Official Westinghouse TX Series ( TX-42F430S, TX-47F430S ) Owner's Thread [Text View] - Page 22

Carlp336

09-29-08, 12:30 PM

I purchased the TX-42F430S from Costco two days ago. (Yes, it is the TX-42F430S not the VK-42F240S) I've plugged in my ps3 via the HDMI port 1 (With an hdmi 1.3a from monoprice) and when I set the ps3 to display at 1080p, both the dashboard and games work fine. However, when I put in a blu-ray movie, it seems to die. If I get an image on the screen, the middle half is blinking, and you can't get past the main menu (It basically freezes, with no audio) other wise the screen is blank.

What would be causing this? Is it the PS3 or TV? I can use the composite and watch the blu-ray movies. (although it's 480i)

Does anyone know of any fixes?

sound like
hdcp handshake.

re-authenticate-
unplug hdmi.
unplug power from both (from wall)
plug hdmi in
connect power to both
turn on tv
turn on ps3

try that. mine did/does that everytime i unplug something or change the config. the fix solved it for me.

qurazyquisp

09-29-08, 06:34 PM

sound like
hdcp handshake.

re-authenticate-
unplug hdmi.
unplug power from both (from wall)
plug hdmi in
connect power to both
turn on tv
turn on ps3

try that. mine did/does that everytime i unplug something or change the config. the fix solved it for me.

It still doesn't work... hmm.

If I go into the TV menu while I'm attempting to watch a blu-ray movie, I also get a faded double of the menu beneath. I think it may be the TV.

Carsfanatic

09-29-08, 08:08 PM

It still doesn't work... hmm.

If I go into the TV menu while I'm attempting to watch a blu-ray movie, I also get a faded double of the menu beneath. I think it may be the TV.

The only way to tell for sure is if you plugged the PS3 into another TV using HDMI and see if it works if not then it's the PS3 if it does then of course it's the TV. If it is the TV and you are still in your store return time take the PS3 with you with a HDMI cable and make them un-box and plug it in for you before you even leave with it to make sure you get a correctly working TV.

geoffp1

09-30-08, 02:03 PM

IndplsGuy

09-30-08, 04:06 PM

OK, I put a new main board in my TX-47F430S. The TV now powers up and works fine....except......the color all looks like a photo negative (best description I can come up with anyway). It is so bad, I can nto adjust the settings enough to get rid of it. I know the main board has the new software but don't think my old one did. Does the software update also update the LCD controller? If so, I might have the old version in the LCD controller and the new in the main board which could explain the weird color. This happens on all inputs as well including OTA signals. It happened with 2 different main boards, so I know it is not the main board. Can I re-run the update if the new main board already has it? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

dewthestu

10-01-08, 11:28 PM

Carsfanatic

10-02-08, 01:02 PM

I have recently purchased a TX-47F430S and am experiencing the the 2 channel audio when there should be 5.1 issue as it has been explained in this thread. I have browsed this thread, but did not manage to catch whether or not this issue has been addressed/resolved in any of the firmware updates. I currently have the 1.3.0, and from most of what I've heard here, I don't want to update to the 1.6.3 as I'll lose everything 1080. Can someone please tell me if there's anything that's been done about the 5.1 audio issue. Thanks!

You are getting 2ch audio when you are watching over the air(OTA) content that you know is in 5.1 or you are getting it when watching something else that you have going into the Westy by HDMI or some other source? The only chance you have to get 5.1 from the TV itself is if you are watching OTA that broadcasts 5.1. Even then many broadcasts still send their broadcasts out and say they are 5.1 all the time even though usually only prime time shows are in 5.1. Of course too you have to be using the optical out of the TV also. I get all my OTA content from a HD Dish network box via HDMI that I feed through my receiver first so I don't have any idea if I would actually get 5.1 on the OTA from mine or not.

alexandertyler

10-02-08, 04:16 PM

When switching from OTA TV to an HDMI input like my PS3 or DVI to HDMI PC Connection, does anyone notice the screen jitters or shakes? I am running the TX-42f430s.

I think some people had this problem, and would like to know if I should let Westinghouse know.

This problem has been ongoing for certain iterations of the TX series. My PS3 does it but not as badly as it once did -- do all of the firmware updates for your PS3 as well as the TV and it should help. The reason I do not complain about it is that my PS3 does not do the shakes with Blu-Ray movies and that is what I use my PS3 predominantly for. Also, it only does this at the 1080p resolution on the XMB and 1080p games ... and NOT 1080p movies. 1080i and 720p are both fine.

Now, if my 360 had this problem, I would have taken the set back as I do play a lot of games on it.

Good luck in getting Westinghouse to fix this problem.

Later,

Alex

chrism778

10-02-08, 11:20 PM

The skin tones on faces seem a little "solarized". It's especially noticable in Hi-Def. Is this an issue with my firmware, or should I return this LCD for a replacement?

Carsfanatic

10-03-08, 09:11 AM

The skin tones on faces seem a little "solarized". It's especially noticable in Hi-Def. Is this an issue with my firmware, or should I return this LCD for a replacement?

Is this on all content? What's the source and how do you put it to the TV HDMI, Component, VGA? If you put the same source content to another TV or monitor do you get the same thing?

It could be a lot of things including cables or how well you are receiving your signal if its OTA content or could be the source or of course the TV but hard to tell without some more information.

chrism778

10-03-08, 08:45 PM

I think it was caused by having the screen in "Enhanced" mode. I was playing around with all the settings except that mode. I changed it to "User" and it seems the problem has gone away for the most part. My connection between my Verizon HD DVR and screen is HDMI.

dewthestu

10-03-08, 09:57 PM

You are getting 2ch audio when you are watching over the air(OTA) content that you know is in 5.1 or you are getting it when watching something else that you have going into the Westy by HDMI or some other source?

Yes, I am getting the 2ch audio with OTA content that I believe should be 5.1.

The only chance you have to get 5.1 from the TV itself is if you are watching OTA that broadcasts 5.1. Even then many broadcasts still send their broadcasts out and say they are 5.1 all the time even though usually only prime time shows are in 5.1.

I don't really have the means to check to see if the channel is in fact truly 5.1 or not, but as many others here have claimed, this has been an issue with this set. A current example for me is CSI.

Of course too you have to be using the optical out of the TV also. I get all my OTA content from a HD Dish network box via HDMI that I feed through my receiver first so I don't have any idea if I would actually get 5.1 on the OTA from mine or not.

I am using the optical out of the TV set to my 5.1 receiver. Unfortunately, I do not have an HD Dish box/HDMI feed. I have regular cable that carries a few HD channels over QAM. I was really wondering if anybody knew of a fix/firmware update that fixed this issue without messing up my set. The confirmed issue I'm experiencing is number one at the beginning of this thread. Thanks for any advice!

v4npro

10-04-08, 11:40 AM

Well I followed the instructions on the firmware update, but encountered a problem. All I did was insert the usb flash stick, put the power cord back in, and when I go to power the TV, it doesn't turn on, it stays at the orange light. Now on my step brothers sharp tv, you had to confirm the update and since someone said there would be a status bar, I would think it would be the same for the westinghouse, so I took out the USB stick and unpluged the power.. I waited 10 minutes and plugged the power back in without the usb stick and still, tv won't turn on. Is this bricked? for doing nothing but sticking the usb stick in?

v4npro

10-04-08, 11:45 AM

I was able to finally get it to work. The update did not take place the way it was described.

I extracted the files to the thumb drive. I unplgged the tv, plugged in the tumb drive, pluged in the tv, hit the power button. Walked away, came back 15 minutes later to a blinking blue light. removed the thumb drive. rebooted the tv.

It is now functional.

I just know I am never going to do that again:eek:

You just hit the power button, did you see a status bar? or it just stays at a black screen with orange power light.

Edit:: i tried 1.10 - 1.30, if I do 1.10-1.20 would my tv work??

Also how long does it normally take after registrering your serial # to get access to firmware download??

ortofl

10-04-08, 03:35 PM

Hi guys, If this answer is in a very early post, I have not gone back that far yet. Recently (can return for another week) bought TX42F 430S in BB and are still checking it out. Picture is OK except don't like "fill" setting--too much overscan added to eliminate the small dancing bars at top/bottom.

I do have sound fed out to my amp through optical from OTA channels but NONE from my two DirecTV dvrs into two of the four HDMI inputs. Besides the god-awful slow switching time between the HDMIs, and not knowing which one it is until the "detecting" delay finishes, do I have a defective set?

Talked to Westie tech support today at 866-287-5555 and after doing a power down/reset it's still the same. Their conclusion is that the set has bad HDMI inputs and bring it back or start the service BS. No firmware updates available for this set (Built 10/25/07, software 5112_1.3.0)

Is this a bad set or did the tech not know how to switch on the optical out?

Steelerfans

10-05-08, 10:26 PM

For the ones that get an invalid error for firmware, make sure you check your serial# again. I found that I had a letter J in instead of a number 1.

When you plugin your USB thumb drive and then your power, you will see a orange lit for 30sec. then it will flash purple for about 3mins. After that it will go blue. Only then you should power cycle the TV.

I recommend you write down your setting because it will default your TV back to factory.

Current firmware: 5112_1.6.3 created 5/2008

As far as the digital audio out I can't tell you because I have all my components going directly to my Yamaha receiver via digital.

Hope this helps!

v4npro

10-06-08, 01:03 PM

Well looks like I have to take my TV to a service place since it won't come out of standby, and strange, when I had to power cycle my TV to get picture when using HDMI, the person on the phone said there no firmware for my TV(i.e. through serial #), which don't make sense since that problem can get fixed by it. However not coming out of standby is different so needs to get replaced/repaired.

Thats awsome, Westinghouse gave me a phone # for the only service places thats near by(another state) and they said they don't service westinghouse no more. So thats great gotta pay shipping to send it probably in California for their TV problem.

Steelerfans

10-06-08, 08:52 PM

Joelpk

10-07-08, 11:22 AM

I need to buy a new TV and saw this at Costco last night. They were showing something from a DVD and it look great, to my not very critical eye.

All I want to do is watch TV via Comcast. The price was $200 less that a Vizio VO42LF that I was about to buy.

So, any advice would be appreciated.

Carsfanatic

10-07-08, 06:36 PM

I did confirm what someone mentioned earlier in this forum about handshake when playing Blu-ray movies. With my recent firmware (5112_1.6.3) it does well everything except when playing movies in 1080p. I had to revert back to my old firmware (5112_1.3.0) and now it's back to normal.

I don't know what the new firmware is for, but it just made it worst for my TV.

I also verified the digital audio out as well. My digital out only codes for internal tuner. None of my inputs (HDMIs, components or A/Vs) play thru the digital audio out.

Your the 3rd or 4th person to report the 1080 problem with the 1.6.3 firmware 1.3.0 seems to be the most stable thus far.

I only now wish they would fix the 5.1 audio with the OTA stations because after testing it out the OTA tuner in the TV seems to be better than the one in my DishNetwork HD box I have.

blackjer

10-07-08, 07:45 PM

I lost my cable box for a while so i hooked up the coax to my TV.

I cannot get any sound. Does this TV not support audio through the TV input or am i missing something?

Thanks

Carsfanatic

10-07-08, 08:38 PM

I lost my cable box for a while so i hooked up the coax to my TV.

I cannot get any sound. Does this TV not support audio through the TV input or am i missing something?

Thanks

Your not getting sound from the TV speakers? Or you are not getting sound from something else? If your watching either OTA or cable using your coax and you want audio from the TV speakers make sure in the Audio menu under Speaker you either have Mixed or Internal for your choice if you ONLY use the analog RCA out or the digital optical out then you could use just External but then of course you won't ever get sound from your TV speakers.

blackjer

10-07-08, 08:46 PM

Yes, i cannot get any sound out of the TV through the coax input.

I tried both mixed and internal and i get no audio.

Carsfanatic

10-08-08, 11:42 AM

Yes, i cannot get any sound out of the TV through the coax input.

I tried both mixed and internal and i get no audio.

Have you tried other inputs and you get audio from them or no? If you get no audio from any input then it would be a TV issue. If you get audio from all other inputs other than coax then it could be a TV issue or your cable service has some issue.

blackjer

10-09-08, 12:07 PM

Have you tried other inputs and you get audio from them or no? If you get no audio from any input then it would be a TV issue. If you get audio from all other inputs other than coax then it could be a TV issue or your cable service has some issue.

I get audio through HDMI digital. Also get it with HDMI and analog audio setup.

blackjer

10-09-08, 12:09 PM

ortofl

10-09-08, 12:38 PM

Hi stating problem again in case my earlier post was unclear. With my TX42F430S I get OTA broadcast sound fed through optical out to my amp but nothing through any of the HDMI inputs from my DirecTV DVRs. Also do get sound from a DVD player connected to RGB and its L/R analog sound inputs. Have called Westy tech support twice and after some internal consulting waiting was told that my set has defective HDMI inputs and to return. Did not get a definitive opinion that for sure HDMI should feed through. Does anybody know for sure? Should it be 5.1 surround, plain stereo or none from an HDMI source?
I only have two more days to return set to BB and get my money back.

Smitty2k1

10-09-08, 01:32 PM

Anyone else having troubles using this tv as a PC monitor?

When i have it hooked up, it works fine during the boot process. As soon as windows goes to load, the TV loses its input signal and goes blank.

The PC works fine when hooked up to my westinghouse 22" monitor.

I tried turning auto source off, and nothing changed.

Is there a setting or something i am missing?

I have the ATI radeon 2600 XT video card.

What input are you using? I'm guessing HDMI. Try using VGA, I used it for a long time because it worked more reliably than HDMI. The picture quality is pretty indistinguishable.

denjing

10-09-08, 04:27 PM

If youre having issue with HDMI input sometime you loose signal, here's the trick:

Press and hold HDMI button in your remote control for more than 5 seconds (point near IR sensor of the TV) and it will show up.

Mine is hook-up thru my HTPC (HP Slimline s3500t) via HDMI to HDMI cable with only 2 channel audio capable. I seldom encounter this problem especially when the computer wakes up from sleep mode.

Hope this helps!

TX-47f430s
Sep07_2007 build
fw 5121_1.2.0

blackjer

10-09-08, 05:05 PM

What input are you using? I'm guessing HDMI. Try using VGA, I used it for a long time because it worked more reliably than HDMI. The picture quality is pretty indistinguishable.

I am using the VGA input.

My video card also has an adapter so i can use the Y Pb Pr but it does the same thing.

Im also going to assume you guys are using 1920 x 1080 resolution as well?

blackjer

10-09-08, 05:57 PM

Well, i have it hooked up through an HDMI input right now and it is working.

The only issue is that when i set the display to 1920 x 1080 it does not fill the entire screen.

Do i need to use the fill mode for the TV or something?

Alecness

10-09-08, 11:45 PM

Still having trouble with getting the Samsung ht-x70 HTIB to display on a TX-42f430s via hdmi. Wondering if anyone has ever found a solution to make these damned things upconvert. I've been only able to use component cables which cannot display the upconverted movies. the hdmi passthrough from my SA cable box works fine but whenever i want to watch a dvd i need to disconnect the hdmi cable out and use the component cables on the ht-x70. been on the phone with both westinghouse and samsung and they are both no help, only blaming the other brand. tried many cables and powering off devices and unplugging for a long time. I'm on the 1.3.0 firmware by the way. please post here or e-mail me at ness101@gmail.com if you have any ideas for a solution.

Yoyboy

10-10-08, 03:54 AM

I just bought this tv and have some questions for other owners about the issues with the PS3. Reading through this thread, it appears that I'm having issues with the PS3 that other owners have. When connected via HDMI at 1080p the screen has "jitters" or "shakes" as well as a flickering little white or blue line at the bottom of the screen. This only occurs in the dashboard and 1080p games/upconverting ps2 games. It does not happen during blu-ray playback (thank goodness). I have found that I can get rid of them by holding down the power button for 10 seconds to do the tv "reset" while my PS3 is connected. Do any of you know what causes this? Is there something wrong with my hdmi ports? How common is this problem? If there is a problem with the hdmi ports or if this is relatively rare issue, I'm going to get it exchanged.

edit: Reading other posts more carefully and playing around with things, it apears the jittering only happens when switching from OTA digital broadcasts over to hdmi. What a wierd problem.

AdDiCtEdZ

10-13-08, 02:15 AM

A couple questions:
1. Is the best tv for money?
2. Will this work on my 360 has HDMI?
3. PC has a EVGA 8800GT will that work?

My friend has a 42" Westy only 720p and i have seen a 42 Sammy. Really no difference - a tad brighter is all. Well he told me I should get a 1080p westy. He referred me the TX42. So I parted with my 5 yr old Mitsubishi 65" Medalion Series Widescreen Rear Projection ( been absolutely AWESOME TV (NEVER HAD A PROBLEM) yesterday - I got 700.00 for it. Well previously someone on Craigslist had one of the TX42 for 500 only 2 months old. Never out of the box. I was just about to leave and I decided to call him.(2 hour drive) He told he changed his mind. This is the funny part he thinks he is gonna get 950.00 for it. I told him if he calls me back i am only paying 400 for his trouble he caused me. Because I had to call a friend who lives about 1 1/2 away and he was 5 mins from my house. So i had to pay for his gas OUCH!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRR I am still angry. I came across this forum and read almost every page on this LCD. I am so nervous because I am disabled and this is ALOT of money for me. I usually make good choices.

I read that the TX42 is being sold at Costco. 699.99 + 29.99 shipping

I am thinking of going through them. Or buying a LG42" I am so nervous about this. LG =zenith(YUCK)
I am sorry for asking the same questions. That all have asked. I dont need anymore problems. Hitting an oak tree at 100+mph was a big mistake. Dont ever make that one...

Any input would be much appreciated.

note: I spend most of my life at home on my 360 and PC and watching movies. After this purchase I really would like a Blue-ray player

thanks
Troy

n19htmare

10-13-08, 03:52 AM

Carsfanatic

10-13-08, 12:58 PM

Hey guys

picked up a TX-42F430S from costco earlier today and I am trying to hook it up via HDMI to my computer (ATI HD-4850).

Image comes up fine on the tv but it goes in and out. Screen goes blank for a second and then it it comes back but it keeps doing this. My computer monitor is fine.

I have the latest firmware 5112_1.6.3

What gives? Any solutions?

The problem is most likely your firmware the 1.6.3 has reported problems when you run any 1080 source to it. Try to change your computer resolution to something that isn't 1080 and see if that works. If that does fix it I would be sure to find the link of the 1.3.0 firmware from this forum and try that.

junebug1701

10-13-08, 06:58 PM

Hey guys

picked up a TX-42F430S from costco earlier today and I am trying to hook it up via HDMI to my computer (ATI HD-4850).

Image comes up fine on the tv but it goes in and out. Screen goes blank for a second and then it it comes back but it keeps doing this. My computer monitor is fine.

I have the latest firmware 5112_1.6.3

What gives? Any solutions?

I've been running my PVR machine through my TX-42F430S for almost a year now at 1080P. The video card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6200 AX with a DVI-HDMI cable. My firmware is 1.3.0, and I have no intention of upgrading to 1.6.3, since it's working so beautifully.

James

n19htmare

10-14-08, 12:28 PM

downgraded to firmware 1.3

Low and behold, It works at 1080P with HDMI now.

Weird why it would screwup with 1.6.3...... that sounds like a downgrade, not an upgrade.

Martez

10-15-08, 03:51 AM

A couple questions:
1. Is the best tv for money?
2. Will this work on my 360 has HDMI?
3. PC has a EVGA 8800GT will that work?

1. Probably. My only problem is the black levels are not fantastic, but for everything else I'm getting for the money (size, resolution, inputs), I don't think it can be beat. I don't keep track of other TVs much, though; always do research to make sure it's the best deal. Be sure to get a warranty in case you get a bad set; it seems like there are various things people encounter with this set; I've been lucky so far.

2. Yes.

3. Don't see why not.

blackjer

10-17-08, 11:20 PM

Antiuniverse

10-17-08, 11:36 PM

Using the HDMI input for my PC, with my resoultion set to 1920 x 1080 the image does not take up the full space of the tv. It leaves about a 1.5" space around all 4 sides.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
If I had to guess, it sounds like maybe your video card/drivers assume your TV is going to overscan and try to protect you from it. You might want to look for a setting in the nVidia Control Panel/Catalyst Control Center/whatever it is you have.

NB: this almost certainly isn't relevant if you're using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the behavior on the newer video cards that actually have HDMI ports built in. 1:1 pixel mapping on TVs is the exception rather than the rule.

Smitty2k1

10-18-08, 03:22 AM

Using the HDMI input for my PC, with my resoultion set to 1920 x 1080 the image does not take up the full space of the tv. It leaves about a 1.5" space around all 4 sides.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

You are probably using an ATI video card. Go into the catalyst control center (the ATI drivers) and find the option to change underscan. Set underscan to 0% using the slider in the drivers. I had the same problem on my setup. I think by default it is at 10% underscan.

junebug1701

10-18-08, 10:22 AM

I have had the TX-42F430S for almost a year and it has been excellent. No major problems and it has done everything I have asked of it. I noticed on the WDE site that I can get an extended service plan for another 2 years for $59.99. This sounds very reasonable to me, especially since the end of the 1 year warranty is coming up. What does everyone here think?

Thanks,
James

blackjer

10-18-08, 01:13 PM

If I had to guess, it sounds like maybe your video card/drivers assume your TV is going to overscan and try to protect you from it. You might want to look for a setting in the nVidia Control Panel/Catalyst Control Center/whatever it is you have.

NB: this almost certainly isn't relevant if you're using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the behavior on the newer video cards that actually have HDMI ports built in. 1:1 pixel mapping on TVs is the exception rather than the rule.

I have an ATI card. It has DVI outputs so im using a DVI to HDMI cable.

Thank you.

blackjer

10-18-08, 01:13 PM

blackjer

10-18-08, 01:14 PM

You are probably using an ATI video card. Go into the catalyst control center (the ATI drivers) and find the option to change underscan. Set underscan to 0% using the slider in the drivers. I had the same problem on my setup. I think by default it is at 10% underscan.

Thank you. Im going to try this now.

Is everyone elses desktop icons and text on websites a little fuzzy?

blackjer

10-18-08, 01:23 PM

fastpakr

10-21-08, 09:01 AM

A few weeks ago I updated the firmware on my 42" to 1.6.3. It immediately eliminated the jitter that I was seeing in various PS3 screens (white streak along the bottom of the TV every couple of seconds along with some shaking). Unfortunately, it broke 1080P Blu-Ray playback so it had to go. I'm now back at 1.3 with working BD movies, but stuck with the jittering and lightning bolts.

Is there any hope?

Alternatively, what res is it dropping it to at 1.6.3 with 1080P disabled? Am I seeing a significant loss?

Buckk Dich

10-22-08, 04:50 PM

I have the 42" connected from DVI to HDMI.

The sound doesn't work through the mini-jack.

How can I fix this? I have tried the analog option in the menu.

alexandertyler

10-22-08, 11:15 PM

I have the 42" connected from DVI to HDMI.

The sound doesn't work through the mini-jack.

How can I fix this? I have tried the analog option in the menu.

Check the output of your source.

-- Alex

alexandertyler

10-22-08, 11:16 PM

fastpakr

10-23-08, 03:52 PM

Same issue as reported by a number of other people on here, where I had to disable 1080P 24Hz playback in the PS3 options in order to see a BluRay movie.

kschimke

10-23-08, 07:43 PM

Want component or peripheral do I need to buy so I can plug my speaker set that has 6 channels in to this TV? Currently, I can only do 2 channel audio and the quality is awful, but if I use 2 of the 6 plugs from the 6 channel audio is the quality is greatly improved, but I can only use 2 speakers. So what do I need to purchase to address this issue?

Thanks.

CGriffiths86

10-24-08, 12:42 AM

I recently got a TX-42F430S with the 1.4.2 firmware. The latest firmware it shows for me on the Westinghouse site is 1.4.2.Is this the best firmware for my set? I hear many of you recommend the 1.3.0. Is it worth it? Any help/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

FrostyMelon

10-28-08, 06:31 PM

...I upgraded my receiver to get 'lossless' audio, now the damn westy is acting up. It will not work with the PS3 over HDMI. So, trying to flash but no-go (using sandisk)...any other ideas to get new(er) firmware on my TV?

Do I need to unpack the .tz file, or just move that complete to the thumb drive?

*It is the TX-42 model.

**Anyone else get a page not found message at Westy site when trying to get new firmware? It looks like it's 1.4.2? Anyone have this firmware for the TX-42 and can provide a link so I can d/l?

FrostyMelon

10-29-08, 05:01 PM

Well, nothing but 404 messages at Westy site. Does anyone have latest firmware for the TX-42?

BENZONATE

11-02-08, 01:59 AM

Thank you. Im going to try this now.

Is everyone elses desktop icons and text on websites a little fuzzy?

Hey blackjer,

That is one of the reasons I returned my TX for the previous LVM-47w1. DVI produces brilliant 1:1 pixel mapping. HDMI had it's issues...firmware may have corrected it. DVI not available on the TX was a deal breaker. You may look at your ATI settings / Desktop settings for your video card driver configuration. You might find a solution there. VGA also gave me the same 'blurry' issues on the TX.

Look at my sig below. There are comparisons between the two units (TX vs LVM-47w1). Also, in the first post on this thread. Hope you find a solution

~b3nz0n8

BENZONATE

11-02-08, 03:02 AM

By the way...

Chi Mei ... the maker of the Westinghouse Panels (LVM-47w1 & TX Series as well as many other well known manufacturers) ... took a $125 million kick in the pants. It's going to be an interesting ride....

~b3nz0n8

cvj

11-04-08, 03:12 PM

Has anyone been able to get the Samsung BluRay BD-P1500 remote to work with the TX-42F430S display.

The Samsung manual has a list of codes for various manufacturer's displays, but none for the Westinghouse.

Anyone?:confused:

junebug1701

11-04-08, 05:06 PM

cvj

11-04-08, 06:27 PM

I read somewhere that the Westy uses Sony codes, so try them.

James
Thanks - TVPower +35 works!

v4npro

11-05-08, 11:33 AM

diesel_powered

11-05-08, 10:13 PM

I read somewhere that the Westy uses Sony codes, so try them.

James

I can use my Westy remote to control most of the functions on an older Sony set I own!

cheerful

11-05-08, 11:58 PM

That sounds more like an issue of your PC/Video card/Driver than any handshake issue. Once I set my PC to a resolution it stays there no matter if I change inputs then back again or turn it off and then on again or anything. I have had issues in the past with some bad drivers that caused similar issues to what you describe but none this year.

I tried the same PC with a different TV, the resolution is kept no matter what. In fact, the same exact PC worked fine with my original 42". Only the replacement has problem. Upon reboot, the resolution is correct as 1920x1080. The problem is when PC resume from hibernation and TV is off. Once TV is turned on, it will become 1024x768 with panning. The display properties on the PC still shows 1920x1080. To restore it, I had to choose a different resolution, apply and then choose 1920x1080 again.

cheerful

11-06-08, 12:01 AM

42" with firmware 1.3.0

In power setting, when it shows e-saver, it actually runs as normal; and vice versa. Anyone seen the same?

The support team told me update my firmware. But when I try to validate serial No., I got "Sorry, those numbers do not match our records. Please call Customer Support for assistance." Someone here said that means there is no update. Is that so?

Thanks!

diesel_powered

11-06-08, 03:40 AM

cvj

11-06-08, 02:15 PM

I've been able to get to the download site by plugging in my serial and it looks like they updated the firmware to 1.4.2. When I try to download, I get a 404 just like everyone else. Has anyone managed to upgrade to 1.4.2? Could they have pulled the update due to some of the issues people have been having?

(Any enterprising hackers out there want to rewrite a firmware update for us? ;) )

I registered my set yesterday - but I am still unable to "get into" the Firmware updates (getting the error message).

The display is a VK-42F240S.
"System Info" says:
"Build-on: 2007 Dec 10, Software Version: 5710_1.6.0"

Presume that means that I have firmware version 1.6.0.

Perhaps the problem is that the display (purchased from Costco) is a VK-42F240S - NOT a TX-42F240S.

On this page:

http://www.wde.com/vchip/

Westinghouse says "If your TV is one of the listed models below you can upgrade your TV via our online firmware download program".

It shows the TX-42F430S with serial nos. between 71700400-74900379 (last 8 digits)

There is no listing for the VK-42F430S. And the S/N of my display is 83202219 (last 8 digits).

Can anyone clarify an of this confusing stuff?

vjamalpur

11-07-08, 11:55 AM

I have a TX-42F430S that I bought from BestBuy in 08/2007.

The screen recently started developing shadows/burn-ins / watermark (don't know what to call them)

I have attached an image where we can see the vertical lines on the left of the screen. There are also shadows where the region would say "No Input Signal" and "HDMI 1"

Is my panel gone bad? Since my warranty expired can anyone suggest some cheap repair places?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Carsfanatic

11-07-08, 12:37 PM

vjamalpur

11-07-08, 02:28 PM

What firmware does your TV currently have?

System Info says::
Build-On:: 2007 June 26
Software Version :: 5112_1.3.0

I assume it's 1.3.0

I went to westinghouse website and entered my serial number and it said
"Sorry, those numbers do not match our records. Please call Customer Support for assistance."

I contacted the Customer Support and they said that it means that there are no firmware updates for my serial no.

thanks

EGOvoruhk

11-07-08, 03:46 PM

vjamalpur: I've got the same issue. I think it has to do with how the TV puts itself to sleep instead of fully turning off. If you actually unplug the unit, and plug it back in, the problem goes away

I'm also having the same problem with the website, which is odd, because I've gotten in to download firmware before

apackofmonkeys

11-07-08, 04:29 PM

Status on my RMA:

Shipped on the 10th October. Westinghouse received it on the 16th. Apparently it got logged in on the 22cd. On the 27th, It wasn't in processing yet, so a ticket got sent to the warehouse. 2 Days later, still wasn't in processing. Next week, it's in processing & to this day. Now, I had to ship the TV to California from the East Coast.. shipping cost $130. I heard they switched warehouses from Cali. to Texas. I would of saved at least $70 in shipping to send it to Texas. I should get my money back from the shipping AND not only that, the TV was still under warranty.

Customer service, AWFUL they don't know anything.

Lesson learned, never buy a TV online.

I'm sorry for your experience, but I've learned not to buy a TV in-store. I'm at 3 months trying to get Best Buy to get me a replacement/store credit for the malfunctioning TV I bought 4 months ago, with the extended warranty. I originally called Best Buy on August 3rd, then they sent a tech out a couple days later. He couldn't fix it, and said that he'd order a part, but if the part didn't come in after a while, I'd just get a replacement TV. I've got 5 calls so far where I "should get a call in 5-7 business days with the replacement code" then never get called. Once I call back, they'll say "oh for some reason nothing's been done with your case since last time" then they'll start the process over. Tomorrow I'm calling and informing them that I'm filing small claims court papers (not an empty threat; I really am) and see once last time if they change their tune before we go to court. One time, the girl even told me, "Oh my gosh, you're supposed to be able to get a replacement TV if the part hasn't arrived in two weeks. I'm so sorry." That was 2.5 months after the initial visit.
DO NOT BUY FROM BEST BUY

v4npro

11-07-08, 11:06 PM

I'm sorry for your experience, but I've learned not to buy a TV in-store. I'm at 3 months trying to get Best Buy to get me a replacement/store credit for the malfunctioning TV I bought 4 months ago, with the extended warranty. I originally called Best Buy on August 3rd, then they sent a tech out a couple days later. He couldn't fix it, and said that he'd order a part, but if the part didn't come in after a while, I'd just get a replacement TV. I've got 5 calls so far where I "should get a call in 5-7 business days with the replacement code" then never get called. Once I call back, they'll say "oh for some reason nothing's been done with your case since last time" then they'll start the process over. Tomorrow I'm calling and informing them that I'm filing small claims court papers (not an empty threat; I really am) and see once last time if they change their tune before we go to court. One time, the girl even told me, "Oh my gosh, you're supposed to be able to get a replacement TV if the part hasn't arrived in two weeks. I'm so sorry." That was 2.5 months after the initial visit.
DO NOT BUY FROM BEST BUY

Yes, its very frustrating. I'm not gonna get my TV for another 2 weeks.. so in all its gonna take 5 weeks to get it back when they said it suppose to take 5-10 business days.... It's really ridiculous. On Monday I'm going to call back and ask to a supervisor for the second time(first time they said they would call back but didn't)and try to get my shipping money back, but I highly doubt I will. So in the mean time, since there's no TV in my family room, gonna go to Walmart and buy a new one since I'm tired of waiting.

Carsfanatic

11-08-08, 02:16 PM

I can't guarantee these will work with all models these where provided for download with my specific model which is a 47"
version 5121. These are direct downloads from Westinghouse.

I currently use the 1.3.0 Firmware which has been the best one for me to date it seemed to take away all the "ghosting" "burn in" issues others report.
1.3.0 LINK (http://207.38.27.164/firmware/SW/SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026.rar)

I tried 1.6.3 firmware and had to revert back to the 1.3.0 because for me at least it made it so all 1080 sources flickered on and off and made it unusable for me since everything I use is 1080i or p except a few games.
1.6.3 LINK (http://207.38.27.164/firmware/SW/SusanII_v1.6.3.rar)

Below this is a direct copy/paste from Westinghouse for update instructions. If you have any further questions feel free to ask.

Firmware Update Instructions
USB Firmware Update Procedure

The purpose of updating the firmware on your Westinghouse TV is to enhance your TV viewing experience with added features or minor bug fixes or both.

You will need:
1. A Westinghouse TV or monitor with a USB service port.
2. A 64MB or larger USB thumb drive.
3. A computer with either Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system.

Step One: Format Your USB Thumb Drive

Your USB thumb drive must be formatted in FAT32 to be detected. Formatting it will overwrite all information stored on the drive, so be sure your files are backed up

1. Insert the USB thumb drive into your computer.
2. Right click on the Removable Disk icon.
3. From the menu, select Format.

4. Under File System, select FAT32.
5. Select Start to begin formatting.

6. Be sure all data on the thumb drive is backed up before you click OK.

Step Two: Download Your New Firmware

If you haven’t already done so, go to www.wde.com under the Support menu to download the latest firmware for your Westinghouse TV or monitor.

If you don’t already have Adobe Reader and/or WinRAR software on your computer, you can download them by clicking each icon from the right corner underneath the Download Firmware icon.

If you download Adobe Reader and/or WinRAR, run the application for installation into your Operating System.

Once it’s installed, click the Download Firmware icon from Westinghouse Support menu and save it to your system for transfer to the USB drive. Please insert the USB drive into your system.

Please follow these step-by-step instructions exactly. Extract (unzip) the WinRAR firmware file in your system by simply double clicking the downloaded file. Then click the Extract To icon and choose the destination path. Highlight the drive that you have designated as your USB drive, then click Enter. File will automatically transfer from the system to USB drive.

Please double check and make sure the firmware software is extracted (unzipped) in the USB drive.

Step Three: Install Your New Firmware onto Your TV

Remove the USB thumb drive from your computer and take it over to your Westinghouse TV.

1. With the power cord removed from the back of your Westinghouse TV, insert the USB thumb drive into the service port.

2. Plug the power cord into both the back of the TV and the wall outlet.

3. Press the Power/On button on the TV to begin your firmware update.

4. The status will be seen on your screen while the firmware is updating.
5. The Power LED indicator will turn to amber. After 30 seconds, it will begin to blink. After 3 minutes, it will turn blue.
6. Once the Power LED turns blue, your firmware upgrade is complete. Remove the USB flash drive.
7. Turn your TV off, then turn it back on to enjoy your new Westinghouse TV firmware.

Carsfanatic

11-08-08, 02:48 PM

cvj

11-08-08, 03:04 PM

I registered my set yesterday - but I am still unable to "get into" the Firmware updates (getting the error message).

The display is a VK-42F240S.
"System Info" says:
"Build-on: 2007 Dec 10, Software Version: 5710_1.6.0"

Presume that means that I have firmware version 1.6.0.

Perhaps the problem is that the display (purchased from Costco) is a VK-42F240S - NOT a TX-42F240S.

On this page:

http://www.wde.com/vchip/

Westinghouse says "If your TV is one of the listed models below you can upgrade your TV via our online firmware download program".

It shows the TX-42F430S with serial nos. between 71700400-74900379 (last 8 digits)

There is no listing for the VK-42F430S. And the S/N of my display is 83202219 (last 8 digits).

Can anyone clarify an of this confusing stuff?

Update 11/08

Just spoke with supervisor regarding the above. She told me that the VK-42F240S is the newest model/version of the TX-42F240S, and that there are not yet any firmware updates for it.

I wonder what hardware changes/improvements are involved between the VK and the TX displays?

Anybody know?

FrostyMelon

11-09-08, 08:16 PM

Seems Westhinghouse has screwed their servers up so will provide some links for download myself.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/23/2062163/SusanII_v1.6.3.rar

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/23/2062163/SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026.rar

Yeah, the Westy d/l site hasn't worked for weeks.

But, thanks cars. I grabbed 1.30...and may end up puckering my butt and seeing if the firmware will take on the TX-42.

Martez

11-10-08, 12:51 PM

I'm sorry for your experience, but I've learned not to buy a TV in-store. I'm at 3 months trying to get Best Buy to get me a replacement/store credit for the malfunctioning TV I bought 4 months ago, with the extended warranty. I originally called Best Buy on August 3rd, then they sent a tech out a couple days later. He couldn't fix it, and said that he'd order a part, but if the part didn't come in after a while, I'd just get a replacement TV. I've got 5 calls so far where I "should get a call in 5-7 business days with the replacement code" then never get called. Once I call back, they'll say "oh for some reason nothing's been done with your case since last time" then they'll start the process over. Tomorrow I'm calling and informing them that I'm filing small claims court papers (not an empty threat; I really am) and see once last time if they change their tune before we go to court. One time, the girl even told me, "Oh my gosh, you're supposed to be able to get a replacement TV if the part hasn't arrived in two weeks. I'm so sorry." That was 2.5 months after the initial visit.
DO NOT BUY FROM BEST BUY

Sorry to hear about your troubles, but isn't that a problem with your Best Buy, not necessarily every single store?

apackofmonkeys

11-10-08, 02:20 PM

Sorry to hear about your troubles, but isn't that a problem with your Best Buy, not necessarily every single store?

Since you have to call the central location for warranties, then yes, it's every single Best Buy.

vjamalpur

11-10-08, 10:12 PM

Carsfanatic

11-12-08, 08:03 AM

Since you have to call the central location for warranties, then yes, it's every single Best Buy.

Not really every single Best Buy. Not with this TV but a Sony I had in the past had a BB warranty and the call in number didn't want to do anything at all but when I took it back to the Best Buy that it was bought from they had no problem ordering me the same TV and exchanging it for me.

Sturmur

11-12-08, 05:10 PM

IRCRomeo

11-12-08, 11:18 PM

Carsfanatic

11-12-08, 11:31 PM

So I followed the instructions to the letter for updating the firmware, but ehrn I plug the cord back in I can't turn on the TV using the power button.

What am I doing wrong?

I have a TX-42 and am trying to update to 1.3.0

Cheers.

EDIT: I believe I used the wrong firmware, does anyone have the correct firmware for the TX-42 v1.3.0?

You can try to do the update again many people have posted that they tried it several times before getting it to work properly. You could also try a different USB some just don't work for whatever reason.

IRCRomeo

11-12-08, 11:42 PM

I bought my TV (TX-47F430S) late last year and about five months ago I noticed a strange issue... there were red lines on the left side of the screen, and any deep blacks would also pick up that red color. I figured it was a fluke since it disappeared the next day.

Now for the past two days, the lines are back, and worse. Here's the details so far:

1) Doesn't matter what mode I'm in (TV, HDMI, etc) red lines still appear on left side.
2) I've reset all TV settings and even tried a different power outlet.
3) I've turned options such as saturation all the way down to 0 and red lines still are visible.
4) If a show is in high def, the far left side of the TV has the lines. If the channel is standard def, the red lines appear on the left side of the 4:3 area.
5) Similar to 1, this happens with the TV, PS3, 360, etc.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/7683/redlinessg8.jpg

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I called Westinghouse and they have no idea, but I've read a few complaints about this online with no solid answer.

lowteckh

11-14-08, 03:38 AM

1st post. Wanted to share my experiences with this set after just receiving it (Onsale Refurb). I'm a primarily PC user and this set is used exclusively as a monitor (sorry, not interested in TV broadcasts and physical media :D).

The firmware that came with it was 162 - the laptop that I plugged into it before setting up the "real deal" was via VGA and was perfectly fine.

The trouble came when I had everything [nearly] set up and hooked up my PC via DVI adapter -> HDMI. Nothing would display! I plugged, unplugged, replugged the cable in every combination possible but no-go. The first thing I thought of was a defective unit (too late to regret; Onsale has a no-return policy) after reading about 100 pages of horror stories from this thread (yup, took 2-3 days..). So I downgraded to firmware 130 and WALA! It worked! I was so happy until...

Red banding and 1080p resolution not stretching issue. All the blacks in my videos had red banding (I think that's what it's called?) and the image would not fit the entire screen unless I "Filled" it. Dug up more posts and... SOLVED!

After going into Catalyst and adjusting the Under/Overscan to 0%, it solved both problems - No banding! I also set the refresh rate to 59Hz - any consequences for that? The default was 24Hz which made doing anything impossible. I'm also on Extended Display mode since I have a 22" monitor hooked up to it.

So far so good I suppose. Text isn't as clear as a real monitor but.. I'm not a videophile (or audiophile for that matter) so it doesn't bother me. Heck, even the red banding didn't bother me; wouldn't have known what it was if I didn't visit this place :D

Anyways, long term reliability remains in question. For now I guess I'm happy... until I read more horrid experiences in the rest of the 78 pages here.

alexandertyler

11-15-08, 09:20 AM

I bought my TV (TX-47F430S) late last year and about five months ago I noticed a strange issue... there were red lines on the left side of the screen, and any deep blacks would also pick up that red color. I figured it was a fluke since it disappeared the next day.

Now for the past two days, the lines are back, and worse. Here's the details so far:

1) Doesn't matter what mode I'm in (TV, HDMI, etc) red lines still appear on left side.
2) I've reset all TV settings and even tried a different power outlet.
3) I've turned options such as saturation all the way down to 0 and red lines still are visible.
4) If a show is in high def, the far left side of the TV has the lines. If the channel is standard def, the red lines appear on the left side of the 4:3 area.
5) Similar to 1, this happens with the TV, PS3, 360, etc.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I called Westinghouse and they have no idea, but I've read a few complaints about this online with no solid answer.

I've seen something similar in plasma televisions, usually a green shimmer in them. Looks like you have a bum panel and it needs to be replaced.

-- Alex

alexandertyler

11-15-08, 09:31 AM

I also am getting the 404 error. Maybe it is just a place holder as that firmware may not have actually been released yet.

I wonder if it really fixes anything.

-- Alex

Sturmur

11-15-08, 01:29 PM

I've called and emailed them about the firmware 404 and this is what I got back.

Hello Stefan,

Thank you for your inquiry.

We apologize for any inconvenience in waiting for our response.

The firmware download page is currently down and is being worked on.
Please try again soon, it should be back up and running before long.

If you have any further questions, you may contact us through email, or
by calling us toll-free at 1-866-287-5555, between 9am and 9pm Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Saturday. One of our technicians will
assist you.

-Matt, Westinghouse Digital Support Staff

FrostyMelon

11-15-08, 04:03 PM

I've called and emailed them about the firmware 404 and this is what I got back.

Same response from three weeks ago.

Sturmur

11-15-08, 07:11 PM

Same response from three weeks ago.

That is appalling.

dolgue

11-16-08, 02:36 AM

Hi everyone, I just thought you would like to know that the firmware version 1.3.0 that Carsfanatic posted SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026 works like a champ on my TX-42F430S that I just bought from Costco at the end of October. It came with v1.6.3 and was having the same flickering issues with 1080p signals through my pc and now it is working just fine. I wasn't able to download the firmware update from westinghouse either since when I registered my serial number and entered it into the firmware update link it kept giving me the same error, "Sorry, those numbers do not match our records. Please call Customer Support for assistance." I then called Westinghouse support and they said that error message only shows up when the model doesn't have an available update. So then I asked if I could get a copy of the version 1.3.0 firmware and he said he couldn't help me with that.

So that being the case I asked Carsfanatic if he could get me a copy of the SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026 he had posted a while back and I guess he finally reposted it as you have probably seen.

So then I decided to try it out.

1. I formated a 1gb thumb drive to fat32 unzipped the file above and copied the two files to the thumb drive.

2. I unplugged my tv and plugged in the thumb drive and then plugged in the power.

3. I then pushed the power button and the light turned amber and after 30 sec it started flashing a blue light constantly so I thought it was done and unplugged the power and disconnected the thumb drive and then tried to power it on, but it wouldn't come back on. So I decided to try it again and this time when the flashing blue light began I let it sit there longer and then finally after a few minutes it turned a solid blue light.

4. Once it was a solid blue light I unplugged the power, unplugged the thumb drive, waiting a few seconds, and then plugged it back in and voila the W logo screen came up and the tv came on and so I checked the system information and it was now version 1.3.0 and everything works perfect.

Not only did it fix the hdmi flickering issue with 1080p signals, but it also fixed the audio problems with the Digital HD channels OTA and Cable. :)

I hope you guys find this helpful since the Westinghouse support wasn't at all.

Thanks again Carsfanatic for reposting the firmware, it is greatly appreciated! :)

Sturmur and Frostymelon I hope this helps you as well. Just make sure when the flashing blue light begins to let it continue until it stops blinking and is a solid blue light.

Cheers,

Stephen

Sturmur

11-16-08, 12:55 PM

Looking at it, I think my 42 has the older chipset in it. I bought mine in August 2007 and I think that's the reason why she wont work.

I've tried about 10 different memory sticks, and I do exactly what you do above, but when I plug in the power there is a solid amber light and pressing the power button does nothing.

My only option now is to wait for Westinghouse to update their page so I can download the firmware for my chipset (I think that may take a while...).

IRCRomeo

11-17-08, 02:54 PM

I've seen something similar in plasma televisions, usually a green shimmer in them. Looks like you have a bum panel and it needs to be replaced.

-- Alex

I'm unsure if I am in warranty or not. If not, would this be considered a defect and need to be replaced/fixed?

tr1pl3thr3at

11-18-08, 11:44 PM

I'm considering buying this tv (42") in the upcoming week at costco for $625. It is discounted because of it being the floor model.
Is this a good buy? Or is there anything better I can get that is at least 37 inches and under 650 with Black Friday coming up.
This sounds like a good deal to me, but it looks like there's quite a few bugs. but I've only read the first page of this thread and the last.
This is gonna be my first lcd and I'll be using it for cable (not hd) tv and my ps3 (gaming, dvd's, blu rays).
Does this look like my best choice. I'd definitely like this thing to last.

Martez

11-20-08, 06:37 PM

Well, there's no way to really tell what the black friday deals are going to be like, but the 42" is a great value at that price. I haven't encountered problems with mine, but I also have the extended warranty just in case. So I say go for it, and grab an extended warranty in case you get one with problems.

DynStatic

11-20-08, 08:40 PM

Sturmur

11-20-08, 11:27 PM

BTW, Westinghouse has finally fixed the website and now you can download firmware 1.4.2 for the TX-42.

FrostyMelon

11-21-08, 02:58 PM

Sturmur - Let me know if it works for you, I am guessing you and I have the same older chipset.

Sturmur

11-22-08, 02:16 AM

mk500

11-22-08, 11:18 PM

I downloaded the 1.4.2 firmware for my TX-47F430S from the Westinghouse site. Unfortunately the instructions there are completely wrong. Here is the process I used to do the upgrade:

Note: Before you start, I recommend you write down your current firmware version so that you know it worked. This is listed under Settings -> System Info.

1) Formatted 4GB memory stick to FAT32
2) unrar the archive I downloaded, and put the two files on the stick:

update_WDE42.tgz
safe-kernel.img1

3) unplugged the power on the TX-47F430S
4) connected the USB stick to the port (on the left side)
5) plugged in the power (do not power on!)
6) The light will start orange, then go to a greenish blue that is kind of lighter than the regular blue....it will sit here for several minutes (maybe 3?). Then it will change to the normal solid blue.
7) unplug power
8) unplug USB stick
9) plug in power and turn on

Before the update I had version 5121_1.3.0, after I had version 5112_1.4.2.

I've only had it running for a few minutes so far, so can't really comment on the firmware yet.

weezntz

11-22-08, 11:42 PM

unclben

11-23-08, 12:54 PM

First off I have the tx-47 with firmware 1.3.0 and build date of june 07. I have my xbox 360 set to output 1080p with hdmi and reference level set to standard, and my problem is that with the nxe my dashboard/guide/game text is blurry. If I set the xbox to display 1080i/720p the text is a lot sharper and i can adjust the sharpness, but not in 1080p. Is anyone else running into this situation?.My TX-47 has the same build date and firmware as you. I'm also running 1080p over HDMI. NXE looks fine for me, so I doubt firmware is the issue.

cbh0531

11-25-08, 05:10 PM

Sorry for getting off topic here everyone, but I have a situation that I was wondering if any one else has come across. First off I have the tx-47 with firmware 1.3.0 and build date of june 07. I have my xbox 360 set to output 1080p with hdmi and reference level set to standard, and my problem is that with the nxe my dashboard/guide/game text is blurry. If I set the xbox to display 1080i/720p the text is a lot sharper and i can adjust the sharpness, but not in 1080p. Is anyone else running into this situation? Also what reference level/ hdmi color spaceing would be best for this tv? I've tried searching for this tv but could not get any answers. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

I had this same problem. It wasn't just with 360, it was anything on 1080P, including PS3. I exchanged the TV with another, and 1080P was sharp. My guess is that there was something wrong with the internal scaler or something. Everything always looked better on 1080i, or 720P, while everything in 1080P looked soft.

weezntz

11-25-08, 07:46 PM

I had this same problem. It wasn't just with 360, it was anything on 1080P, including PS3. I exchanged the TV with another, and 1080P was sharp. My guess is that there was something wrong with the internal scaler or something. Everything always looked better on 1080i, or 720P, while everything in 1080P looked soft.

it seems to be only with the 360, my ps3/hd-dvd is clear as can be. strange because this only started happening with the nxe update. the old dashboard had no problems.

IchibanOtaku

11-26-08, 08:55 AM

I dunno if I'm posting this in the right thread, and please let me know if I am, but I've had my TX-42f430s for less than a week and it is stuck in standby mode. I bought the TV from Buy.com and just made the replacement deadline but the problem is my roommate threw out the original packaging and Buy.com will not accept it without the original packaging. I was wondering if anyone was willing to part ways with their packaging so I can return without problems? Thanks in advance.

mustanggt50conv

11-26-08, 11:34 PM

I downloaded the 1.4.2 firmware for my TX-47F430S from the Westinghouse site. Unfortunately the instructions there are completely wrong. Here is the process I used to do the upgrade:

I get an error when I try to access the 47" firmware from Westinghouse. Can someone upload this 1.4.2 firmware so other can have access to it?

Thanks!

Carsfanatic

11-27-08, 12:01 AM

I get an error when I try to access the 47" firmware from Westinghouse. Can someone upload this 1.4.2 firmware so other can have access to it?

Thanks!

There is no 1.4.2 firmware currently available to download for the 47" at least. The only one up from the official site now is 1.6.3 and it is flawed. It cuts in and out on all 1080 sources. I think there was some flaw with 1.4.2 or it was only available for the 42" one or the other. I really think it was only for the 42" though because on my downloads list I went from 1.3.0 to the 1.6.3 and no 1.4.2 in between.

tha2nddunn

12-01-08, 02:53 PM

Hello, I recently picked up a bricked TX-47F430S...The previous owner said he tried to update the firmware unsuccesfully and now I have the stuck on orange status led with a blank screen...I believe from the model number that the firmware was version 1.0 which after reading this thread have come to believe that it should not have ever been flashed. Now my question is...since I can't seem to get a copy of the original firmware, since their customer service call center reps are worthless, which specific replacement circuit board would I need to get in order to solve the problem...and would I need the exact firmware running on the replacement board? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

mustseeflop

12-01-08, 11:02 PM

same problem as "tha2nd". identical model TX-47F430S. I got it from BB 1-1/2 yr ago. It freezes this morning while changing channel from digital to analog station. Hard re-boot by unplug, did not work, no logo.. orange light on. Try usb with firmware 1.3.0. -- no response.
Here are the characteristics, upon plug in, little light turn blue for a fraction of a second and than orange. screen black. the little green light on the back, inside the tree turned on. Nothing else happened -- no noise, no smell of things burning.
Un-plug it after a few minute, screen flash blue for 1/20th of a second. the orange light turn blue for a fraction of a second. everything goes dark -- now is unplugged, I will leave it for 24hrs.
Speculation, I switch to a blank channel with no signal prior to the freeze up/ unplug reset. Upon reset start up, it was looking for signal in that blank channel, when no signal is detected, the tv remains in standby mode. This should be good news as firmware should solve this or reset this problem. Other possibilities, burnt board or components, bad news, now we need tv repairman.
please see if your tv have the same characteristics. report finding if possible. your speculations?
Ed:confused:

tha2nddunn

12-02-08, 08:49 PM

same characteristics as mine except mine occured from initially doing a firmware update, so I figured if i could get an orginal version of my firmware version 1.0 it could be fixed, however I have no way of getting a copy of that so I'm looking into getting a replacement board with the same firmware

mustseeflop

12-02-08, 11:25 PM

I talked to Westinghouse customer support today 1-866-287-5555. They said there is only one version of firmware for TX47F430s (the original). He doesn't sound sure. I told him there are discussion on the net indicating that there are newer version of firmwares. They cannot help me with original version nor the newer version .... they suggest me to call a local TV repair shop.
Anyway, where are you planning to buy the new board? I took the TV apart and look at the main board. There is a small chip marked boot 1.0.0.
I got this TV short of 2 years ago, I suppose it is the first version of everything.
Be careful when you open the panel, put the tv face down, screen face gravity and lift the back cover up after unfasten the screws. My screen almost broke falling forward, good thing it is close to the wall -- stop it from hitting the ground.
I may take it to the TV repair shop. What are you going to do with your unit?
Ed

DynStatic

12-03-08, 11:17 AM

This is basically what was wrong with my tv. Initially it would change inputs, but would not show any HDMI input. It would show basic cable. I pulled the plug and then it wouldn't start back up. When plugging it in, the blue light flashes for a split second, then the orange light comes on. If you look in the cracks in the back of the tv, you can see green lights. If you hold the power button, they flash. Two short flashes, then one long flash. This repeats for as long as you hold the power button. Unplugging the tv flashes the screen with white. The tv was on a UPS 1500va because I never wanted it to lose power and break.

same problem as "tha2nd". identical model TX-47F430S. I got it from BB 1-1/2 yr ago. It freezes this morning while changing channel from digital to analog station. Hard re-boot by unplug, did not work, no logo.. orange light on. Try usb with firmware 1.3.0. -- no response.
Here are the characteristics, upon plug in, little light turn blue for a fraction of a second and than orange. screen black. the little green light on the back, inside the tree turned on. Nothing else happened -- no noise, no smell of things burning.
Un-plug it after a few minute, screen flash blue for 1/20th of a second. the orange light turn blue for a fraction of a second. everything goes dark -- now is unplugged, I will leave it for 24hrs.
Speculation, I switch to a blank channel with no signal prior to the freeze up/ unplug reset. Upon reset start up, it was looking for signal in that blank channel, when no signal is detected, the tv remains in standby mode. This should be good news as firmware should solve this or reset this problem. Other possibilities, burnt board or components, bad news, now we need tv repairman.
please see if your tv have the same characteristics. report finding if possible. your speculations?
Ed:confused:

tha2nddunn

12-03-08, 02:24 PM

I may take it to the TV repair shop. What are you going to do with your unit?

Yea I had also opened my tv up and I looked at the model number of the board, and am considering buying a used one from a cracked screen set... I assume it should work as long as there was nothing wrong with the board and the attempted flash did not corrupt any circuit components...when I try it I'll post and tell how it went.

mustseeflop

12-03-08, 02:27 PM

I am sure "Dyn" has the same problem as mine. ie holding the power button will cause the USB light to flash 2 short 1 long and repeat sequence - but no update done, the USB just stay lit and freeze until the power button is held down, then the flash sequence. I call a shop recommended by Westinghouse, the tech there said the problem is likely the main board given my description.
I need to get a hold of a main board -- any idea from who/where?
Also, another poster mentioned that he installed a new main board and the image/picture comes out like negative film. I wonder is he have that corrected.
Please post your new findings and repair attempt made

MamaLickaBooBoo

12-03-08, 08:42 PM

I'm so confused by the New Westy 42 I bought from Costco yesterday.

I bought a Westinghouse TX-42F430S with firmware 1.3.0 last fall for my parents, Price 1399. That TV works good and looks sharp for BlueRay movies and XBOX 360. So when I saw the price at 799 yesterday, I bought a second one for myself expecting the same quality. So far I'm really disappointed! ...I swear this is NOT the Same TV!

The new Westy is
Madel : TX-42F430S
Part Number: TW-51123-C042A
Serial : TW-5112J8010xxxx
Build : 2008 Mar 5
Software Ver. 5112_1.6.3

I think the screen is not the same as the older model, everything is not as sharp, The contrast for black levels is not as good. The color adjustments are taking forever to get right, the older model was close out of the box needing only red and skin tones fine tuning.

But the Biggest PITA I've found with the newer model is the Picture drops outs to Black screen several times with 1080i and 1080p unconverted DVD's and PlayStation3 Blue Ray Movies. I haven't tried my xbox 360 yet but I'm thinking it's going to be much of the same.

I checked Westinghouse website for a firmware update but there isn't one available for my serial number. I've been skimming through these forums and it sounded like I may Brick this TV if I try the Susan II 1.3.0 firmware, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Does anyone know if the : TW-51123-C042A version of the TX-42F430S can take the 1.3.0 firmware? or should I just forget this newer Westy and buy a LG or Sharp 1080p for $250 dollars more.

Thanks

diesel_powered

12-03-08, 10:09 PM

Looks like I have a memory stick problem (I think).

Now, when I load up the proper drivers, the amber light is still solid when I plug in the TV, but after about 30 seconds, the light briefly turns blue.

Any ideas what this might be?

Cheers.

I'm not so sure the problem is on your side. I just tried it with two different USB sticks and mine wouldn't update with either. I successfully updated it from 1.2.1 to 1.3.0, so I know it's capable of being updated. Maybe Westinghouse stuck us with the 1.4.2 version of the firmware for the 47" model?

mustseeflop

12-03-08, 10:27 PM

If you still have the chance, take the Westy back to where you find them. Quick, run, run as far away from "W" as possible. You will thank me.

mustseeflop

12-04-08, 12:26 AM

for the guys that has the back of the TV open.... Is the heat sink on the main board (marked W470PROLX68) heats up really hot ( there are 2 heat sinks on this board ) the central one heats up lot more than the other one. I am trying to figure out if the chip is burnt or it just has a firmware problem. you can touch the heat sink with your finger tip if you open the 2"x 3" trap door on the back of the tree.
I am thinking may be just replace the chip if it is defective, a few dollar for the chip if you can find it in electronic store or $400 for a complete new main board.:D
any comment or suggestion?

tha2nddunn

12-04-08, 11:27 AM

yea same board as mine...a chip replacement would have a low percentage of success with a higher percentage of destroying the board at least for me and my soldering skills...overheating could be causing a sensor to cut your tv off immediately but I think it would be a more common problem if that were the case...our symptoms seem identical but from different causes, so I would assume it is some power related problem but no smoke so it is probably a defective chip, but without proper board specifications I think it would be easier to swap out an identical board...luckily i was able to snake my way into a new tv so I guess i won't be replacing my board anymore...but here is where i was going to get mine from on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/WESTINGHOUSE-48-3YT01-01A-TX-47F430S-W470PROLX68-MAIN_W0QQitemZ260306879176QQihZ016QQcategoryZ71585QQssPageNa meZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
but I'm not sure it would have worked

Lutch

12-04-08, 01:26 PM

MamaLickaBooBoo

12-04-08, 02:39 PM

If you Just came to these forums thinking of Buying the Westy TX 42"
DON"T BUY IT!!!
---
Well I dump that Westinghouse off at Costco. The Customer returns people were awesome!

Before I re-boxed it I did a factory reset to see how it looked before I tweaked it, Blahaha what a POS! Super Dark picture with all the shadow details under people faces or under rock cliffs ect.. was mostly black/grey washed out. Had to be the worst 'out of Box' picture I've ever seen yet. I don't remember it being that bad when I first un-boxed it tho. I left the TV on almost 48 hours since I got it and every time I went to watch TV I'd swear the picture settings had changed. I Now think they were degrading with time. So sad. I hope Westinghouse's Foray into the TV market is Over. Manufacturing a POS is a waist of global resources.

mustseeflop

12-04-08, 05:44 PM

I put the TX47 together and ready to sent to the shop to get some professional help ( I had all the boards out to look for burns -- find none). It was not a bad set 1-1/2 yrs ago. Net reviews were good and compare side-to-side with more expensive unit, it actually stands out. But, the verdict started to come in after the 1 year warranty period is over. Poor support and service by Westinghouse. Apparently, they are using cheaper and cheaper parts (screens) . So their earlier sets may be actually better quality. Expensive TV like these should have factory 3 year instead of 1 year. I buy a $30 electronic gadget from Canadian Tire that has better warranty.
Anyway, 2 lessons here. 1. buy name brand ( I thought Westinghouse was good - I am from an Asian country that thinks American brands are better) But that impression may be from the 50's. 2. For expensive items, buy warranty and add the cost as part of the hardware cost. Eg. dont think it is a $2000 TV, think of it as a $2400 TV that will last at least 3 years. Now, my $2000 only lasted 1-1/2 year:(

Martez

12-07-08, 12:44 AM

Hm, still no problems with my 42... Has worked great with only a few quirks that don't bother me at all for the price I got.

ckasek

12-09-08, 08:53 PM

I was wondering if anyone by chance has a copy of the 5110_1.1.0 firmware for the TX-47F430S...if so please let me know.

Thanks!

FrostyMelon

12-10-08, 04:31 PM

Westinghouse support isn't Westinghouse.

I gave up on the TX-42, just wouldn't play nice with my recent HT upgrades (mainly the new receiver). So, went out and picked up a Samsung LN46A650, put the Westy up in our main TV room (wife's area) since it's pretty much used for watching TV only (some gaming) - no blu-ray, etc.

llabine1

12-10-08, 10:26 PM

Since you have to call the central location for warranties, then yes, it's every single Best Buy.

I respectfully disagree with you...I bought a sony tv that I hated at Bestbuy...I called BestBuy...they told me to bring it on in...within 5 minutes the tv was returned and I had a full refund...the problem may lie with buying a Westinghouse...they have a significant return record...also isn't it a red flag that you are responsible for doing an upgrade on these sets having to tweak the settings endlessly ...I would be stressed out all the time wondering if my set was going to go belly up...

I know that BestBuy pushes these sets on people and for that reason I would be hesitant to buy from them...you should be able to love your set...unfortunately after reading this thread I see that initially you are thrilled and then within months you have problems...that totally sucks...

WYld_Card

12-11-08, 06:45 PM

timalan

12-18-08, 11:42 AM

God imagine my suprise when my TX 47 stays asleep.... after just out of warranty of course. I had 0 problems till this happened.
There is 180 pages of this crap tv series. I cannot read it all, but no amount of reset is working on my tv. I cant look at firmware versions. I can't get westinghouse to answer me.... So I have the part number for that main board. Where do I get one and will it come with firmware?
1700 bucks one year. that really makes me mad.
Anyone have a group complain to consumer protection.... It worked for a recall on my Motorcycle? They got so many complaints they fixed for free for everyone.

cbeyond

12-19-08, 08:32 PM

Last night, after 18 months of trouble free viewing, something went
wrong and the video images have a green ghosting, or blocky splotches
on all channels and inputs. I am in shock after talking the Westinghouse
service department on the phone. "You have a bad panel" "So its now
an expensive paperweight and not fixable?" "Yep, Sorry" W. T. F.
Would a firmware upgrade help, my set is dated April 13, 2007 and
has a firmware #5110.1.1.0
I am really POed about this, Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

cbeyond

12-20-08, 01:13 PM

Apparently, my particular 47" Westinghouse 1080p has no firmware
upgrade, I wish I knew that before trying one that was posted in this
group, that was for a 47" Westinghouse 1080p.
I learned a new term today: "Bricked" - Meaning it is a brick sitting on
the table. Instead of needing $600 worth of repairs, it now needs $900
worth of repairs, new video and system boards. Also the panel
could be going bad, not so sure now. It won't power up at all.
My local repairman won't take it because he has too many big flat
panel tvs waiting for repair, He says the repair cost of half of them
is not worth it. He said, and I trust him, that pretty much all flat panel
tvs are built cheap and are costly to repair. TVs are sold on price alone
today, not build quality. He said many LCD and Plasma tvs will last only
3 years or less, depending how lucky you are. That made me feel a little
better about my WESTINGHOUSE BRICK.
BTW what started this was green dots and splotchs that come and go on all stations and inputs. It happened two days ago and was trouble free
for 18 months.

justapixel

12-20-08, 08:01 PM

Hey all. I have a Samsung BluRay BD-P1500 and TX-42F430S TV.

Bought the TV November 07. Could never get HDMI to work with my Direct TV receiver but I had so much trouble with it I didn't think it was the TV. I hooked it up with component.

A month ago I bought the blu-ray player, hooked it up via HDMI and all was well. Then, I unplugged everything to put in a new UPS, and after plugging everything back in, I no longer have sound when watching blu-ray.

I rebooted everything and got sound for a second but then lost it and can't get it back on any disc. I upgrade the firmware on the player - no help.

I don't know what it could be: HDMI cable, blu-ray, or TV.

My TV has software version 5112.1.2.0, 42 inch plasma. I tried to go to Westinghouse's site to see if there was new firmware, but get 404 error message.

Warranty on the TV ran out two weeks ago, so I hope somebody has some ideas for me. Thanks!

KarlBud420

12-22-08, 09:26 PM

I have owned the TX 42" for just over a year now and have had no problems with it until now. I was playing with the setting last night and I saw the E. Saver option and thought I would turn it on to see what it did. It worked fine last night and I turned it on and off a few times to see how long it would take. I didn't mind the power on time so I left it on, turned off the TV and went to bed.

When I woke up the next morning and tried to turn the TV on, I just got the big White W westinghouse symbol on the tv and then it goes blank again. So I googled this and to my surprise/luck I found a discussions about how the E.saver option can cause problems with the TX models.

I have unplugged the power for an hour and tried to do a hard reset, but I can't get past the white W and then blank. Westinghouse said that I would need to service the TV, but it seems to me that the TV itself is fine b/c it can display the W. Is it just bad software?

So, is there a way to fix this problem without sending it in to get serviced?

Thanks for any help you can provide. This really bugs me b/c the TV is fine, it's just a stupid setting that I unfortunately turned on and it has now locked up my TV.

Austin

I've got a similar situation to yours except I had read about the energy saver mode bug and knew not to try it...however, my TV started doing the same thing as yours on its own. This all started this past Saturday and after checking my bank records, I found out I had 6 days left on my 1 year warranty but Westinghouse wants a copy of the receipt faxed to them. I managed to find my receipt from Best Buy but the ink had faded so badly that there is no way a fax would come across with any sort of legible information. Fast forward to today and I was able to get Best Buy to reprint the receipt for me from their computers so first thing tomorrow Westinghouse will be getting their info and hopefully I will be able to get a store credit at BB which will be used to upgrade to a larger, better built TV.

At least that's the hope.

I think they've got to know about the spectacularly high failure rate on these sets as the customer service rep I talked to suggested a hard reset first and after I told him that I had been down that road he quickly suggested that it was probably a faulty board. No &%*#, Sherlock. :rolleyes:

I wish everyone who's having troubles with these POSs the best of luck and all I can say is, never again Westinghouse. Never again.

Bruce

dancor40243

12-25-08, 12:59 PM

i recently ordered a refurbished tv from overstock
opened today and plugged it in...everything looks fine EXCEPT i have some colored vertical lines, they appear on all channels on all resoultions and even dvd so different output, is there something i can do to fix this, i dont want to send it back and wait forever to get a replacement, like is there a firmware update or something?

here are 2 pics 1 with flash and 1 without
they were taken from CBS in HD 1080i
5112 163 is my firmware

KarlBud420

12-26-08, 10:13 AM

No idea about what's causing that problem, but in all honesty, I would return it and spend a little more money on a TV from a more reputable manufacturer.

My story is getting more and more complicated by the day, and I'm not sure how this one is going to end, but one thing is certain - Westinghouse will never be a part of my household for as long as I live and I'll be telling everyone as much.

Bruce

designedfor

12-26-08, 12:31 PM

Anyone know where I can get the firmware without having to register my TV, I don't want to register it till I am certain that i am going to keep it, I have the stupid ass blinking problem with all my HDMI devices, PS3, PC, DVD Player etc.

yuw1wang

12-31-08, 06:37 PM

Does anyone still have the v1.3.0 firmware for the 42"? Mine is locked up at standby and only showing orange LED; I'm hoping this firmware will fix it up. Any help is appreciated. thanks!

yomehow

01-01-09, 06:39 PM

unclben

01-01-09, 07:18 PM

I have a question, I have had my westy for over a year no with no major problems. What would be the sense of upgrading the firmware after seeing how it messed some peoples TV's up? What are the advantages of the firmware? Thanks!I know this doesn't answer your question, but I'm gonna respond anyway. :) I'm in the same position as you. My TX-47 has behaved almost perfectly for the ~16 months I've owned it; I'm definitely not risking a firmware upgrade. If new firmware brought new features (e.g. HDMI audio passthrough to optical out!), I'd definitely consider trying it. After reading about so many negative experiences, though, I'm not going to try to fix what ain't broke.

doohem

01-02-09, 02:31 PM

for blu ray ps3

matt.lamon

01-02-09, 06:53 PM

Known Issue: does not seem to work with panasonic BD 35K (perhaps due to the built-in HDMI Hub)

yuw1wang

01-03-09, 09:36 PM

Does anyone have either the v1.1.0, v1.3.0, or v1.4.2 firmware for the older tx-42f430s? Please share if you do, I've looked everywhere and I can't find the right firmware to awake my tv. Also, does anyone know if the mainboard on the tx-42 the same as tx-47? I was wondering if replacing the mainboard is a fix to this problem, has anyone tried it before?

Serial: 5112J72900892

thank you!!

yomehow

01-04-09, 01:41 AM

I know this doesn't answer your question, but I'm gonna respond anyway. :) I'm in the same position as you. My TX-47 has behaved almost perfectly for the ~16 months I've owned it; I'm definitely not risking a firmware upgrade. If new firmware brought new features (e.g. HDMI audio passthrough to optical out!), I'd definitely consider trying it. After reading about so many negative experiences, though, I'm not going to try to fix what ain't broke.

Yeah, thanks ;D. But whats the benefits of them anyways because I'm still confused. But yeah the only minor problem I have is my TV leaves like a burn in pic when its on a dark scene when changing commercials at the end for example. But they go away when the new commercial starts of course. Anyways, thanks for the reply =)

Trav2003

01-04-09, 01:58 AM

Hey guys - figured I'd chime in on the TX-47 issues. I had purchased a TX-47 in July of 2007 from Best Buy. I always had the E-Saver power issue, but dealt with it. I also had HDMI handshake issues (with multiple sources including PC and PS3). This ranged anywhere from a flicker here and there to needing to unplug everything and hard reset. I started getting a few lit (green) pixels showing up, so I decided (about 2 weeks before the warranty expired) to call Westinghouse to get it replaced.

The next month was HELL. I found out about Best Buy handling their warranty, so after faxing Westinghouse my BB receipt and information I waited and waited to get Best Buy's confirmation that I could return it for a similar Westinghouse TV. Eventually I was told it was out of Warranty after they jacked around for weeks. After bitching a lot, I finally got my Best Buy confirmation and took the TV into the store for a return. At the store I was told they didn't carry the TX-47 anymore... but they could replace it with a 42. I told them no, I refused to take it. That wasn't comparable. I asked if I could get another brand or store credit. They said no. They finally found a store with a 47inch display model in stock that I wound up trying... For all of 1 hour. It had issues too, so I took it back to Best Buy and they gave me store credit for the full value I paid for the TV.

I now have ~$1500 in BB Store credit that I plan on either selling, buying a name brand TV, or possibly buying the HC6100 Epson projector. Either way the process sucked, but I did get my money (or store credit) back.

Not sure what BB's policy is now, as it doesn't appear they carry any Westinghouse TV's anymore. But if they won't just give you store credit straight up, I suggest taking whatever they give you, then immediately returning it for store credit.

zimagold

01-04-09, 07:03 PM

Hey guys....this is such an epic thread! Here's my experience.

Purchased the 42" TX-42F430S from Costco.ca last month (Dec 08).

Firmware: 1.6.3
Part No: TW51123-C042A

From day one, it had the HDMI flickering issue with 1080p HDMI out from my PC (Geforce8200). This occurs with either HDMI-HDMI or DVI-HDMI connection from the PC. There is no issue with 1920x1080 through the VGA connection, but that was an unacceptable solution for me. Also, any other resolution through HDMI exhibits the same problem - flickering every few seconds and constant dropouts to blank screen.

Some have said that all 1080p sources have problems, but that was not my experience. I briefly hooked up an Xbox 360 via HDMI, with resolution set at 1080p, and there were no issues.

I also hooked up my Powerbook G4, with the 2nd monitor set at 1920x1080, and that was fine too. This was through a DVI-HDMI cable. *No HDCP back in the Powerbook days.

1080p through component is not affected in any way. The problem definitely sounds like an HDCP issue.

This thread has been infinitely helpful in figuring out the solution. Thanks to Carsfanatic for posting the 1.3.0 firmware. Also thanks to n19htmare (post #5288) and dolgue (post #5345) for posting their same experience and solution.

My firmware downgrade went like this:

1) Formatted USB stick to FAT32
2) Extracted SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026.rar onto the USB stick
3) Unplug TV power, plug in USB, re-plug power, press power button on remote
4) Blinking purplish light....wait 3 minutes.
5) Solid blue light
6) Unplug power, unplug USB, power on TV.

There was one slight variation from previous descriptions here. When I plugged in the power to the TV after plugging in the USB stick, the amber light came on right away. My first attempt, I just left it at that, and it didn't do anything. On my second attempt, I pressed the power button even though the amber light was already on. After a few seconds, the purplish light started flashing.

Now, what did we lose by downgrading the firmware? From what I can tell, the TV no longer passes audio out through the SPDIF port. On firmware 1.6.3, it passed audio out to my amp, but now it no longer does it. Not a big deal - most people won't use the optical out on the TV anyways. Once I get a proper receiver (not this home theater in a box thing), it will be fine.

Other than that, I haven't noticed anything else. But this is just the first day on the "new" firmware. I'll report back if I notice anything else.

Oh, and my E.saver option does not seem to be reversed as reported by another member. Normal setting boots the TV instantly, while E.Saver powers down to a deeper sleep.

Hope this helps somebody out. I think more people will find this thread as Costco sold out a batch of these at $799 CDN, which I think is a pretty good deal. After calibration, I think the set looks fantastic with any HD content. SD still looks like crap - there's just no way around it.

And finally, what the hell is up with Westinghouse? They obviously broke something with the firmware, and they won't admit it or even help people out with the downgrade. The Average Joe has no chance of figuring out all this stuff. Serves Westinghouse right if they get a whole bunch of returns. You guys think we'll ever see another firmware that'll fix all these issues? I doubt it...

Cheers,

zimagold

01-04-09, 07:41 PM

My follow-up question is, how do you guys think the Westinghouse compares to the current crop of 3rd tier 1080p LCD TVs? Basically, Vizio (Costco) and Insignia (Best Buy). They're all at basically the same price point, and I'm still within my 90-day return. Are there any stand-out value sets out there that I should take a look at?

Thanks.

diesel_powered

01-06-09, 01:39 PM

Known Issue: does not seem to work with panasonic BD 35K (perhaps due to the built-in HDMI Hub)

Same goes for the 55k. Anybody know of a workaround for this? (Besides using component until I can afford a different TV?) Can anybody recommend a similar BD player that handshakes with this set?

Has anyone had any experience with Best Buy service on this model? I have a plan through them, but they don't seem to sell any large flat panels from Westinghouse anymore. Anybody have any thoughts as to the possibility of me complaining my way into a comparable model from a different brand? One that isn't Dynex or Insignia?

The worst thing about the whole TX debacle is that I seem to have lucked out on mine. The panel is sharp, e. saver works fine, and the HDMI works fine with my computer and DVD player, it's just that I can't take advantage of sweet sweet 1080p blue-ray.

zimagold

01-06-09, 03:20 PM

Hey diesel_powered,

Since your computer works fine through HDMI (presumably at 1920x1080), have you considered a BluRay reader for it? You can get one for $89 at Newegg.

NotSoCoolJ

01-06-09, 09:08 PM

I can confirm that 1080p24hz material plays just fine from my PC when the TV(Tx42f430s 42") is set to a refresh of 23.976. YMMV, but I have had no significant issues with this TV ever. Perhaps I got lucky. Considering the background of these sets, I think the stars must have aligned perfectly for me.

efin

01-07-09, 01:30 PM

Can anyone verify that Carsfanatic's 1.3.0 firmware will work for the 42"?

The one here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15030935&postcount=5327

yuw1wang

01-07-09, 02:09 PM

I've tried it on my 42 but it didn't work. I have one of the oldest version of 42 (part# TW-51121-C042A) so it could work on yours.

efin

01-07-09, 04:44 PM

Thanks. Actually that's the same as mine. I wish I could get ahold of ANY firmware for the 42. Mine has the handshake issue with the PS3, and now that I've gotten more BluRays, it's really starting to get annoying. :(

yuw1wang

01-07-09, 05:09 PM

efin, would you check the firmware version you have on your tv? I've tried to rescue mine with v1.2 but not luck.

efin

01-07-09, 05:50 PM

hmm Well that's interesting. I already have 1.3.0 (5112 build, though). I would have thought it would be lower since I bought mine shortly after they came out.

Does yours turn on at all now?? Or do you just mean rescue from the badness of the firmware updates?

yuw1wang

01-07-09, 07:24 PM

it's not turning on at all, i was hoping to get the tx-42 version of the 1.3 firmware as posted in #5208 <<http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14643853#post14643853>>.

jkpq45

01-07-09, 09:09 PM

diesel_powered

01-07-09, 11:52 PM

Hey diesel_powered,

Since your computer works fine through HDMI (presumably at 1920x1080), have you considered a BluRay reader for it? You can get one for $89 at Newegg.

Possibly, with an external drive and a RAM upgrade. The mac mini handles h.264 720p fine but is a bit choppy on 1080p.

I can confirm that 1080p24hz material plays just fine from my PC when the TV(Tx42f430s 42") is set to a refresh of 23.976. YMMV, but I have had no significant issues with this TV ever. Perhaps I got lucky. Considering the background of these sets, I think the stars must have aligned perfectly for me.

Curiouser and curiouser... Picking up a blu-ray drive for the mini is becoming more and more of a possibility. At the very least, this makes me want to see if I can get my mini to run at 24p.

I hear tell that others have overcome the BD35/55 handshake issue by putting it behind an HDMI switch. Can't concretely say this will solve the problem, but I figure it's worth a try. I guess I can't complain too much since I can get servicable 1080i from the component hookup and I really bought the blu-ray player to take advantage of the lossless audio formats. And I found a stuck pixel on it yesterday, so there's always customer service hell at Best Buy.

What's up with HDCP on PCs? Is it as much of a crap shoot as it is with other hardware? From what I've read, Apple hardware is HDCP compliant, but that's kind of a moot point since they don't support blu-ray.

zimagold

01-08-09, 05:28 AM

Curiouser and curiouser... Picking up a blu-ray drive for the mini is becoming more and more of a possibility. At the very least, this makes me want to see if I can get my mini to run at 24p.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as of right now, I don't know any software that will playback Blu-Ray on a Mac. Sorry diesel, I didn't know you were on a Mac Mini when I suggested a Blu-Ray drive. On the flip side, you can probably put together a 1080p capable media center PC for less than $300 - but the frustration of dealing with Windows might not be worth it.

I don't know why HDCP is so bad with this TV. Granted, my experience with different HDCP devices has been limited, but it's obvious that Westinghouse screwed something up going from firmware 1.3.0 to 1.6.3.

Cheers,

jkpq45

01-09-09, 05:18 PM

I purchased my 47" in spring of last year, had the ghosting/image retention issue and tried updating to the 1.3 firmware posted earlier in this thread. It never took--no response when I hit the power button, just the amber LED.

Does anyone have a fix?

Does someone have the 1.4.2 firmware downloaded? The westinghouse site is down.

Help! Please!

I've been digging through this thread for a few days now. Do I have to replace the mainboard in the TV? Is the chip I attempted to flash socketed--can I just pop it out and replace it?

I found this mainboard on EBay--is it the right one? (Item #260328180576, sorry can't post links yet)

yuw1wang

01-09-09, 11:53 PM

I've been digging through this thread for a few days now. Do I have to replace the mainboard in the TV? Is the chip I attempted to flash socketed--can I just pop it out and replace it?

I found this mainboard on EBay--is it the right one? (Item #260328180576, sorry can't post links yet)

I'm not sure if you can just replace the chip, it's probably some sort of memory that holds the firmware. It wouldn't do you any good to replace the chip w/o the software in it. Also, it's kinda hard to remove the chip and resolder the new chip w/o damaging the connections. The ebay item should be right for your TV, but make sure you can do some sort of return/refund if it's not working as it claims to be.

diesel_powered

01-10-09, 02:17 AM

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as of right now, I don't know any software that will playback Blu-Ray on a Mac. Sorry diesel, I didn't know you were on a Mac Mini when I suggested a Blu-Ray drive. On the flip side, you can probably put together a 1080p capable media center PC for less than $300 - but the frustration of dealing with Windows might not be worth it.

I don't know why HDCP is so bad with this TV. Granted, my experience with different HDCP devices has been limited, but it's obvious that Westinghouse screwed something up going from firmware 1.3.0 to 1.6.3.

Cheers,

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as of right now, I don't know any software that will playback Blu-Ray on a Mac. Sorry diesel, I didn't know you were on a Mac Mini when I suggested a Blu-Ray drive. On the flip side, you can probably put together a 1080p capable media center PC for less than $300 - but the frustration of dealing with Windows might not be worth it.

I don't know why HDCP is so bad with this TV. Granted, my experience with different HDCP devices has been limited, but it's obvious that Westinghouse screwed something up going from firmware 1.3.0 to 1.6.3.

Cheers,

Blu-ray on a mini is technically doable: (http://fastmac.com/slim_bluray.php) although $1000 for a drive is a little steep at the moment... Not sure if you'd still need a solution to play movie discs, though. I believe HDCP is integrated into OSX, but I have no idea how this would or wouldn't work with this TV. I'm fairly certain the issues are probably a combination of slightly older technology vs. new techology (I don't believe profile 2.0 was around yet when this set was designed) and the fact that the HDMI ports are all on a hub.

I did, however, get everything running at true 24hz out of the mini with the help of SwitchResX, so that's a plus.

diesel_powered

01-10-09, 07:02 PM

Has anyone had any experience with using something like an HDFury (http://www.curtpalme.com/HDFury2.shtm) (or any similar products... preferably less expensive products...) to get around HDCP problems?

nascar24

01-12-09, 10:03 AM

Well, my TX47 has gone on the fritz with green lines down the side and strange color corruption through the whole picture on certain scenes. Bought 8/1/07. I believe I am done with Westinghouse now. I guess I should have bought the Best Buy Warranty.

nascar24

01-12-09, 09:55 PM

Any ideas, I see there are boards to replace, Main board and LCD controller. Anyone have an idea which one would be bad, I have a 2 inch green line down the left side and all the menus leave a green ghost next to them. Also I get green and messed up colors on certain scenes. I'm thinking the LCD controller but who knows, Any experts with an idea on which I should buy?

nascar24

01-12-09, 10:38 PM

I've got a similar situation to yours except I had read about the energy saver mode bug and knew not to try it...however, my TV started doing the same thing as yours on its own. This all started this past Saturday and after checking my bank records, I found out I had 6 days left on my 1 year warranty but Westinghouse wants a copy of the receipt faxed to them. I managed to find my receipt from Best Buy but the ink had faded so badly that there is no way a fax would come across with any sort of legible information. Fast forward to today and I was able to get Best Buy to reprint the receipt for me from their computers so first thing tomorrow Westinghouse will be getting their info and hopefully I will be able to get a store credit at BB which will be used to upgrade to a larger, better built TV.

At least that's the hope.

I think they've got to know about the spectacularly high failure rate on these sets as the customer service rep I talked to suggested a hard reset first and after I told him that I had been down that road he quickly suggested that it was probably a faulty board. No &%*#, Sherlock. :rolleyes:

I wish everyone who's having troubles with these POSs the best of luck and all I can say is, never again Westinghouse. Never again.

Bruce

Same exact problems, I guess I wont waste my money on trying to fix it, I can still watch it but it is real garbage they die after this short of time, Mine was at 17 months and now I have the green mess on screen as well. Will go with an extended warranty next time. I am done with Westinghouse and all the no name brands for that matter.

komando

01-13-09, 08:12 PM

Turned mine on tonight and no signal from HDMI so switched over to another HDMI input same deal, tried the unplug/plug back in trick and no dice. Tried a factory reset from the setup screen with same result. A/V input (RCA) works fine. Ideas? This is less then 6 months old.

cbeyond

01-14-09, 06:11 PM

jkpq45

01-15-09, 08:59 AM

nascar24

01-15-09, 09:39 AM

I had the same problem with my 47" Westinghouse 1080p last month, now its a brick.
First, suddenly one night, after 18 months of no problem, everything looked like those
old psychedelic music rock movies from the 70s. There were mostly green trails or ghosts on all stations. It sort of came and went as you watched it. I have one of the earlier models that has two big head sinks on the system or main board inside the TV.
I tried to update the firmware ( from software posted on this site), but that apparently
corrupted the software, so it does not turn on at all, just an light in front. I hate to
just throw it out. What do you plan to do with yours?

I have no clue what I am going to do with it other than stick it on the floor in another bedroom so I can go buy another one in the near future, Wont be soon enough though as I'm recently unemployed like so many other people in this great economy. I am still watching it with that great 2 inch green line down the side and the green mess that happens for some reason in dark scenes. Its strange that the color can look fine 80 percent of the time and then it just goes crazy in a mess for a few seconds then back to fine. There is always a green mess in the black areas of the screen though when the content is 4:3. There will be a warranty in my future purchase like this. Just seems like $1300 down the drain even though I got a year and a half use out of it. I was thinking of replacing the boards inside until I was reading someone in this thread state the panel could just be bad as he has seen the same kind of issue come up with plasmas. Mine is the first model as well, Looking at the boards on eBay it appears they changed the layout as they don't match mine. The VGA port appears to have been moved to the other side of the board.

barrison

01-17-09, 01:03 AM

Thank god for this thread. I was skeptical about the 47 inch model but bought one anyway.

I have problems upon delivery with "locking up". The set has problems when recieving signal through the HDMI with my cable box. When the cable box goes into an on demand menu and switches signal, the set is unable to compensate via the HDMI port and will do the slplit screen down the middle glitch. Whenever one of these glitches occur, the remote is rendered useless.

Other times the remote is useless after a few minutes. I've tried searching through this MASSIVE thread and cant lock down specific issues to specific firmware version. Can anyone give me a good breakdown of this problem? I have found post from people with issues similar to mine with no reply to them.

Thankfully the picture is outstanding so i wary of messing with the firmware. I have version 1.4.2 and thinking of going down to 1.3.0 but then i hear others say that messing with 1.4.2 results in a brick....any help is appreciated THANKS!

beefy6969

01-18-09, 01:11 AM

I won't do anything until someone confirms there's a solution. Has anyone had a firmware update go bad that they've fixed? I.E. has anyone performed an update, gotten no response from the TV, and tried a different USB stick/software combo and gotten it to work afterwards?

Has anyone replaced the mainboard in the TV? Any reason to think that won't fix it?

Hi buddy, I am in the same situation as you. While upgrading my firmware, the TV will not turn on anymore. Seems like I bricked the TV. I have tried ALL the firmwares posted on this thread. I have tried 3 USB thumbdrives, and still cant get it to work. I am at a loss right now. :confused:

nascar24

01-18-09, 10:07 AM

akajimmy

01-19-09, 02:56 PM

Hi buddy, I am in the same situation as you. While upgrading my firmware, the TV will not turn on anymore. Seems like I bricked the TV. I have tried ALL the firmwares posted on this thread. I have tried 3 USB thumbdrives, and still cant get it to work. I am at a loss right now. :confused:

I had this same problem, I tried to upgrade the firmware and failed, so I called Westy, and we scheduled an appointment with Bestbuy. It would not be for a couple of days. I waited. Two days later I tried again. I unzipped the firmware to the usb drive. Unplugged the tv, plugged in the drive. Plugged it back in and walked away. 15 minutes later I was back in business. I have the 42' version though.

nascar24

01-19-09, 10:28 PM

I had this same problem, I tried to upgrade the firmware and failed, so I called Westy, and we scheduled an appointment with Bestbuy. It would not be for a couple of days. I waited. Two days later I tried again. I unzipped the firmware to the usb drive. Unplugged the tv, plugged in the drive. Plugged it back in and walked away. 15 minutes later I was back in business. I have the 42' version though.

I think you just experienced a TV lockup and not a failed Firmware upgrade. These TV's are known to lock and unplugging them fix it from time to time. A failed firmware would mean the TV pretty much lost its brain and it wouldnt have a clue what to do with that USB drive plugged in.

jkpq45

01-22-09, 05:52 PM

I had this same problem, I tried to upgrade the firmware and failed, so I called Westy, and we scheduled an appointment with Bestbuy. It would not be for a couple of days. I waited. Two days later I tried again. I unzipped the firmware to the usb drive. Unplugged the tv, plugged in the drive. Plugged it back in and walked away. 15 minutes later I was back in business. I have the 42' version though.

Does anyone have firmware for the 47" version? I suspect all versions in this thread are for the 42". Westinghouse lists the mainboard part number for the two TVs as the same (W420-SUSANT V M/B -1A DIP LX68 55.3YV01.D04G) but that doesn't mean the firmware's the same.

Does anyone know where I can pick up a motherboard for less that $350? The $100 ones on EBay are obviously the wrong ones.

thecuriousone

01-24-09, 04:55 PM

Hi Everybody-

Re: TX-42F430S-B 42

I spent some time reading through the posts regarding this TV and I have some questions.

1. Most of the problems seems to appear when people are attaching cable inputs and DVR's. I dont plan to do this. If I purchase this TV it will be for OTA cable and as my computer monitor. Thats it. I dont plan to play games or anything.

2. I have an ATI all in wonder graphics card, can that be used with this TV or will I have to upgrade? The card was purchased in 2006.

3. What connection will give me the crispest monitor display? I understand the VGA connections, but get confused with othe Connections between my computer and the monitor that are referenced. For example, do I have to install an HDMI card in my computer in order to have the crispest output on the TV when its used as a monitor?

4. Lastly, Can I have a picture in Picture (OTA HD PIP) while I am working on my computer?

Thanks for any observations that can help. I have wanted to make the jump to HD for some time and see this as a cost effective first step.

thecuriousone

01-24-09, 05:40 PM

Hi Everybody-

I have one more question. If I purchase from one of the consolidators online, should they be able to tell me the firmware version installed on the machine? Is that part of the spec anywhere?

I would prefer to purchase a machines with this already installed. thanks

barrison

01-25-09, 08:22 PM

nascar24

01-25-09, 10:37 PM

If your not buying the TX line at an absolute dirt cheap price I would recommend putting your money into something else because the TX line is obviously plagued with some serious problems. Just ticks me off I am going to have to buy another flat panel after just 17 months of use.

Xcalibur_255

01-27-09, 06:15 PM

Wow, this thread is still going. That's kind of sad actually. FWIW my replacement unit continues to function so long as I take care not to anger it by triggering any of the quirks in the buggy firmware. From what I can tell no newer versions of firmware are any better either. I've decided I am lucky since I actually don't have any HDMI handshake issues at all, nor image retention problems. I'm not certain if this has been pointed out, but the problem here seems pretty obvious. Users who are experiencing this image retention are not using the E.Saver power mode and are turning their tvs "off" with it left in one of the video input screens instead of on the cable tuner. As a result the screen, while not backlit but still very much operating, is displaying the video input dialog box all the time the tv is "off" and it gradually turns into a retention issue. Turning the set to the cable tuner, or leaving it on the input which is connected to your cable box then leaving said cable box on should solve this problem. Of course using E.Saver mode will to, but I understand anybody being skittish about turning it off and wondering if it will ever turn on again.

I was hoping mine would die for a while so I could go buy a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma, but now that I'm facing a layoff I have to instead hope my Westinghouse set hangs in there.

cbeyond

01-28-09, 09:24 PM

nascar24

01-28-09, 11:18 PM

Its facing down flat on my kitchen table right now, with the main (system)
board removed, back cover removed, and lcd controller board exposed, ready to be removed. I had to look at the actual circuit boards to get the part number. Westinghouse does not sell parts so I ordered a main board, to start, from www.partstore.com, with part# 55.3YT10.001G. Its about $344.00 Apparently there are at least two different mainboards for this tv model. Mine is the earlier version, I think. These boards look kind of like a PC motherboard, with vga, usb, and big heat sinks. There is a removable chip that looks like its where the firmware is(was) located. My part is now backordered, and I am crossing my fingers that they ship the correct, working part. I give it a 50% chance of a successful repair. If I can get the tv to boot and show a picture with the "green mess" (mostly green, blocky trails behind moving images), then that would be good. Then I plan the order the $50 lcd controller card and replace that, too. Then hopefully the tv will be fully repaired for $400.00. I am assuming that the panel is ok. That is risky on my part but no one can tell me how to diagnose a bad panel
vs bad internal circuit boards. My TV repairman says it would cost more to
repair it than its worth., from a telephone conversation.

cbeyond,
Please let me know the result of your findings. I have the same green mess on my screen and I am still using it now since I am laidoff and am not going to be making another big TV purchase until I am working again. It would be nice to know if it is a problem with the mainboarrd, Video controller or the panel itself. I was also tempted tonight to take it apart and pull the parts and reconnect them to see if it was some kind of bad connection issue. If its just the video controller for $50 I would order that in a min and replace it myself. Also how simple and fragile is it to take apart? Is it a simple process?

Also,
Do you have the part number of the video controller board? The store you bought the main board from doesn't seem to have very good descriptions of the parts they have.

Lodurr

01-30-09, 06:24 AM

I own a 42" Westinghouse, since August '07. Just a few months after purchase it started having trouble switching from an HDMI source to the VGA source; the screen would freeze and I would have to soft reset (hold power button for 10 seconds). After reset, the input would be set to VGA. It was an annoyance but I could live with it. After moving to a new place recently, the soft reset occasionally fails and I have to unplug the unit and plug it in again to get it unfrozen.

This week, unplugging the unit to wake it up wasn't working. When I plugged it back in, the front LED light stayed orange and the screen stayed black. A couple of nights ago, I left the orange light on for a good 10 minutes and out of nowhere the white "W" showed up on the screen and the screen worked again.

Tonight, I had the same problem where it wouldn't come back simply because I unplugged the screen and moved it to a different outlet. The front LED was stuck orange, and leaving it on for 10 or 20 minutes did nothing. I found this thread, and set up a USB firmware flash. But having the USB drive plugged in made no difference. Finally I just held the remote's power button for 10 seconds and the white "W" showed up and it came back to life. The USB stick was even still plugged in and the screen ignored it.

Hopefully these new methods will keep my TV alive, since it's out of warranty and I got laid off months ago. Has anyone else dealt with the same problem I'm having? I have the 1.1.0 firmware, should I upgrade it?

nascar24

01-30-09, 09:41 AM

The TX line is proving to be nothing but low quality garbage! It seems these TV's have an 18 month life span.

jkpq45

01-30-09, 10:08 AM

Has anyone recovered from a bad firmware flash on a TX-47? I'm wanting to see someone come back from it with a mainboard/lcd controller replacement.

Any reason to think it won't work?

KarlBud420

01-31-09, 10:15 AM

The TX line is proving to be nothing but low quality garbage! It seems these TV's have an 18 month life span.

Amen to that! I can truly sympathize with what everyone is going through here, but I didn't even get a full 12 months so I was still covered by the 1 year warranty.

The Best Buy corporate office finally came through for me after 5 weeks of waiting with an exchange authorization for the original purchase price on my POS. I'm almost positive that the waiting was dependent on Westinghouse and their poor method of conducting business. I decided to go for a Samsung this time with an extended warranty, nothing left to chance this time.

Westinghouse: Boo-hiss!!!

Bruce

nascar24

01-31-09, 10:54 AM

Amen to that! I can truly sympathize with what everyone is going through here, but I didn't even get a full 12 months so I was still covered by the 1 year warranty.

The Best Buy corporate office finally came through for me after 5 weeks of waiting with an exchange authorization for the original purchase price on my POS. I'm almost positive that the waiting was dependent on Westinghouse and their poor method of conducting business. I decided to go for a Samsung this time with an extended warranty, nothing left to chance this time.

Westinghouse: Boo-hiss!!!

Bruce

What ticks me off even more is I was going to get the extended warranty on this TX POS after I purchased it and called Best Buy on the phone and they couldn't do it over the phone so I hung up and never ended up getting it.

KarlBud420

01-31-09, 02:01 PM

Ouch, that hurts.

From reading this forum and the opinions and experiences on not just Westinghouse TVs, but all flat panels, plasma or LCD, it seems like there are problems with just about every flavor available. Some have a lower rate for problems, but there are problems regardless. It looks like there are still bugs being ironed out.

I was really hesitant to even pick out a replacement for my defective set and just go back to my old 32" CRT, but a refund wasn't an option so I went with the extended warranty. That old school TV is over 8 years old and it still runs like a champ albeit with 480 resolution..

By the time they get the manufacture of these perfected, there'll be something better like 3D broadcasting and TVs.

Like I said, everyone who owns one of these really has my sympathies and I'll keep my fingers crossed that those who are starting to experience problems have good luck.

Bruce

timalan

02-01-09, 03:10 PM

I have a TX47
I sent this question to A place westinghouse sent me to buy parts.

I am looking for a Pc board for my westinghouse TV Model TX-47F430S
S/N 5120J71801745.
They sent me this.

Hello again,

The main board (part # 55.3YT10.001G) for this unit is $316.67 (plus an
additional $20.00 core charge) each plus shipping & handling.

To place an order, please contact our order desk at 1-800-274-4666 or
661-257-7700 M-F 8:15 AM to 4:45 PM PST. You may also place an order on
our website at (won't let me post the site.)

Thank you,

Andrews Electronics
They needed this number from the back of my TV. TW-51201-L047A
Now with that said. They want my core board. this means they are probably just reprogramming the firmware. Westinghouse will not give me The firmware. It isn't an upgrade.(i guess there isn't one)
So Here is the question. Do I spend the 336.00 bucks to Have my westinghouse back only to be having the same problem in a year or less. Or do I save and buy a new TV without this issue.

nascar24

02-01-09, 05:51 PM

nascar24

02-01-09, 09:09 PM

On a side note tonight my wonderful TX47 has made itself a bit better by losing all the green garbage but I still notice some corruption within the windows desktop, No where as bad as the green trail stuff. Don't expect it to last though.:rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong it isn't all OK, Its still messed up. Colors flash and such, Just the green garbage went away for now.

jkpq45

02-02-09, 09:42 AM

beefy6969

02-02-09, 02:10 PM

I think you just experienced a TV lockup and not a failed Firmware upgrade. These TV's are known to lock and unplugging them fix it from time to time. A failed firmware would mean the TV pretty much lost its brain and it wouldnt have a clue what to do with that USB drive plugged in.

Yea I believed my TV was bricked because of a failed firmware upgrade. I tried literally everything, unplugged power, left it on for 20min, hard reset, tried a few different firmwares, tried different brands of thumbdrives. :(

I called Westinghouse and they where of no help. The tech guy said these TV have alot of power supply issues. Does anyone know how much a new Power Supply is? or will I need a new board since my firmware is fukced?

Does anyone have another firmware I can try that was not listed in this forum? I have the 42" TX42F430S

nascar24

02-02-09, 07:25 PM

Yea I believed my TV was bricked because of a failed firmware upgrade. I tried literally everything, unplugged power, left it on for 20min, hard reset, tried a few different firmwares, tried different brands of thumbdrives. :(

I called Westinghouse and they where of no help. The tech guy said these TV have alot of power supply issues. Does anyone know how much a new Power Supply is? or will I need a new board since my firmware is fukced?

Does anyone have another firmware I can try that was not listed in this forum? I have the 42" TX42F430S

If your TV is dead because of a failed firmware upgrade no other version firmware is going to fix it, You will need to replace the main board most likely. If you can find your board on eBay, They seem to go for $100. Take a close look at the picture though as the ones they were trying to sell for the TX47 did not match my TX47 board as the VGA port was on the wrong side. Probably best off taking your TV apart and getting the part number off the board, I was tempted to take mine apart but it still works to a point so I didn't tempt fate, But since yours is bricked what do you have to lose in trying to replace the main board for $100. Other than the $100 of course.:)

Searched eBay but couldn't find the main board for the TX42, They have the LCD controller and PSU but no main board from what I could find.

timalan

02-04-09, 08:53 AM

I take it you bricked your TV with an attempted Firmware upgrade? I say its too much myself I would put it into a new one, If its just an LCD controller board for $50 then that would be worth it to me.

Nope. I turn it on. the big W comes up (I assume this means the LCD controller is working) and it goes straight to the amber sleep Led and wont do anything else. This happened when I had my cable disconnected to switch to satellite. Hasn't worked since. done nothing to it.
I don't think there is a firmware upgrade. And they won't let you have the original to reload.

DynStatic

02-04-09, 02:46 PM

Just a little update: My TV won't power up. I just get the amber light. I've done everything I can think of to fix it.

BestBuy is coming out this Saturday to check it out. I'm hoping I can just get money for this TV. It's done this before, but I've always been able to recover until now.

wde.com says my serial number does not match their records.

I was a very early adopter. Purchased 5/23/07.

This TV was finally replaced under BestBuy's PSP policy. It took 70 days to get the replacement authorized and another few days for me to get the TV back. Last night I got a Samsung 61" HL61A750 as a replacement. I'll only buy Westinghouse light bulbs from now on. Leave the tv's to the pros.

nascar24

02-04-09, 03:24 PM

sabih786

02-04-09, 04:00 PM

I had the chance to watch the planet earth blu ray on this tv over hdmi. I must say i was not impressed. The blacks seem to be dark gray, there was so much banding that i could see from approx 10 feet away on a 47inch. I never had these issues on my panasonic 1080p plasma(700u). how would you guys rate this tv after having it for a while?

nascar24

02-04-09, 04:04 PM

sabih786

02-04-09, 04:15 PM

How bout picture quality. from what i saw on the 47 inch 1080p model here, It looked like crap. i was definately not impressed. I will remain a plasma kinda guy.

w1ngman

02-04-09, 08:13 PM

This TV was finally replaced under BestBuy's PSP policy. It took 70 days to get the replacement authorized and another few days for me to get the TV back. Last night I got a Samsung 61" HL61A750 as a replacement. I'll only buy Westinghouse light bulbs from now on. Leave the tv's to the pros.

Another "Goodbye-WestyTX-Hello-Sammy650" owner here :cool:. I'd had my fill of watching TWO IMAGES...one upright, while the 2nd displayed upside down over the upright image. A good Geek Squad tech visit diagnosed the 'widget' involved as not being repairable by the manufacturer (still under 1 year warranty), and pushed through a BB exchange/refund for me. I owe that fellow a beer ;)

- Dave

hiamiyumi

02-05-09, 04:51 AM

Still use this crap LCD to play L4D everyday, I hope it die soon so I can get a other TV.
I still wait for the Geek Squad to order the HDMI inputs part to fix.

Jagercola

02-05-09, 11:23 PM

nascar24

02-06-09, 08:16 AM

My 42" set is having serious issues locking onto HDCP and Non-HDCP digital signals (Especially through my Denon Receiver). I went through Westinghouse tech support, and they said they will send a tech out since the TV is 42". Anyone had any luck with the techs? I'm not sure what one can do on-site since these things are pretty complex.

The problem with these Westinghouse TV's as well is parts are not readily available for them either, So the tech comes out, Half the time they can't get the part and if they can it will be months before they get it.

alexandertyler

02-08-09, 04:53 PM

nascar24

02-08-09, 07:29 PM

Does anybody know how the product replacement plan at Best Buy works? I just want to take the TV back to the store and buy a different one. Is there anything I should or shouldn't say to swap out the TV? Any input from Best Buy employees or anybody with experience with their PRP have any suggestions on how to do this painlessly? I have had the TV for over one year by the way.

Thanks,

Alex

P.S. My only real problem with the set is the screen shake issue with the PS3 and rare HDMI handshaking issues. All else is fine, I just want a different TV.

Are you able to do that? I thought it had to be truly broken and not fixable for you to be able to do that. Reading some recent posts here makes it sound like a good 2 1/2 month process. You have to call them and I believe they send someone out and then it has to be approved. The guy a few posts up sounded like it was a total pain, But hey at least he was able to do it, I have no recourse for my Broken TX47.

Lodurr

02-08-09, 07:36 PM

Does anybody know how the product replacement plan at Best Buy works? I just want to take the TV back to the store and buy a different one. Is there anything I should or shouldn't say to swap out the TV? Any input from Best Buy employees or anybody with experience with their PRP have any suggestions on how to do this painlessly? I have had the TV for over one year by the way.Can you even swap it after one year? Do you have an extended warranty?

I swapped mine because my the speakers were poorly wired--the sound would get distorted while playing louder noises. This wouldn't happen much while watching TV, but if I hooked it up to my PC and did the Windows system beep, it would do it every time. I went to the store I bought it from and the manager was there and was being defensive about it. He said the speakers aren't meant to replace stereo speakers, that their power is very low, and that they didn't have another in stock anyway. So I went to a different Best Buy near me, explained my problem, and without really listening the lady at the returns desk did the exchange for me.

If you can, scope out the returns desk first and figure out who the manager is, and don't try to swap it when he's around.

DynStatic

02-09-09, 04:50 PM

Does anybody know how the product replacement plan at Best Buy works? I just want to take the TV back to the store and buy a different one. Is there anything I should or shouldn't say to swap out the TV? Any input from Best Buy employees or anybody with experience with their PRP have any suggestions on how to do this painlessly? I have had the TV for over one year by the way.

Thanks,

Alex

P.S. My only real problem with the set is the screen shake issue with the PS3 and rare HDMI handshaking issues. All else is fine, I just want a different TV.

There has to be a problem with the TV. They won't just swap the TV because you want a new one, especially in this economical climate. And even if it is broken, they won't just swap it. I'll give you the line they told me repeatedly. "You purchased a service plan, not a replacement plan. We will try and service the TV first to the best of our ability." They don't mention a timely manner.

From what I've heard, if your within the 1st year of your manufacture's warranty, it's easier to get a replacement. If your on the PSP plan, it's going to be much harder.

Which ever way it is, it's not going to be painless.

cheapcheap1

02-15-09, 11:18 PM

nascar24

02-16-09, 01:03 AM

Sorry, those numbers do not match our records. Please call Customer Support for assistance.

Pls explain....???

If you are from Westinghouse support could you please give me some guidance on what might be wrong with my TX47 if I am getting a green 2 inch thick line down the side of the screen and messed up green garbage in dark scenes as well as lots of messed up pink stuff in white backgrounds???? Very disappointed that this TV has these problems only after a year and a half after spending $1300 on it. Could you tell me if just a LCD controller or main board would be causing this or is the LCD panel itself bad????? Anything but an LCD controller makes it not worth it by looking at pricing though.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 01:05 AM

Hey guys...

I tried searching google many times and finally found this thread and couldnt believe how long it was! It might have been talked about before, but I dont know if I could find my answer to a question I have by looking through this thread.

My question is:

I am having the problem with HDMI source not being detected. I keep doing the unplug the TV and HDMI cords, plug back in, factory reset, plug back in HDMI cords and it works again. However, there is a firmware update on Westinghouse's page for my 42F430S. I downloaded it, made sure my USB thumbdrive was FAT32 compatible, extracted and unzipped the files into my drive, unplugged the TV, put the thumbdrive into the usb port on the TV, and plugged back the power source into the TV. However, the description says that I should Push the Power button and it should show that its downloading the firmware. Thats when this gets weird. I dont even need to press the power button for the TV to turn on. Once I plug the TV in, it will turn itself on, show the white "W" and thats it. It wont download the firmware. Even when I press the powerbutton right after I plug the TV in it does the same thing. I know that the firmware is on the USB as well.

Whats going on?

Woobieizer

02-17-09, 09:54 AM

My question is:
....the description says that I should Push the Power button and it should show that its downloading the firmware. .~~~... Once I plug the TV in, it will turn itself on, show the white "W" and thats it. It wont download the firmware. Even when I press the powerbutton right after I plug the TV in it does the same thing. I know that the firmware is on the USB as well.

Whats going on?

In your MENU SETTING. the POWER options.. you have yours set to "POWER ON PLUG"
toggle it off and retry. Setting generally takes advantage of power outage, or a switched receptical, in your case, needless aggrevation and some confusion.
Luck with the updated firmware.. I know nothing on that.
Regards

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 11:43 AM

I still have the older 1.3.0 FW that is/was made for the 47" if anyone needs it I can host it again on fileplanet or something.

I can't guarantee this but I heard that it is the same exact firmware for both the 42" and the 47" so if someone is stuck with the 1.6.3 that 1080 sources don't work with you could try it if you can't find the 1.3.0 anywhere else.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 01:10 PM

The version I'm trying to install is the 1.4.2. Im still having trouble with it even after the good tip from Woobie.

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 01:32 PM

The version I'm trying to install is the 1.4.2. Im still having trouble with it even after the good tip from Woobie.

All I have ever done for FW updates is unplug the TV from power insert the USB and then plug the power back in. I don't think I ever had to press the power button. The W appears on the screen when first plugged in then it goes black but the blue light blinks for a while then it will stop and turn orange when done or blue I forget for sure but it stops blinking when it is done. After it stops blinking unplug it from power again and take out the USB then plug the power back in and it should be good to go.

You other problem could be how you have the files on the USB. There should be just two files on the USB and nothing else do a format on the drive and then extract just the FW files to it so it is completely blank except for what you have to have on it. Also not all drives will work with the TV try another drive too.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 02:26 PM

All I have ever done for FW updates is unplug the TV from power insert the USB and then plug the power back in. I don't think I ever had to press the power button. The W appears on the screen when first plugged in then it goes black but the blue light blinks for a while then it will stop and turn orange when done or blue I forget for sure but it stops blinking when it is done. After it stops blinking unplug it from power again and take out the USB then plug the power back in and it should be good to go.

You other problem could be how you have the files on the USB. There should be just two files on the USB and nothing else do a format on the drive and then extract just the FW files to it so it is completely blank except for what you have to have on it. Also not all drives will work with the TV try another drive too.

I reformatted the drive on the 3rd try and it still just boots up the white "W" and then goes to the channel I was watching previously before I turned the TV off. No blinking of the blue light or anything.

I called the WH tech support and he said that he has been getting many calls about the firmware update not taking to the TV. He said that WH updates the firmware every year and it is possible that they are updating the firmware now and that is why it isnt working. He said to try again in 2-3 weeks. I don't know if I believe him or not because I dont know why they would have the update to download if it doesnt work.

You said you have an older version right? I might try that. I'll get another thumbdrive as well to see if that helps. I have a kingston driver and thats the brand they use and show in the screenshots from the step by step instructions on their site. Also, I just looked at my USB contents and this is what it looks like...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Dawsonpc14/USBcontents.jpg

Frustrating...

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 02:37 PM

I reformatted the drive on the 3rd try and it still just boots up the white "W" and then goes to the channel I was watching previously before I turned the TV off. No blinking of the blue light or anything.

I called the WH tech support and he said that he has been getting many calls about the firmware update not taking to the TV. He said that WH updates the firmware every year and it is possible that they are updating the firmware now and that is why it isnt working. He said to try again in 2-3 weeks. I don't know if I believe him or not because I dont know why they would have the update to download if it doesnt work.

You said you have an older version right? I might try that. I'll get another thumbdrive as well to see if that helps. I have a kingston driver and thats the brand they use and show in the screenshots from the step by step instructions on their site. Also, I just looked at my USB contents and this is what it looks like...

Frustrating...

I don't think that file structure looks right. I will be home in about two and a half hours three at most and I can verify once I am at my home PC if that is right or not. If it isn't right I will re-post the file structure it gives me from the zip. I think I remember there where only two files that you should have on the USB drive. One should be a unrecognizable file and the other should be a zipped file and nothing else. So if that is what the downloaded file is giving you when you extract it to your USB drive then maybe the tech you spoke to from Westy was right that it is messed up. I will post all the versions I have and upload any version you want to try once I get home.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 02:43 PM

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 06:07 PM

Yea thats what I get when I double click on the downloaded file in winrar, and then extract to the USB drive. I really appreciate your help on this matter and will wait until you provide more info about the USB files! Thanks again.

Ya something it wrong with what your getting from the .rar. You should only get two files no folders or anything else. All of them I have ever downloaded only have the two files.

The files should be update_LCD1080CX.tgz and the other one safe-kernel.img1.

I only have two of the firmwares on this computer I have 1.3.0 which is the only one I will post for anyone to download since 1.6.3 is confirmed to be bad by multiple people.

So if you need it I will upload to somewhere and post a link or you can try to find my post many pages back where I gave links.

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 06:18 PM

This was downloaded for the 47" TV so will guarantee it will work with that. I can't say for sure myself but others have stated that it is the same firmware for both the 42" and the 47" but if you try it on a 42" try at your own risk.

1.3.0 Firmware (http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/23/2062163/SusanII_v1.3.0_20071026.rar)

I don't know what is wrong with fileden right now I show it is on my files and have the right link but even when I try to download it says I have the wrong URL. Will try to fix it.

Gave up on fileden made a new account on mediafire.

1.3.0 Firmware (http://www.mediafire.com/?zwmzcndd1h1)

Sorry about the popup ads but at least it works.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 06:45 PM

Ya something it wrong with what your getting from the .rar. You should only get two files no folders or anything else. All of them I have ever downloaded only have the two files.

The files should be update_LCD1080CX.tgz and the other one safe-kernel.img1.

I only have two of the firmwares on this computer I have 1.3.0 which is the only one I will post for anyone to download since 1.6.3 is confirmed to be bad by multiple people.

So if you need it I will upload to somewhere and post a link or you can try to find my post many pages back where I gave links.

Yea, I know what two files you are talking about. I have those, however after downloading, I open the file and winrar opens and I get this...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Dawsonpc14/afterdownload.jpg

Those are the two files you described. However, in the instructions, it tells me to double click the update file and when the window pops up I hit extract to and then it extracts all those files into my usb drive that I showed before in the picture. So Im doing something wrong then? If so, how do I fix it?

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 07:12 PM

Yea, I know what two files you are talking about. I have those, however after downloading, I open the file and winrar opens and I get this...

Those are the two files you described. However, in the instructions, it tells me to double click the update file and when the window pops up I hit extract to and then it extracts all those files into my usb drive that I showed before in the picture. So Im doing something wrong then? If so, how do I fix it?

You should be getting just those two files just like you showed in your picture. You could try right clicking the file and not opening it at all and then going to Extract To: and then choose your thumb drive.

I just tried it myself though opened it using winrar and then just hit Extract To and then chose a folder and all it put there was the two files.

You also want to make sure your thumb drive is formatted correctly it should be FAT32 if I remember right.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 07:49 PM

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 08:04 PM

Ok, so I did what you suggested about extracting and that worked. I just have the update and kernal file on the USB. Now I run into another problem. The TV wont turn on with the USB drive in the port. So I take the drive out and the TV is very hesitant to turn on without it as well. It turns on though unlike with the drive in it. What the....

I don't know what you mean by hesitant to turn on.

Was the thumb drive formatted FAT32 before you extracted the files to it? Did you turn off and then unplug your TV then insert the thumb drive? Don't even try to turn your TV on after plugging it in just see if it does something by itself before you press the power button. If it does nothing after a minute or so then press the power button. It should automatically detect the thumb drive and start the update process on it's own. It may turn on and display the W first then the screen turns off and just the LED in front blinks until it is done then it should stop blinking when it is done. Sometimes though after plugging the power back in you just have to press power and then it starts the process of updating. Make sure you press the physical power button on the TV not the remote.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 08:43 PM

I don't know what you mean by hesitant to turn on.

Was the thumb drive formatted FAT32 before you extracted the files to it? Did you turn off and then unplug your TV then insert the thumb drive? Don't even try to turn your TV on after plugging it in just see if it does something by itself before you press the power button. If it does nothing after a minute or so then press the power button. It should automatically detect the thumb drive and start the update process on it's own. It may turn on and display the W first then the screen turns off and just the LED in front blinks until it is done then it should stop blinking when it is done. Sometimes though after plugging the power back in you just have to press power and then it starts the process of updating. Make sure you press the physical power button on the TV not the remote.

Yes, the USB drive is formatted in the FAT32. It has been since I tried doing the firmware the first time, although I had other files on it so I wiped it clear and then added the files again the second time I tried.

This is my process of what Im doing:

Turn off TV
Unplug TV
Wait for LED light to go out
Plug in USB drive into usb service port
Plug back in the TV
The LED orange light turns on
I wait a couple of minutes
I press the physical power button on the TV
Nothing Happens and it doesnt turn on
I wait a couple mins more and press it again
The Tv doesnt turn on and no updating takes place
I unplug the TV, take out USB, plug back in Tv
Press the power button and it takes about 10 secs for the W come on and then the TV starts.

I have no idea whats going on...but I also retract my statement of the TV is hesitant to turn on with the thumbdrive out. It turns on just fine.

Also, I just tried putting the "Power on Plugin" option back on and it wont turn itself on with the USB in the TV port. But it will without the thumbdrive in it. Explain that! lol

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 09:12 PM

Yes, the USB drive is formatted in the FAT32. It has been since I tried doing the firmware the first time, although I had other files on it so I wiped it clear and then added the files again the second time I tried.

This is my process of what Im doing:

Turn off TV
Unplug TV
Wait for LED light to go out
Plug in USB drive into usb service port
Plug back in the TV
The LED orange light turns on
I wait a couple of minutes
I press the physical power button on the TV
Nothing Happens and it doesnt turn on
I wait a couple mins more and press it again
The Tv doesnt turn on and no updating takes place
I unplug the TV, take out USB, plug back in Tv
Press the power button and it takes about 10 secs for the W come on and then the TV starts.

I have no idea whats going on...but I also retract my statement of the TV is hesitant to turn on with the thumbdrive out. It turns on just fine.

Also, I just tried putting the "Power on Plugin" option back on and it wont turn itself on with the USB in the TV port. But it will without the thumbdrive in it. Explain that! lol

It won't turn on because it isn't suppose to turn on with anything inserted into the USB while something is in the USB is it suppose to be updating.

There are a couple of things to try. The first one is on the Power Setting for the setting Power Mode have it set to Normal not E. Saver that could have something to do with it not powering up fast enough when you plug it in to for the update. The only thing I can think of is that it doesn't like the USB drive your trying to use. I got lucky the first one I ever tried worked just fine others have to try a couple of different ones to get it to work. The one I have is a Memorex traveldrive 1GB mini USB 2.0. It has some bundled U3 software BS on it when you plug it into a PC it runs it but it seems to work perfect with the Westy still. I got it for like $7.50 a long time ago from Wal-Mart before I even had the TV.

What Firmware version does your TV currently have? Also what size TV do you have and what firmware are you trying to update to.

Woobieizer

02-17-09, 09:14 PM

How big is that thumb drive? You know, in mb or gb?

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 09:23 PM

How big is that thumb drive? You know, in mb or gb?

The one I have is a Memorex traveldrive 1GB mini USB 2.0. It has some bundled U3 software BS on it when you plug it into a PC it runs it but it seems to work perfect with the Westy still.

Or did you mean the other one with the problem?

Dawson14

02-17-09, 09:46 PM

How big is that thumb drive? You know, in mb or gb?

Its a 1 GB Kingston USB 2.0

Dawson14

02-17-09, 09:47 PM

It won't turn on because it isn't suppose to turn on with anything inserted into the USB while something is in the USB is it suppose to be updating.

There are a couple of things to try. The first one is on the Power Setting for the setting Power Mode have it set to Normal not E. Saver that could have something to do with it not powering up fast enough when you plug it in to for the update. The only thing I can think of is that it doesn't like the USB drive your trying to use. I got lucky the first one I ever tried worked just fine others have to try a couple of different ones to get it to work. The one I have is a Memorex traveldrive 1GB mini USB 2.0. It has some bundled U3 software BS on it when you plug it into a PC it runs it but it seems to work perfect with the Westy still. I got it for like $7.50 a long time ago from Wal-Mart before I even had the TV.

What Firmware version does your TV currently have? Also what size TV do you have and what firmware are you trying to update to.

Well I didnt mean the TV wont turn on so that I can browse the channels. I meant the Blue LED light wont even flash or anything come on the screen. It just sits there with the orange LED color on like I never pressed the power button.

Ill try the two things you suggested and get back to you.

Woobieizer

02-17-09, 10:10 PM

The one I have is a Memorex traveldrive 1GB mini USB 2.0. It has some bundled U3 software BS on it when you plug it into a PC it runs it but it seems to work perfect with the Westy still.

Or did you mean the other one with the problem?

I was wondering about Dawson14.

Anyhow.. what advantages is there to a successful firmware update..where did you start from ie. firmware version, and what did it add as far as functionality?

I've had my original firmware since go, and have owned my TV since 6/~20/07. Other than the annoyance of HDMI, being a HUB and having to move my inputs either from the Computer or PS3 to HDMI 1 for flicker free operation, I have no beef on my set. Wish it supported PIP!

Carsfanatic

02-17-09, 10:16 PM

I was wondering about Dawson14.

Anyhow.. what advantages is there to a successful firmware update..where did you start from ie. firmware version, and what did it add as far as functionality?

I've had my original firmware since go, and have owned my TV since 6/~20/07. Other than the annoyance of HDMI, being a HUB and having to move my inputs either from the Computer or PS3 to HDMI 1 for flicker free operation, I have no beef on my set. Wish it supported PIP!

Mine came with a 1.2.0 or something firmware and it had a few issues like the optical out didn't work at all and it had the problems with HDMI like you described it flickered unless I switched to VGA or TV and then back to HDMI. The 1.3.0 firmware fixed the HDMI issues and at least my optical works though I only get stereo from optical I am hoping for a future update that will fix that and allow it to send 5.1 via optical for the OTA tuner at least. The 1.6.3 firmware doesn't work at all for any 1080 source it flickers in and out when trying to use a 1080 source rending it useless. Hopefully the next one they put out fixes that and then they fix the optical output too. 1.3.0 has been the best most stable firmware to date.

Dawson14

02-17-09, 10:54 PM

Just a heads up...the power mode was on normal this entire time. Also the HDMI ports go out everytime the tv is turned on from off. Im trying to find another USB drive. I have no problems with flickering either...just the HDMI ports going out. How can you tell what firmware version you currently have?

Woobieizer

02-17-09, 11:49 PM

How can you tell what firmware version you currently have?

Well Duhhh!..

Press the MENU button, go to SETTINGS, go to SYSTEM INFORMATION.

:D

Dawson14

02-17-09, 11:55 PM

It has the 1.2.0 version :)

Dawson14

02-18-09, 12:02 AM

I tried a lexar 1 GB USB 2.0 and that didnt work either. Its gotta be the firmware. Could someone host an older version for me by chance?

Woobieizer

02-18-09, 12:52 AM

I tried a lexar 1 GB USB 2.0 and that didnt work either. Its gotta be the firmware. Could someone host an older version for me by chance?

What is it your trying to achieve, by updating your firmware? Are you having a specific prob? Please excuse me for not reading back if you have posted to this query before. I came looking to see if perhaps PIP had been added, since it has not.. I just here for the trouble.:p

Dawson14

02-18-09, 01:43 AM

What is it your trying to achieve, by updating your firmware? Are you having a specific prob? Please excuse me for not reading back if you have posted to this query before. I came looking to see if perhaps PIP had been added, since it has not.. I just here for the trouble.:p

My HDMI ports keep failing. I want the firmware update to see if it will fix the HDMI problems. Im having trouble getting them to work doing the old factory reset trick.

Im trying to be patient about this whole HDMI problem since I got a great deal on this TV, but its really starting to piss me off :D

nascar24

02-18-09, 09:51 AM

Woobieizer

02-18-09, 10:04 AM

My HDMI ports keep failing. I want the firmware update to see if it will fix the HDMI problems. Im having trouble getting them to work doing the old factory reset trick.

Im trying to be patient about this whole HDMI problem since I got a great deal on this TV, but its really starting to piss me off :D

IDK.. but if this helps.. but when I am on my PS3 and I switch games that require a different resolution.. move from 720 to 1080 for example.. my TV will on occasion go to a black screen and eventually display "no signal". I keep the remote handy for this: and press the INPUT button once, then press the ENTER button once. The TV finds the HDMI signal and I am out 3~10 seconds depending on how long I wait before reaching for remote.

On a side note. I know I have my TV registered with Westinghouse on via their site, yet if I go to the firmware page and input my serial number. I am told that the serial number does not match, or some such bs. But from the looks of my number, in there displayed sequence of batches.. I have the 24th that rolled down the production line. LOL. I have come to accept the limitations of the TV, yet appreciate too the money I invested to have the ability to run my PC, Sat, DVD, AMP, so much so I purchased a PS3 and have been a happy camper on HDMI 1, sound out of TV via a digital cable to my Sony Amp.

Good Skills to you too friend. and enjoy.

wootwoot123

02-18-09, 01:36 PM

I am using my best buy warranty and have been nothing but disappointed. At this point my TV has not worked for a month and I have no answers. They are having a hard time finding the part they need to replace to get my TV working so they are putting it to review on whether or not I can get this TV replaced.

nascar24

02-18-09, 01:41 PM

Dawson14

02-18-09, 05:43 PM

Sounds like you have a hardware problem, Its not likely a firmware change will fix this. Failing HDMI ports seem to be yet another problem with this wonderful TV.:mad:

I read that the problem is called a "handshake" issue. Somehow the TV cant recognize that the signal is there even though it is. It has to do with how the HDMI ports were wired into the other TV's hardware ( IIRC???). The signal clashes with some other hardware.

Car said that the firmware update fixed his HDMI issues and I hope it fixes mine as well.

I am using my best buy warranty and have been nothing but disappointed. At this point my TV has not worked for a month and I have no answers. They are having a hard time finding the part they need to replace to get my TV working so they are putting it to review on whether or not I can get this TV replaced.

When I registered my TV 3 days ago it said I could purchase and extended warranty from them for 60 bucks. I almost did it but then I saw it was provided by AIG. And I dont trust AIG for sh*t right now due to their financial situation ATM. Although, I'm halfway tempted to buy it anyway. I have an email offering that I can do it even though I declined during the registering process.

irshliquor

02-18-09, 05:44 PM

I have finally grown tired of dealing with the flickering HDCP issues with my PS3 and the other quirks that go along with the TX-47f430s. I was one of the first to purchase this set (June 2007), and I am hoping that the problems I have been having manifest themselves while the tech is at my house on Friday. I have the 4 year Best Buy PSP, so I'm hoping to obtain authorization to replace my TV.

Anyone have any advice or experience getting their TV replaced for HDMI flickering (random) and pink line along the bottom using Component @ 1080i?

nascar24

02-18-09, 10:22 PM

I read that the problem is called a "handshake" issue. Somehow the TV cant recognize that the signal is there even though it is. It has to do with how the HDMI ports were wired into the other TV's hardware ( IIRC???). The signal clashes with some other hardware.

Car said that the firmware update fixed his HDMI issues and I hope it fixes mine as well.

When I registered my TV 3 days ago it said I could purchase and extended warranty from them for 60 bucks. I almost did it but then I saw it was provided by AIG. And I dont trust AIG for sh*t right now due to their financial situation ATM. Although, I'm halfway tempted to buy it anyway. I have an email offering that I can do it even though I declined during the registering process.

Only piece of hardware that I have heard that has handshake issues is the PS3, If your having issues with anything else I think its going to be a hardware problem, I will get a handshake issue on start up of a device rarely but once its connected I never have any problems. Let alone there is something else seriously wrong with this piece of junk!:rolleyes:

kanigit

02-19-09, 10:21 AM

Does anyone have the firmware for the 42"? For some unknown reason the Westinghouse site says my information doesnt match. Thanks!

Carsfanatic

02-19-09, 11:47 AM

I think I actually just had my TV die last night I usually leave it on when I go to sleep. I have to have some kind of noise or the other "background" noises make it so I can't sleep. Haven't had a problem until this morning when I woke up it had the No Signal on screen. I figured my Dish Network receiver just needed to be reset(happens a lot because I use all the HD outputs sometimes it turns HDMI off) After reset it still didn't work so I tried my PS3 and nothing there. I tried the OTA tuner and nothing there so knew something was wrong. I unplugged it from power and will have to try it when I go to lunch.

Actually kind of hoping it is dead and nothing works on it, it has been less than a year since I bought it and hopefully I can just pick out a new TV.