Zenith IQB64W10W 64 in. TV

As an engineer, I thoroughly researched the technology behind HDTV in general and specifically Zenith's IQB64W10W. So there were little surprises for me, other than drinking in the extremely outstanding image I received when tuning in to The Tonight Show. I find myself watching hours of PBS just because it's in 1080i. I'm disappointed to find the majority of programming still not in 1080i (though many say they are simulcast in digital, it's not any better than watching it in analog since it's the same old school camera they've used for years - occasionally an event such as the U.S. Open will be in 1080i, then it's simply spectacular). But it is not enough to simply marvel at the image; for this amount of money I think Zenith could deliver a little more, perhaps not in the initial purchase, but in the form of upgrades. I contacted Zenith inquiring about upgrades, but they only had one which they described as "fixes a compatibility issue with a few dvd players" Even though I asked what specifically the upgrade would be doing, the technicians seemed unable to provide me with more information, so I was a little disappointed. I was also initially excited at the possibly of connecting my computer to the tv and using it as a monitor. I was terribly disappointed to find that the rumors I'd read about were true - the TV only recognizes 640x480 (at 60Hz). Some might not care, but the size of the TV begs to be used as the head of a game console or a workstation. But again, this is hampered by only accepting 640x480. I'd like to see the TV accept a variety of resolutions up to 1920 x 1080. Oh, another point that vexes me is that the picture in picture simply doesn't work while the tv is acting as a monitor (neither as a source or permitting PIP from other sources). I haven't had other digital tuners in my living room, but the digital tuner is sluggish, perhaps this is a weakness with all digital tuners, but the tv didn't score any points with its speed. The TV has a modest amount of connections, but for it's price, I think there should be more. I plan on buying an amp that will have sufficient connections, but this doesn't address the lack of connections with the tv itself. While on the connection issue, I'd like to see a fixed output for the sound instead of the forced variable output. The remote has a pass-thru feature where it will control the TV volume regardless of its mode (e.g. if it's in vcr mode it will adjust the volume on the tv and not the vcr), excluding "audio" of course. This is kind of there, but I'd like the pass-thru to go to my amp and not the tv. And then lastly on the connections issue, there should be a IEEE1394 (aka Firewire) connection so I can load my own images for the channel labels (you can label the channels with a picture, but they're missing some - in particular my local stations). Also, the upconverting issue - it's nice watching analog channels in 1080i, but I'd like to have the option of watching a 720p feed in either 720p or 1080i. Basically I'm happy with the quality of the image, but I'd like more control and features. Then lastly - the intermittent hissing. I called Zenith about this issue, but was told it was normal, but if I desired, I could have a technician examine the TV. The technician replaced a few parts, but said the noise was normal, and there was nothing to worry about. What? No. The noise is loud enough that I have to turn up the volume when the noise decides to come on. It's mostly background and not noticeable to the casual viewer (when people are over to watch the Super Bowl they won't notice), but as the owner, I'm around it in more situations so I noticed, and it bugs me. Do I regret buying the TV? No, never. Would I buy it again if it were lost in a fire? Probably, but it would depend on if anything else came out that responded to my disappointments.