Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42" LCD TV

Treat yourself better, don't bother with Westinghouse

Posted Nov 23, 2006 - Shortly after I bought the LVM42w2 in April, I started experiencing the power lockup problem once in a while. I contemplated returning it, but sadly I made the wrong decision to keep it. Here's a recap of what it took to have the problem resolved. I am glad that I kept a log of all dealings with Westy service. Here is the log I kept. It is long, but I hope you would take the time to read to understand how much frustration I experienced, which you may be able to avoid by making a better purchase decision. 5/2/06 Email Westy service about power lockup problem 5/3/06 Westy dismissed case as problem with my power source .... Problem only happened once in a while but got worse and worse and in July I managed to turn in on less than 1 out of 10 times. .... 7/19/06 Called Westy service to open service call. Was told not to ship it in for service, but that a 3rd service company, IAI, would call within 2 weeks 8/14/06 Waited almost a month, nothing happened. Called Westy. Was told that my case was still open with IAI, should get a call soon but no promise when 9/12/06 Another month went by, nothing happened. Called Westy. Was told that my case was still open with IAI, and that my case was reassigned a high priority, should get a call from IAI REAL soon 10/16/06 Another month went by, nothing happene. Called Westy. This time I was that my case was in IAI's system and that I should call IAI directly to schedule an appointment. What? If that's the case, why didn't they say so 3 months earlier. I asked to talk to a service manager. The manager repeated that I should call IAI directly. When asked why I was told so 3 months earlier, he said he didn't know why but it wasn't his fault because it wasn't him who talked to me before. What a manager to build company reputation !! 10/16/06 Called IAI, person answer that phone said I should get a call back from a local technician the same day or next. 10/18/06 No call from IAI. Called and got answering machine, and left message 10/19/06 No call from IAI. Called again and same person answered phone. He said he forgot to call the technician. He put me on hold and tried to talk to the technician but only managed to leave a message. 10/23/06 Nothing happened. Called again, a different person answer the phone and said he would call back next day when he knew what was going on 10/24/06 Finally a IAI local technician called. Somehow, he told me that he was busy with his main job painting houses and was not able to entertain the IAI jobs 10/27/06 The IAI techician showed up at my house. After hooking up his laptop to the LVM-42w2 through a RS232 to VGA dongle for the firmware upgrade to 1.19, he called up someone to walk him though which buttons to press, what to click with his mouse, etc. After an hour or so working with the person on the phone, he declared that the firmware upgrade a failure and blamed the problem to be a bad dongle. He said a replacement dongle would be shipped to him and he would be able to come do it again on 10/30 10/30/06 Technician called and said the person who was supposed to ship the dongle didn't ship it 10/31/06 Technician called to say he still hadn't received the new dongle, and that he would be out of town till 11/6 11/7/06 Technician called tp say he still hadn't received the new dongle 11/10/06 Technician called and said he finally received the new dongle and scheduled to come on 11/13 11/13/06 Technician came with the new dongle, finally the firmware was upgraded to 1.19 successfully Now, the problem is gone. But looking back, it took a total of 6 months to have such a well-known problem resolved. This is half of the unit's warranty period!! If you read up to this point, but still decide to purchase this unit, I wish you luck. But please bare in mind that there are better respected manufacturers with inhome service. As a consumer, you deserve better than what Westinghouse offers.

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The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Posted Mar 12, 2007 - I did a lot of research and for the money this is the TV to have. I read all of the reviews and decided for every review that had something bad to say there were 10 that said it was great. When I got my TV home I was very impressed with the High Definition picture, regular digital picture was not so great but I could live with it and still thought I made the best decision considering the price, until last night when I turned the TV on and there was a rainbow of vertical lines. I immediately ran to the computer and sent an e-mail to Westinghouse customer service. My TV wasn't going to die, I was going to be one of those that wrote a gleaming review of the product. I waited a full day and no reply from customer service. I called in spoke with someone right away and told him what the problem was, apparently I wasn't the first to have the problem but I was the first person this month that he had talked with with the problem (should I win a prize for that). He opened a trouble ticket and said someone would get back with me in about 10 business days to tell me what to do next. Having worked customer service position when younger I knew it wasn't his fault but let him know that was ridiculous, he advised that they weren't supposed to give out a time frame but he has noticed that customers appreciate a time frame. 10 days turn around to probably tell me that I have to pay shipping to send the TV back is just insane, how do they stay in business. After reading another review this could be a six month process. To those who are thinking about buying this TV or MONITOR you have to ask your self a question: Do You Feel Lucky?

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Westinghouse 42" HD LCD TV

Posted Mar 7, 2006 - This is my first HD TV. I purchased this TV for Xbox 360 and as an alternate PC monitor. Regular 480p DVD's look great on this TV. Gaming will never be the same. The 1080i and 1080p sources look fantastic. For the price you can not beat the value. I have had no problems with the remote. Just have to make sure it is pointed directly at TV.

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Great monitor for a great Value (v1.03 firmware)

Posted Apr 19, 2007 - I recently returned my 37" Sceptre 1080p TV for this monitor for a few reasons. First off I didn't really need a tuner since my PC has a tuner with DVR (not that I get HDTV Reception where i'm at anyway). Secondly there is only one shared HDMI/DVI ports on the Sceptre whereas the Westy has a wealth of inputs (2 DVI, HDMI, VGA, 2 Component). For the quality you get with this set and the price you pay it is a better value many times over than the other TVs in the market . If you were going to get a comparible 1080p panel from Sharp or Sony expect to pay at least twice as much for not much quality difference. My set was shipped from the factory on 6/19/2006 and the Panel is from CMO (Chi Mei Optronics) so sets made during this point and after should all be at least v1.19 which has fixed most of the major problems. RGB is still only in the service menu. But if you can go in and change some values you can come out with some fantastic realistic skin tones even with some recommended settings. I will most likely tweak even further with AVIA. People say there is some banding (uneven backlighting) which I can see slightly if you look for it. However in normal usage I never see it (at least not on my set). Some people say they have worse banding than others. Currently I have noticed 2 artifacts. During WMVHD 1080p in windows I get some lines popping up (i'm not sure if this is a problem with the set or codec since it doesn't happen with mpegs). Also I've noticed some framerate stuttering in the opening movie for ghost recon, but it could just be the video file since gameplay is smooth. *update: Good news guys, Westy now has a method for you to get a new firmware (v1.19) if you don't have it already. To check your firmware goto the menu and on the rightmost option check info. It should say 1.11, 1.16 or 1.19 depending on what firmware you have. If you have 1.11 or 1.16 it's highly recommended you get the new firmware to fix the lockup problems. Further Explanation in the User Discussions topic. *update 2: Well quite a bit has happened. I eventually went ahead and went straight to the Westinghouse facility and swapped out my set for the "new" 1.00 Set In order to get 1080p compatability over HDMI and DVI2. The reason why the firmware is 1.00 is because they've changed the internal hardware a bit (probably the HDMI chipset) in order to make sure it supports 1080p. However there are some new problems with this set. There are severe handshaking issues with the PS3 which cause the screen to blink constantly making the HDMI port unusable with the PS3. However it does work over DVI with some issues of garbled picture whenever the ps3 changes video resolutions (like from game to menu to blu-ray), It is easily fixed by switching input and back, which can get a bit annoying. *Update 3 I got my firmware updated to 1.03 and now the HDMI works with the PS3. So now all my Digital inputs are in use and i'm much happier :).

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Westinghouse is back !

Posted May 13, 2006 - I have hooked up this monitor (tuner-less TV) to my Comcast HD box setup for 1080i and the picture quality is fantastic! I have also hooked up my XBox 360 and it sure looks awesome too. Very fast response time. The picture was so bright I had to turn it down from its default level. The connections to it are easily reachable from the sides. I have already checked out the various VGA / DVI / Component Video / S-Video inputs with my components and all of them look great. The weakest part of the system is the remote control. You have volume up and down keys but then you can also use the arrow keys left and right to change the volume. You have keys to cycle through all the sources up and down, then you have keys for cycling through different source groups (ie DVI1/DVI2/HDMI) with each press of a single button and then you also have an Input key. Can you say redundant? It also takes the monitor a second or two to switch between sources though which may not be something you would like if you are impatient. All those source keys yet no way to change the PIP source or swap the PIP source with the normal screen from the remote. You have to bring up the on-screen menu to make selections like that. Another nice feature only available in the on-screen menu is the sleep timer. It would have been nice to have that one on the remote. The on-screen menu is very comprehensive but many common features would have been better suited being directly available on the remote control. The remote also seems very weak at transmitting its signals to the monitor. You have to directly aim it at the front sensor for it to work properly. I would rather put the remote functions I use most often on a universal remote to get past some of the weaknesses in the remote design and layout. Overall this monitor is well designed and I would definitely consider buying another one.

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Amazing picture quality, especially @ $1500

Posted Jun 29, 2006 - I was torn between this and the Panasonic TH-42PX60U, they were both exactly $2K, the day I was ready to buy the Panasonic (06/10) I saw that the price of the Westinghouse had dropped to $1500 at a major retail chain with blue buildings for one day, I though it was a mistake but I bought it right away (the special only lasted about 12 hours from what I understand) and it arrived about 2 weeks later, I am very happy with the Picture quality in analog, digital, and HD, the remote and menu could be better, but will use my Harmony 880 anyway.

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Best deal, hands down!!!

Posted Aug 12, 2006 - The best picture I've seen to date. Bought it for $1499 from Best Buy and got the 4 year extended warranty for $149. 42" 1080P LCD warrantied for 4 years for under $1700??? This is the best deal ever, hands down. I went from a 65" HD Rear projection (1024X768 native resolution) to this, and the HD picture is much better. The SDTV quality is about the same, but the bigger TV showed flaws much more than this one does. With the power issue, it's fixed for free by IAI once you let Westinghouse know you have the problem. Tell Tech support you have version 1.XX and you need the 1.19 upgrade. They should know what you mean. For the remote, it's basic, and has single touch buttons for all inputs but the one I personally use the most, HDMI. But you can select the turn-on input, so I guess it's not that bad to push source through all 8 inputs to get back to HDMI after changing it, just being picky. I use the Aeros MX-850 RF system anyway, so I'm good when it comes to remote.

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Best 1080p TV for the $$$$

Posted May 12, 2006 - This is my 2nd 42" HDTV. The 1st one was of a different brand and was subpar. Thus I learned my lesson, somewhat. This TV, or should I say monitor is well worth the $2309 I paid for it. For that matter, it is the best deal for its capabilities out there now. So I am happy. And here is why. Display via HDMI of my Sony HDD250 HD tuner/recorder is very good. 1080i is well colored and well defined. No fault here. Display via DVI of my LG HD receiver/DVD player is very good as well. This HD receiver is superior to the Sony's in sensitivity and ability to pick up and display weak signals. The DVD player can upconvert too, I think. As it gave me the option to convert all to 480p, 720p, or 1080i. Regular DVD looks great. No complains here. Display via DVI of my PC is great as well. Using th max resolution, everything is clear and no fault can be found as compared to my 24" Dell LCD. It would make an awesome PC monitor if you can stand sitting close to this monster size monitor and exercise your eyeballs A LOT. Actually, that is one fault of such big display. It totally overwhelms your eyes. So much real estate, your eyes will tire from constantly tracking stuff across the screen. Also, from 7-8' away, it will really become difficult to read text, as your eyes will strain to read those small texts. So I would not recommend using it as your regular PC monitor for such reason. Display via component of my ReplayTV and Xbox are okay. Both outputs 480i and both look really bad compared to the clear and smooth pictures of HD displays. It does not display SD signals as well as regular CRT displays. This is expected on all LCD displays. I wish that it can make the speakers/subwoofer detachable, as I already have a 5.1 system set up at home already. This will save some weight and perhaps make its already sleek body more slender. Or at least, give me the speaker /subwoofer inputs options so that I can use them as center/subwoofer if I choose. The color and details are good. Not as good as my brother's 45" LCD. His appears to be more natural/real. The shades and shadows of people are well defined. You will need to tweak the setting a bit to your liking for sure. Here it is my setting: B 51, C 57, S 52, H 1, CT 3, S 2, AR fill, BL 10. The on-screen tweaking capability is good. Just about most of the regular TV setting and PC monitor settings can be found. But the remote is poor. Looks like it comes from some $100 cheapo TV set. It does the job, but that is about it. Oh, if you want to use universal remotes to substitute, use SONY codes. They work like a charm. The cool "W" logo in front is well designed and well lite. Unlike those strong/annoying bright LED lights you see on electronics/computers everywhere. This one is warm and subtle. Perfect. Lastly, the 1 year warranty is carry-in, not in-home, like most other brands. So you should make sure to contact Westinghouse to see if one is nearby. I call them and a friendly representative advised me there is one nearby where I live. So it won't be much trouble for me if needs arise. Too bad, I do not have any 1080p source to test its true HD capabilities. But it is nice to know that it has both HDMI and DVI inputs that supports it. Almost forgot. I did not notice any obvious ghosting effects when watching regular TV, DVD, or playing Halo. But when playing DOA3 on Xbox, during demo, I saw lots and lots of ghosting during those fast actions. Not sure if it was intended that way or if the response time can not catch up with the speed. Hmm.....

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Best Big LCD for the money

Posted Apr 30, 2006 - The Westinghouse grabbed my eye in Best Buy, then I started to look around for it on line. I ended up buying it there, using a price match to another NYC area dealer. Picture quality is superb on HD and with DVDs using the component inputs. The HDMI input looks a little sharper, but the colors are more subdued (probably need a slightly different set-up). Also, somehow locked up the HDMI between the display and my S/A 8300 cable box a few times and had to unplug/replug to reset. Don't know if it's the monitor or cable box that has the problem. Using the monitor input, I found that one of my laptops couldn't display wider than 1280, but another one would. Make sure your video card supports wide-screen settings or you'll be disappointed. Another minor annoyance was trying to find compatible universal remote settings from my Onkyo home theater remote and from the S/A cable remote - - it locks to a code listed under Sony (go figure) rather than Westinghouse. It does work, but the universal remote is missing the "Full/Normal" button, but you can make the change through the menus instead. Internal sound is pretty good, and we use it for normal tv-watching with the home theater setup turned off. It's nice having lots of inputs - 2 DVIs and 2 Components plus one each VGA, HDMI, Video/S-Video. All in all, I think this monitor at around $2300 on the street is a very good deal and would certainly buy it again.

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LVM-42W2 = WISE CHOICE

Posted May 13, 2006 - Best Buy Online for $2435 after tax. (came with $100 cheapo DVR) I haven't found a real weakness yet, except for expected mediocrity in the details in blacks which no LCD has resolved. Only been using for 1 day connected to 1080p computer source by DVI. Played UT2004 on it for 5 hours last night at 1920x1080. WOW. It has satisfied me 100% from what I expected from doing research, it even let me turn off the W led in the front.

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Fantastic

Posted Sep 28, 2006 - My monitor came with the HDMI. Some reviews said it didn't have it?! Have no issues with it locking up. Buy one. Games look fantastic. Oblivion game has 1080 graphics and I feel like I'm at an expensive arcade.

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nice price for a quality picture

Posted Aug 8, 2006 - Had this TV for about one month, love the clear picture..Originally was looking at the 42 inch panasonic but a review in sound and vision magazine changed my mind..In the same magazine the westinghouse was given a good review..purchased in Canada at Best Buy...list price was 2999.00..... went on sale for 2499.00 and then was able to get a further 200.00 discount to 2300.00. Did plenty of research before buying...and could not pass up and it is future proofed with 1080p resolution and is all ready for the new HD DVD players...picture is awesome in HD ........The remote is very chincy though I plan to use a harmony remote in the future.... I connected my cable box with component cables to this TV as was recommended in the Sound and Vision article and use the one HDMI connection for the DVD player. There appears to be a common problem with this tv as I did my research and this is it....Apparently when you leave the TV off for a while and then go to turn it on it will not turn on...You will need to unplug and plug it back in to reset it to work...This problem is not consistant and it could be a week or two before it happens again...sometimes I had the tv off only 8 hours and at others a day or so and this would happen...otherwise I am happy with this TV-the manual could have been better written.

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UNREAL PC MONITOR

Posted Jun 15, 2006 - I'm using this as a pc monitor (sit about 3 to 4 feet away) and it is unreal. Best money I've spent in a long time. 1080p pc games and 1080p hd clips are unreal. So much more desktop space. I was a bit afraid of purchasing such as huge 42" 1080p monitor for just a pc monitor and sitting so close, but its not that way at all. The desktop icons are about the same size as say a 19"lcd monitor,,, it's just that you have that much more space. For example, say you have 20 desktop icons on a regular 19" lcd in which fills up the whole screen,,,, this 42" will display about the same size icon but you simply have about 4 times the amount of desktop space. I can't even explain to you how awesome this beast is for gaming... Your jaw will hit the ground in awe. This monitor is not the best for viewing standard dvd's.. Don't get me wrong, they still look unreal, but they are obviously not HD. For people that complain about viewing a standard 480p dvd playback on a 1080p hd tv are just not thinking "future proofing" once blueray and hd-dvd hit the market in full force next year. I feel bad for the people that are actually buying these lower resolution lcd monitors with native 1366 x 768 at the same price,,, and will eventually realize they got screwed when blueray and hd-dvd HD dvd playback content hits the shelves and they come to the conclusion that they need to purchase a 1080p monitor in order to fully realize the potential HD 1080p picture possibilities. It almost makes you wonder if big business is doing it on purpose. Anyway, this monitor has gone wayyyyy past any expectations about purchasing this for a PC monitor and for HD tv / HD content viewing. It's simply not designed for standard 480i and 480p playback, even thought standard dvd 480p playback isn't all that bad.

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1920x1080 pixels. What else is there to say?

Posted Jun 24, 2006 - I bought mine the second Best Buy slashed the price to $2k. BB communicated well and delivered the set within a week. The first thing I tried was to connect my Sony HD DVR (DHG-HDD250) to it using the HDMI cable. Audio didn't work on HD channels/programming, only if the content was SD. So now it's using the HDMI-DVI adaptor, and I have a seperate audio connection. Don't know what that's about. You can totally see the difference between 720p and 1080i content on this monitor - it really shines with 1080i content - you will not be disappointed. While you can see detail to the skin pore level, I was not impressed with the skin tone colour - my SD Sony TV did that well. Calibration brings it to acceptable/decent levels. Oh, yeah, I can't watch SD content any more - my eyes start to hurt..(sigh) ah, life's so unfair when you buy a 1080p TV :) there is one problem, and, from my research, it looks like it's just me. Every couple of days, I come home from work, sit down and pick up the remote. I press power. Nothing. Earth to Westy? I hold power down for a couple of seconds, since sometimes the remote gets crabby and retarted. Still nothing. The only way I can fix it is to re-plug in the monitor. That means losing all the calibration settings..which means having to deal with that darned remote again..not my cup of tea. My Sony DVR's remote doesn't have the programming code for any Westinghouse product, so it's not like I can avoid using it, either. So, overall, yes, it's the best bang for your HD-destined buck, by far. I'm constantly impressed by this panel's clarity.

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Great TV for the price

Posted Apr 28, 2006 - This TV offers a lot for the price, and the picture quality is very, very good. I highly recommend people check this unit out if they are in the market for a full HDTV. The only complaint I have is that there is no built in tuner. Not having converted yet to digital cable/satellite (still on analogue), a tuner for analog signals would be nice. But given the awesome price point, and specs, I am not complaining. There are no dead pixels or backlight leakage and everything works great out of the box. Even analog cable looks very good on this TV, and DVDs look awesome, so highly recommend this TV.

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