Westinghouse and Syntax LCD (1 Viewer)

[Kenny A]

Do any of you know much about these tv's? I was looking at the Samsung LNR268, but for the same money I can get a larger tv. Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.
Oh by the way this tv will used as a second tv. No gaming or pc use.
Thanks, Kenny

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I've had a 27" Westinghouse since last October. I'm using it in my bedroom and have used it for both HDTV (it was my first HD set, months before I upgraded my living room setup) and with a PC. I'm not a big gamer, but it was a perfectly good monitor. I have been very impressed with it - so much so that when its 32" big brother was on sale the week I bought my 56" JVC HD-ILA I bought it too, for use in my home office, where it will be used as both at TV and a PC monitor.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Ronn.W]

I've had a Westinghouse LTV-20v2 for almost a year now. It's a secondary TV and used mainly for movies and games. It's great. Very inexpensive. Before I bought it I did some research because it was way cheaper than any other LCD in the size range. Apparently the first Westinghouse LCDs were fairly bad, and they got a bad name. Any problems/complaints were cleared up in later models, supposedly. I haven't seen anything to complain about with the on I have, anyways.

What first attracted me to it was that in the store it looked a lot better than the Sharp Aquos, and then I noticed the price tag was almost 50% less than the Aquos.

 

[Alf S]

Lovin my 32" Westinghouse from BB...got it on sale this week for $999 and got a free DVD recorder.

 

[PeterTHX]

Get the Samsung.

Better BLACK (forget about anything near black with Westinghouse), which in turn improves the rest of the color spectrum, as well as contrast.

SDTV performance is better too, a weak spot in LCDs.

Plus Samsung is among the best LCD makers on the planet, not a generic "Made in China: bought the name of a defunct US company" like Westinghouse or Polaroid.

It's also a better long term investment.

 

[Ronn.W]

I think with a little research you'll find that's not quite the case. Westinghouse is now one of the innovators of LCD, and are one of the top 5 manufacturers of LCD in the US according to iSuppli. When they launched their LCD line in '03, they in fact did use generic screens; but after that initial line they have been designing and building their own technology.

 

[Kenny A]

Nobody mentioned the Syntax. Is this not a good unit? I also appreciate everybodys response so far.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

From the quick check I did it seems that the Westinghouse LCD business is still a part of Westinghouse (a venerable American company that makes everything from components for jet aircraft to electronics for nuclear submarines.) Westinghouse Digital Electronics has brought over a log of managment from its strategic partner CMO (Chi Mei Optoelectronics, one of the largest manufacturers of LCD panels in the world. Westinghouse has specialized in LCD, eschewing other technologies in part because this allows them to bring product to the market faster, and also keep prices down as they don't have to worry about competing with (and cannabilizing) their own DLP and plasma markets. Their electronics are very good (Faroudja makes the video processors.)

Any TV purchase is a matter of balancing cost and performance. Are the BLACK levels perfect on this set? No. They aren't on any LCD TV. But the fact is that unless you're watching in a perfectly dark room, you probably won't notice a problem. I use the set in my bedroom which is never 100% dark when I'm watching TV. So it works fine for me. Would a Samsung look better? Maybe. I'd have to see it in my house and spend some time with it. I'm not going to make absolute pronouncements about such things based on in-store displays or - worse - rumors I've heard about a company or product. I can tell you I'd be surprised if the picture quality difference was anywhere near the price differnce. I may or may not be willing to pay a 50% price premium for a 50% improvement in picture quality, but I'm certainly not willing to do so for 4% or 5% improvement.

Viewing angle is limited with the Westinghouse, as it is on most LCDs, but it works well for watching in bed, and on a desktop as a computer monitor.


I actually have a 26" Syntax that I bought last year as a gift. Through a series of annoying events I ended up stuck with the thing, still in the box, unable to return it because it was well past the return-by date. So I own one, but I've never seen it. (I'm now thinking of adding it as a second monitor in my home office for video editing and the like.)

Regards,

Joe

 

[Kenny A]

Thanks Joe. Which model westinghouse do you have?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I have both the Westinghouse LTV-27w2 27" set and the LTV-32w1 32" inch version, which is functionally identical, just bigger. They also make a 37" inch version of essentially the same set.

These are "HD-ready" sets, and require a set-top box for HD video. This hasn't really been a problem as I'm in a lousy OTA reception area and really need digital cable anyway. The 27" is in use in the bedroom with an HD-DVR supplied by my cable company. The 32" is still in the box, pending the completion of the rennovation of my home office.

My living room set is a true HDTV, which is nice because I can record two shows on the dual tuner HD-DVR and watch a third in HD - and also record 2 more shows on the other dual-tuner HD-DVR if I really want to, which is one reason why I didn't really think I needed the built-in HD tuner in the LCD sets.

Westinghouse has recently introduced updated versions of the 27" and 32" sets (not sure about the 37") and a new 42" set that all have built-in HD tuners and slightly redesigned cases. The new sets have both DVI and HDMI inputs, both HDCP compliant, according to their website. I use the component video input and standard RCA cables for audio on my set, which has only DVI. (I've also connected my laptop to the set via a VGA cable.)

All have bottom-mounted, fixed speakers. That makes them a good choice for tight spaces. All have removable bases and are wall-mountable. I'll probably wall mount the 32" in my home office when it is set up, so I can also use it to watch DVDs and TV while on the treadmill that I keep in there. The 27" is on an old TV stand, but the bedroom is also due for new carpet, paint and some furniture re-arranging, so that may end up wall-mounted, too.

All digital sets I've seen are weaker on SD sources than on HD ones, including my JVC HD-ILA. In part this is because the HD resolution maginfies flaws in the SD signal, but in part it is because digital processing and scaling of low-res material can introduce artifacts. The worse the source material, the worse the final result. I noticed on all of my sets that the SD stuff really looked bad on several of the preset video modes, and on the out-of-box default settings. Once I had done a basic calibration with Avia or Digital Video Essentials, the SD channels all looked much better. (Knocking down the sharpness control made the first and most obvious difference.)

Regards,

Joe

 

[PeterTHX]

Perfect vs poor is the question. MY experience with them both is that the Samsung's black, contrast, and color range is far superior to the WH.

Reliabilty is another issue. Needless to say the Samsungs have an excellent track record with their LCDs.

 

[Kenny A]

I noticed that the Westinghouse models LTV-27w2 and LTV-30w2 have response times of 16ms. The 32" models as well as the new 27" have a reponse time of 8ms. Is this a big issue? Right now I can get a Samsung LNR2668 for $949.00 plus tax locally. I know I can beat that price online. I think the Westinghouse LTV-32w1 is about $999 online and the new 27" (LTV-27w6) is about $899.00 and is has a built in hd tuner. Which would be the best buy out of the Samsung LNR2668 and the Westinghouse 32" and 27"w6?
One note. I will be wathching tv via dish network standanrd and local cable or OTA hd.
Thanks, Kenny

 

[Kenny A]

Anyone else? I am open for suggestions.
Thanks

 

[johnADA]

When I bought my first LCD TV, it was pretty much a test to see if one was worth it. I researched myself to death and picked a Syntax 26 inch HVE for both what I read and the deal I got. Paid $479 after rebate and havent looked back yet. A few months later after I couldn't take the CRT I had anymore in the living room I picked up another, but 37 inch Syntax.
Sony and Sharp can be debated to which is best, then IMO, the Samsung was just behind the 2 with Syntax VERY close behind. I got 2 LCD's for the price of 1 Samsung, then added a surround sound system and upconverting DVD player and was still less than the Sony and Sharp at one single 37 inch LCD. I'm happy and have had no issues!!

 

[Jason Merrick]

Kenny,

The response time is important if you watch lots of sports or want to use the TV for gaming. If yes to either, you'll probably want to stick with a set that has an 8ms response time.

Not mentioned in this thread is the Sceptre line of LCD's. They are available from Costco's website and several other sites. I have the 37" model which is a true 1920x1080 progressive. For $1500 (got mine with a $100 rebate & $100 discount from Costco) it can't be beat. As for the debate between models, you have to view the TV's you are considering and choose the one that looks best to you. I personally think Samsung is overpriced and have not been thrilled with the 27" EDTV I purchased a few years ago. Picture quality and geometry were sub-par, and the power supply to the unit went out after 6 months. They only have a 3 month warranty, so it cost me $120 to replace.

One big difference I've noticed between the major name brand TV's versus the "off-brand" sets is the software and user interface. With my Sceptre, I had to deal with a lot of quirky menus and "features", but in the end, was very satisfied with the quality of the picture I got for the price. I could have spent double that price and picked up a comparably sized/featured Mitsubishi 1080p set, and I'm sure it would have been more user-friendly and may have had a better feature set. It's a trade-off you have to decide if you're willing to make.

Consider making your purchase at Costco due to their return policy. This way you can audition the TV in your home with your own sources. If you buy online, they'll even refund shipping when you return to a store.

If you're interested in the Sceptre, check out the 80+ page thread on it over at AVS forum.

 

[Alf S]

You've waited almost a month...I thinks it time you just suck it up and go get something and not worry too much about opinions here...

Find a store with a good return policy and buy something..if you don't like it, just return it.

My Westinghouse 32" is almost a month+ old and working great...now if I can get some HD...just don't want to spend all the $$$$ for it via cable or DTV.
:frowning: