1. Introduction

At a Glance
Product	Westinghouse LVM-47w1 1080p LCD Monitor
Summary	Low-priced 1080p LCD display that performs well with HDTV, DVD, and especially computer sources
Pros	- Great price for its size - Quality picture with HDTV sources - Fantastic computer monitor
Cons	- Low quality image quality with non-HD/DVD sources - Poorly designed remote - Pedestrian contrast performance

Released in June 2006, the Westinghouse LVM-47w1 joins the 42" LVM-42w2 and the popular 37" LVM-37w3. Measuring in at 47 inches, the LVM-47w1 is one of the largest 1080p displays currently available. This is the 2nd generation of 1080p displays, as Westinghouse released the 1st generation 37" LVM-37w1 last year. The improvements include a re-designed appearance, improved contrast, and faster response time.

Some of the key features of the LVM-47w1 include:

Screen size: 47 inches Native resolution: 1920x1080 Brightness: 450 cd/m2 Contrast ratio: 1200:1 Viewing angle: 176 degrees Response time: 6.5 ms Display Colors: 16.7 million colors One Year Warranty $2999 MSRP

Walkaround

The LVM-47w1 ships with a user manual, quick connect guide, and remote. There were no cables included, but most of the time manufacturers provide low quality composite video cables that should not be used anyway. The LVM-47w1 has an understated look and feel, including a black/silver bezel with integrated speakers, and a removable base stand. With a mounting depth of 5 inches, the LVM-47w1 is extremely thin for its size. Weighing in at almost 80 lbs with the base, the LVM-47w1 is not the heaviest display in its class, but you still may need some help with wall mounting. The input panels are vertically situated on both sides of the center column, which is an interesting layout that may potentially cause issues - cables may have to be run in from both the left and right sides of the display when wall mounting.

Under The Hood

The LVM-47w1 has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (1080p), which is the highest resolution available and also becoming the affordable standard within the LCD display market. Its brightness level is 450 cd/m2, but I have found this measurement not to be very crucial; every recently released LCD display I've seen has had more than enough brightness. Contrast is rated at 1200:1, but this measurement is also highly suspect, as different manufacturers test contrast in different ways. Other features include 60,000 hour lamp life, blazing fast 6.5 response time, and internal 10 watt speakers with a 10 watt subwoofer.

For inputs, the LVM-47w1 includes one HDMI, 2 DVI (one supporting 1080p, the other 1080i), 2 component video, one S-Video, one composite video, and VGA. The viewing angle is rated at 176 degrees horizontal and vertical. The LVM-47w1 has independent input memory settings, so viewers can calibrate their displays using different settings for each video source.

The remote, while compact in size, is rather pedestrian looking and not the easiest to use - some of the more important buttons are quite small in size. The system menus are located in the upper left hand portion of the display and contain nice friendly graphical icons for each section, which is a nice touch. All the necessary image adjustment features are easy to find and configure.

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