42 Inch LCD TV

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Aug
22

Westinghouse 42 inch LCD 1080p

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Westinghouse 42 inch LCD 1080p best buy

Westinghouse 42 inch LCD 1080p best buy

2 1/2 years later, this is my 3rd set and it is worse than the first. I bought this at the June 2006 BestBuy sale. It seems like this model is seriously cursed. I may never buy another Westinghouse TV again (other was a LTV-32w3 that had problems). It’s a shame because the picture was one of the best despite lacking somewhat in the black levels. With color tweaks, it can be improved. It is too bad the quality control is so poor.

First were the lockups with the 1.16 firmware. No other issues. Banding was minimal to non exsistent and the DVI 1/2 and HDMI inputs allowed a 1080p signal with no sparkles.

Customer Service.

Calling them, they gave me the option of sending it in at my expense or sending someone to upgrade it. I told them to send someone. Sending it across the country and back was not for me.

It took 11 months, dozens of calls, a lost service repair ticket and 2 technicians (one was a serious flake) to finally get the 1.19 upgrade. Unfortunately the last technician bricked the TV. So, it had to be sent to Westinghouse anyway. Of course, the dead TV was sent first before they sent the replacement. They said it was company policy.

Replacement TV.

After the replacement arrived, it was a refurbished unit that looks to have never been refurbished. The pedestal stand was melted and warped. Maybe it was from sitting in a hot warehouse. The casing was scratched and marked. I never tested the rest since the stand was in such bad shape.

After calling Westinghouse, they didn’t have a replacement part. I had to send the whole TV back a second time. Again, they wanted the old TV before sending a replacement.

My Third Set.

The 3rd TV came had banding and sparkles on the digital inputs. None of this was on the first TV. Maybe they solved the lockups though, big consolation. I think their idea of repair was upgrading the firmware, forget the rest of the problems and sell the defective units as refurbished. Westinghouse has a wonderful service dept.

What An Experience.

After almost 2 years since purchasing the set, they simply wore me down. I no longer want to call them again. It no longer matters that it is a defective TV. Heck I bought a LG since I had no stable TV for several months.

Westinghouse support was awful, they never solved my problems and their products are buggy. I finally gave up and now it just sits in a box.

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Jun
04

Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42-Inch 1080p Home Theater Setup

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Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42-Inch 1080p LCD Video Monitor

Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42-Inch 1080p LCD Video Monitor

Westinghouse 42 inch LVM-42W2 1080p LCD w/HDMI
Sony STR-DH800 7.1 A/V Receiver
Cat5e –> HDMI Receiver
Sony 10 inch Active Subwoofer
Sony Center/Front Left/Front Right Bookshelf Speakers
In-Ceiling Rear Surround Speakers

Comparing the LCDs.

This is a comparison between the

  • 37 inch Westinghouse,
  • 37 inch Sceptre,
  • 42 inch Sceptre, and the
  • 42 inch Westinghouse.

All were purchased and are 1080p monitors. 2 were returned and 2 are still being used.

Getting Started.

The first purchase was the 37 inch Westinghouse.

37-inch Westinghouse.

As a monitor, it was great. Unfortunately, the video had motion blur due to its slower response time. The video had noise and was not sharp nor clean. If you use it only as a monitor and not for video, it should be okay.

37-inch Sceptre.

Next was the 37 inch, 1080p Sceptre. It is a very good monitor. Black levels are good. However, it had video tear or jitter with video and a DVI input from a computer. It was connected to 3 different top-of-the-line computers and the problem was still there.

It was returned due to a problem on the left side of the screen. A sizable portion of the screen began flickering within a few days. A replacement arrived 3 weeks later. However, after 45 days, a blue vertical line on the screen appeared and never went away.

After contacting Sceptre, they said it was a panel problem and it would be 4-6 weeks to fix it. Was it just randomness or poor build quality is unclear to me. However, video from a HDTV cable box was superb. It was sharp without motion blur and no jitter.

Unfortunately, jitter appears with 1080p content using DVI. If you watch video, the top half of the screen tears from the bottom. This gets very annoying.

42 inch Sceptre.

The 42 inch Sceptre takes a while to turn on. This LCD was dissappointing the moment it turned on. Black levels are bad… really bad! There was no shadow detail. It didn’t matter how many settings were changed, it did not produce a clean picture.

As a monitor, with a DVI to HDMI converter, it works well. There is no video jitter at 1080p. Just remember black levels will disappoint.

42 inch Westinghouse.

This Westinghouse 1080p LCD has been the best of both worlds. 1080p video from the computer is cleaner. There is no jitter and black levels are good. What’s better is that shadow detail displays what it should.

All 4 monitors are next to each other while playing the same HDTV content. The 42 inch Westinghouse is best. Next is the 37 inch Sceptre.

The only issue with the 42 inch westinghouse are noticeable interlacing lines. Diagonal lines show jagged edges. Moving mouths show interlacing lines.

Of course, this is more noticable when you sit closer. The Sceptre does not have this problem. The same diagonal line is smooth in Sceptre.

Other than that, the 42 inch Westinghouse has very crisp video with vibrant colors. Plus, video has less noise.

Which Is The Best?

I wanted to keep 2 LCD screens, a 37inch and a 42 inch. However, it ended up being 2 42 inch Westinghouse LVM-42W2 1080p LCDs.

Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42-Inch 1080p LCD Video Monitor

Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42-Inch 1080p LCD Video Monitor

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May
08

Samsung LN-T4066F 42 Inch LCD HDTV

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42 inch Samsung LN T4066F PC 19 inch

42 inch Samsung LN T4066F PC 19 inch

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
CPU: Q6600
Video Card: EVGA 8800GTS 640MB
Main Harddrive: Western Digital 320gig HD.
Media Drives:
2 Samsung Spinpoint SATA2 – 500 gig HD.
1 Western Digital SATA2 250GB
DVD Burner: Philips DVD Writer
RAM: Two 1024MB OCZ PC-6400 RAM Platinum Rev.2
OS : Windows Vista Media Center

Wireless Keyboard: Logitech EasyCall
Remote: iMon
TV Tuner: AVerMedia M780 PCI
Router: D-LINK DGL-4300
Power Supply: Antec TruBlue 2.0 (500W)
Top LCD: 42 inch Samsung LN-T4066F
Table LCD: 19 inch Viewsonic Widescreen

42 inch LCD TV Samsung LN T4066F

42 inch LCD TV Samsung LN T4066F

Case.

CM 281 CoolerMaster HTPC w. custom mod iMon Ultrabay

CM 281 CoolerMaster HTPC custom mod iMon Ultrabay

CM 281 CoolerMaster HTPC custom mod iMon Ultrabay

Sound: Onkyo 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound

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May
01

Philips 42PFL7403D 42 inch LCD TV

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Philips 42PFL7403D/27 1080p 120Hz 42-Inch LCD HDTV

Philips 42PFL7403D/27 1080p 120Hz 42-Inch LCD HDTV

I’m no expert on technical issues for flat screen TVs. I did some research on customer issues before getting the Philips 42PFL7403D TV.

Price.

The price for LCD TVs has dropped dramatically from 2007 to 2009. This made the Philips a realistic option, given my budget.

Warranty.

The most serious issues seem to have been addressed. That gave me a little more confidence that the Philips would not be a money pit or service nightmare. However, that doesn’t mean problems are uncommon.

When you really look at those “extended warranties” they are always trying to sell you, the legalese might turn you off from getting one. For instance, one contract offered to me would send a technician to my home for repair. If it they could not “fix it immediately” or felt it would require more work, you would have to ship the TV to a service center. It could take months to get back.

From my impression, it’s rare the service technician can fix the TV right there, if it’s any kind of persistent or functional issue (unlike changing a setting or checking cables). So, you’re supposed to let them haul it off or send it some place. You then just have to wait for them to return it.

Plasma vs. LCD.

Each have their benefits and drawbacks. Know how you will use the TV (e.g. gaming, computer monitor, movies, TV) and where (e.g. bedroom, living room, desk). This makes a big difference in what you decide to get. Don’t depend on the floor clerk at BestBuy or Costco to help much with technical questions.

I chose LCD over Plasma because the room where it is has a natural light source that is bright. The LCD screen did not reflect as much as Plasma, at the same size, with its heavy glass screen. Also, LCD sets are much lighter. This was a consideration for wall mounting. Plus, they use less energy to operate than plasmas, too!

Using the Philips.

After struggling with the above for several months, I decided to buy the Philips 42 inch LCD TV. It fits my entertainment center perfectly and that’s why I got it. It has been 9 months since I bought it. These are my impressions.

It was easy to set up and get working. Everything was set up from box opening to playing in about 25 minutes. I am no technical geek, either. The HD picture is as good or better than any of the others (plasma or LCD) I saw at the store. I simply don’t see any fault or flaw in picture quality.

The set is being used with a popular cable provider, since no “over the air” signal is available.

To me, most LCDs have awesome display capabilities with virtually identical technologies. What made me choose this set was its good looks, price, and size.

After 9 months, it’s been very dependable. There have been no technical problems at all. There are more HDMI ports than I need. This  makes my two DVDs and Cable service easily selectable.

Sound.

The sound quality is what I don’t like the most about this Philips LCD. I wanted a set without 8 inches of speakers on the bottom. That would have made it too tall for my entertainment center space. This LCD, with its rear-mounted speakers has less than sub-par sound in my opinion.

After adjusting the sound settings, and choosing automatic mode (which is supposed to be “the best”), the sound was still muffled. It was not balanced correctly for some TV shows. In other words, there was too much background audio and it was hard to hear the dialogue.

The poor sound is particularly noticeable when watching sports. It is difficult to hear the announcers, while the crowd noise is too loud. I solved this problem by using my stereo amp. The sound quality is super when I use it.

Remote.

Philips has a cheap remote with this LCD. It works, but is not intuitive. You need to carefully read the instructions to understand how to use it. Programing my cable box remote solved that issue. Now, I don’t use the Philips remote at all.

Woud I Do It Agan?

After using it for 9 months, there is no question I would buy this same Philips 42 inch LCD TV again.

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Apr
27

JVC Home LT-42P300 42-Inch LCD HDTV 1080p

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JVC Home LT-42P300 42-Inch LCD HDTV 1080p front display ipod

JVC Home LT-42P300 42-Inch LCD HDTV 1080p front display ipod

I decided to get this JVC LCD after reading a recommendation from Consumer Reports. Due to poor hearing and no desire to get an external stereo system, the TV needed to have good sound.

Word on the Street.

A leading consumer magazine rated this JVC as a “Best Buy” for its category. As a previous LCD buyer, I had never heard of JVC. My previous LCDs were Samsung and Sony. However, after watching this JVC, I have become a big fan.

Picture Quality.

If you see this TV, you will be amazed by its rich colors and excellent resolution.

With a DirecTV HD box as a source and a Panasonic blu-ray player, this LCD produces perfect colors. For ths level of image quality, you would pay double for a comparable Sony or Samsung!

Using My JVC.

The TV produces a full and easy to hear sound without distortion. The iPod dock feature is outstanding! I can watch upconverted movies or listen to my favorite music playlists. Plus, the remote controls iPod functions.

To me, the only negative is the “unique” design of this model. It takes time to get used to it. The blue light accents are somehwat strange. However, if you match it with the DirectTV HD DVR blue lights, it actually looks spectacular.

To Sum It Up.

This is a well-rounded LCD that does almost everything you need it to do. Picture is not the best, but it is very good. Sound quality and features are very good. The Ipod dock is very nice and tucks away well. This JVC is an LCD that is very good and gets the job done.

I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a great home theater experience without buying a stereo and speaker sound system.

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Apr
21

Sharp AQUOS LC-42D43U 42 inch LCD TV

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Sharp AQUOS LC 42D43U 42 inch 720p lcd hdtv front display

Sharp AQUOS LC 42D43U 42 inch 720p lcd hdtv front display

I decided on the 720p rather than the 1080p model to save.

The color of the picture and style of the model are excellent. I’ve been keeping an eye on the Aquos line for 2 or 3 years. So, this has been something I’ve wanted for a while.

The LCD display is just as beautiful and colorful as Sharp claims. HD is an amazing experience. I have connected my Wii, DVD player, Camcorder, and audio receiver, all to this TV. Yet, it still has more options with optical and HDMA, just to name a few.

It is an excellent purchase.

This model has been discontinued, so if you are considering it, you had better act fast. These guys may have 1 left. On the site, search for LC-42D43U.

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Apr
17

LG 42LH40 42-Inch LCD HDTV 1080p 120Hz, Gloss Black

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LG 42LH40 42 inch 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV display

LG 42LH40 42 inch 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV display

LG 42LH40 42 inch 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV back panel

LG 42LH40 42 inch 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV back panel

I have owned an LCD before and currently have a Plasma. This LG 42-inch LCD HDTV completely blows away the others.

Getting a new TV.

This was an inpulse purchase for me. I wanted a 42 inch LCD TV but just decided to walk into a store to see what they had. While browsing, this TV’s picture stood out from the rest. It looked better than many more expensive TVs. Obviously, LED LCD TVs were superior to this one, but they also cost more!So, after weighing my options, I decided to get the best picture for the price.

General Impressions.

Pros:

  • The menu system is easy to use and looks good.
  • The energy-saver feature seems nice. Maybe, it’s a little gimmicky, but nice.
  • It is very light-weight and easy to install.
  • The 4 HDMI inputs are great with an optical audio port and analog ports.
  • The physical appearance, once setup, is very nice.
  • HD picture quality is amazing except for very fast motion (see below).

Cons

  • The standard definition picture quality can be poor. “Game” mode improves this.
  • Fast motion shows blurring.

Calibration.

The LG only needed MINOR calibration to improve the brightness/colors. My previous HDTVs needed heavy calibration, so this was a nice change.

Fast motion.

There is blurring with fast motion. It does not happen all the time and it usually lasts a split-second. However, it can be VERY noticeable. At 120HZ, I expected less blurring. Honestly, I don’t know the amount of blurring that is normal for an LCD.

I have only noticed blurring watching TV and movies. It happened with my cable box and AppleTV. My Xbox 360 seems okay, but I have only played 2 games. Neither were sports games.

TruMotion.

LG’s “TruMotion” drastically changes the way movies and shows display. Look into judding or anti-judding. In short, camera pans and movements become more noticable.

Personally, I think it’s great. It feels like the picture is more realistic. However, it can change the way a scene was meant to be shown. I know some people who really hate anti-judding. So, keep this in mind.

Setting.

The 120hz function of the TV is buried in the expert settings of the video options. LG advertises this as ‘TruMotion 120hz’, but the menu option is simply “120hz.” This causes some confusion if you are not aware of this.

This LCD TV has a refresh rate at 120hz, no matter what. This is what you want it to do. The 120hz menu option I am referring to has nothing to do with that. It is not really turning 120hz on or off. Many find this menu option name misleading. Really, it should be “TruMotion” as LG calls it. It should not be “120hz” to imply the refresh rate is being changed. Samsung calls this feature “Auto Motion Plus.”

TruMotion Explained.

This feature controls frame interpolation, not refresh rate. This setting should be OFF for movies (unless you want a frame rate that looks “weird” and looks more like video and not film). For sports or video games, set it either to LOW or HIGH (depending on your preference).

Using TruMotion.

Basically, you want to use TruMotion for things shot at 60 frames per second. Thus, you want it off for films, since they are shot at 24 frames per second.

Sometime, the 120hz setting can be tolerated on LOW for films. However, after a while, it may start to look a little too “weird” and too realistic, NOT film-like.

RealCinema.

Use the RealCinema option (which is better for 24-frame film). The TV knows when 24fps or 60fps is used, and adjusts accordingly. So, don’t think you need to turn RealCinema off for sports. You don’t. The TV knows when to use it.

Sound.

The speaker system is amazing. I watch mostly in the 20s volume range, but it goes to 100! The virtual surround sound isn’t bad at all. For movies, I set the sound to Cinema mode. The treble and bass are turned all the way up. Virtual surround sound may be off by default. Make sure it is on if you really want to enjoy the speakers.

Auto-volume.

Auto-volume is great for those crazy-loud commercials! This feature does this by normalizing the commercials to a lower volume.

Sound Options.

This LG LCD has an option to make the human voice higher than the background noises. It is great for films with poor audio, or if you don’t want much bass and just want to hear dialogue.

This feature disables virtual surround sound. It lowers every frequency not on the same one as a human voice. While skeptical at first, I found it really works, and works well. Since my hearing is good, I don’t use this feature. I stick with virtual surround sound. But, it is a nice option to have when the dialogue gets lost in all the ambient noise in a scene.

Controls.

Navigating the menus is easy and so is switching inputs. The remote has a “quick menu” button. It lets you easily switch between video and audio modes without seeing a giant menu on the screen when you do it.

The Price Point.

For the price, overall, this is a good LCD TV. It is the price and the picture that got me to buy it. I do feel the old saying, “you get what you pay for” applies to this TV….but that isn’t such a bad thing.

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Apr
11

Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

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Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 42 inch 1080p LCD HDTV display

Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 42 inch 1080p LCD HDTV display

This TV is a ClearScan 240Hz Black and is better than a Samsung LN40B650.

Image Quality.

The picture is excellent! No worries about ghosting, flash lighting, and ‘clouding’. I see no dead or stuck pixels. It has excellent color reproduction with vibrant colors. It is realistic but not over-saturated. Black levels are not a light gray with this screen. It is actually very close to actual black. However, there is some minimal light bleeding. This is to be expected in a LCD. It is most noticeable with the lights on.

At 240hz, you get a great picture with almost no ‘jitter’. Pans and zooms are smooth with no added blurring. Resolution+ (aka SRT) makes a big difference for non-HD viewing.

Gaming.

Compared to my older Sony 42″ LCD, my Gamecube looks much better. There are fewer artifacts and jagged edges look much smoother. Playing Bioshock looks awesome!

Movies.

DVDs look great, including older films. I watched Trinity and Beyond: the Atomic Bomb. It is an excellent movie showing film from the 50s and 60s. The movie looked absolutely spectacular, with digitally restored archival film footage of atomic bomb tests.

Sound.

I was surprised with the sound quality. For a TV where you can’t see the speakers, you get a surprisingly good sound. The Dolby Volume feature is great when you need to lower the volume during transitions from a quiet TV/movie to a loud commercial.

The volume doesn’t double itself when showing commercials! The speakers have a fair amount of bass for their size. They don’t sound ‘distant’ or ‘from the bottom of a barrel’.

Remote.

The remote control is good enough. It lets me use my Xbox 360 DVD player and Comcast cable box (Motorola) and TV after programming the remote. It feels firm and sturdy with solid buttons. It would be nice if the buttons were illuminated, though.

Some like to keep DVD players out of sight behind a cabinet. The IR pass-through feature on the TV looks useful for that. I don’t use it since my AV components are all visible.

Media Player.

The Media player looks limited. You can view digital photos on the TV from a SD card / USB Flash. However, the Toshiba’s options are too basic for that. Video playback looks promisng. However, I encode my videos in h.264 (for iPod/iPhone). This Toshiba does not support that (as far as I can tell).

Comparison Shopping.

Instead of the Samsung LN40B650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color panel, I chose the Toshiba because of it’s overall picture quality. Overall color, contrast, brightness, and black levels are better. The 240hz smoothing effect is top-notch. Resolution+ up-conversion helps a lot with DVDs and other SD content. The excellent audio quality/features with commercial quieting were easy sells.

The design is more attractive to me, because the Touch of Color Red is not my taste. Plus, the Toshiba is a lot cheaper than the Samsung.

The Toshiba 42ZV650U is the best choice in my book!

Glare Problem.

This LCD reflects way too much light. When the Toshiba LCD is off, or when showing dark scenes, it is like looking at a mirror! The glare is so noticeable, you’d think it was a plasma TV.

This glare issue does not seem to be limited to this Toshiba. Many of the LCD TVs I considered have a very high gloss frame. They reflect a lot of light. Why they don’t use a flat black frame is beyond me. It’s annoying that it reflects light in the room.

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Apr
06

VIZIO SV471XVT 47-Inch XVT-Series LCD HDTV

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Vizio LCD HDTV 47inch

Vizio LCD HDTV 47inch

My previous TV was a 37 inch Sharp HDTV 720p 60hz. It wasn’t good enough, so I decided to get the Samsung LN46B750. But it was out of my price range. So, I settled on the Vizio. Other than the 55 inch LED, this XVT model is the best Vizio had to offer.

Design.

It has a simple, clean front panel that is black and silver. Some are bothered by the vizio light because it may stay orange after the TV is off. To me, its not really noticeable so it doesn’t bother me.

Sound.

Compared to my old Sharp LCD, the sound on the Vizio is much better. It is still not great, though. For a real theatre experience, I use my Logitech 2.1 speakers. Otherwise, the built-in speakers are okay.

Image Quality.

As a gamer, at least 120hz, 1080p, and 4ms response time are important factors. Well the Vizio meets that and goes to 240hz with the scanning backlight.

Smooth motion, when enabled (I recommend low) is a little disturbing at first. You quickly get used to it, though. Not only does smooth motion reduce blur, the entire screen image looks more crisp, whether high-speed motion or not.

Watching High-Definition on cable is AMAZING! Sometimes, the detail is jaw dropping. This is only in 1080i. Xbox 360 really looks sharp and well-defined. While High-Definition cable (HD) is amazing, it’s nothing compared to playing Modern Warfare 2 on the XBox 360.

Smooth motion works fantastically for videogames. There were no problems with blur at all. Rarely do you get judder problems. If you do see a hiccup, it’s very brief. You may never notice it.

Drawbacks.

As with all HDTVs, there are some quirks. There is a faint appearance of flash lighting at the top of the screen. It is in a tiny small area. This problem is not uncommon with MANY LCD tvs. It is most noticeable on a black screen.

When you compare the flash lighting and clouding on the Vizio, to some other TVs, the Vizio seems to handle it much better. DO NOT let this problem discourage you because each TV is different. Your Vizio may not have ths problem at all.

Many HDTVs need 50-100 hours break-in time. After this point, you may notice any lighting or clouding problems fade with time. But, you may never notice it, anyway.

Should You Get it?

For the size, image quality, and gaming, it was the best deal I could find.

UPDATE – 6 months later.

After watching a Bluray movie, I can say it looks even better than HD cable. The Blurays are absolutely CRYSTAL CLEAR, just as sharp as can be, with great colors. Motion, colors, and image were beautiful with the bluray.

The flashlighting has subsided quite a bit. To find it, I really have to sit there and stare at the blank screen to see it. That is good news as well.

This TV gets a 100% recommendation from me! Hopefully, if you decide to get it, you will be just as satisfied.

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42 Inch LCD TV