While hardly a household name, Westinghouse has crafted a simply gorgeous line of 1080p monitors in their LVM line. While suffering from some of the typical issues with LCD screens, the LVM-37w3 is an astounding piece of hardware for whatever HD source you need to display. With some searching, this monitor comes under the $1,000 mark, making this even better value.
The stunning LCD panel is housed inside a slightly cheap-feeling plastic casing. Buttons are on the right side of the set, nicely placed to keep the front of the product clean and sleek. A small LED light in the form of the Westinghouse logo glows to indicate when the monitor is on.
The rear reveals numerous video options. Two component inputs, two DVI ports, one HDMI slot, a VGA connection, and standard composite and s-video are included. These are all easily accessible thanks to a recessed design that puts these ports in the center of the rear casing instead of underneath or on the far sides.
Westinghouse has support for a wide array of resolutions, including all typical HD options. 480i and 480p signals are obviously hard to look at, while 720p, 1080i, and 1080p are shocking in their clarity. Four separate resolutions are available for PC users as well, ranging from 640x480 to 1920x1080. Regardless of what you feed this monitor, it will spit it out better than many LCDs at twice this price.
Menu options allow for quick and painless set up. Out of the box, Westinghouse sets the default backlight level to its maximum setting, one that is so bright it could literally damage your eyesight. Before doing any video calibration, lowering this completely should be step one. Other options are presented in a nicely designed and simple menu that is easy to use.
You’ll spend little time in the menu once your set up is complete. The convenient auto switching means you’ll never have to manually search for a video signal. The monitor picks it up immediately without any user input.
Article comments
1 - Ken Edwards
Hey you finally got a HDTV, now they are going to announce another HD video standard ;)
That 1000:1 ratio would have kept me away. The $1000 Samsung I bought in 2005 is 3000:1, with the majority of LCDs being 6000:1 or more these days.
But sacrifices have to be made for a reasonable price at 1080p. Nice review.
2 - Martha Simmons
I love Westinghouse products but never have had a WH tv. This review has been very helpful. Thanks a million.