2. Test Drive

I connected the LVM-47w1 to several HD sources and sampled several types of high definition content, including movies, sports and regular television shows. I immediately noticed a reddish push to most flesh tones, which required an adjustment to the tint control. I also found the color to be slightly "over-cooked", but a couple of clicks down on the 'saturation' adjustment took care of it. Other than that, not much adjustment was needed, and the result was a razor sharp, robust image. Color accuracy was good after the slight tweaks were made, and the color was relatively even-handed throughout the spectrum.

Contrast was good, but not great relative to other LCD displays tested. This is somewhat to be expected, as the LVM-47w1 is priced well below comparably sized Sony and Sharp models. Dark scenes with some film-based material can appear 'pasty' gray, with some lost shadow detail.

As expected with a 1080p display, resolution is outstanding, with amazing detail in most scenes. One slight concern was that with certain channels/broadcasts, there would be a vertical line on the very left edge, right edge, or both edges that would be illuminated with a white or light color. I've never seen this with any other display, but it was not that distracting.

Here are a few sample images of the LVM-47w1. (The bottom images in each comparison, called 'reference images', are not photographs, but 1080p quality screenshots from computer video files and therefore will always look better than the photographed 'television' images. They are used to illustrate the original image attributes of the source material.)

First, a broadcast video feed that displays excellent detail and color saturation. The color temperature has a blue cast compared to the reference image.

Korean Broadcast - SBS HD - 1080i
TOP: WESTINGHOUSE LVM-47w1 - BOTTOM: Reference Image

This snapshot from Pirates of the Caribbean illustrates the excellent detail and color saturation. However, there is some shadow detail lost compared to the reference image.

Pirates of the Caribbean - INHD2 - 1080i
TOP: WESTINGHOUSE LVM-47w1 - BOTTOM: Reference Image

This scene from the movie Invincible again illustrates the blue-cast or 'cool' color temperature of the LVM-47w1 compared to the reference image. As with other LCD displays tested, there is a significant amount of 'black crush', with lost details in many of the darker portions of the scene.

Invincible - INHD2 - 1080i
TOP: WESTINGHOUSE LVM-47w1 - BOTTOM: Reference Image

This scene from Departed shows some of the strengths of the LVM-47w1: vibrant color and excellent detail.

Departed - Computer Image - 1080p
TOP: WESTINGHOUSE LVM-47w1 - BOTTOM: Reference Image