Anyone looking at the Loewe as a potential direct-view set for watching HDTV won't be disappointed. Because the set's 38-inch tube offers more square inches of screen area than 34-inch models - which are more common - high-def programs look a bit more dramatic and detailed. Watching a D-Theater demo tape with JVC's high-def capable D-VHS VCR hooked up to the Aconda (see report on page 60) was a thoroughly mesmerizing experience. The set did an excellent job of rendering the wide range of desert hues in a sequence shot in Utah's Monument Valley. Deep, smoky reds and browns, subtle pastel-toned pinks, greens, and blues - they were all there for the eyes to drink in. Looking at a different sequence shot in the American South, I could discern fine strands of fiber billowing out in close-up shots of cotton plants. Hopefully, all video images will look this good some day.

With its large screen and styling that makes most TVs look homely in comparison, the Loewe Aconda is an excellent option for anyone who wants a widescreen direct-view HDTV monitor that stands out from the pack. While it's true that most direct-view sets now feature flat tubes, I found the Aconda's curved screen to be an acceptable tradeoff for its few extra inches. Everything that I watched on the Loewe set - high-def satellite programs, widescreen DVDs, the evening news, a VHS tape of Monster Trucks - looked great, and I also appreciated the set's elegant interface and clean remote control. It'll be sad to see the Aconda leave my austere environment, but maybe then life will once again seem balanced.