HDTV as a moviemaking tool

My new HDTV proved its value to me in creating my 48-Hour Film entry for Philly. The old piece of junk TV that I'd owned since the dinosaurs couldn't connect to anything, even to cable TV! Now I could use my TV to preview and log footage directly from the camera, then connect the VGA input on the TV to my laptop and use the TV as an external preview monitor, devoting the laptop to timelines and controls. It made a huge difference in choosing shots and previewing effects. There were a few glitches with the two-monitor setup – for some reason certain effects only previewed in half-screen, but that wasn't a big deal. Overall, though, the new rig was a great productivity booster!