apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Well, seeing as how we have the biggest, oldest TV I've ever seen (it's in a cabinet, people), this would be a huge improvement. When the speaker died on the tv, my dad hooked up some outdoor speakers, now that's classy, eh? Let's just say this TV would actually let us live in the 21st century.

HS sure does have a good argument, did the speaker come from a rumage sale? that would be even better!
We'd love to have this tv in our house because then I could re-arrange the furniture more often. Right now the entertainment center can only fit in one spot so I am forever stuck in the same arrangement. Hoping to have the option to switch it up a bit!

We have this old TV upstairs that doesn't work at all because the remote was lost, so we can't connect it to the cable box. It was heavy and boxy, and we need a new TV to be able to tie that room together. It's so old we don't think there's anything we can do to make it useful. It's also a great TV, and would completely change how we play video games (Wii, fun for the whole family), watch dvd's, and enjoy TV.

I have to admit, our current tv isn't old and crusty. We purchased it 2 years and 2 moves ago for a house featuring niches for your entertainment pleasure. 6 weeks into our new house; a much smaller, less already featuring built-ins house, our tv remains where the movers first carried it in. Inside the fireplace. The cable box and dvd player sit on the hearth beside it! However, above the tv/firebox is a beautiful, sleek mantel that would nicely hold the Insignia 37" LCD HDTV. The big switch would bring joy to the whole family. My husband would get football in all its HD clarity, my kids won't be able to stand with their noses pressed directly against the screen (putting off the need for glasses a few more years) and I won't have a heart attack every time my 4 year old squeezes her body into the 4 inch crevice beside the tv, threatening to push its off it precarious position onto the floor below!

Long time reader, first time poster (or maybe second time poster). I think I embody the spirit of Apartment Therapy. For starters, I live in an actual apartment - not a house, not a condo, not even a tenancy in common. A real live "don't paint the walls or hang up anything with nails or you forfeit your deposit" apartment. It's less than 500 sq. ft. Oh, and I love it! My apartment is my home.

Through AP I've found inspiration on how to enjoy living with crazy parameters (I have no kitchen unless you count the 30 inches total unit of a sink over half fridge with no oven but two countertop burners that inhabits a corner of my space a kitchen), how to decorate on a budget (which is great because I live in San Francisco and work for a non-profit) and encouragement to staying true to myself by adding a Green portal on your site.

I've completely revamped my apartment with the exception of my TV which is the only one I own, is over 10 years old, has only one working speaker and is too heavy for me to lift alone. I could start the please, please, please's now but instead I'll just end with - I would love the TV to update my home but I would love it even more if it came form Apartment Therapy.

Here's a shot of our newest and best TV--pretty sad, huh? We really want to have some movie parties this fall so Apartment Therapy would save us oodles of embarrassment if you awarded this TV to us! Bonus: lots of friends would get to see it--spread the joy!

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Great opportunity to replace my 15yr old "radiation king" tv set and finally buy a new media console. So not only will it improve my apartment by bringing it up to the current decade but improve my health :-) Oh and I guess I can now see what HD is all about.

My roommate and I are fresh out of college and in our new apartment. As you can see, our current setup is not just incredibly lacking - it's darn right unbalanced. Now, a nice big tv would go a long way towards keeping that shelving unit on the right from visually overpowering the entertainment setup. I can't promise that the tv would 'pull together' the rest of the room since it needs a tiny bit (just a bit!) more work than that, but I bet I could get my roommate to Craigslist the shelving... and in all honesty, wouldn't that be a service to humanity?

Last month we had a big storm which created a very large power surge, due to this we lost power for 4 days. When it was restored a number of our electronics were no longer working, included was a cordless phone, a stereo receiver, a wireless router, and my TV. The phone and router had to replaced immediately due to my business but I have been unable financially to replace either my TV or receiver. This TV would be greatly appreciated and well cared for by a family that misses watching movies together. Good luck everyone.

Post Script: Love the site

Our current TV is old, and was free from a friend. Shortly after we moved in, our stereo system was irreparably damaged in a flood. We need a new TV and a new stereo system but can't decide which to get first because we don't want to go into debt to get both at once. So we're stuck in this paralysis. With a free TV, we'd be able to get the stereo system and have both sides of the equation solved at once.

If Insignia is placed with me - I would care for him and would provide a happy, comfortable home for him always. I have a brand new HD VCR, just dying for a playmate. I know they would get along really well! While I am at work, he would have plenty of rest in a cool spot out of the Florida sunshine. Plus, if he turns his head just right out the window - he can watch the boats in the bay! What more could a TV ask for? The best part is, when I get home from work - we would spend so much time together, it's almost wrong. Watching news, documentaries, comedies, movies...it will be non-stop entertainment. And I promise, if he doesn't want to watch a show - I can always watch it on the other TV in my bedroom. The one part I haven't figured out is what to do with my current TV. She has lived a long, interesting life, has traveled with me and has been a true friend. But heck! We're talking HDTV and this IS FLorida...great place to retire...maybe even for TVS!

We have the tiniest screen in the world. Although my partner watches TV ALL THE TIME...we have to pretend we hate it. So we can't buy a new TV or get one that really works. When we play a DVD, I have to rearrange the plugs in the back to make sure the sound is on. The sound changes depending on the DVD for some reason. To make matters worse...the little vhs player in the TV doesn't work. We're people who embrace modern culture--we've got the yoga pad, the camelback, the ipod, the netflix...we even have smart wool socks! Now we need a flat screen HDTV!

myTV

Like most here I to have an older model which makes having a DVD player almost impossible. I have purchased 3 DVD players only to get home and find I have to buy additional equipment to use it. Finally a friend loaned me a RF converter. I was so excited ready to hunker down and watch some of my fav flicks only to have everybody and everything all red (color wise). I'm feed up and frustrated. I just want to watch movies without commercials and stupid stuff.

I don't care about High Def or bluetooth (whatever that means). As long as I can have a clear picture and sound I'm happy.

id like the tv because the few hours of tv i watch a week helps bring my girlfriend and i closer together. we dont have cable and we only rent seasons of shows and movies through netflix. when we are done we talk about the shows for hours and have debates speculating what will happen in the next show. right now we dont own a tv, i just watch the shows on my computer screen. ive designed my 350 s.f. loft to be very minimalistic and this would be an excellent addition. k - good luck everyone!

How would this TV improve my home? Let me count the ways:

1. Our sound would no longer include the reverb of cheap speakers when the volume is turned above 8.

2. Flat screen? Image how much space el gato would have to climb around the media cart while traveling between the windows!

3. Insignia.? A brand name someone has heard of? Now that's an improvement over the no name TV that my brother got for free when he bought his cell phone 4 years ago, and then handed down to me when all I had was a 13" TV/VCR combo with rabbit ears!

4. We're downgrading from our beastly Aiwa 3-disc not-so-mini stereo to a sleek Sony 1-disc system...and how do you make your A/V set up look sleek when you've still got a huge old honkin' tube TV taking up space?!

We are both in college in low paying jobs trying to make ends meet and our only tv is on its last leg. It's stopped playing dvds (yes, my sister bought a tv with a dvd player in it and then handed it down to me), it freezes, and sometimes won't turn on. The tv I had before that would randomly change back to channel 2 and had no remote, but was an old tv that you had to press the up button on the face only to reach channel 36 for it to flip back again. I don't want to buy another tube tv but can't afford a flat screen, tuition, and puppy shots. i need this one!!!

i'd post a picture but my camera was stolen, lost, and then found and not in my posession at the moment.

I bought my 19" TV in 1996, after my marriage ended (my ex and I agreed that he would keep the 9" b/w TV we bought in 1989 and I would get the stereo he bought in 1984—I still think I got the better end of the deal). I'm really, really bad at shopping for electronic equipment—the only reason I have a DVD player is because some friends gave me one in 2005 for my birthday (oh, and did I mention that my birthday is Sept. 12?). I've been dreading the end of analog broadcasting.

In other words, this TV would be a godsend. It would greatly enhance my Netflix experience (I don't feel like I can afford cable, which means I don't watch a lot of regular TV). And, of course, it would look infinitely better than my bulky 1996 model on my DIY "media center" . . . (I might have to move the painting, but that would be a small price to pay):

mary'sTV

With the only large screen television in my parent's room, this t.v would improve the Opal household in several ways.
1st, My parents would love the newfound privacy. With 5 children in the house from 15 to 23, they have no privacy. Their t.v is the only t.v. big enough in the house for all seven of us to watch anything together - put's a cramp in their loving. After 25 years of marriage, they need some alone time. The t.v. would bring the 7 of us together in a place other than my parent's bedroom.

2nd, you would help stop the multiple headaches us kids in the house get looking at the family room television. The damn t.v. is so blurry, Wii playin' and You Tubin' is practically impossible. It's also really annoying to watch a movie with a big old green spot that takes over a quarter of a screen.

3rd, A.T. would be the direct cause of a major and badly needed remodel in my house. My parents have spent so much money saving family members from financial ruin, that in order to save ourselves from bankruptcy, the 7 of us had to move into an house that's in shambles. 7 years later, nothing has been fixed yet. Instead of fixing our own home, my parents are constantly fixing other people's problems. In order for the T.V. to fit in the den, we'd need to get a new t.v. console, rearrange the furniture... If ONE room in the house could look great, then it'd be worth it. yay for A.T.!

How would this improve my life? I was burglarized and my TV was stolen! Some loser now has my 12-year old 20" Sony and is enjoying it (I don't think pawnshops would want it). Really awful timing as the US Open is on and I am a near-obsessive tennis fan. Seeing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fight it out on a 37" high definition TV would bring smiles to my face and such joy to my life!

Please end my pain...give me the lovely television set!

That TV would make my place look nicer. I like it.

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This TV would improve my home and/or my life in at least two ways:

One - it would fill the void that is one blank wall in my living room that I have left open specifically for the purpose of getting a new TV (my current 19" TV is presently situated in my finished rec room basement - I picked it up at a hotel sale for about $75 13 years ago and it was probably a few years old at that time already. The remote probably stopped working at least 5 years ago too!)

Two - having this new TV would allow me to host Sunday football parties; Emmy and/or Oscar award parties; Olympic parties; LOST parties; etc, etc, etc thereby helping to increase my social standing amongst my current and future circle of peers.

I share a 450 square-foot bungalow with my rapper boyfriend and my cat, Naima. Between his turntables, microphones and mixers and her litter box, kitty toys and copious shedding, well, let's just say I can claim about 200 square feet as my own. (I like to tell myself that this would be a veritable palace if I lived in Tokyo...) I confess, I used to be one of those holier-than-thou idiots who bragged about not owning a TV. My mom gave me a little one after college and I used it as a plant stand for a year before giving it away. I smugly brandished a "Kill Your Television" bumper sticker on my bike fender (that's right, I was proudly car-less too). This went on for years and years. But then, well, then at some point my brother got fed up with all the 'culture' I was missing (Law and Order That 70's Show) and he sent me a big honkin TV and his old VCR. And I caved. I got cable. Lordy, then I even got TIVO. I caught up on a decade of pop culture. Now I have weekly tv PARTIES at the bungalow where my friends cram in and gather round the set. My internet home page is set to TelevisionWithoutPity. My cat is named after an America's Next Top Model winner. My point is, now I FREAKING LOVE TV!! So I drooled when I saw your contest. The hulking monster from my bro takes up a lot of space in a small room and the color on the upper corners is now a weird pinkish shade (not that it keeps me from watching, mind you). A slim beauty like the Insignia Flat Panel (oooooh sexy ultraslim model) takes up only 5 inches (FIVE!). It could fit on my fireplace mantle. It can even be mounted on the wall! The space-saving possibilities are endless! Do I deserve this glorious, heroin-chic TV more than anyone else here? No. Do I need it more? Who knows? Do I WANT it more? I DO! If you pick me, I, my rapper boyfriend, and my reality-show-loving friends will be eternally appreciative! XOXO, Apartment Therapy.

Hi. What a great contest. We just bought a TIC in San Francisco with another couple. Bottom unit of 2. Built in 1912, refurbished in the 40s and the 70s. The flat has pizazz. We instantly loved its mix of styles and saw lots of potential. First thing, we ripped out the stained flesh pink carpet and resurfaced gold toned hardwood. Next we removed lathe n plaster from the water closet. Right now we are using our bedroom as a holding area for tools and construction debris. Our bed is in the soon-to-be living room. We are process of painting this room a pretty green-blue white. It's looking really good. We decided to make the back room into the living room because it's closest to the kitchen (walk two steps versus 20 to serve drinks to guests) and it has beautiful box beam ceiling. Right now we have a tiny tv hooked up on the floor in the front room (which will be office/art space).
If we win this TV we will not only use it for social TV watching, will be able to buy a NEW TOILET and what improves a home more than a a fresh new loo ?!

(Repost from previous Insignia article)

If you look at the top of that picture you can see where the coax cable goes. This becomes a problem once you realize the plastic pieces this tv comes (which are meant to cover these inputs) don't have space to snake the cable up (the bottoms of the pieces are solid.

Here's a DIY for anybody with any Insignia TV:
-Grab a coping saw/jewelers saw, small file/sandpaper, and those plastic covers.
-Cut square pieces off the bottoms of the plastic covers and file/sand them smooth.
-Plug in your cables and then attach the plastic covers.
-Enjoy how it makes your setup look so much better!

Thhis allows you to keep the plastic covers on and looks 10,000 times more classy than having all of the cables sticking out.

(Did this with the 27inch LCD)

I've been enjoying your site for about 6 months. Seeing all of the creative ideas and inspiring designs gave me the final push I needed to find a place of my own. I signed a lease for my first and my very own apartment. I move in this weekend and I have almost no furniture to speak of. No bed, no tables, no couch, no TV. Mostly art I've collected over the years and books. :) I decided it was time to create and design a space that reflects who I am. I would love this TV and would give it a great home. Regardless, I want to thank ApartmentTherapy and its contributors for inspiring me. I love your site!

a tv, any tv would be lovely!

What a great contest! Let's get it rolling....SO I share a 500sq foot apartment with my boyfriend who is a photographer and an avid music collector. What part of our apartment is not taken up by his photo equipment is scattered with his massive old vinyl collection. We are both lovers of the arts and like to keep as hip to new music, so yes, we do have quite the nice stereo, and a vintage turntable. Among our other electronic devices are two lap top computers- which it shames me to admit I have been using the watch TV on for almost a year now. Not all people know that you can watch TV shows online now, but you can on ABC.com and NBC.com!!

NO, we do not own a TV, in fact I have never owned a TV, and neither has my boyfriend- it is quite shocking we have all of this other technical gear but still no TV.

However, there is a space just above our turntable where a little TV would go quite nicely. I was not allowed to watch TV when I was a child, my mom had one of those nifty lockboxes with a secret code, and every 4 years when the Olympics were on she would unlock it for a family gathering around the glowing tube!

Although raised on no TV, I have found that I would love to have one when my boyfriend is away to keep me company- as a photographer he travels almost every week and often I am lonely, dreaming of curling up on the couch and watching movies, Trading spaces, or any other home improvement show while he is gone, shows I cannot get on my little laptop.

I would love to have this TV, it is the perfect addition to my home! Please help me end this desperate act of TV watching on my laptop and grant me an actual TV for my lonely nights!

Why would this TV improve my home ?

THIS TV WOULD AMAZIFY my home for 2 reasons.

1.) I currently have NO tv. believe it or not. I just bought a tic condo and am a first time home buyer. I gave away my old ugly tube tv, and have been tvless for several months . I am an artist and figured I could live without one for a while, but I have clearly proved myself wrong, and miss my tv.

2.) My living room, where the tv would go, is ALL black and white. The tv is black and would fit in perfect !!! Check out a picture here. All that would be left is for me to find a great tv stand/base. I would of course update you and send out the photos. (ps. if your wondering why one of my chairs is cushionless, its cause they are on order and got delayed. )

Thanks very much for considering me and I promise that your tv will look fantastic in my new place and ill send you lots of photos to show off how cool it is.

cheers

Improving my home means finishing my home. My husband and I took on a major remodel on our own. We are nearing the end, which means we must now furnish it. The hope, is that everything in the space with the exception of the electronics will be re-used, found, re-furbished etc. No furniture sets PLEASE. But the electronics obviously must be updated. (Kinda hard to mount a tube television to a wall.)

The plan is to keep everything on the small side - no 50' plasma for us. Simple. Small. Enough is enough. We like television, but I want it to fit in the space, not OWN it.

Here is a link of it's current state:
mynewshack here

Hope that works. If not, here the web address: http://mynewshack.blogspot.com/

Sonnet on the Insignia 37” LCD HDTV

O! Apartment Therapy
You mean a lot to me,
And even more now I see,
You’re giving away an HDTV.

My apartment in NYC
Is so small I shouldn’t have a TV
On which to watch Maxwell on HGTV
But I do, and it’s old. And big. And ugly.

So this is my entry.
I love when things are free.
because I also don’t have a lot of money.
For such a beautiful LCD HDTV.

Poems are made by fools like me
But only you, dear readers, can award me this TV.

SDH

I want the TV because it is so sleek and clean looking and having overspent on the remodel of the 50"s ranch that my husband grew up in, this is the only way I am gonna get anything sleek and sassy looking!

I am legally blind, but an avid gamer. Because of my sight and my small TV, I often have trouble reading text, or even spotting the bad guy standing right in front of me!

I have to sit right next to the tv in order to really see what going on while I'm watching a show. (Patrick Stewart is CUTE! I don't want to miss seeing him because I'm sitting on the couch and can't see the tv from that far. :))

This tv would improve my life by enabling me to actually SEE what's going on in the video games and tv shows that I love :) (I might even be able to see it from the couch!)

•••• How would a 37" LCD HDTV improve my home? ••••

• Three Rooms - One Television. In my 500 sq. ft. home (almost done remodeling), I have a living room/kitchen and a separate bedroom. Instead of having a TV in every room, I want to mount my LCD display on a swivel arm so I can watch media from every room of my house. This involves cutting an opening in one wall so the LCD display can swivel and peek into the bedroom, kitchen and living room. A simple solution that takes care of multiple needs, i think the pivot arm implementation is flash!

• Bountiful Media in Multiple Contexts. As the main media center display for my computer network, my LCD display shares my music, videos, computer, photographs, and other media. From the kitchen I can load up recipes. From my living room, pop a beer and watch a game. From my bedroom, snuggle up and watch a movie with my lady. Triple the location, sextuple the fun. Everything's possible when you swivel it just a little bit.

• Building Community. I've been remodeling for 2 years in a retrofit cohousing community. We bought six cottages in Oakland. My place has not been the hangout house because it's construction central. Now that I'm almost done with the DIY remodel, I want people to flock to my house for movie nights, dinner parties, and slideshow presentations. Casa Azul and the Mustard Shack won't have nothing on my Rubisco Room. Believe it or not, no-one in the community owns an LCD TV. I'd be the first! Oh, and the LCD display would be solar powered, cuz we're the only solar-powered cohousing community in California.

http://www.TriplePointCohousing.org

If I get gifted the prize, I'll build a nice photo essay of the LCD display in the different contexts of use with hip happy people enjoying it's glow.

It's *all* about the Swizzle Pivot.

We need this tv for rather simple reasons. We are currently rocking my 15" tv that I got for my high school graduation eight years ago. Our old one [which was a hand-me-down with bunny ears, I kid you not] went on to a better place about six months ago, and since I'm a student and he's an artist, neither of us have the money to drop on a television. Hence the move of my tiny tv from my bedroom to the living room. It is currently sitting in the corner of the space left by the previous tv. It is very sad.

It would save my relationship. I won't have to justify why I don't want to spend $1,000 on a television while he glares at my $400 handbag.

I just moved in with my boyfriend, Dave J. His apartment was entered in the Small is Cool 2007 contest and most of the comments suggested his living room was great, but the TV ruined the mood of the room. I agreed with all the commenters about the bulky television and keep asking for a flat screen, but he won't splurge until the old one dies.

Check iout the scene here:
http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/small-cool-2007-entries/17-dave-js-rulin-pad-021531

Seeing as how I was just given a beautiful new black TV stand/table, I personally think that this TV would work much better in my first apartment as opposed to the roughly $99 10" VHS TV I bought from Target before my freshman year of college. It's okay! I love being mocked for the fact that my new beautiful table makes my TV look even smaller than it actually is. You have to admit though that when people prefer to watch movies on you laptop over your TV, that is almost pitiful enough to earn something.

Three months ago I moved in to a Studio apartment in SF. I've lived in SF for 7 years and this is my first apartment on my own. I didn't realize how much I didn't have until I needed it. The amount of open space in this tiny studio is laughable. Hence my frequent surfing of apartmenttherapy.com for ideas at work. (hope no one at work sees this) This TV would be a much needed and welcomed addition to my apartment and hopefully a catalyst for me to find a style to decorate and furnish my apartment. Unfortunately I don’t have a sob story. I will probably not have movie parties at my house because my friends will just mess it up (love them thou) nor can I tell you that I’m the most deserving. I can tell you I will watch a tremendous amount of TV as well as movies on it!

I am a SWM, DDF, NK, with a bit of a thing for abbreviations (TFA), ISO an appliance to make my life complete.

Sure, I have a TV, and a DVD, and I think I have a VCR under a pile of PJ's somewhere. Sure, my HVAC cranks out BTUs PDQ. I have a few AC/DC CDs and maybe an OU812 LP in the closet by the WC. But the old HHI has been DOA and probably will be 'till EOY. 10-4?

So I need this LCD HDTV. ASAP.

Please pick me, because I truly love TV!

I currently have a very old 19 inch GE tv. I got it as a hand me down from my sister when I went away to college in 1996, she had probably 10 years before that. The buttons are missing. On the opening day of football season last year, the power cord came detached and since I have no tools I had to scrimp the cord with a steak knife to twist the copper wires back together and secure them with electrical tape. I have to use an adapter to watch dvd's which takes up a valuable outlet. My apt is only 260 sq feet, and my front door is only 23 inches wide so a bigger old tube tv mostly likely might not fit inside. And sadly a flat screen is waaay out of my budget.

My old tv currently sits on an old antique radio from the early part of last century, so the juxtaposition of the old and new would be lovely.

I would love this tv, because I'm a sportswriter and my NFL Sunday Ticket, College Gameday, and my Mets would look way better on 37inches. Maybe the tv might even make my Knicks look good this upcoming season. If I had 37 inches of screen, I might even give watching hockey a shot since there would be a chance I could actually see the puck.

When I go to work I leave the TV on for my little rescued Boxer Pit to watch, imagine his delight in seeing The Dog Whisperer in HD!

And also I promise not to use this TV for the watching of crappy TV and/or movies.

Thanks, have a great day!

I can't say I really need a new TV (mine is only six years old), but what I can say is that I could really use an extra 18 inches!!! My garden apartment living room is only 9 feet wide, with a couch on one side and the TV on the other. My current TV is about 24 inches deep. This 5 inch deep flat screen TV would allow my eyes to be an extra 18 inches away from the screen! Now that Dutch scientists have proven that sitting too close to the television can make you go blind, I figure an extra 18 inches would give me two, maybe three more years of good eyesight! That's 24-36 more months of reading Apartment Therapy! Please don't take that away from me!!!

P.S. I entered the Small Cool contest so I can provide a picture:
http://chicago.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/small-cool-2007-entries/13-andy-ks-unexpected-garden-apartment-021656

For the love of God, please pick me. I won't plead poverty. I will plead 'fiance's technology ruined my life'. That's right. The fiance has so much "stuff" attached to our crappy tv that I have a hard time turning it on. It requires numerous remotes and a few dance moves. God forbid he goes away and leaves the patchbay-thingee connected in some other configuration, then I get no tv. I have threatened numerous times to get my own tv -- and this would make my threats & dreams come true. I want to watch MY movies and MY "crappy" home improvement shows in peace. Plus, I'll make a big pot of risotto for you. :)

I think my tivo hates me, and I blame my current television set. The set I have is old. Like, I'm surprised it doesn't have wood paneling old. So, yeah, tivo doesn't seem to be fan of the old tv, and when it works, it records shows like "Girlfriends" and "Living Single" for me. Ok, maybe that has something to do with the fact that I tivo'd "The Facts of Life" once, and now tivo seems to think that those are the kinds of shows I like. Either way, I'm overdue for a new set. I can only imagine what Mindy Cohen looks like on a flat screen...

No picture, but our giant free tv just died on Tuesday and I can't get it out of our living room. The thing was a monstrosity, I think an old roommate left it here and I have no idea how to get it out of the house, I don't know if there's a recycling service in our town that will pick it up because it is too wide to go in my (admittedly tiny) car. My husband would love it because he watches the news like a fiend and I would love it because it would be an incentive to get the dead monstrosity out of our living room. Also it would be good for Curing because it would be fully functional without dominating the entire room like the old TV (it was really big - like deep, sticking out into the room kind of big. bleah).

I would love this TV. My current TV has decided to go slanty on me (the picture is on an odd angle where the right side of the image is a couple of inches higher than the left). As obnoxious as this problem would be anyway, I always watch TV with the closed captioning on and that makes the slant incredibly noticeable since the words all go uphill.

I am a full time grad student and a public high school teacher, so I won’t be able to afford to replace my television for a very long while.

I live in a pretty small apartment and my TV, which isn’t big; but, like all older TVs is really deep, only fits on an old Intermetro cart. I caught a rerun of Seinfeld last week and was embarrassed to see that Seinfeld had the same TV setup in the first season (Kramer looks monstrously tall on my slanty set, by the way). In addition to wanting a non-slanty TV, I would love a TV set that I could actually fit on a narrower piece of furniture—I have an old hand-me-down hutch that would work perfectly.

Thank you.

If it were mine, that TV would make Blue's Clues bluer, Mad Men madder, and those incessant reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I can't stop watching? Even Buffier!

This television would improve my home by permitting Jonathan Adler to contact me. I'm pretty sure Jonathan has been trying to reach me through the cathode ray tube to entice me to join him in his reality-TV addiction, but unfortunately the reception on my 12-year-old behemoth RCA set just keeps garbling his message.

Also, even though I can't be certain, Jonathan may have also said that he'd like for my Nelson-knockoff slat bench to be placed somewhere that people could actually see it. Right now that's the only platform in the house sturdy enough to support the stegosaurus that's living out its retirement years as my only television -- its prime working years having been spent as a floor demonstration model at Mega-Mart, where I purchased it for 70% off because its internal clock said it had already logged 6,000 hours of running time.

Yes, I'm quite confident than Jonath -- wait, my microwave is beeping oddly. Jonathan, is that you? Jonathan?

I am a big fan of using something until it is absolutely dead. And even then, I will attempt any and all resuscitative attempts before finally taking it off of life support. This even includes technology. Not only is this a way to save money, it is also inadvertently a decidedly green way to approach consumption.

With regard to my television, I have only owned one television set- a 20" Mitsubishi tabletop model that I scrimped and saved to buy in 1989 whilst attending university. It has been with me through all phases of my life- from living at home with the parents, to my first apartment, to my first house, to my move to the big city, and several subsequent moves within the city. Oh, the history I have witnessed via its flickering images! And through most of our journey together, it has been as reliable as the sun coming up every morning. However, in recent years, it has developed sporatic audio problems, which have become worse and worse. I had resorted to channeling the audio through my home stereo setup, but now the speakers on the unit are emitting an almost unbearable high-pitch siren type of a wail. It has gotten to the point where I cannot bear to watch television at home anymore.

While I have toyed with the thought of buying a new set, I never got around to looking seriously. The truth of the matter is that I have dreaded the thought of replacing my faithful old set. What if it can be salvaged? Maybe the problems will go away on their own. Or maybe not. It is one thing to actively pursue the purchase of a new set, but it's another thing to have one given to me. In essence, I can finally dispel any ongoing uncertainty over whether I should or should not move on to a new television; the decision is essentially made for me.

Insignia, you look like a worthy heir to my first-born.

I would like to own this TV because I would like it to be the first nice thing in my apartment.

I'm at my first job out of college and my apartment (shared with two other people) is a hodge podge of furniture hand-me-downs and the very best Ikea has to offer on a newly post-student budget. I think having this TV would class up the place and would, without a doubt, but the nicest thing I own.

Please and thank you.

I promise to love, honor and cherish this TV -- in Good Times and Showtime, for Rich Man, Poor Man, on sick days and in health, for all the Days of Our Lives.

I bought our current TV for my husband as a birthday gift when we were dating. So it's "his" TV and he claims since it's his TV, he gets to watch football over me watching Design Star and Clean Sweep.

If you give us this TV it will be "mine" and I can finally watch TV about design and healthy living!

haiku for an Insignia 37” LCD HDTV (in 5-7-5 form)

one can't ignore it
bulky, beached whale in the room
old technology

oh to recycle
our cathode ray tube TV
for an LCD!

please tell us AT
that our whale shall swim in the
sea of charity

I can honestly say it probably wouldn't improve my home. But it would improve what has otherwise been a pretty lousy day.

Well.....not to be dramatic..... but the truth is, this tv would improve my home because I don't own anything!! My building literally collapsed last year in the west village and I lost all of my possessions. Crazy New York story. I am finally moving to my own new place in October after a year and a half in a furnished rental. I have no tv, furniture, or anything for that matter and am starting fresh. How fun. It is so overwhelming to have to buy so much and this would be a huge help to make my new place beautiful. Thanks!!!

I bought my first house three years ago I picked the wall where my flat panel tv would go the day I moved in.
The problem was... that I didn't have a tv. Since people are putting their squarefootage in their entries (does the smallest one win?) mine is 489 square feet.

I planned on buying a 42" flat panel plazma tv so I got a second job, delivering pizzas! I was the pizza girl delivering pizzas in a polyester uniform for a tv. After a year of making deformed football shaped pizzas and getting lost looking for houses my car broke down. That was the end of the large plasma tv dream.

A generous friend gave me her 1985 19" zenith.

I set it up on my lockers that I got free from a police auction. They were free because no one wanted them (maybe BOB shouldn't have carved his love of 69 into them).

I set it up and strung my 20 foot antennae wire from the wall to my little set. Only fuzz came on the tv. I had to tape the wire to the wall and drape it over my kitties bed to get three fuzzy channels to watch.

Besides the angry cat and duct tape on the wall and 3 fuzzy channels the worst is renting movies.
"Does it have subtitles?"
"Yes?"
"You can't see the subtitles"
I haven't been able to watch a foreign movie in three years!

How this would improve my home?
1. Happy kitties.
2. Beautiful tape-free walls.
3. Visitors won't leave to watch movies elseware.
4. I would have a reason to buy a wii.

Due to lack of photographic proof of the duct taped walls and old tv I drew a picture of my entertainment setup.
my tv

The TV that my husband and I inherited sounds like it has helicopters trapped inside it. A TV without helicopters would significantly improve our apartment.

Hi Apartment Therapy judges!

I'd love to win the tv because I moved to New York in July 2006 and have had 8 apartments... due to having to move out of corporate housing, my commute being too long, my roomate got a job overseas and wanted to terminate the lease, bed bugs, sublet ending, and other various reasons. I am a master mover, sadly because I have had to throw out or sell all my original furniture. A couple weeks ago I moved into a great one bedroom convert that I'm sharing, and I furnished it from scratch with ideas I found on AT like the room divider lamps from IKEA. My roomate and I currently don't have a TV, but she's a gamer girl who thrives on videogames so it would increase apartment morale a bunch. Also I'd love to have a tv coz I heart my new apartment and plan on staying here for a while :)

Here's a link to pix.

Thanks for your time and consideration!

Let me count the ways!

First and foremost, my little 13 inch tv (that's measured diagonally people!!!) is ... let’s see... almost 20 years old. My parents got it for me when I went to college in 1988. From that moment on it is the only TV I have ever had. Her companion… the 1990 RCA VCR died four years ago. I was sure that the little TV would be the next to go but I've decided to hold out until that sad sad day before I buy a new one. That way the price of flat screens can come down by then. As you can see, she is still alive and kicking despite the fact that she's been on at least 4 hours a day every day of her life!
Here's the trooper now: http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleclickchick2/371079556/in/photostream/

2) My tv is the butt of jokes. My friends all find it terribly amusing that I am the only one they know who works in television yet I have the smallest not to mention oldest TV. People don’t seem to understand that working in television guarantees that you can’t afford to upgrade electronics! I have no iPod, no MP3, no TIVO, no cable. Even my internet access is piggybacked from my neighbor who works for the cable company! With her permission of course!

3) Last fall I bought a beautiful mid-century credenza to streamline my living room.
BEFORE: http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleclickchick2/306305605/in/photostream/
AFTER: http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleclickchick2/418049544/in/photostream/
I tucked my precious little tv into the center door. As you can see, the credenza is the ideal style, shape and size to hold a streamlined, flat screen tv on it's surface without detracting from the room. And let's face it… the wall above the furniture really needs a focal point.

4) Having a full sized, high quality, hi-def TV would be much more inviting for my boyfriend to come over and watch movies or sports. My tv just doesn’t provide the enormity he prefers… so I mostly spend time at his house and have neglected my sweet little apartment in favor of maintaining his! Oh. AND, BF has an Insignia… so we'll have a matched set if we ever get married and merge households!

Please pick me!

CC

Oh, and extra points if anyone can name the movie showing on my tv in the picture!

How would this TV improve my home? Not sure, but it definitely would improve my home life.

I lost my job and in turn my apartment a year ago. (Wow, I just realized tomorrow will be exactly one year being unemployed, Sept.7th. I had completely blocked that out of my mind.) Losing my job wasn't so bad, I hated it there and I was going nowhere, but being unable to afford my apartment was not something I looked forward to.

After going through all of my options there was only one that was reasonable, I had to move back home. So now I'm back home, living in a town of 1000, freelancing and trying to figure out what's next. I set up a design studio in my bedroom but I rarely use it. I'm the type of person that needs a TV on while I work. I need the sound and the visual stimulation. The only decent TV that we have is in the living room where my retired mom spends her days doing sudoku, watching The View, and yelling at me for spending all day on my laptop.

She says she does, but she still doesn't "get" that I can make a(n ok) living working on my computer. Having a TV of my own would allow me to retreat to my man-cave, restore order in the house and allow me to continue growing my business.

They make COLOR tv's now? When did this happen?

my two roommates and i live in an edwardian flat near golden gate park in SF. in our flat we love hosting America’s Next Top Model parties where we eat pizza and make homemade cookies. currently we have an old tv that distorts lettering making it impossible to watch movies (or tv programs) with subtitles. the new tv would also open up the space in our living room so that all the great features (such as the chair rail and molding) are more prominent and the tv is less aesthetically overpowering. thanks a ton for the consideration!!! you’re invited for the next season of ANTM!

Ooh, pretty please pick me! The timing couldn't be better--you might remember me from this post from yesterday:

http://hometech.apartmenttherapy.com/hometech/good-questions/good-question-best-room-layout-for-av-031178

I just moved into a place of my own after 7 years living with a boyfriend. When we broke up, I got custody of the mammoth TV--I thought I "deserved" it--but now I realize all I really got was one last clunky reminder of our relationship's demise. Every time I look at it, I think about how we fought over buying it in the first place--his decision, of course. I'm so happy to be free of all his baggage (literally and mentally, his mess took over our apartment and lives), but this giant TV keeps me from being entirely liberated.

Please help me simplify and streamline my life, as I move on from that cluttered, complicated phase and into a clearer one on my own! The comments in the previous thread about my current TV basically agree I should toss it--if you send me the Insignia, I will give the old TV to someone who really wants it and will cherish the new one! And even buy a gorgeous media stand designed specifically for it!

Our tv is 13". It was my boyfriend's tv. Then he sold it to me in 1997, for $150. Then we moved in together. In 2005 we lent it to a friend who hasn't returned it to us yet.

Because I'm the girl that you see staring longingly at the flat panels in Best Buy. Film geek to the core, I dream of a gorgeous set like some people dream of the perfect Eames lounger.

When we moved to our 600 square foot apartment, my brother gave us his boxy old Sharp to have and to hold. It is still our one and only TV, and we're aching for an upgrade.

My husband and I are celebrating our two-year anniversary on Monday. We met on the movie talk-radio show he hosted in college, With both spent our lean years working in a hip indie video store, and we spent our honeymoon at the Toronto Film Festival. We both know it's a crime to keep watching Lynch films in fuzzy letterbox format, but we can't help ourselves. Its our TVs fault.

I can guarantee that the first time I see Woody Allen's Manhattan on my very own big flat screen, I'll cry.

I just bought a great Edwardian flat in San Francisco, but due to a sky-high mortgage I needed to fill every spare room with a roommate! Most of them were found on Craig's List, so we don't know one another at all. Then came along Big Love! We all gathered in our front room every Monday, then Sunday, and huddled in front of my ancient Zenith that I got from my parents (which is so old that in its time it was the highest possible end of television simply by the fact that it's color!). BUT if we had one of these gorgeous new models, maybe we don't necessarily need Big Love as an excuse to gather us all together (which is a good thing, since the season is over!) I have the feeling that even watching golf on this thing would gather everyone up, heheh.

You would be doing me a huge favor as I've been listening for years how much my husband would love an LCD TV. He has been pining for one and never seems to get anything for himself. He works two jobs so that I can stay home with our son and I wish we could afford something this lavish to give him a little happiness when he has time to relax. It is his birthday this month and the timing is perfect. Thank you!

How would this TV improve my home? It's football season, people. This girl would love to watch her design channels sometime between now and next year.

we live in a small space...anything that will create more room for the soon-to-be-arriving third occupant is a good thing!

current horrible large tv that needs to go away

I will never get a TV like this unless AT Tech ( or someone else) decides to give it to me. You see I am what they call a technology laggard or a late adopter of technology. I have had 3 TVs in my entire life and I am 31 years old!

I actually think that its kind of green to resist the temptation to be always buying new tech like TVs. I inherited this ethic from my parents who stubbornly refused to get rid of the floor model black and white TV we had until 1992 when my brother had enough of watching MTV in shades of grey and bought an 27 inch color RCA for the family. I inherited that RCA from my parents but it broke in a move. Currently I have what my guys friends call a "chick TV". That is a 19 inch Phillips TV that was inherited from my sister who inherited it from my brother. So I know that I would care for and provide a good home for this Insignia TV.

I cant in conscience buy a new TV when the old Phillips works perfectly fine. But if you gave me this TV I would treasure it and not have to buy another TV for many many many years to come. Plus the old Phillips would be adopted by a family member. And I am sure the Insignia would be passed down in my family cause we love us some antique TVs or what we call "heirloom TVs".

Six days ago, my boyfriend and I moved into our dream apartment together, an unfurnished loft with a view of the Boston skyline we landed by some freak, lucky accident of Craigslist. Somehow we scraped together the money for the deposit. And together the aspiring chef (he) and the aspiring sommelier (I) embarked bravely on our own venture of cohabitation.

But since then, we've been living on restaurant leftovers, dining by the light of a hanging bulb, and using boxes for furniture. Aspiring chefs ... well, anyone who works in a restaurant, really ... have little money to spare. We have empty wine racks and a beautiful kitchen with no food because we're trying to afford a couch and a table. We have all the plans in the world for the nicest furnishings and arrangements, but no money. What we would do for a little help and a little escapism!

Yesterday one of my friends offered to give me his 50-some inch TV in exchange for, well, favors. And I swear in my boyfriend's eyes I saw the glimmer of temptation.

Dear AT, please, save us from prostitution and poverty. Give our beautiful apartment the beautiful TV we never can!


(The picture of the apartment above is from before we moved in, but this is my "tv".)

I've had the same TV since college and really need a new one since football season is starting and I plan to get married next June. My fiancee will probably want to kill me for choosing to watch football over her new series that are starting. You'll save our future marriage!

I would love to have this Insignia flat-screen. I would most likely either use it in my office area as a computer monitor/TV or wall mount it to complete my faux B&B Italia bedroom (Made out of IKEA furnishings). Right now I'm using my old iMac as a "TV" in my bedroom, so it it'd be great to have an actual TV (and a flat-screen at that) instead.

Either way, if I won the TV I'd integrate it into a Vista Media Center setup, in addition to using it as a digital art gallery.

So there's my bid...

Now,

If I don't win I'd love to see this go to someone in a tiny cramped studio who will use it as a TV and a PC monitor, a digital picture frame, and maybe a "video fireplace" in those long winters. Someone with a "kitchenette", someone with no room who's managed to organize their clutter, "splurged" by shopping at (and hacking) IKEA, and needs the flat-screen as a final piece to have friends rally around to watch foreign movies, ANTM, and whatever else takes their mind off their current square footage....

My tv just blew out tonight!!! This is after not even having a cable connection for 3 weeks!!!

I have a huge tv and due to its size (and the fact that I want to add some furniture to my living room) I was forced to move it and of course had to get a new cable hookup. After being without a tv of any kind for a couple of weeks, I finally resolved the issue last night only to have the tv blow out on me tonight!! (If I could lift it I would have thrown it out the window an hour ago!)

I really want and need the Insignia tv and promise to give it a good home

It would inspire me to donate my huge bulky wall unit to Housing Works! :)

Okay.... I don't have a tv. Haven't had one since I moved out of my parents' home many years ago. -- That's not a reason to get one now, even if it is a giveaway, right?

Plus, I actually think my apartment is too small for this. :) I'll be interested to see who wins.

This TV would take up less space in my small apartment.

Hihi!

I've actually been dying to buy a tv but student loans, bills, and rent have been keeping this beautiful wall empty from having a flatscreen. I have everything set up to make it media center heaven in my college apt, but I've just been struggling to make some bones to pay off everything else.

This tv would be nice!

Building tolerance, one homophobe at a time.

The New Odd Couple . . .

Me: a fabulous chef; gay, messy.
He: a homophobic college kid; straight, tidy.

Me: need a new apartment.
He: needs a new apartment.
Co-workers: "why don't you guys get a place together so we can all share in the forthcoming hilarity!"

We: hmmmm, we could save a lot of money . . .

Us: two weeks from now, sharing a space and learning new outlooks and tolerance.

TV: common ground for bringing two vastly different people and their respective friends and families together.

PS: I get to decorate the apartment.

With this tv, we can get rid of our big old box and the JC Penney cabinet it lives in, and replace that with a sweet vintage credenza. I keep telling myself I cannot buy the credenza until our tv breaks and we have to buy a new one, but you have circumvented my budget. In other words, instant design gratification!

We do not subscibe to cable or satellite TV. And we watch DVDs on our laptop. After all, we live in very compact 850-square foot, two bedroom, one bath house.

Watching DVDs on a laptop is no way to watch "Sex in the City."

And, try hosting movie night fundraiser events (with a laptop) for the AIDS/LifeCycle ride... Everyone is looking over each other's shoulder.

Trust me, we'd give the LCD TV a grand home. And, ATers are more than welcome to swing by for TV. Just bring the popcorn, and we'll be grand.

Wii needs more room! Our Bushwick living room is too narrow for golfing.

I recently moved from Chicago to Champaign, IL! Besides being stuck down here in the sticks, or corn, I've bought a condo. Since this is the first 'place of my own', I've been trying to decorate with a mix of nice pieces, knock-offs, and anything on the cheap (a la Craig's List).

Needless to say, it's interesting being a young professional in a new city. I work long hours, have little free time and miss my friends/family in the big city dearly.

Fortunately, I've made a few friends who enjoy helping me decorate, and the milk-cartons with my old college 27" TV on top have become more of a joke in my small circle.

When you need as much furniture to get started as I do, something like this would make a huge impact. I'd hate to say a TV can help make a home, because it's much more than that. However, it would help complete one of the steps (an expensive one!) on this long road of life. Plus it would be pretty cool!

Thanks AT!

I'm a minimalist (for instance, when I went to live in Ireland for four months, I brought one suitcase) and would, to be honest, probably use this for myriad uses: TV, computer monitor, DVD player, video game console. I'm all about functionality and getting the most use out of something if it's going to be a rather material object.

As a senior in college (you can well imagine), I have little to no money. As a point of comparison for all you ATers, I had to ask my mom to purchase new underwear for me -- I can't even afford the simplest of needs! (And I LOATHE asking my parents to pay for things.) This summer my money-making opportunities were rather limited; I worked part-time at a restaurant in Northwest D.C. and the rest of the time was an unpaid intern for the Smithsonian, not to mention I somehow had to pay for rent and utilities. Yes, I had a very stressful and busy summer.

Now I am back at school and - is it possible? - just as stressed. I'm in the thick of applying for a Fulbright scholarship, I have an independent study writing a 30-page article on a topic my parents aren't exactly thrilled about but that involves a lot of research, and I'm trying to be creative with the food I prepare given the very little money I am expending. Not to mention that I'm vegan and live in a house with 3 meat-eaters, a point of constant jesting and occasional fights with outside friends that come in the house and think they know better than me about what I'm doing with my life. Sigh, just accept me for who I am!

At the risk of sounding very whiny, I do love my life. I wouldn't live it any other way. I have great friends, family, and I'm on my way to getting my undergraduate degree in May. I'm VERY fortunate. Winning this TV would be a tangible, much-needed reward for the hard work I've been doing for the last three years and know I must continue to do. If anything, I know that I'm doing the things that I love, that I've never sacrificed my interests for those little green pieces of paper, and that if the past has shown me anything, it's that I need to continue down this wonderful road!

Good luck with your decision-making!

I'm moving to a 500 sq. ft. studio, from a 3-bedroom, with my boyfriend--space is obviously a premium. On top of that, we decided we'd be ok with a studio only after we started reading AT and you guys did a post on a beautiful studio in Tudor City. Finally, I'll at last have a place to show some of my photographs (http://flickr.com/photos/cvalda/) without destroying my wall!

Keep up the good work AT, we love ya!

83 entries and nary a mention of Hurricane Katrina. --have you people learned nothing?!

When my husband and I moved in together, we came to the relationship with 2 TVs, both acquired while we were each in high-school in the early 90s. His was bigger (measuring in at 25 inches!) and so that's the one we kept. I love that fact that he was and still is a skateboarder, but what's not so cute is that our sad little TV with blown speakers is still adorned with dozens of skateboarding stickers. We considered buying a new one, but decided to use the money towards a baby instead.

I had a very sweet TV in my living room. What made it so sweet? It was F-R-E-E, which was nice since I just moved into my house and was short on cash. About two weeks into owning the TV, it started to smoke. You read that right.

So how would this TV improve my life? Um, well, I would have a TV.

We just bought our first home AND had twins. We are completely broke and exhausted. The kids need their daily dose of Yo Gabba Gabba and we need the break that 30 minutes of high def kiddie TV will provide. Please?

My husband and I just moved into our first home, a real fixer-upper (I type this during a break from my attempt to refinish our stairway). I have poured the last several months into attempting to restore it, including stripping, sanding, painting, sodding, hauling away bricks, etc. We are working with basically no budget, making the process more challenging, but a lot of fun. This site has been a real inspiration during the process.

The first room we tackled was our living room. We expanded and painted the built in bookshelves (see pics), and I spent months tracking down the right furniture on ebay and craigslist. As you can see, the one thing we haven't faced yet is the tv.

Our current tv is old and heavy. Although not visible in the picture, it features streaks of stubborn paint from our living room redo It leans precariously on an old mdf stand I found on the street, which itself finds balance by leaning against the fireplace. We have an electrical cord ready and waiting to receive a flat screen, but simply haven't had the budget yet to fill that particular void.

My husband and I both work long and extremely hard hours (meaning we are many months behind on the never-ending home improvement projects), and many nights we don't have the energy to do anything but flop in front of the couch together. We love being in the living room, but am I often distracted by the current setup.

The flat screen would not only complete the room, but would help free up a little money down the road, hopefully for a bathroom fix. Did I mention the built-in rusting turquoise bathtub? Oh yes. A new tv would definitely create some room to tackle that problem....

I hope this link works.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914880@N06/sets/72157601906817797/

I would gladly give away my current tv to anyone that could lift it. Its 36inches and made back when the tv had to be large enough to accomodate the bricks needed to make it work. Im starting the cure for the 1st time and this tv would really jumpstart my living room/dining room/kitchen/laundry area combo.

I havent posted pics because the current state of my apartment makes my mother cry, but I will if I get the tv!

Sometime last summer, my 10-year-old TV began turning on by itself, freaking me out the first few times because it woke me up at night.

Things got worse in the last six months, when it began turning OFF by itself. This past Sunday I couldn't get it to stay on for more than 10 seconds.

It started working again Monday (go figure) but clearly it won't last much longer. And money is tight right now. Your TV would be a godsend!

My partner and I are currently without a TV. He doesn't like them and uses the excuse of our current small space (less then 400 sq. ft.) to avoid getting one. So, when the Netflix movies arrive, we watch them on the computer monitor, which is located in an office nook in the hallway. Uncomfortable.

But there is light at the end of my desk chair movie-watching tunnel. It is our new co-op, which is more than twice as large as our old place. We don't close for another few weeks, so no pics yet. However, I can say that one bedroom/office space has been designated as a place where I might be able to put a TV. A small, unobtrusive TV. A flat panel TV would be the (way out of my price range because I just invested every dim I have into this co-op) ideal. I could watch those obtuse, slow Asian movies he loves so much from the comfort of a day bed or perhaps even a small couch. Yes, I dream the impossible dream.

Here's my really sad story - truly (not tragic, but still tears at the heart strings possibly?).

My television stopped working August 8, if you all recall the storm that swept through New York causing a subway meltdown, and a tornado in Brooklyn, where I live. Something happened that day (a power surge?), but what exactly I can't be sure. All I know is that my television will now only turn on, no channel changing, and no volume changing, it's just frozen right there on the Food Network. Now, of all the networks for my television to be frozen on, the Food Network is probably my top choice. But, it's getting a little old, and I'm gaining weight from watching that solely and making whatever Paula Deen tells me to make.

Now, I have been saving for months to buy a 37" plasma. And I'm actually making the purchase this weekend. But, the reason I've been saving is not for myself. I've been saving to buy a plasma for my brother and his soon to be wonderful wife, as a wedding gift. So - truly I will be purchasing a new television...which I desperately need (fall season is upon us!!), but will be handing it off just as quickly as I make the purchase.

Tugs at the heartstrings a bit, no?

And - Maxwell, I have the most amazing, perfect spot for this television which shows of major ingenuity - we're talking Ikea hack here.

This TV would improve my life because I don't actually have a television. I don't have a television because all of the TVs I can afford (and most non-wall-mountable-tvs, I think) are ugly and I swore after my last move (and reading the AT book!) that I'd rid my apartment of ugly, poorly designed things.

So I'm doing without television for the sake of beauty. The 37" Insignia is gorgeous and would look great on my wall. Since I won't be able to afford one for a *very* long time, this TV giveaway could greatly improve my life and living space.

I have a small apartment (650 sq ft) and one GIANT television. It's so big in fact, that I have to use an old dining table base to sit it on (the remaining part of my dining table is tucked under my bed because I moved to an apartment that doesn't have a dining room). Needless to say, it's cramped in there. I want to get rid of my dining table, but I don't feel like I can because right now this monster of a television is sitting on the table base and quite frankly, it's too heavy for me to lift.

I'd love to be able to get a new television so that I can donate my current television as well as the dining table to people who need it more than I do.

I'm all over this.

I NEED a TV for our kitchen.

I've just started cooking, at the ripe age of 27, for my husband and myself.

If I had a TV in the kitchen, I could watch/listen to informative programming like The Hills, Color Splash with David Bromstead, and Ice Road Truckers while I am cooking nutritous meals for my family!

Not only would I improve as a person because of the heightened exposure to aforementioned broadcasts, but my husband would surely blossom as individual due to increased intake of homemade dinners.

So you see, its really a win-win situation.

My monitor at work(19 inches) is bigger than my 13 inch TV/DVD combo at home. It would be nice to see tennis scores from across the room without squinting on a 37 inch!! We will have to wait till 2010 to get a new one, after we both graduate!!

I think that Anita or SDL probably should win this TV (humor for former; humor and damn clever poem for latter). Many of the other tales here are as sad as the captions next to dogs at dog rescue websites. I am filled with empathy. You will note that my reasons for winning the TV are far more upbeat:

I am a poor (as in 1. wrecked by fate, and 2) impoverished) little old lady living in the exurbs all alone. Days in the woods and fields with my rescued old Cairn Terrier Wolsey are lovely (if lonely), but the nights--ah--I don't even have a fireplace to sit beside rocking, and old Wolsey sleeps and snores. I read or think of happier times. I have long believed a TV gives a sense of being in the world of people again, but my TV has long since died. However! I keep a stiff upper lip and a simulated aura of toujours gai! We must do our best!

But that's all right. This HGTV will make one of the young ones happy.

PS

I can certify my wretched condition with a notarized statement witnessed by 3 people, but oh, never mind. . . .

I would give this TV a great home -I promise! I think it would be great for my family for a few reasons-

1. Having a tv that isn't as big and hulking at the one that I have would be safer for my 3 yr old. I have the old one and it's vintage Philco radio cabinet that it rests on in a corner with straps drilled into the wall to prevent it from falling and crushing my child. With a new tv I would not have that safety issue.
2. My big hulking tv is my parents old tv. They were going to throw it out because it takes about 15 minutes to warm up and for the screen to stop "rolling" so you can see it. Then, if you change the channel it starts all over again. (don't ask me why this is- I gave up) so whatever you are watching when you turn it on is pretty much what you watch all night long- so it's all news, or all Spongebob, or all HGTV... you get the picture.

I would love this TV. Please.

It will make the new fall TV season so much happier for me!

My current CRT is a monstrosity.

Even when my TV was brand new, I couldn't plug in more than two types of devices to it. If the cables are plugged in the front *and* back...well, the picture turns green and fuzzy. Even if Device #2 is off. So it's unplug the DVD player to play PS2. Or unplug the PS2 to watch a movie. Why bother with two sets of plugs at all?

Also, it's 42". Imagine, a 42" CRT. I can't get both my arms around it. I can't pick it up. It almost doesn't fit through the door. Two people could fall over trying to move it. It could crush my cat. (Or my kid, for that matter.)

The last time I moved, the guy who was helping me strained his back dragging it into my place. He is a personal trainer.

I would love to get rid of it.

10 approaches to winning a TV...

1 The Ty Pennington
My (Fictional) daughter is allergic to water and the only thing that makes her feel better is HDTV.

2 The College try
I (didn't actually) just graduate college, and having this TV would help me get that big job in the city!

3 The Duckie
When I gave Andie my lastest mix tape she said she would hang out with me on Friday night if I had this TV.

4 Appeal to the sponsors
I (actually have) bought products from CB2 and Room and Board, but most importantly, Insignia!

5 The Dr. Phil
"If yall want to win a prize, you need to get in the competition".

6 The addict
If I had this TV I could cut my AT visits down to 5 a day.

7 The Truth
I recently gave my HD CRT to my sister when I moved cross country. All we have now is a 19" This TV would really spice up my apartment.

8 The DIYer
I recently started making furniture. This is my first attempt, My Credenza wouldn't this TV look amazing on it!

9 A Bribe
If I win I'd gladly have the AT staff down to Manhattan Beach for a BBQ.

10 Comedy
Refer to Approaches 1-9

I have to admit that there are many more deserving of this than I, and the entries are heart-wrenching, as well as quite clever.

However, picture this - a sixty-one year old lady watching TV on a 13 '' TV, well over 20 years, with a wavy line through it because it is slowly dying.

And then, if in your hearts, you feel you can deprive her of this new TV, then you must. But the other entrants are young and at the beginning of the earning capabilities, while I am old and am at the end of mine.

August01

Oh, I would so love to win this TV. I'm going on bedrest before I have my baby, and it would be nice to watch a movie from a decent screen.

I don't NEED this, but I'd like to have it. Please give it to me and I will hug it and love and kiss it.