Super-size your set.(32- and 36-inch televisions)(Buyers Guide)

Think bigger is better? If that's your home-entertainment credo, you'll find plenty to like in the 32- and 36-inch televisions we tested. Sheer size is the obvious advantage: A 36-inch screen is a whopping 78 percent larger than the 27-inch sets that still serve as the main--and largest--television in many households, while a 32-inch TV expands your view by 41 percent. Most large sets also have numerous inputs, including some connections that are designed to get optimal quality from devices such as a DVD player and to offer more flexibility in setting up a home theater.

Prices of big screens have inched downward over the past few years, so very good sets are now more affordable: as little as $530 for a 32-inch TV and under $1,000 for a 36-inch model. Of course, you can spend several hundred dollars more for high-end sets, including those with flat screens rather than the slightly curved screens typical of most TVs. Flat screens show fewer reflections, but our tests haven't shown these sets to have better picture quality overall. Is the different look worth the higher price? That's something you'd have to see--and decide--for yourself.

For those with even richer budgets, a high-definition TV (HDTV) is another option. We tested two 36-inch HD-ready sets--which require a separate set-top box to handle HD signals--and found they delivered the excellent HD picture we have come to expect.

For the ultimate in screen size, you may want a rear-projection TV, which can be anywhere from 40 inches to more than 70 inches diagonally. We'll test these for a future report.

A few caveats when buying a big-screen TV: Don't assume that a larger picture is necessarily a better picture. In fact, a larger screen may look worse than a smaller one if you sit too close. For the best picture quality, you need to sit about 11 feet from a 32-inch set and 12 feet from a 36-inch TV. Also keep in mind that these sets may overwhelm a small room and that their heft demands a large, sturdy stand or wall unit.

Nonetheless, these large sets are popular with many consumers. Our latest annual survey shows that one in three readers would consider one for their next purchase.

In this report we provide detailed information on more than 40 TV sets in 32- and 36-inch sizes. (A few models, as noted in the Ratings, actually measure 31 or 35 inches diagonally.) To further broaden your shopping options, we've identified 11 similar sets that should offer performance comparable to that of the tested units, although their features may vary.