I've seen Seinfeld upconverted to pseudo-HD (on Fox's HD station) that looked pretty good; I'm betting that the Seinfeld DVD, however, was probably to blame, especially since you saw a similar artifact on another TV, though the MAG's scaling might have exacerbated any flaws inherent in the transfer. I assume that you tried well-mastered, colorful, and contrast-dynamic DVDs with the panel, and they looked okay. DVDs produced at a high standard would be a better, or at least a telling, test. The centering issue is a drag. I'd be surprised if it couldn't be adjusted fairly easily. DId you happen to notice whether MAGs in general suffered from it? You might have been able to get one that's properly aligned. Nonetheless, the warranty-customer service element might have been a deal breaker with the MAG, anyway.

The 30" Sony XBR CRT is a winner, and it's a 16:9. The Sharp Aquos panels are really . . . sharp. The extra money in this case would guarantee you decent performance in all areas. Thanks for the rundown on some of the available no-frills units. You probably don't need confirmation from anyone, but from this distance, you seem to have done the right thing.

Ed