What Dad REALLY Wants for Father's Day: Part I--Go For Broke

Forget the ties. You can even forget breakfast in bed. You know what Dad really wants this Father's Day?

A really, and I mean really, nice TV.

He wants the full 1080p HDTV with all the bells and whistles, in the biggest size you can afford without cashing in your kids' college fund. Trust me on this. HDTV's aren't cheap, but they are worth it. How do I know? We bought one of the 1080p versions when they were first out in a fit of "MUST HAVE NEW GADGET" lust, and I can't count how many times my husband has turned to since and said, "This is the best. purchase. ever."

And I agree with him. Not only are the Nature shows gorgeous with the brilliantly green grass and the frosty snow-capped mountains and the furry lions eating up the poor little wide-eyed gazelles in incredible detail, but you can see every last little line on the faces of the View cast members, which is really great for my self-esteem.

And, of course, the kids love it for gaming.

But the main thing is, Dad is in his element sitting in front of this awesome television with the remote in hand, channel surfing until we beg him to for goodness' sake stay on ONE program already, willya? And Father's Day is all about making Dad happy!

So, two to try:

Panasonic’s VIERA full HD 1080p PZ850 series:

• Love this quote: Panasonic refers to this as, "The Batmobile of HDTV's."
• Includes a Pro Setting Menu...to access professional calibration software.
• Improved native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and a dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1; Digital Cinema Color Re-Mastering; 24p native reproduction; Game Mode; an SD memory Card slot; RS-232C connection; four HDMI connections; increased luminous efficiency; lead free panels; 100,000 hours to half brightness and a PC input. (I know, I don't know what half of this stuff means either, but it will make Dad drool, trust me.)
  
• Recognizing the growing use of Plasma HD televisions in the gaming world, Panasonic created the Game Mode, which minimizes the time lag when displaying game images on the Plasma screen. The Mode synchronizes the response of the game image to the player’s operation, thereby producing an extremely clear image with no motion artifacts. (See, this is where the kids get involved. Gaming!)
  
• Available in four models - the 46-inch class TH-46PZ850, the 50-inch class TH-50PZ850, the 58-inch class TH-58PZ850 and the 65-inch class TH-65PZ850. (You can't even imagine a 65-inch TV right now, can you? But wrap your mind around it and it sounds AWESOME, amirite?)
  

Thanks to Panasonic and Gina from Cohn & Wolfe for these specs.



The Sharp Aquos LC-52D92U

• 52" Class (52-1/32" Diagonal) AQUOS LCD Television
• Full HD 1080p resolution
• a 15,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• 120 Hz Frame Rate Conversion and six 1080p compatible HD inputs (I actually do understand that: the more inputs the better!).
  

Specs from the Sharp website.

BTW, The Sharp Aquos is actually the TV we have at home. No buyer's remorse whatsoever, despite the hefty price tag. Either of these quality lines, though, the Panasonic Viera or the Sharp Aquos, and I think you'll be more than satisfied.

Besides, what else are you going to do with that government stimulus check?

Tomorrow: What Dad REALLY WANTS: Part II