It's not surprising; in terms of image reproduction, CRT is still king in terms of picture quality. Of course, you have issues with geometry made worse by being widescreen, and a 40" tube weighs 300 pounds, and nobody wants one anymore because they're big and bulky, plus no longer really made, but they still provide the best overall image.
You mentioned it's a gift; but look around craigslist in your area and see if anyone is selling a used Sony xb4 955, 960, or even a 910 (though the 910 doesn't have an integrated digital tuner). If he's completely disatisfied by the LCD and not willing to go plasma, a used CRT can be picked up fairly cheaply and provide as good an image as a LCD or plasma costing 2-3 times as much.
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