laundee,
buy tv for watching tv is the simplest thing... just dun listen to pple recommendations.
look at the tvs tat make u feel good just looking at the design. look at the price. then buy the cheapest one...
tv serves 2 functions for me... 1. look good when switched off, 2. simple to use as a tv when switched on.
all these hd/semi-hd/non-hd doesn't matter much to me for now. end of the day if i dun need HD, i dun need it. $900 budget should be enough...
and pls dun look for durability... tvs should last 3-5yrs can liao... any longer u'll have guilt for wanting to change your tv simply becos it's old, even if it still functions well.
contrary to most pple, i dun need durability if i'm an upgrader.