- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 36 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Great TV for the money"
Pros: Inexpensive, great quality picture
Cons: Audio out sound, which is a common problem even with expensive TV?s
Summary: Pros ? I like how I can turn off and on auto detection of a new signal, meaning it automatically will switch on to something like a DVD player when you turn it on.
A lot of different connections, 2 component, 1 S-Video/RF (shared), Audio out, DVI, HDMI, VGA, you can?t go wrong, you can hook anything up.
Cons ? Well the factory speakers are ok but anyone who buys a TV likes this want surround sound anyway, so I turn them off. On the audio output, hooking it up to the surround sound system, the volume of the TV does not control the volume of my surround sound, my friend who has a more expensive Sony Plasma says his is the same way. My old picture tube TV that is an RCA about 6 years old can, so I loved the fact I only had to use one remote, my DVR remote won?t let me program my surround sound system in.
It is only a monitor but I use a cable box anyway so this is no big deal, I don?t think I will ever go without one again, I haven?t used basic cable or rabbit ears in years.
Purchase History
I originally bought the 37? Westinghouse TV that does 720p for 899 at best buy right before Thanksgiving, it was on sale for 999, but I had a 10% off coupon. I then find out that they where having a black Friday sale for the 42? for 999. The 37? I bought was getting shipped to store on black Friday so I had to go there anyway, I got there at 3am hoping to beat most of the crowed and figured I would get my money back and add 100 dollars to get the bigger TV. The main difference between the two other than the size was the 42? had no tuner, the inputs are opposite sides and the 42? had a DVI input where the 37? did not. The 37? did have a co-axle output for surround sound though. The line was freakishly long at 3am I couldn?t believe it, some people have no lives, but thank god I did because it went back on sale for 999 online only that Sunday and Monday. So to make a long story short I took my TV back to best buy, got my refund (which didn?t show up in my bank to 3 days later) and bought the 42?. I had to wait 10 more days for my TV, but it was worth it.
About the TV
The remote is not programmable but I do not care I wouldn?t use it if it did, I prefer to use my Comcast DVR remote from Motorola, by the way the program code for that is 0000. The color settings that CNET suggest is perfect in my opinion I did throw the back lighting up to 40 though because my room isn?t completely dark. I hooked my sons PS2 to one of the component outputs and my DVD to the other, and by the way there is a very noticeable difference from using component instead of the composite jacks (Yellow, Red, White). So I recommend using at least the S-Video Port at least if you plan on hooking up any gaming console or DVD, I would save the RF for a VCR. The TV has a bright little blue LED light to let you know the power is on but there is actually an option to turn it off, it doesn?t bother me so I leave it on. The menu system to adjust the settings is very easy to use another plus about the TV.
Conclusion
I did a lot of research about HDTV?s before purchasing this one, it had everything I wanted for the money I was willing to spend, I am very pleased with my first 16:9 TV. I figured I would purchase one cheap use it for a bit and use it for my bedroom and buy a better one later, but I am so happy with it, I don?t plan on buying a bigger TV for a very long time. I definitely wanted LCD over plasma because of burn ins, I hear newer plasma TV?s are good at not doing this. But when I am spending a grand or more on anything I like to be safe, if I wasn?t an avid game I might have went plasma to try to get bigger for cheaper. As far as picture quality between a bigger name brand it holds its own, in a since its not a Ferrari but I bought a Corvette for the price of a Camaro. I am going to give it a 9 out of 10 because even though it is not great like a higher dollar TV, with the quality and price of this thing it is in its own class so it deserves a better rating.
