[goMac]

I've been doing some HDTV shopping and I think I'm about done looking. I have a few contenders but I'm still not sure which one I want to pick.

My requirements are:

• 1080p
• Cablecard or nothing at all (I could care less about a built in tuner)
• $2k or less
• Needs to do 1080p over DVI
• No rear projection

I'm intending for the display to be used for two computer simultaneously (a PC with an X700 and a Powerbook with a Radeon 9600) as it would be replacing my Sony 18" LCD. I'd also be running a Wii and an XBox 360 from it.

So far I've found:

Westinghouse LVM-37w3



This is my favorite so far. It has quite a few inputs, and it's cheap. Downsides is it has no tuner or cable card, I'd have to get a separate box to run this, and I'm not quite ready to go to Tivo. I have not seen this unit in person, so I'm not ready to plunk down the ~$1100 for it.

JVC LT-40FN97



I saw this one today and apparently Consumer Reports gave it the thumbs up. It has CableCard, picture is decent, but the menu system is just abysmal.

Mitsubishi LT37131



This seemed like a really nice set. Picture was good, has CableCard, and has the inputs. You can also remotely swivel it. However, I can't find any reviews of it online, and I can't find the contrast ratio. Anyone have this set? This is the high end of the price range that I am looking at.

Toshiba 42HL196



This is the biggest set I'm looking at. The menuing system is great, and it has CableCard. I'm not sure about the picture though. Maybe the store did not have it adjusted well, but the colors did not look as good (edit: Amazon says it has an 800:1 contrast ratio). I'm also reading that for some reason this TV does not actually accept 1080p input.

Really I'm just wondering if anyone has experience with some of these sets, specifically the Westinghouse and the Mitsubishi. I'm still not quite sure what to buy.

[tutelary]

I had a cable card and it dropped connection all the time. I'm waiting for newer units that might fix this issue. It was a pain in the ass having to reprogram it all the time.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by tutelary 

I had a cable card and it dropped connection all the time. I'm waiting for newer units that might fix this issue. It was a pain in the ass having to reprogram it all the time.

I've never actually used CableCard before and I wasn't aware this was a problem. I just want to make sure I can get cable channels in HD eventually.

Apparently the JVC does not accept 1080p input either. I guess it's pretty much between the Mitsubishi and the Westinghouse unless the other two have been fixed.

[Scifience]

Nobody who does home theater takes Westinghouse seriously. They make junk compared to the real manufacturers. There is a *reason* they cost so much less.

That Westinghouse you are looking at has a 1000:1 contrast ratio. That's pathetic!

If you like the Mitsubishi, take a look at the Sharp TVs. Mitsubishi uses their LCDs, so picture quality is similar but you might get a better menu system.

If you stretch your budget a bit higher than $2000, you can do a lot better:

SonyStyle.com | 40" BRAVIA™ XBR� LCD Flat Panel HDTV 7000:1 contrast, full 1080p, dual HDMI, etc.

Any of the Sharp AQUOS models are also excellent. But you're looking at closer to $3000, depending on who you buy from.

[MaxPower2k3]

Yeah, I'd take any contrast ratio ratings with a grain of salt... There's really no standard way to measure them that all companies follow, so you'll get wildly varying claims from different companies. I've never (ever ever) seen an LCD that rated anywhere near 7000:1 contrast, and note that, from Sony's own site, right after that 7000:1 claim:

Originally Posted by Sony website

Sony also measures their BRAVIA televisions with a more stringent method that measures the amount of black and white levels that can appear on the screen at the same time. This method yields a more real world measurement of 1300:1

So yes, a "top shelf" brand like Sony or Sharp will probably look a bit better. whether that bit of quality is worth the premium price is up to you. Westinghouse sets are a great value for what you're getting, and I wouldn't call a 1000:1 contrast ratio (as much as any of those ratings can be taken seriously) "pathetic". See one in a store. If it looks good to you and does what you need it to do, then that's the TV for you.

Are you anti-cable box? CableCARD seems to still be in its infancy with fairly limited adoption, and one person in this thread has already had issues with it. With a cable box, even if you end up losing an input on the TV to it, you can at least always swap it out for a different one if the technology changes or there's a problem.

Oh, and read AVSForum. Far more information than you ever wanted to know.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by MaxPower2k3 

So yes, a "top shelf" brand like Sony or Sharp will probably look a bit better. whether that bit of quality is worth the premium price is up to you. Westinghouse sets are a great value for what you're getting, and I wouldn't call a 1000:1 contrast ratio (as much as any of those ratings can be taken seriously) "pathetic". See one in a store. If it looks good to you and does what you need it to do, then that's the TV for you.

Are you anti-cable box? CableCARD seems to still be in its infancy with fairly limited adoption, and one person in this thread has already had issues with it. With a cable box, even if you end up losing an input on the TV to it, you can at least always swap it out for a different one if the technology changes or there's a problem.

Oh, and read AVSForum. Far more information than you ever wanted to know.

I've been trying to look at the Westinghouse, but I can't find anyone who has one in Seattle. The best I've seen so far is the 47" model running off a DVD player.

I've seen the Mitsubishi in person and it's a very nice set. I'm just trying to determine if it's really that much better than the Westinghouse.

I'm not anti cable box, obviously I'd need one for the Westinghouse. I simply don't care about built in tuners. Cable card would be a nice option so that I could have one remote, one box, and so on...

[MaxPower2k3]

This Best Buy has the Westinghouse in stock:

Seattle-northgate WA 330 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125

You could check if they have a display model.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by MaxPower2k3 

This Best Buy has the Westinghouse in stock:

Seattle-northgate WA 330 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125

You could check if they have a display model.

Are you sure? I called them, and they said they didn't... and according to the Best Buy Site:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....6&type=product

"Store Pickup: Not Available"

Are you sure it's not a different one?

[MaxPower2k3]

Westinghouse - 37" Flat-Panel LCD HDTV is available at the following stores:

Seattle-northgate WA 330 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125 Map & Directions
Silverdale WA 9551 Ridgetop Blvd Nw, Silverdale, WA 98383-8500 Map & Directions
Federal Way WA 31601 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003-5407 Map & Directions

Note that that is the cheaper w2 model, not the newer w3 model, which doesn't appear to be available in any store.

[goMac]

Ah, that set is actually from an entirely different series:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1134703181836

"Built-In HDTV Tuner: Add HD-capable antenna to receive over-the-air high-definition broadcasts, where available. Optional set-top box required for high-definition cable or satellite programming."

"1366 x 768 pixel resolution; accepts all major DTV signals, including 1080i, 720p and 480p, plus standard 480i"

It's actually a tv, opposed to the series I'm looking at which has no tuner, and it's not 1080p.

[MaxPower2k3]

Whoops, my mistake. I saw $1100 in your original post and the ~$1100 price on Best Buy and figured it was the same model.

How about this if you just want more info:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=655280

6,004 posts all about that model.


Edit: Sam's Club carries them, too, although it looks like the one in Seattle is out of stock. you could see if they have a display model though.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by MaxPower2k3 

Whoops, my mistake. I saw $1100 in your original post and the ~$1100 price on Best Buy and figured it was the same model.

How about this if you just want more info:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=655280

6,004 posts all about that model.


Edit: Sam's Club carries them, too, although it looks like the one in Seattle is out of stock. you could see if they have a display model though.

Yeah, the $1100 for the Westinghouse is online price. Best Buy charges a lot more for it, which is a shame, I got $100 in Best Buy gift cards for Christmas.

I was reading that thread except it was... long. In the beginning it was "This TV is kinda buggy!", and then the last page was more like "This TV is perfect!" So, I'm not sure what happened in between, maybe a few firmware updates.

[Teronzhul]

Cablecard is suck. Whatever you do, don't use that as a deciding criteria. Especially since all of the cable systems that are going to switched digital will make them useless.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Teronzhul 

Cablecard is suck. Whatever you do, don't use that as a deciding criteria. Especially since all of the cable systems that are going to switched digital will make them useless.

Ok, another thing I was looking at was TV guide support, but I'm assuming if CableCard isn't a factor I'm shouldn't care about TV Guide support. (I know TV Guide is no Tivo, but it's at least something.)

(To clarify again, I don't care if a TV has an ATSC tuner, I probably won't end up using it. CableCard was the only built in tuning method I could see myself using.)

Another model I just found is the Samsung LN-S4096D. It's got a dynamic contrast ratio.

Amazon.com: Samsung LNS4096D 40" 1080p LCD HDTV: Electronics

The only downside is I still really like the Westinghouse's number of DVI inputs.

[Jawbone54]

This isn't a viable option for the OP since it's not a 1080p set, but I have a Westinghouse LTV-32w6.



Perfect? No.

But it produces a VERY acceptable image, IMHO. I've run it with an XBox 360 at 720p, and it looked fantastic. Even better than some of the other "bigger name" HDTVs that I've seen that were the same size. Westinghouse might not carry the home theater crowd, but they still make good HDTVs for a typical consumer. I haven't seen their largest HDTVs, but I'm very pleased with mine.

[Dark Helmet]

OK no offense on this one but you picked some really strange stuff.

First most of not all current TV's have HDMI as believe it or not DVI is considered old and obsolete. You will still find monitors with DVI as HDMI hasn't caught up with computers yet.

Second if you are getting LCD you want either Panasonic, sharp or sony. The other stuff isn't that great.

As for the cable card... they are doing really poorly in the market. People hate them, most cable companies hate them and don't want to support them. They are also really buggy.

Just about every TV provider has their own set top boxes that they either sell you or give away free with subscription. You'll also want a PVR in no time so then you're gonna want your TV providers system anyway.

Also avoid Westinghouse and Samsung as westinghouse is cheap **** and samsung's quality is poor and they concentrate more on Plasmas. Think of it as buying a printer or scanner from a company like Canon who specializes in optics over a company like Lexmark which doesn't know jack about photo or opticals
As much as you'll hate to hear it the leader in quality for LCD's is Sony, heck even MS uses them in their Xbox 360 departments.

[lavar78]

I've heard plenty of good things about Samsung LCDs. The small one I have is wonderful.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

Second if you are getting LCD you want either Panasonic, sharp or sony. The other stuff isn't that great.

I haven't seen a Panasonic or a Sharp with enough inputs. I realize DVI is being pushed out by HDMI, but no LCD from those two manufacturers offers enough inputs. In since I'm going to be running two computers off the display. I'd need at least 3 HDMI, two for the computers, and one for whatever I add down the road (likely an XB360). The Westinghouse has two DVI and one HDMI, which fits my needs. I don't like using VGA with LCD displays. I did that for a while with my Sony 18" and it was sucky. Fortunately the Sony has Dual DVI ports so I upgraded to DVI. Much better quality. I can't imagine using VGA on a display that would be at least twice as big.

Sony is too expensive, and you can get the same quality a lot cheaper. The Mitsu would be an example of this. They've got nice stuff, but not nice enough compared to the other brands for me to justify another $500-$100. I'm saving money for school so I'm not willing to go much higher than $2000.

Maybe CES will bring something, but I doubt any of those manufacturers will have anything immediately available on the market.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by lavar78 

I've heard plenty of good things about Samsung LCDs. The small one I have is wonderful.

Actually Westinghouse is now owned by Samsung, so I'd assume they're pulling their panels from the same pool.

[Nodnarb]

Maybe I missed it somewhere in this thread, but what size are you looking for?

And what do you have against DLP (rear projection)?

It's funny this topic was in the lounge, because after literally doing months of research I FINALLY think we have decided on getting this tv:

Amazon.com: Samsung HL-S5687W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV: Electronics

For the price, it seems to be the PERFECT tv for my situation. As many others have said, a cable box is the way to go vs. a cable card. We are getting the TV, and then building a theatre around it...still kind of confused on which speakers/recievers/etc. to get, or even whether recievers and the like are necessary.

But check out Amazon, they seem to have the lowest prices anywhere I've seen on TVs.

[goMac]

The only TV I can find from Sharp that fits my needs is the LC-37D90U:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Sharp_LC_37D...-31789766.html

2 HDMI and one DVI, but only one set of component.

Panasonic doesn't seem to make LCD's anymore over 32", just Plasma, which means no 1080p.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

And what do you have against DLP (rear projection)?

Hanging it on a wall. Also, I don't like the viewing angles on DLP. Also I'll be moving in about 6 months. I don't want to have to move a bulky DLP set.

42" is my limit. Nothing bigger will fit on my wall.

[Visnaut]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

Also avoid Westinghouse and Samsung as westinghouse is cheap **** and samsung's quality is poor and they concentrate more on Plasmas. Think of it as buying a printer or scanner from a company like Canon who specializes in optics over a company like Lexmark which doesn't know jack about photo or opticals.

You're entitled to your opinion, but I've owned an LVM-42W2 (The Westinghouse 1080p screen one size above the one you're looking at, goMac) for six months now, and it is absolutely phenomenal. Gorgeous, sharp picture and dead simple to hook up my powerbook to it. High-def content really shines on this set. The only complaint I have about the set is the limited angular range that the remote sensor has. Other than that, no problems, not even the infamous lock-up issue that a few people complain about on the AVS forums, and I have one of the oldest firmware versions.

Westinghouse TVs may be cheaper than others on the market, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they're not quality sets. I admit, I was dubious at first since I had also never heard of Westinghouse before I started looking for high-def sets, but after doing my research and seeing the phenomenal connectivity and picture quality this set had, and for such a relatively low price compared to the big brand name sets without even half the features (or resolution), I was sold.

I agree with Dark Helmet's assertion though that CableCard and built-in tuners are hardly a necessity. Cable companies would rather you use their boxes anyway, and they almost always have many more features than are accessible through CableCard, especially if you want a PVR. Built-in digital tuners are only a necessity if you plan on going for OTA HD signals.

My suggestion is that you continue to do your research, goMac, and look at a set's features, not their brand. The components in these TVs are made by a handful of Chinese and Korean suppliers anyway, and in many cases, the same LCD screen will be inside TVs from various brands.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Visnaut 

You're entitled to your opinion, but I've owned an LVM-42W2 (The Westinghouse 1080p screen one size above the one you're looking at, goMac) for six months now, and it is absolutely phenomenal. Gorgeous, sharp picture and dead simple to hook up my powerbook to it. High-def content really shines on this set. The only complaint I have about the set is the limited angular range that the remote sensor has. Other than that, no problems, not even the infamous lock-up issue that a few people complain about on the AVS forums, and I have one of the oldest firmware versions.

Westinghouse TVs may be cheaper than others on the market, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they're not quality sets. I admit, I was dubious at first since I had also never heard of Westinghouse before I started looking for high-def sets, but after doing my research and seeing the phenomenal connectivity and picture quality this set had, and for such a relatively low price compared to the big brand name sets without even half the features (or resolution), I was sold.

I'm actually considering the 42" because online you can get it for about only $100 more than the 37". My only issue with it was I had heard there were quality control issues with it. Lockups, color banding, etc. But you haven't had problems with it.

The 42" also seems to be more widely available here, but I'd still probably order online. The prices can't be beat, and most places don't charge tax.

One question about the remote/menuing system. Does it rotate through the various inputs, or give you a list asking which input you want to use? My girlfriend's parents bought a Panasonic plasma, and I really liked how it listed out all the inputs and let you choose one in a menu. It's not a deal breaker if it doesn't, but it's just another nice thing with the number of inputs the Westinghouse has.

[Visnaut]

Originally Posted by goMac 

My only issue with it was I had heard there were quality control issues with it. Lockups, color banding, etc. But you haven't had problems with it.

Certainly not. I can't speak for others, nor do I deny that there could be a certain percentage of Westies with problems, but I certainly haven't encountered any.

I also have one of the oldest firmware versions, which is the one that was purported to be most problematic. So while some claim the newer firmware versions fix a variety of issues, problems aren't exactly pandemic of all older firmware versions. Chances are you'll get one of the newer firmware sets anyway.

Originally Posted by goMac 

One question about the remote/menuing system. Does it rotate through the various inputs, or give you a list asking which input you want to use? My girlfriend's parents bought a Panasonic plasma, and I really liked how it listed out all the inputs and let you choose one in a menu. It's not a deal breaker if it doesn't, but it's just another nice thing with the number of inputs the Westinghouse has.

There isn't an on-screen menu for choosing or naming your inputs, but the remote does have source up/down buttons, as well as dedicated buttons for each input type, such as YPbPr (component), dvi, vga, etc. In the case where there is more than one type of input (say the two component, or the dvi) the buttons cycle through each one, e.g. DVI 1, DVI 2. A picture of the remote can be found here, in a review of another Westinghouse set.

[zerostar]

What benefit will 1080p have on a 42" or smaller TV? Also how much 1080p is really ever broadcast? I haven't see any... its all 180i or 720p. If your talking HD/BR DVD that is a different story... Hmm... Ill have to check it out...

[goMac]

Originally Posted by zerostar 

What benefit will 1080p have on a 42" or smaller TV? Also how much 1080p is really ever broadcast? I haven't see any... its all 180i or 720p. If your talking HD/BR DVD that is a different story... Hmm... Ill have to check it out...

Resolution for using my computers on it.

[Visnaut]

Not to mention a certain amount of future-proofing. Just because it's not broadcast now, doesn't rule out that it will be in the near future.

Besides, you need a TV with a 1920x1080 resolution to watch 1080i programming in its full glory anyway, the progressive scan compatibility is icing on the cake, not to mention hooking up a computer as goMac mentioned.

As for noticing the difference between 720p or 1080i on a 42" set, I can certainly tell when a program I'm watching is 720p as opposed to 1080i. The small granular details like pores and film grain are distinctly more visible.

[Eug Wanker]

Sharp just announced their 2007 Aquos LCD TV line has 120 Hz 1080p support. Why does this matter?

Cuz it means that both 1080p60 (60 Hz x 2) and 1080p24 (24 Hz x 5) are fully supported without having to deal with all that 3:2 pulldown jazz.

However, I personally don't care about that stuff. 1080p is preferred, but 1080p60 is sufficient for my needs.

[Scifience]

Sharp to Plasma: I Crush You - Gizmodo

It appears that Sharp is set to launch some new LCDs, including a 42" model. All of them are supposedly going to have 3 HDMI inputs PLUS a DVI port for connecting a computer. Likely to be above the $2000 mark, though something you may want to look into nonetheless.

They are also claiming a 15000:1 contrast ratio.

[Paco500]

I am no expert and, quite frankly, don't understand a lot of the jargon, but I have a Sony Bravia 32" LCD in the States. I sold it when I came to the UK (no PAL support) and fully intended to get the same or updated model when I got here. Then I saw how unbelievably expensive the same TV is in the UK compared to the US (almost $500 more). So I went down market and got a 32" Samsung for a lot less money. I can say without hesitation that the picture looks better than the Sony did.

Don't knock Samsung.

[Eug Wanker]

15000:1 - That sounds like a dynamic contrast ratio.

I wish the manufacturers would simply be direct and give us the static dynamic contrast ratio, which is much more useful info. But even then, nobody measures the contrast ratio the same way.

[goMac]

Yeah, I'm curious what CES will bring.

I'm probably going to wait until pay day at the end of the month to give me a little more money to work with.

Today I tracked down the LVM-42w2 and the LVM-37w1 (an older model than the one I'm looking at). The LVM-42w2 looked very good. The black levels on it were nice. They had an 80's music video in 480i running on all the sets (can you think of anything worse to demo sets with?), but the Westinghouse looked the least sucky out of the bunch, so I'd assume it looks pretty good with better content. They had it for $1500

The LVM-37w1 displayed a decent image, but not as good as the 42". The blacks were noticeably worse, and the tv looked cheap. It was only $1000 but I'm staying away from that model.

No naming of inputs is disappointing. Maybe Westinghouse will announce something at CES.

[zerostar]

Originally Posted by Visnaut 

As for noticing the difference between 720p or 1080i on a 42" set, I can certainly tell when a program I'm watching is 720p as opposed to 1080i. The small granular details like pores and film grain are distinctly more visible.

Are you saying it is more detailed on 1080i vs 720p? Because I see the exact opposite... Then again my set is 720p so....

[awaspaas]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

And what do you have against DLP (rear projection)?

It's funny this topic was in the lounge, because after literally doing months of research I FINALLY think we have decided on getting this tv:

Amazon.com: Samsung HL-S5687W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV: Electronics

DLP, huh? Happy rainbows, buddy!

[Adam Betts]

Little off topic but I have to say Discovery HD channel alone is easily worth the cable monthly fee. So gorgeous, especially Planet Earth and Atlas in HD. Just wow. NFL Football in HD is not as major leap in quality as I thought it would be but it's still pretty good on my Bravia 46"

Now they just need to add A&E and History HD channels and I'll be one happy man.

[King Bob On The Cob]

Originally Posted by awaspaas 

DLP, huh? Happy rainbows, buddy!

They have DLPs out with 3 wheels so the rainbow effect would be a thing of the past....

[Jawbone54]

Here's hoping that SEDs are all that they're said to be.

[exca1ibur]

With a $16,000 price, does it really matter? SED is a long way, at that price, from even being a thought for 'normal' consumers.

[Jawbone54]

Of course it doesn't matter now, but in the future, when the prices drop, it certainly will.

[exca1ibur]

I agree, however they don't estimate that to happen until 2010, from what I've read. Anything can happen in between that time from the other guys as well.

They have this rumored LaserTV technology as well.

[cSurfr]

You should take a look at this Vizio. . . they have been getting pretty decent reviews from what I've read. No CableCard slot though.

Vizio Inc. - Products - GV47LF - 47" LCD HDTV

edit: doesn't have DVI either. . . .sorry

[Teronzhul]

Originally Posted by King Bob On The Cob 

They have DLPs out with 3 wheels so the rainbow effect would be a thing of the past....

Eh? I have heard of no such thing, nor can I imagine why it would be useful to have 3 wheels at all.

What are available are high end dlp projectors that use 3 independent DMDs, each displaying only a single color of RGB and thus negating the need for a colorwheel.

Samsung also currently has available a 56" DLP that uses a bank of 3 colored LEDs instead of a white lamp with colorwheel.

Mitsubishi is theoretically going to soon announce a similar technology using lasers.

Anyway, I own a Samsung DLP, and regardless of it being both a Samsung AND a DLP it kicks much posterior.

[Y3a]

I'm having a problem (just like MANY, MANY Sony Owners) with my Wega 55" rear projection LCD HD TV. After 13 months, the bulb needed to be replaced, along with the bulb power block ($500) and now 26 months after purchase, I need to replace the Light block ($1200). Sony is being a jerk about it, even though thousands of folks have this problems with all the '04 and early '05 Wega Rear Projection LCD's. They are playing games and they want a 3rd party service company to come to your house and 'make sure' for a couple of hundred bucks, before ordering the part and coming BACK LATER to swap the parts and it may or may NOT be a recall issue, so you have to take your chances. I think MY 55" TV will be on the curb, waiting for the trash truck if it keeps costing so much money.

My Sony DVD palyer has also decided to die after a little over 2 years of use (1-2 DVD's every weekend).

I'm beginning to think that "Sony" is Japanese for "Poorly made products which manufacturer won't stand behind."

[namannik]

Originally Posted by tutelary 

I had a cable card and it dropped connection all the time. I'm waiting for newer units that might fix this issue. It was a pain in the ass having to reprogram it all the time.

I have the same issue with the cable card dropping the connection a lot. It kind of sucks. Plus, you don't get the interactive program guide available from a standard cable box.

[goMac]

This TV announced today look pretty sweet:

http://www.hwhpr.com/pr/westinghouse.../TX_1080p.html

No CableCard though (Yeah yeah, I know, buggy).

[MaxPower2k3]

Screw that measley 15,000:1 contrast ratio Scifience was bragging about, get yourself a nice juicy 1,000,000:1 ratio panel instead.

[goMac]

Round 2!

Returning Champions:

Westinghouse LVM-37w3/LVM-42w2/TX-42F430S

The TX is described here:
http://www.hwhpr.com/pr/westinghouse.../TX_1080p.html

Mitsubishi LT37131

New Contenders:

Samsung LN-S4096D



I like the look of this unit, and the image quality. The only downside is the inputs. It doesn't have DVI. It DOES have 2 HDMI, except people are running into overscan difficulties when hooking up a PC. Apparently Samsung does have a firmware update available.

40" Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL-40XBR3/KDL-40XBR2



This unit got my attention because it's similar to the Samsung, but without the PC input difficulties.

The reason I'm including higher end units is because my budget is a little higher. I'm looking for higher quality in a tv in since I want it to last for a while. I know the Samsung and the Sony are going to better than the Westinghouse. For me it's only a question of how much better. The Samsung has 6000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (1000:1 actual), and the Westinghouse has 1000:1. I'm wondering how much better that dynamic contrast ratio will be.

[cjrivera]

My vote would be for the Sony XBR. Beautiful picture, and even though a little higher in price, easily worth it.

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by goMac 

Hanging it on a wall. Also, I don't like the viewing angles on DLP. Also I'll be moving in about 6 months. I don't want to have to move a bulky DLP set.

42" is my limit. Nothing bigger will fit on my wall.

DLP might be bulkier but they are the same weight, or even lighter, than a comparable LCD. It is the case for my Mitsubishi DLP.