Well, I did it. I finally took the plunge and replaced my old tube TV. I knew I was in for a much improved picture, but I had no idea I would get addicted.

I have seen about every TV on our website, and had an idea about what features I wanted. I then consulted Steve, the smartest guy I know when it comes to choosing a television. He's one of our writers and our resident expert on all things TV. With his input I decided on a Sony KDL-32EX500.

I happily picked it up, loaded it in the car and headed home. My new toy fit in the back of my car, and weighed in at just over 26 pounds. As I unloaded the TV, reality hit. I was replacing a 24" Sony Trinitron Vega tube TV that I got in 2001. Did I mention the 32EX500 weighed next to nothing?

The hardest part of replacing the TV was taking the old one off the stand. Um, yeah, it weighed close to 90 pounds. I know I looked pretty funny as I pulled it off the stand and practically fell over while trying to put it somewhere-anywhere out of the way. And all this while I was wearing a dress. I got that monster as far as the living room floor. It stayed there until a friend took it away to be recycled. I'm just happy I didn't drop it.

Moving on...

Before I even plugged in the new set, I was pleased. I knew I was getting a bigger screen size, with a widescreen instead of a square picture. And the 32EX500 was easier to handle than my old set due to its smaller footprint and lighter weight. I replaced the old cable box with one that has HDMI outputs and proceeded to hook it all up. Connections were easy, and setup of the TV was a breeze. Once the cable box booted up, I flipped on the power.

And then my inner geek came out.

Holy cow, did I turn into a female version of my brother, Bob. I checked every channel searching for the perfect one. The remote became an extension of my hand. I was transfixed by the glow.

The first thing I watched was the Tour of California bike race. What a great way to showcase HDTV. You've got the bright colors of the jerseys, the speed on the descents to highlight the motion, the clarity of each cyclist in the pack. It was amazing.

I then decided to go back and forth between the HD and non-HD feeds of the same channel. I was comparing every little detail of the picture. I don't think I left the house that first weekend. And yes, I called Bob to gloat, er, testify to the beauty of hi-def.

They say the novelty soon wears off. It hasn't for me.

I find myself watching auto racing, bike racing, track and field-just about every sport (except golf) with a new enthusiasm. The TV's BRAVIA Engine 2™ technology upconverts lower-resolution sources, so even my non-HD channels look better. I spent a day watching a miniseries I had seen several times before, but in hi-def it was like seeing it for the first time.  Even Jeopardy! looks better. I still don't know the answers but the clues sure look good.

Needless to say, I'm now a convert. I get it. My Sony KDL-32EX500 has made me a fan of HDTV.

And Bob has to come to my house to watch the Arkansas/Alabama football game this year. Go Hogs!