Which LCD TV should I get?

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Bpaul2303

I think I'm going to go with the westinghouse.If you just unplug it or just change inputs then change back it seems to work fine

The Westinghouse does deinterlace 1080I correctly to give one true 1920X1080 resolution. If you do decide to go with the Westinghouse I would strongly recommend purchasing it at a retail store with a 30 day return policy. If I had to do it over again I would have never had my parents by the thing. At least on their 37” 1080P monitor changing inputs and unplugging does nothing. I can just sit there all day long and I still can not get HDCP devices to work. It is a shame because if this problem would be fixed it would be a great monitor for the average person.
One last important note: This Westinghouse is a monitor only. To watch local TV or cable you need a external HDTV tuner to get HDTV reception. That’s one of the reasons I bought my parents a D-VHS with ATSC tuner.

[Bpaul2303]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

The Westinghouse does deinterlace 1080I correctly to give one true 1920X1080 resolution. If you do decide to go with the Westinghouse I would strongly recommend purchasing it at a retail store with a 30 day return policy. If I had to do it over again I would have never had my parents by the thing. At least on their 37” 1080P monitor changing inputs and unplugging does nothing. I can just sit there all day long and I still can not get HDCP devices to work. It is a shame because if this problem would be fixed it would be a great monitor for the average person.
One last important note: This Westinghouse is a monitor only. To watch local TV or cable you need a external HDTV tuner to get HDTV reception. That’s one of the reasons I bought my parents a D-VHS with ATSC tuner.

My cable company provides a DVR HDTV cable box.I'm going to get it at Sams Club...

[HDTV1080P]

I heard back from Westinghouse today regarding the LVM-37w1 monitor. This was Westinghouse’s first 1080P monitor released back in the summer of 2005. Basically they told me there is no firmware updates and that it is not manufactured anymore. So this HDCP issue will never get resolved with this model. One will just have to use component inputs if their HDCP device does not work. Now to give Westinghouse a little positive feedback, their new monitors have less HDCP problems compared to the discontinued model I own. Of course even their top of the line monitors still have HDCP issues once and a while when connecting PS3 or a HDTV cable box using HDMI or DVI connection. The following is a cut and paste from the email I sent them.

Hello ,

Thank you for your inquiry.

There are no updates for this model . It is not manufactured anymore .


If you have any further questions, you may contact us through email, or
by calling us toll-free at 1-866-287-5555, between 9am and 9pm Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Saturday. One of our technicians will
assist you.


Westinghouse Digital Support Staff

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Hello,
I own the LVM-37w1. I was wondering if you offer any firmware updates
for this model? If you do offer a firmware update what improvements have
been made in the new firmware? Can the firmware be downloaded from the
web and user installed or would the monitor need to be sent to a service
center for a firmware update? I and other people have had trouble
connecting HDTV devices that use the HDCP feature. It appears to be some
type of incompatibility problem with the software in your 1080P monitor
when a HDCP device connected to the monitors digital input.
Thanks for your time

[Bpaul2303]

Thanks I was reading a ton of reviews on this tv the lvm-37w3 and its very popular and everybody who has one loves it whether you use it as a PC monitor or a HDTV.So I think I made up my mind.But please if you know of any other TV's I should look into tell me!

[HDTV1080P]

The new LVM-37W3 replaced the LVM-37W1. In theory you should have fewer problems with this monitor but some people have issues with it still. The new LVM-37W3 has both a HDMI and DVI 1080P input. Also new one is 8 ms response time. Westinghouse also makes a 42 inch and a 47 inch 1080P model. (LVM-47w1, LVM-42w2). Unless some one really likes the cheap price of Westinghouse 1080P I do not recommended people purchase their monitors until the HDCP issue is resolved. HDMI 1.3 has quality standards that manufactories have to meet. Maybe a new model on Westinghouse in the future will have HDMI 1.3. If I was buying a new 1080P the Westinghouse brand would be the very last on my list. Sony and JVC rear projectors are so much better even though one may have to spend an extra $500 or $600 dollars. If you don’t like the Akai 37 inch 1080P at Walmart for $1098 then the only thing you could do is wait 6 months to a year when there will be more 1080P display’s around a $1,000. If you really like the Westinghouse at Sam’s club then I would strongly recommend purchasing the HDCP equipment you plan on using with the Westinghouse at the same time then you can make sure everything works. The problem I had is I purchased the Westinghouse and just hooked up a standard DVD player to the thing. Later on shortly after the 30 day return policy I hooked up a D-VHS with HDCP and could not get it to work. LVM-37W3 in theory should be more compatible with equipment compared to the discontinued LVM-37W1.
Back in summer of 2005 the LVM-37W1 was selling for around $2400 at Best Buy and the next model up was a name brand 1080P set for around $8,000 with no 1080P input.

[Bpaul2303]

But the Akai at Wal Mart isnt widescreen thats the ony reason why I wouldnt get that one.

[HDTV1080P]

Every display that is labeled 1080P entering the United States is required to have a 16:9 Aspect Ratio with a resolution of 1920 X 1080. 4:3 Aspect Ratio is the standard non widescreen screen size. If you check WALMARTS web page the aspect ratio says 16:9 for the Akai TV which means widescreen. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5420917

The Westinghouse looks like it might have a better picture with contrast ratios 1,000:1 versus 800:1 on the AKAI. Also I am not sure if the AKAI two HDMI inputs are 1080P. Some cheaper 1080P sets on the market only have 1080I inputs and leave the 1080P input off. AKAI has a built in ATSC tuner but since you already said your going to use a HDTV cable box that is not a large issue for you.
If you can get the Westinghouse to work with your HDTV cable box using HDMI and other digital devices then the Westinghouse might be ideal for you. Just make sure you get all the stuff you want hooked up to it within 30 days in case you need to return the Westinghouse if it has issues.
There is another option for you. I strongly recommend 1080P over 720P since it has twice as much resolution, but if you can not at this time afford a Sony or JVC 1080P for around $1600 (mail order price, retail price higher) then maybe you should get a 30” Sanyo widescreen 720P at Wal-Mart for only $448 and then later on in a year or two purchase a 50 inch 1080P for around $1,000. In a year or two there should be several 1080P sets around 50 inches in rear projection models around $1,000.
Right now you can get a 30” CRT 720P Sanyo HT30746 for only $448 at Wal-Mart. The Sanyo TV has a very good ATSC and QAM tuner. QAM allows you to watch the unencrypted standard and HDTV channels on your cable system without the need to rent a HDTV cable box. Of course if you want stuff like HBO and Showtime then you will need a cable box to subscribe to the programming. The average CRT has an awesome 50,000:1 contrast ratio. The only problem with CRT is that companies are not able to make a picture tube that is 1080P with 2 million pixels. The Sanyo specs call the set a 1080I but in reality it is a 720P TV since the set can not display the full resolution of 1080I. At the very minimum you get 720P quality out of this set. In reality resolution most likely is around 1300 X 1080 interlace. It is a large heavy CRT which is great for the price. It only has one HDMI input. You would need an external HDMI A/B switch if you had two pieces of equipment with HDMI.

http://www.sanyo.com/entertainment/t...productID=1240

[Jim]

Just some input from my experience with the Westinghouse. I have the 42" LCD with 1080P and have had no problems with it. My Sony Blu-ray player is hooked to the HDMI port and my over the air HD antenna-decoder box goes in the DVI port. I've had zero problems with either of them connecting.

[Bpaul2303]

Has anyone had any issues with PCnation.com http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=3W110T??If so I'm going to get it off newegg.com I know they are a good site for that TV.Tons of people I know used that site but it has it a lot cheaper on pcnation.com so I might get the 42inch off that site.If anyone has any info if that is a good site let me know.

[HDTV1080P]

Forget Westinghouse, you can get a JVC HD-52FA97 52 inch LCOS 1080P for only $1,295 as a final delivery price from dugdig.com. This JVC will run circles around the Westinghouse and some magazines claim it has a slightly better picture then the Sony SXRD.
http://www.calibex.com/HD_-_52FA97/z...0--search-html
Always use a credit card for your protection when ordering.

[HDTV1080P]

If you still want the Westinghouse brand, here is a link to a $50 mail in rebate for the 42 inch LVM-42w2.

http://www.techonweb.com/webdocs/reb...275_070202.pdf


You have to have your sales receipt dated between 2-2-07 and 2-18-07 to qualify for rebate.

[dave4]

If you are unsure about which product is best check read expert reviews.
Using PriceGrabber.com (http://www.pricegrabber.com/info_exp...terid=16643153)
I came across a cool site that list all expert reviews for a product in
a single page. I hope this helps: http://www.smartratings.com/electronics/plasma_and_lcds.