If you have an HD compatible TV and no HD receiver the only thing that suffers is lack of HD reception, right? A progressive scan DVD player will look the same with or without the HD receiver as will non-HD cable. Is that right?

Btw the I'm specifically looking at the Toshiba 36HF72 in case anyone has any experience...

DVD quality will be unaffected by your lack of an HD receiver.

Cable I would say will be unaffected. The only possible difference is if you were to get an HD cable box that is capable of sending your normal cable stations to the TV in progressive scan format, or scaled up to a higher resolution. Then you might see some improvement.

But no, you don't need an HD-receiver to make good use of your television. In fact, once you do get an HD receiver, you'll notice the shortage of interesting programming being broadcast in HD.

Yeah all there is in HD now is all of CBS's primetime in HD (excluding news and Reality shows), most of ABC's prime time, a lot of NBC's prime time, PBS HD, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, CBS NFL game of the Week in HD, CBS College Football game of the week in HD, All major sporting event finals in HD (Superbowl, World Series, NBA and NHL Finals, Major Golf Tournaments, College Footbal Bowls, College Basketball Tournament etc.), ESPN-HD, Discovery-HD, HDNet channel, HDNet Sports channel, HDNet Movies channel, HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Pay Per View HD etc.

Then there are those turning HD soon like FOX, Bravo, Starz, and a bunch more.

But there really is nothing interesting in HD!

I could see if you lived in a small town with no OTA Digital stations but you live in Boston. What do you watch?

Well, unfortunately only one right now. Not even the Sony Open anymore.