPUT buttons on the remote. If you decide to purchase an aftermarket remote (as I did with the Home Theater Master MX-700), there are discrete input codes available for this TV, as well as discrete ON/OFF codes.

You can pop Sony memory sticks right in the front panel. That'd be really cool if I had any :) If you've got a Sony digital camera, this could be a great option.

Performance:
The picture on this tube can only be described as stunning. Whether in 4:3 or 16:9 mode, the picture is equally gorgeous thanks to the WEGA tube.

It's got 2 tuners. I thought this was a useless feature. Now, I can't live without it. I miss it terribly on my other WEGA. This gives you a side by side view of 2 separate channels (with cable or antenna). You can wait out a commercial by flipping on the other window. The windows are also resizeable, another fun little feature. Even cooler, each window can display a different input! This means my wife can watch TV (listening through the speakers) and I can play Playstation (listening through the home theater). Now that's technology!

Speaking of speakers, the sound on this TV is startlingly good. I've got a full home theater system in my living room, but when I watch TV without it turned on, the sound is still great. They're strong and full-sounding, never tinny like some.

If you're a tweaker (and what home theater nut isn't?) the adjustment menu is thorough and easy to play with. Especially with the remote's convenient joystick. There are 4 built in picture modes that you can customize. Even better, one of them is called "Pro." I spent some time tweaking all the video settings using Avia's home theater setup DVD, and it turns out they were almost precisely the settings factory programmed into the "Pro" picture mode. Nice job, Sony.

One thing I really like about the menuing system is the ability to turn off the TV speakers. This is useful to listen to the TV through your home theater system. ER sounds great in 6 speaker surround :) The reason this is so good is, normally the audio output of the TV is tied to the volume control on the TV. By shutting off the speaker, the TV now spits out a full strength audio signal, and the volume is set by the receiver. A much cleaner audio path, which means better sound for you. Even better than this, if you have an aftermarket remote, there's a discrete code to do it!