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The HDTVs of CES 2009

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 20th 2009 at 2:00PM Featured Story


It's easy to see that a whole slew of new HDTVs were introduced to the world at CES, but actually keeping up with 'em is another thing entirely. In an effort to make sure you aren't duped into thinking that set you're about to buy is actually a CES '09-announced set, we've laid out the entire line of newcomers (ones that'll actually see store shelves -- we avoided the concepts to save you some grief) just past the break, complete with scheduled release dates and prices where applicable. Nah, you won't find any big screen OLEDs in there (maybe next year, kids), but there's plenty of Hz, pixels and inches to go around.

Continue reading The HDTVs of CES 2009

Westinghouse launches more HDTVs than we care to count at CES

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 8th 2009 at 12:00AM


No wonder we haven't seen a fresh TV from Westinghouse since July of last year -- it's been hoarding 'em up for a CES extravaganza. The company is dishing out no fewer than 14 new sets (yes, we caved and counted), so let's not waste any time here. The 120Hz collection consists of the 21.6-inch PT-22F380S, 37-inch TX-37F510Z, 42-inch TX-42F970Z / TX-42F450S, 46-inch VK-46F260S, 47-inch VK-47F140S and 55-inch TX-55F350Z, all of which look to boast 1080p panels, a decent array of ports and an ATSC / NTSC / Clear QAM TV tuner if you're lucky. The lower-res sets include the 18.5-inch PT-19H340S, 21.6-inch PT-22H340S, 26-inch SK-26H630S / SK-26H735S / SK-26H570D, 32-inch SK-32H635S / SK-32H820S / SK-32H570D and the 37-inch SK-37H730S. If any of those caught your eye (we know, it's a blur), feel free to hop past the break for the spec-by-spec breakdown.

Continue reading Westinghouse launches more HDTVs than we care to count at CES

Pulse~LINK's UWB-based CWave wireless HD tech gets DCP approval

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 1st 2008 at 6:38AM

Boy, that's a mouthful, is it not? Shortly after Motorola, Sony and a whole crew of others teamed up to support AMIMON's WHDI wireless standard, in limps Pulse~Link attempting to act like it still has a shot at gaining traction. The left-for-dead CWave wireless-for-HDMI platform -- which is based on UWB (ultra-wideband) -- just received certification by Digital Content Protection as an Approved Retransmission Technology. This, along with the FCC certification received in 2007, enables CWave to start shipping in commercial products. As expected, a couple CWave-equipped Westinghouse HDTVs are slated to hit stores this fall, but it remains to be seen if anything will actually be released to take advantage. Format wars never end pretty, do they?

Westinghouse's 40-inch VK-40F580D LCD HDTV / DVD combo gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 14th 2008 at 8:01AM


While we tend to view a built-in, non-upscaling DVD player as a bit of a waste, CNET reviewers felt otherwise. Westy's latest 40-incher, the VK-40F580D, recently hit the test bench at the aforementioned site, and while nothing seemed to drop jaws, the entire package appeared decent enough for the casual buyer. The relatively inexpensive sticker, deep blacks, accurate colors and satisfactory picture controls will likely be everything the HDTV novice is looking for, but those with loftier demands may be put off by the limited port selection (two HDMI, one component) and lackluster remote. All in all, it sounds like this one's not too bad for the price, but unless you're actually intending to pay a bit more for integrated DVD support, you could probably do better elsewhere.

Westinghouse's budget-priced TX-52F480S LCD HDTV gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 22nd 2008 at 4:02PM


Money's tight these days, we get that. But we also get that your aging CRT is in dire need of replacing, and Westinghouse's sub-$2,500 TX-52F480S looks mighty fine on paper for the price. Thankfully, the cats over at UltimateAVmag were able to secure the 52-inch LCD HDTV for a review, and it proved to be quite the value overall. Yeah, you'll have to deal with quirks like HDMI 1.2 ports and a complete lack of 120Hz processing, but color reproduction, black level, and shadow detail -- you know, the important stuff -- were all deemed "excellent." It is noted that this set won't blow away any higher priced units, but potentially more importantly, reviewers felt that those on a budget would be thoroughly pleased with what this unit brings to the table.

Westinghouse's 56-inch D56QX1 Quad HD display on sale for $50,000

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 21st 2008 at 6:17AM


Bargain alert! No need to liquidate every asset you own to bring home (wherever "home" would end up being) one of Sharp's 108-inch LCD HDTVs, as Westinghouse has just announced that its 56-inch D56QX1 Quad HD display will be on sale as of this month for half of that. Yeah, we've seen it (along with its 52-inch sibling) around forever, but we're thrilled to hear that a handful of affluent aficionados will finally have the pleasure of watching one in their 4,800 square foot den.

[Via TG Daily]

Green Plug starts small, signs on Westinghouse

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 14th 2008 at 11:46AM


Remember Green Plug? That universal connector we detailed last month which aims to replace wall warts and help Mother Earth out in the process? Turns out, said outfit has just landed its first real believer as Westinghouse committed to using the smart power technology. Even Darwin Chang, Westy's CTO, admitted that his firm "wasn't the largest, but somebody has to be the first." Chang is hoping that utilizing said tech will help it cut costs by eliminating the need to ship power adapters with its wares, but we'd say that's being pretty optimistic. Really, the only way that will go over well is if hordes of other firms jump on the (currently desolate) bandwagon in short order -- any takers?

[Via PCWorld]

Westinghouse releases slew of new 1080p and 720p HDTV LCDs

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 3rd 2008 at 4:43PM

Westinghouse HDTV
Westinghouse continues their habit of releasing well-spec'd but average-performing displays today with a slew of new LCD HDTVs. On the 1080p front, the TX Series comes in 42, 47, and 52-inch flavors along with the 40-inch VK-40F580D -- a 1080P DVD combo player that's (aside from the $1,099 price) ironically missing Blu-ray. The less-expensive 720p LCDs in the SK, PT, and W series come in anything from 16 to 32-inch screen sizes, the PT series being portable. So what's the big deal? The 1080p TX-52F480S 52-inch display retails at only $1,999 US, a tough number to beat in that spec range. Meanwhile, their respectably-sized 26-inch SK-26H730S is priced at just $599. So, hooray for affordable HDTV, and stuff.

Westinghouse's 16-inch PT-16H610S portable LCD reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 5:26PM


Surely you remember that peculiar PT-16H610S that Westinghouse slipped in during CES, right? Even if not, PCMag is out to help you refresh that memory with its latest review, which takes a good, hard look at the 16-inch "portable LCD." At first glance, reviewers praised the dual-hinged base, which enabled it to be hung under a cabinet, mounted on the wall or simply sat upright. It was also found to be exceptionally efficient when it came to sipping electricity. Outside of that, however, things got ugly -- literally. Both SD and HD sources revealed that image quality just wasn't this thing's forte. Then again, what else would you really expect from something likely designed to be glanced at while slaving away in the kitchen? Overall, it was deemed quite far "from being a stellar HDTV," but it was seen as "good enough to serve as a secondary set in situations where space and budget are limited."

Westinghouse VK-40F580D LCD embodies HD's divided state

by Steven Kim, posted May 25th 2008 at 6:29PM

Westinghouse VK-40F580D LCDIt's some strange times in HD-land, and all that strangeness is brought together in the Westinghouse VK-40F580D LCD. Things start off pretty good with a 40-inch, 1080p LCD with NTSC, ATSC, and clear QAM tuning. Our eyebrows arched when we saw that Westinghouse also builds a DVD player into mix. We know that Westinghouse had a price point to hit with this unit, so we're not disappointed to see Blu-ray left out. But the real stick in the eye is that the DVD player does not upscale. So here we have a 1080p display that is both helped (in convenience) and hurt (in performance) by its built-in player. This is exactly the sort of thing that will keep consumers confused and/or disappointed with their $1149 purchase. The word "separates" usually has a snooty connotation, but here's a case where we think it's easy and affordable enough for everyone.

Westinghouse boasts of easy LCD upgrades via online firmware updates

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 18th 2008 at 12:29AM


Folks overly concerned about their just-purchased LCD TV turning archaic before their next cable bill arrives will certainly appreciate Westinghouse Digital's latest effort. Apparently, the firm is trumpeting its initiative to deliver free firmware upgrades for HDTVs over the internet, which will enable owners to add such features as "picture viewers, audio enrichment and color advancements" to their current sets. All that's required of the end-user is the ability to login to a website, transfer a file to a USB flash drive and plug said drive into their Westy. Also of note, the firm is hoping to bring similar updates to its full line of LCD computer monitors and digital photo frames, but we're left to wonder what kind of extras the outfit will be doling out in the future.

Westinghouse's 13 new SK, TX, and VK series HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 7th 2008 at 12:00AM


We've seen firms let loose entire clans of HDTVs before, and apparently Westinghouse is aiming to be the next to direct you straight to overload. Without further ado, let's get to the VK Series. The 40-inch VK-40F530S sports a 1080p resolution, a pair of HDMI inputs and a 6.5-millisecond response time, while the 42-inch VK-42F130S / VK-42F240S shares the same resolution and response time while adding an NTSC / ATSC / Clear-QAM tuner. Rounding things up is the 47-inch VK-47F130S, which looks to sport the exactly same specs as the 42-inch siblings. For the rest of the gang, head on past the jump.

Continue reading Westinghouse's 13 new SK, TX, and VK series HDTVs

Westinghouse intros PT series portable HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 7th 2008 at 12:00AM


We're not exactly sure what constitutes a "portable LCD," but apparently, Westinghouse figures a 16- to 19-incher fits the bill. The new PT Series is curiously aimed as "consumers who are on the go," but realistically, we envision these bad boys sticking pretty close to the countertop. Getting us started is the 16-inch PT-16H120S, which features a 720p resolution, a "Super Thin Profile," 500:1 contrast ratio, eight-millisecond response time and a pretty standard assortment of ports. Interested in hearing more? Click on through, it's all there.

Continue reading Westinghouse intros PT series portable HDTVs

Westinghouse Digital Wireless HDMI HDTV to debut at CES

by Richard Lawler, posted Jan 3rd 2008 at 12:34PM

We didn't have to wait for CES to begin to find out the UWB camp's response to WirelessHD 1.0, Westinghouse and Pulse-Link plan to demo the first "fully-integrated" wireless HDTV Saturday. The Westinghouse Digital Wireless HDMI HDTV should hit the B2B digital signage marketplace in the second quarter, and could see release to consumers by the end of the year. If wired HDMI is just too complicated, Pulse-Link's CWave Wireless HDMI promises 40 foot range with no loss of quality. No word yet on exact price, or what kind of Monster accessories we can expect to enhance our wireless viewing experience, but this seems a lot more tangible than the Philips wireless HDTV technology vaporware from CES '07.

The public has spoken, voice recognition is the winner

by Steven Kim, posted Sep 26th 2007 at 11:47PM

HDTV Insights poll resultsThere's definitely a science to wording polls in order to bias an outcome. But an open-ended question can generate stranger results than a carefully crafted one. Case in point: Westinghouse's HDTV Insights Poll, which asked 1,200 consumers "If you could design a TV yourself, what would you add?" And the top answer was (drum roll, please)... voice recognition. Huh? We've got to wonder where the 1,200 respondents came from. Seriously, of the top responses listed, only "120Hz refresh rate" has anything to do with picture quality. All the other features, including voice recognition, are all about convenience. It's a real slap in the face for us HD die hards -- while we obsess over image quality and tech specs, everybody else is wishing for a smarter version of "The Clapper." We'll be taking up "voice recognition" as our battle cry for spreading the word on image quality.




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