If analyst estimates prove correct, the final days of 2006 will mark the LCD's triumph over the CRT—at least in terms of North American TV sales. And Europe saw LCD TV sales overtake CRTs a few months ago. Worldwide, the Korean corporate giant Samsung sells more LCD TVs than any other manufacturer. The company's 46-inch LN-S4696D LCD HDTV ($3,599.99 list) strikes a solid balance of features, functionality, and style. Image quality, however, is the most important characteristic of any HDTV, and the LN-S4696D struggled to turn in even mediocre performance.