My current home theater setup is quite pathetic, although probably typical for any college student. I have a JVC 32" tube tv and an XBOX connected via component video (which doubles as my DVD player) and no sound setup or any sort.

I'm looking to start making my home theater better by gettin a nicer tv and a surround sound setup. I hadn't really considered getting a new tv since they are quite costly, but my local classifieds had something that caught my eye. It is a recently purchased Sony XBR 34" HDTV Widescreen for just under $1G with a DVD player included (haven't asked which model).

Now I started doing some research on this TV and many places say it is one of the best pictures available (even compared to some of the nicer plasmas, etc..). I'm wondering if moving up to this TV is really a huge step from where I am. Sure, it is HD, Widescreen, and probably a nicer picture, but it's only 2" larger. Would this be a foolish buy, or is it a great purchase to enter the digital realm?

Just wondering what everyone thought of this TV (remember, I would pay $1000 max with an included DVD player, and maybe talk them down some) and whether it's a worthy upgrade. Any personal experiences with this Sony would be great, thanks