Omar:
#westinghouse_w4207 This set came in on friday, and with Erik's help we set it up with a new 5.1 system. First thing is first, if you're going to go the HDTV route then you HAVE to accompany it with a decent sound system. When put together they both come to a total that is far more than the sum of their parts, so keep that in mind when buying a new TV plan for the total cost! That's why I went with this model so that my whole setup cost around $1300.
Now, at $800 and 42" you're not buying this TV to get the perfect picture. It IS an entry level model so keep that in mind. However, don't think you're getting a bad TV either. There are issues, but overall I am extremely happy with this set. Most of the features that are missing, aren't an issue for me so I'm glad I didn't have to pay extra money for technology that I was never going to use. Things like upconversion, Over the Air HDTV tuning, etc.
When I first turned on the set the colors were too "warm" and people's skin was too red, but after adjustment they looked fine. If anything the TV just highlights problems with the source which gets you stuck in this never ending game of looking for the "perfect source". Which makes me understand videophiles obsession with things like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. With the right source, the picture is sharp, clear, and looks beautiful. As a huge gamer I'm very happy that there are no ghosting/blur issues. Even with a super fast game like Call of Duty 4 the picture was always pristine.
The biggest issue picture quality wise is the black level performance. Even after setting the backlight to 0 and turning the brightness down, you'll never get a really dark blacks. I knew this beforehand from reading prior reviews. Maybe if I never read that I wouldn't know what to look for, so it could be a case of shooting myself in the foot! I pointed out the "gray" blacks to my friend, and he didn't know what I was talking about.
I watched the Punisher in HD, and it is a very dark movie, so the blacks, or lack thereof really stood out. Alongside the not dark enough blacks is lack of details in dark areas. When you have a harsh black scene you don't see the subtle parts of the picture it just looks like a big black shadow.
For me it's not that big of an issue, but other people might care. The average person won't care, while the discerning viewer will definitely care. If you put this set next to a high-end plasma you will notice the difference, just to be clear. Funny enough though, when playing Call of Duty 4 I could still find people hiding in the shadows, so it's not horrible like I may have made it seem.
I would also say that 42" is pretty darn big when you have it setup in your house. Especially the way I have it setup since it's in my bedroom with my chair only 6-7 feet away. I personally think that 42" is sweet spot when it comes to size. It's big, and definitely fills your vision, but it's not obscenely huge (though that's arguable).
Overall, very happy. I finally have my dream system and I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Just a kidney.
Dec 17, 07
