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
