Official Westinghouse TX Series ( TX-42F430S, TX-47F430S ) Owner's Thread - Page 6

I have some great news! I went to Best Buy today and FINALLY found the 42" TX! The model number is listed as TX-42H430S and the SKU# is 8386285 in Best Buy's system. Because I used the 10% off coupon it was CONSIDERABLY cheaper than online resellers are selling it for. I bought it on the spot. Now the bad news...the Best Buy guy (the first that I've talked to in about a month that seemed to know what he was talking about) said that they are not going to carry this model in my entire Region! So, I had to order it through Best Buy today to be able to use the coupon and it won't be at the store until June 22nd! But, I figure at the price I paid it is worth it to wait another 3 weeks. I've already waited so many months. He did say that they had the TV in stock at a store in Chicago, but there is no way I'm going to drive that far for the TV. Maybe someone interested in the 42" is close to Chicago, so that is why I mention it.

Anyhow, hope that model number and sku number helps someone else out finding the 42". Now, back to anticipation.

Excellent! I'm glad you came back with a smile...and not frustration. Looking forward to full reviews and experiences.

~b3nz0n8

Please note that the model number at Best Buy is slightly different than it is listed elsewhere online: 42H430S

If you search for this model number on google you get a website that claims to have it in stock. Worth a look!

I'm trying to decide between the 42" and 47". Right now I have an old 1080i only RPTV (40"). I want to replace it but I can't decide if it is worth the extra money for the 47. I sit about 8-10 feet away and my main source will be my PS3 for games and BD movies. Is the extra 5" worth it?

Absolutely. I can confirm..it is well worth it. It makes a huge difference especially at that distance. You will be happy with the 47"

~b3nz0n8

On a typical 6-12 ft run no, any cable should be satisfactory. Since none of the other owners seem to be in a position to contribute calibration advice at present it makes the backorder status on my own seem all the more frustrating.

Beware that letter H! That is not the TX series. Models designated with H are 720p models in the SK series. The 1080p TX series will have the F designation. In this case it appears Best Buy is in error since there is no H430S model from Westinghouse.

I suspect getting clarification on this setting from Westinghouse would prove a challenge but this is one of those things these companies do that makes me groan. All flatpanel displays MUST deinterlace any incoming signal that is not in a native progressive format. The panel displays images progressively period so whether this setting is on or off is irrelevant and the electronics will convert an interlaced signal to progressive no matter what. It has to. What this probably does is turn 3:2 cadence detection on or off (a.k.a. film mode) and is just really badly named. Unless the software was written very poorly it should be safe to leave the setting on 100% of the time. Proper cadence detection from the software will ensure it is in the correct de-interlacing mode for all types of video material. The purple line everybody is seeing is most likely a bug, one that we can get Westinghouse to fix once we've done some more thorough checking up on it. It reminds me of the bowed screen corner bug on the Olevia 5 series sets with the MTK chipset. The most likely explanation is that somebody got some values wrong when programming and the screen is underscanning slightly by mistake, though that thought is a bit disturbing considering the unit is supposed to be 1:1 mapping signals whenever possible.

It's too early to tell at this point.

No need to factory reset them. I'm hoping the color temp setting is our culprit, either that or some funky color space conversion issues are present. The whites appear pretty similar on both which is confusing. I doubt it's the tv's doing that is making reds look magenta colored. The TX is displaying a rather massive blue push from something and there's no use figuring out what's causing it until your connectivity issues are resolved. On that front I have little experience to offer due to lack of opportunity. My apologies.

Well I ordered a tx47 today, and it should be in the store on Thurs. Apparently they have like 40+ sitting in their warehouse (why I have no damn clue). So we'll see how it looks when it gets here.

Benzonate.. how are the colors on the tx47? You're getting me a little worried that perhaps the red/blues are a little washed out looking, is that the case? You say the blacks are better than the lvm but are the blues/reds bad? Thanks.

Are you sure? My receipt says TX-42H430S and the description says 42" Westinghouse 1080P LCD." If this is somehow a mislabeled 720p Best Buy will suffer my wrath come June 22nd.

Hey Guys,

KEEP IN MIND:

I HAVE NOT CALIBRATED EITHER PANEL(EXCEPT FOR A SMALL USER SETTING VIA THE USER MENU ON BOTH PANELS...BRIGHTNESS, SATURATION, HUE, CONTRAST, ETC TO MATCH THE TO PANELS AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE).

YOU MAY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE VIA PERSONAL CALIBRATION.


The LVM47 reds/blues are deeper. Xcalibur_255 mentioned this earlier and he was exactly right. The TX47 reds are more MAGENTA(they cannot reach the depth of the LVM47 CRIMSON through any basic user menu settings). You may be able to find comfortable reds with the user defined (R.G.B.) settings, but I highly doubt you will find the depth of the LVM47.

**NOTE** WHILE USING A BLACK SCREEN with the Backlight @ 95(TX)/90(LVM): The LVM47 has a pinkish tint to the LCD, where the TX47 carries a better, deeper black(that seem to crush a bit, lose detail, via some HD content(direct comparison to the LVM47).


This results in the LVM47 with better reds/blues....I have also notices that the Whites on the LVM seem to be a bit more brilliant(they "pop" as with the depth and detail in comparison to the yellowish/every so slightly smudge of the TX47(calibration?).

All of this in mind, I believe that you can achieve nearly the same image via the TX47(minus the red/blue color depth). Expert calibrators(Xcalibur_255) will turn this inside out when they have theirs.

One other thing I have noticed, the detail on the LVM47 seems to be a bit deeper as well on HD content. Possibly less black crush than the TX47, as you can see the creases in black suit pants in shadows.

The TX47 has a YELLOW tint to it, giving reds a bit more orange look. The yellow is very noticable in the WARM setting. I could not escape this yellow hue/tint in any setting I tried to tweak. I am not experienced with calibration...so don't take my experience too seriously. I do like the red/blue/black/brilliant whites of the LVM47...they are deep and detailed and brilliant.


I have connected the exact same Explorer 3250HD boxes to each set via the component input.

Althought the viewing angle of the LVM47 is not as good and cannot retain the colors/contrast like TX47....

....The LVM47 seems to have a better depth via HD content. By better depth, I mean, clarity(the detail in skin/hair, the whiteness(or lack of) teeth, the brilliance of the sun and shadows of trees on grass(the greens look better/deeper and more detailed).

I say this with each one side by side(TX47/LVM47) without much calibration.


The TX47 seems to be a bit more...smudged in details like the pores in skin and the brilliance of the whites...the whites seem to be a bit more yellow(dirty) than the LVM47....even after I perform many many different calibrations via contrast/brightnes/backlight/etc...

So, when my fiance gets home... it's off to BB to return the TX47 (I'm going to miss it) and have one shipped in(they sold the Floor model LVM47 and they are disappearing fast from BB inventory)


Once again, I do not want to sway anyone from the TX47 or give you a feeling it is not a good panel. The TX47 is a superb panel with a great picture, but to fit my needs(PC use) I need something that will communicate well with the other investment I have (many, many PC's and laptops). I will also save a few hundred dollars which will help me build a HTPC with a dual format HD/BLU-RAY DVD player.

The LVM47 suits my needs for now & the future.

The reason that jumps out at me with the LVM47: ~The detail, shadows, color depth seem to jump out(image depth, water, grass, clouds, etc) that the TX47 can reproduce with slightly less detail. Your experience may be different.

I will miss the SD "OVERSCAN" scaling (which, by the way, can be attained via the HD cable box feature "ZOOM")
~The extensive user calibration
~All the extra inputs/connections
~Tuner
~Internal/External sound system


Another NOTE,

I am having a very difficult time getting any DVI-HDMI via laptop video cards to connect to the TX47.

So, with all of this in mind. The LVM47 is my personal preference.

The Westinghouse website states and "improvement" in technology and "better". The 8ms (TX47) to the 6.5ms response time is academic, but the whites/blacks/reds/blues(and some greens) look amazing. I think they have(soone to be had) something with the LVM47 panel. It has its faults(red washout/decreased viewing angle), but the sheer depth & detail does rival that of the TX47, if not bests it by just a bit.

My opinion and I hope the feedback up to now is helpful. I am interested in hearing the experiences of those with a bit more knowledge and extensive calibration backgrounds.

The TX47 is an excellent TV with excellent "Monitor" capabilities....it may shine in the arena of "ALL THAT IS HD"...and many different platforms(XBOX 360, PS3, Blu-Ray, HD DVD...etc)..

I do not have those platforms, so I am unable to provide feedback, other than PC and HD Cable via component input.

Thats it for now....off to BB to start the process.

~b3nz0n8

Thanks BENZONATE for all your insights and hard work comparing the two models.

Did you ever get a chance to test the sound options of the TX? It concerns me that Huggybear was reporting only two channel output via the optical out.

I intend to hook up my cable directly to the TV and output all sound via optical to my receiver. If I receive an unencrypted HDTV signal I would assume that there would be 5.1 sound on that transmission and I'd like to have that 5.1 output through my receiver properly. Anyone else happen to test this?

Just got back from ordering a TX47. This after a year of saving and a good 8 or 9 months of intense research. There have been more twists, turns and last minute reversals than a murder mystery, but now the long struggle has ended. The relief is enormous, kind of like finally finding a bathroom when you really need to... never mind.

I'd like to thank my manager, my publicist, and a special thanks goes out to everybody on this thread and the anticipation thread, particularly Xcalibur_255, as well as everybody on the LVM47 thread (which is what got me on the whole Westinghouse kick in the first place).

And we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to BENZONATE (and his fiance) for going way above and beyond.

Christ, if I've made the right choice, maybe I can finally stay the hell off these boards and watch some t.v.

Thanks, looks like I'll save up for the TX47. I'm hoping to pick it up around July. Perhaps there will be another BB coupon day by then.

Watch TV? Why would you want to do that? It is far more fun running test patterns and finding the perfect calibration to know that when you actually USE the TV it will be the best.

Yeah, nothin' on anyway...

so where else can i get the 42" TX? online, in store? Im located in SoCal and i might just bite the bullet and get a good deal on the lvm-42w2

To flabioh: If you don't mind, how much did BB ask for the tx-42?

I walked in to Best Buy with my 42" LVM monitor and walked out with the TX-47F430S today on an even exchange by utilizing my PSP from them that I got when purchased the set.

So far no issues, looks great. 1080p works great with no issues from my 360 Elite via HDMI, HD content on TV (time warner) looks great. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Check your PM for the exact price. For everyone else I believe the retail price of the 42"is $1399. I assume this is not against forum rules as that is basically what it is going for everywhere online. I, of course, did not pay retail price with the sales and coupons going on. But, hopefully that gives you an idea. In my opinion, I think it is worth it to buy from Best Buy just so you can return it within 30 days if something goes horribly wrong. You also don't have to mess around with a monkey man-handling your package in shipment. The only con I can see of getting the 42" from BB is that you have to wait a freakin' long time to get it if you live out in the middle of no where like I do.

My experience with DD5.1 has not been good. First, it appears the Time Warner 8300HD DVR won't pass DD5.1 out the HDMI port to the TX 47 then onto my receiver, even with the TV set at External for the audio. My new upconvert DVD connected via HDMI behaves the same way... no DD5.1 passthrough to my receiver. I did have a Samsung that was giving me other grief that would pass it through if I selected the bitstream mode instead of PCM, but the TV wouldn't play the audio (didn't care though) and I did get a message breifly that said HDMI audio not supported. But, I had other locking up issues with that DVD player.

So, my experience with HDMI hasn't been a good one when it comes to audio. I could go with an HDMI "aware" receiver, but I think I will just switch the video with the TV and run all the audio optically directly to my receiver.

I've been happy with the TX 47 picture-wise, so far. Good color and great viewing angles, which was important to me in my room.

It makes the most sense to keep audio and video separate anyway. The only reason that I would need to run audio through the TX is for the QAM tuning (since I don't have nor plan to buy an external tuner). It isn't going to absolutely kill me to not have surround sound through the TX, I just think it is pointless to have an optical out on a TV when all it is passing is two channel audio. I'm really hoping a firmware update fixes this issue. With the new USB service port hopefully this won't be all that painful. Speaking of which, has anyone confirmed that this really is supposed to be as simple as just plugging in a USB memory stick with the firmware loaded on it and turn on the TV to flash the firmware? I read a long time ago that it is supposed to be that simple.

I got mine yesterday. Best Buy had marked it down to 1804.99, so with the 12% off coupon, I made out like a bandit.

I can't seem to get the damn thing to tune to QAM. I know there is a QAM signal because my previous TV, a Sanyo tube, could tune to it just fine. Doing a cable scan only gives me analog channels, though and the manual isn't exactly helpful about which tuning modes do what.

On 480P fill mode, I seem to get 0% overscan on the sides of the picture, but about 5% on the top and bottom. Is there any way to fix this?

When calibrating with DVE, I was able to get the blue nearly perfect and the red pretty close, but the green seems significantly off. I can see green in what's supposedly a magenta secton of the test pattern when using the filters.

Black levels are nowhere near actually black, but I suppose that's just how LCDs are. I'd rather have that than a picture which will be notable degraded in 4 years or so.

There are no dead or stuck pixels so far as I can see.

I get visual ringing with 1080P sources on component. I assume this isn't the TVs fault. It's my switch, but I'd hate to have to reach around the TV whenever I want to switch sources. I may just have to upgrade to a 360 Elite.

That sounds like the same problem I had. If your dvd player hooked up via component is set to 16:9 you shouldn't even need to use fill mode to make the image fill the screen. I think this set has an ugly firmware bug.

Has anybody got a dvd player connected via component to fill the screen in "normal" mode?

@cosmogeek: component doesn't have offline signaling to say what teh aspect ration is. You'd have to manually change it no matter what TV you have unless you have a player that's doing the changes itself.

No luck on the QAM. I just scanned a third time, and as before there are no QAM channels coming up.

You guys are lucky. The best buy I go to seems to be pretty anal and careful about pricing, etc. They read the coupon carefully and gave me the discount off the regular price, not the sale price. I can't complain since that's how it's stated on the coupon, and it'll be in on thursday.

My personal experience w/ best buy has been horrible in general, and I'm glad you guys have had better luck. The service always seems to be piss poor, and seems like they could give a damn about the customer. I personally didn't even want to goto bestbuy to purchase the tx47, but they're the only ones carrying it now.