One of the things I asked my parents for Christmas this year was a new TV.  My old one, which I originally got back in college, was decent for what I needed at the time.  It was small and had a built-in VCR.  Nothing spectacular, but when you're in college and want access to a TV in your dorm room, it's a godsend.

Anyway, that TV has been showing its age over the past year, starting with distortions along the edges of the picture and the sound occasionally muffling in its one speaker.  It still worked, but not at the level one would prefer.  Particularly when I'm watching a dramatic scene in Rob Roy and suddenly can't hear anything for thirty seconds.  The new TV isn't really anything to boast about, particularly when I see so many people posting pictures of their ZOMG brand 70" HDTVs with built-in coffee brewers.  It's a 24" SDTV with an S-Video input and stereo sound, which is a huge technological step up from the old set even if it isn't widescreen and impossible to enjoy Dead Rising on.  My only complaint is that I will probably have to hunt for a VCR, if only to watch the few tapes in my collection that haven't or won't seen DVD replacements.

So I've basically gained ten inches of viewing space, stereo sound, and higher-quality video input at the cost of watching my old Fire Emblem anime tape and that promotional FFVII video I keep around for the novelty.  I'd say that's a fair trade.