View Full Version : Westinghouse SK32H40S - Review
MikeA
10-29-2007, 11:44 AM
Hi all - in case anyone is looking at this model - here's my take:
Reasons for buying:
Needed a bedroom TV to replace a 17 year old 27" TV
Needed the TV to have a QAM tuner - didn't want an STB.
Wanted (don't we all) the best price.
The Westinghouse seemed to fit the bill.
Three weeks ago I picked one up at BB - $579 plus 12% off coupon - out the door (with tax) for about $545 or so.
Set-up was fairly easy - it found all the local QAM digital channels - and the pix looked.
HD channels look great - SD channels varied in quality - but overall very nice - looked like I had a keeper.
Then I began to notice some problems.
The stretch functions were funky - Standard - Fill -Overscan.
On upconverted (4 x 3) HD channels on "standard" allowed the CC lines to be visible on the top of the screen - Using Fill didn't "Fill" the screen - just made the 4x3 pix a little bigger. Overscan made the pix too big.
NBC HD had a yellow/orange line running down the left side of the screen on Standard - Fill got rid of it.
These "quirks" I could live with - it was the sudden and unpredictable picture freezing that I couldn't. When this happened the TV would not respond to the remote or the controls on the TV - only unplugging the TV would fix the problem. Happened 4 times in 3 weeks.
I searched all over the net for a fix - while I found reports of others with the same problem - there was no fix to be found.
Yesterday, it went back to BB for a refund.
Went straight to Costco and picked up the Vizio 32 - a little more $$$ but hopefully no problems.
Stay tuned...
Just as an FYI, the VBI information (white lines across the top of the screen on upconverted 4:3) is the result of the affiliate not properly doing an upconversion and centering the screen. This is especially true if you only see it on one or two channels while the other channels are fine.
If it's on all the channels, then the TV has too little overscan (2-3% is normal) or you're using an incorrect setting.
MikeA
10-29-2007, 12:46 PM
While doing research on the net I learned that this particular model apparently (if other people can be believed) has no overscan - the "fill" mode I mentioned provides 3% overscan which effectively got rid of the VBI info - but didn't "fill" the screen.
Interestingly, when using the "fill" mode on otherwise "perfect" HD channels (no yellow line) all logos, tickers, etc. were still on the screen and not cut-off in any way.
But, as I mentioned, that wasn't the deal breaker - the sudden freezing was unacceptable - and I didn't have the desire/energy/patience to go through Westinhouse's customer service system.
So back it went.
Some new HDTVs have a setting for 0% overscan for use with PCs so that people can see the entire desktop. The 2-3% setting should be used for viewing TV.
It is important to understand the purpose of the various stretch/zoom modes before blaming a TV for a certain performance (even though that wasn't the deal-breaker for you).
In the old days of CRTs when it was normal to have 5-10% overscan, the broadcasters used to have a 90% safe area, so that everyone could see the important information. The logos on HD stations have moved out gradually since most HDTVs only have about 2-3% overscan. Same goes for tickers, etc, which used to be located more centrally, but are now closer to the edge. This actually causes problems for people with older CRT-based TVs because the 5+% overscan means that they sometimes don't see the logos or tickers properly.
MikeA
10-29-2007, 02:10 PM
Some new HDTVs have a setting for 0% overscan for use with PCs so that people can see the entire desktop. The 2-3% setting should be used for viewing TV.
Understood. But one would think overscan on TV's would be set up for proper viewing for their primary purpose - watching TV.
It is - that's what the 2-3% is for. For more information on stretch modes, see:
http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=1044
And the following regarding black bars.
http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=1052
MikeA
10-29-2007, 04:14 PM
Once again I understand-
But the TV I bought and returned had 0% overscan out of the box - you shouldn't have to use one of three available stretch modes to get the picture correct - in this case - to eliminate the VBI info.
Not a deal-breaker, more of annoyance.
You'll also find that many TVs are set to vivid or dynamic picture mode out of the box. TVs need to be set up properly to get the most out of them. As do STBs, DVD players, etc. The default settings on most devices are useless. They are simply defaults.
See: http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=1440
The proper and optimum setup of a Home Theatre takes time end effort (or paying someone else).
MikeA
10-29-2007, 04:53 PM
In the case of the Westinghouse - the lack of "out of the box" overscan is a flaw. I have a 50" Sony RPLCD that has never had a problem with any type of over- or under-scan - and I used that TV's QAM tuner for over a year before I got a DVR.
Even when I adjusted the Sony's overscan (through the user menu - not the stretch modes; in the Westinghouse user menu there are no options for changing over/under scan) to -1 I never saw any VBI info - this would indicate to me that the Sony is properly set-up for viewing TV programming - the Westy was not.
The smaller LCDs are often used with PCs. That may be why they decided to default to a PC-type setting instead of a TV-type setting. I did a search for your model number and came up empty, so I'm assuming there's a typo, but that it's a 32"
MikeA
10-30-2007, 07:44 AM
Yes it's a 32"
Perhaps to make my "beef" with the set a bit clearer - there was no way to adjust the overscan/underscan in the user menu - like my larger Sony.
Knicks4973
10-30-2007, 09:08 AM
I had a Westinghouse once and it was horrible. I was also getting the VBI information on the top of the screen. It had limited inputs and the sound was just awful. I bought it because it was only going to cost me $200 at Best Buy, after rebates.
I can't understand how a company, in this case Westinghouse, can produce junk like it does. The picture quality was decent, but the user menu was horrible to use.
To 57U's point about the smaller LCDs are often used with PCs, maybe the Westinghouse is a better PC monitor than an HDTV. If that's the case, then they shouldn't pass off the tv as an HDTV, but instead as a PC monitor.
From what I'm getting, it seems like Westinghouse TV's are not worth the money, no matter how cheap it is, because you'll not be happy with it.
MikeA
10-30-2007, 06:22 PM
I hoped it would be "good enough" as a bedroom TV.
Turned out I was wrong and returned it.
Knicks4973
10-31-2007, 08:58 AM
I returned mine too and got a Sharp 20" HDTV instead (much better tv, btw).
When I returned the Westinghouse, I saw a bunch of Westinghouse HDTV's, in fact, my model, by the return desk.
With that many returns, you would think Westinghouse would have a clue and make a better tv, or that BB would stop selling that brand of tv if there were so many returns.
MikeA
10-31-2007, 10:30 AM
Actually, I really liked the TV - very nice HD picture - SD was acceptable.
The VBI info/over/underscan issue I could live with.
It was that unexpected freezing of the pix that soured me on the TV.
Replaced it with the 32" Vizio that sell at Costco - so far so good.
Plus Costco has a 90 day return policy vs. BB's 30 day.
Xenokai
01-17-2008, 11:21 AM
I have a simliar model SK32H520S westy and it has the overscan stuff but i actually think its useful because you see the whole pic. The other tvs i tried would cut off liek 1/2 icnh of the sides. while in hd channels tuners channels that may sux but witg games and dvds/ blu ray you get to see the whole picture. For the freezing ive had minedo that like 4 times in 1 month but only when using the over the air hd tuners and changing the channels fast. with dvd and games i havent had it freeze. Holding the power button on the tv for 5 secs rebooted it. (Trick i learned myself and not in the book) I payed $499 for it and it does the job over my old sdtv. i didnt plan on spending 1000 for a 32" sony when we all know the tv will be $500 next year =/ I was gonna get the vizio at wal mart but the 700:1 contrast made the screen pretty blurry. I tryed 5 diffrent tvs b4 keeping this one.
Tryed 2 westinghouse SK32H240S (1 you have) but the compoenent inputs on thta models had green tents. Then i tryed a dynex. while it look pretty good the option and design was limited and its a very off brand. The i got this model and 3 days later spotted a toshiba for $699 so returned it for that exspecting a known brand to be alot better. I was wrong.... toshiba has so much motion blur it was sad. took it back for the same westy i had before (it was $629) then a week later bb has a christmas sale for it for $499 took the receipt and got my diffrence back and purchased the 4 yr service plan for 60$
