I used to be a cynic about HD televisions thinking it was all a marketing con, until I actually saw one in person correctly configured. In most shops such as Currys and Comet they simply don’t have decent source material and don’t change the default settings, which just doesn’t do the televisions any justice.

I had my heart set on the Sony KDL-40V3000U after seeing it online in Argos and John Lewis for £999 with a Playstation 3 included, but was really disappointed to find that both had sold out and would not be getting any more stock. How many did they actually have I wonder?

Anyway, a couple of weeks later I saw the same deal in the Sony shop in the Trafford Centre in Manchester and went for it albeit £100 more expensive; plus I also agreed to buy a £40 HDMI cable. I later found out from colleagues that this was a complete waste of money as you can get a HDMI cable for £10 and as it is a digital connection it either works or it doesn’t (at least I didn’t go for the £60 one).

Despite all this I have been completely gobsmacked by the television, and amazed how my old Sony 28″ CRT suddenly looked like an antique.