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Westinghouse TX-42F430S

Average User Rating

3.0 stars 24 user reviews
My rating: 0 stars

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  • Rating Breakdown:
  • 5 star:
    5/24
    5
  • 4 star:
    10/24
    10
  • 3 star:
    2/24
    2
  • 2 star:
    2/24
    2
  • 1 star:
    5/24
    5
Results 2 of 24
  • "Excellent Value, Great Connectivity"
    4.0 stars
    on by mfourni2

    Pros: Price, 1080P, 4 HDMI inputs, Sound--> subwoofer built in

    Cons: Some blurring during fast motion, Lack of formats

    Summary: I just picked this up a few days ago and have really been digging it since. I wanted to purchase the previous model (LVM-42W2), but was hesitant because the lack of a tuner, even though I don't use one. This one has a tuner along with all the features and still comes in at a bargain of a price. The number of inputs is quite impressive which should make this tv useful for many years to come. My brother had mocked me initially for going with an "off-brand" so to speak, but he was thoroughly impressed once he saw this in action. I will admit that the set looked pretty weak on the wall of Best Buy compared to more expensive sets, but I have read that they do that on purpose because the markup is much lower on a bargain tv.
    The image quality looks great when the set is at home. I hooked up my computer to it through VGA (w/1080P support), but was sad to realize my Macbook does not output resolution that high. The picture still looked great and I could see using this as a huge computer monitor with no problem (which I intend to do) and it also did great with a downloaded copy of Disney Pixar's Cars.
    Next up was the Nintendo Wii which I hooked up through component cables which also supports 1080P though the Wii only outputs to 480, maybe 720. Regardless, the picture looked great.
    I am yet to feed this any true HD content, but I plan on hooking it up to my parent's HD DVR soon to really let it show off.
    One of the nice features about this set is that it automatically detects when a device has been turned on and switches to that input (though it can be disabled). I read in reviews of the previous model (LVM-42W2) that the remote was terrible and had to be aimed directly at the receiver. This is not the case on this model, the remote works as well as any other I've used. The feature that still needs enhancement is the formatting. If you are getting a widescreen signal, it will be fine. If you are getting a 4:3 signal it will also be fine. You are going to run into problems when watching tv broadcast in 4:3 displaying a widescreen image (confusing?). I have not encountered this yet, but most widescreen tv's have more than 2 settings for display formatting. Not a big deal because it seems like everything is slowly switching to widescreen and you probably get HD cable if you are insisting on a set with 1080P. Other than that, the menu was easy to navigate and things seem logically arranged to me. I played around a bit with the color and teperature settings to what looked best to my eye, but I'm not much of an expert when it comes to this; I'll wait until some nerd on an AV forum posts the perfect settings.
    The sound is very good for built in speakers and the built in subwoofer really helps. However, everyone knows the full HD experience requires a surround sound system.
    All in all, this seems like a great set, especially when you consider the price. There are definitely nicer tvs out there, but this one will get the job done for a reasonable price. I did, however, purchase the 4 year maintenance plan because I am not sure how Westinghouse will perform in the long run. I don't worry too much about it as these sets are being carried by some reputable stores (see Abt Electronics).

    Updated
    After an hour or so of tinkering and playing with the settings on my computer and in Quiktime, I was able to send the screen a 1080P picture. The first thing I did was watch the Simpsons Movie Preview in HD and it looked amazing. The lines were crisp and the colors were vibrant; I have a tough time believing I could notice any improvements on a "better" (aka more expensive) screen. I have heard that the place the expensive screens excel is in skin tone, but both Harold and Kumar looked normal enough while watching Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. YouTube videos are tolerable (see blotchy) when set to full screen, but look real good when watched on the regular web page. No regrets so far and I would definitely recommend this set to anyone looking.

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Quick Specifications

  • TV type LCD TV
  • Screen size 42.0 in
  • Display format 1080p
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