PICTURE QUALITY This model's high-definition picture quality was only fair, well below that of most other sets. It did a very good job displaying fine detail. Color accuracy was below average with a color temperature that was moderately on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. We also noted that saturated colors that tend toward deep pink start clipping, becoming noise, which is quite distracting when it happens. This is a bug in the TV's processing. Lack of contrast gave images a flatter appearance with little depth. Brightness level was only fair, dimmer than most, best-suited for a darker room. Black levels were generally good, though not as dark as better performers on the darkest scenes. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did an excellent job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was poor with visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing was also poor, with obvious jaggies visible on video-based content that the TV converted from 1080i to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE This Westinghouse has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among LCD sets on this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. If your family is seated in chairs off to the sides of the TV, they will see increasing degradation of image quality the farther they sit from center.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was fair; the picture showed a slight loss of color, along with a slight color shift. Black levels brightened significantly, making dark scenes look hazy. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was good. The picture showed some change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR This Westinghouse TV has only fair motion performance, with significant blurring on our motion tests. This is typical of LCD TVs with the basic 60Hz frame rate. On typical program content, the blurring effect is often fleeting and may not bother most people. However, keen-eyed viewers may detect the loss of texture and detail on scenes with movement, especially in high-quality video such as a Blu-ray movie.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
SOUND QUALITY This TV has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. With movies, dialog was acceptably clear sounding, though a bit muffled, while remaining well balanced with respect to background music and other sounds. Bass extension was lacking, as was treble detail, while the overall sound was a bit thin, and closed in. It has a good volume range, though sound quality degrades at the highest settings. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system to this set, but if this smaller-screen set is a secondary TV you might find its sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set was easy to use for the most part. Setting up the TV for the first time was fairly straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was good. Also, the remote is very good, and the on-screen menu is less easy to navigate than others.
The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate. We found the set responds slowly to commands from the remote. It lacks the ability to add custom labels to different input sources.
STAND ASSEMBLY Mounting the support stand to the TV is straightforward.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides basic Internet functionality with a limited selection of applications Movie streaming services include: Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes three HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), one VGA input, optical digital audio out, one USB port, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. This TV has no type of wireless connectivity. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, and a remote with batteries. ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
