Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Summary:
I am extremely pleased with this LCD. The picture is bright and clear and the colors are excellent. I am completely satisfied with the purchase and recommend this device to anyone.
Expanded Review:
First, I defined my goals: From about 8 feet away I want to watch High Definition DVD's at 1080p, watch High Definition television including local channels, connect some gaming consoles, connect a PC, and connect my surround sound receiver.
I looked at different products for a year. I would compare the appearance between the different sets in the store, read online reviews, talked to friends, and read product specifications.
I decided on the following and intended to act before the end of summer: I would obtain a decent 42" LCD with all of the necessary connectors for under $1600, I would purchase a PS3 for Blu-ray as well as HD gaming with the bonus that it will upconvert my current DVD's, and upgrade my current cable service to HD for HD television viewing. I figured to spend about $2000-$2200.
When the PS3 price dropped to $500 it figured it was time to move. The contenders after my research included the Samsung, Sony, LG, and the Westinghouse LVM-42W2. Most were over the limit to what I was comfortable spending so it came down to the LVM-42w2. When I went to find it I discovered the TX-42F430S that had been recently introduced. Additionally it was available at a local yellow tagged electronics superstore for the best price advertised. I was able to view this unit side by side with the other available LCD's and it looked just as good, to me, as much more expensive models. I realized however that the signal being pumped into those devices on the wall was not a 1080p signal and that the picture at home might look different. At that point I figured it was bright, the colors were coming through, the menu system was functional, and it was the lowest priced 42" 1080p LCD available ($1299). I bought it with a matching of the online deal that threw in a Sony HT-DDW790 home theater system and a 60 day in house price match. The following Sunday 7/29 it went on sale for $1099. I got the price match ($200 back) and sold the HT system for $120. So, total for this system with PS3 was right about $1500 plus cables, controllers, Blu-ray Planet Earth, and a couple of games for the PS3. I feel good.
Results:
1. I have the PS3 connected to one of the four(!) HDMI connectors and it looks awesome. Motorstorm at 720p is excellent and Planet Earth at 1080p is unbelievable. I had to get the blue tooth remote for playing movies, you can do it with the controller but it's a pain. Most of the upconverted DVD's look incredible, much better than on standard def TV, this was much better than I expected and for someone not hypersensitive it would be hard to differentiate it from some native HD or Blu-ray DVD's.
2. HD Digital Cable content through the component connection looks very good. Standard Definition looks like garbage, but this is expected of all HD LCD's, the pixels on the LCD display the picture in all it's ugly glory. In all my research, I have not come across a way to watch standard def TV and it not look bad. It's functional, and viewable if you don't expand the screen and let it display in 4:3, but a step down when viewing most of the normal TV content. One can only hope that more and more channels come to HD format.
3. I have my PC, Wii, and PS2 (only for guitar hero) hooked up though the home theater receiver via S-video at the moment and it serves. I want to move the PC to the VGA connector (I need a new dual head video card), the Wii to the component connection, and the PS2 directly to the S-video in the future.
4. I have a digital optical cable running from the output on the LCD to the HT receiver and it sounds good. The interal LCD speakers can be turned off so that only the HT system is used.
So, I am very happy. I hope this helps some of you still looking. I relied heavily on comments about the products here and I wanted to return the favor.
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Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTVTurn your home theater into the embodiment of cinema expression with the new TX series from Westinghouse Digital. Meet the TX-42F430S, a 42?1080p LCD HDTV - truly the perfect TV for all your entertainment needs. This LCD HDTV offers 1080Pure - 1080p resolution out of all HD inputs (including component), an astounding four (4) HDMI inputs, and an integrated ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner. This display is not only an engineering marvel but designed with class and sophistication; featuring subtle curves and a thin 5.5?housing this display has a deep onyx bezel with brushed titanium accents. Enjoy the latest Blu-ray or HD DVD?movie, gaming on a PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii, or watching your favorite HD TV show.
Click here for more information about Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
