norm401 wrote:Think twice about this, and talk to people who happen to be serviced via LIN Corp for local channels. For instance Buffalo, NY no longer has CBS local stations due to the fact that LIN and Time-Warner can't agree on a contact. Without a tuner you can't use rabbit ears and pick-up over the air channels. Don't buy it for a TV with or without cable/sat.

That's a little curious... I thought the FCC must-carry laws for cable operators required that local channels be carried in the standard cable package.

yeah Vertigo!

When I purchased mine, my love life took a dramatic turn for the better!

(Pay no attention to the guy on the screen.)

Xenobula wrote:Some of these have problems with 360s and PS3s. Do a google search for the model number and 360 or read the reviews at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16889234025

That's the EDID bug that these are promised not to have.

I believe the A450 series is 720p not 1080p. The A550 and above are 1080p. If you are just using it for TV (ie not a computer monitor) at 32" the difference between 720p and 1080p is hardly to not at all noticeable. I don't have any experience with the A450 series, but I have a 32" A550 and I would say that the difference between the Samsung and the Westy is noticeable in regards to overall viewing experience. The Samsung has better blacks, better scaling and overall just a better viewing experience. The Westy isn't a bad panel(especially for the price) but if you can get similar price on the Samsung (especially the A550 or A650 depending on if you want a glossy or semi-gloss screen) I'd go for that. I got my Samsung for about $20 more than this Westy is going for (32" v. 37" but it's primary use is as a computer monitor so I wanted the slightly smaller panel).

nextech12 wrote:

So it's obviously a good deal, but my question is quality. Has anyone read any reviews yet? I was actually getting ready to buy a Samsung 32" A450 which has great color and darks. This has my interest peaked, but I don't really want to sacrifice picture quality for size...

I purchased this exact LCD on buy.com a week or so ago. It's really a great screen, especially for the price.

My version has the "EDID" issue, where some people may run into issues with HDMI and DVI ports. But, even though I've determined that my screen has the EDID issue, I am having no problems using it as my 4th LCD on my work computer:

I use this monitor as a main computer monitor and I also have it hooked up to my 360. I don't use it as a tv, so I don't know how well it works in that regard, but it's an awesome monitor, very sharp and clear.

Bought one of these from Costo a while back. Barely used it as a computer monitor for a few months. Decided to move it to the bedroom and use for HD gaming (Xbox 360) and TV/Movies. Component connections went "white" on me. Search this problem! It has happened to many. Searched for the model number and something like "washed out white". Search on AVSForum.com - a hardcore "phile" site.

Now I use it with HDMI and VGA connections only! Company would only RMA and if I paid shipping back at about $140. Costo wasn't any help. I decided to just use HDMI and PC/VGA connections henceforth, component no longer an option.

There are other shortcomings with this unit too. Everytime the power is lost, setting go back to defaults, etc.

For the money not a bad deal - at this deal.

Only 1 dead pixel.

I would not buy another because the company would not take ownership of a problem so many have had it could be a class action. They should have offered to ship them back or a respiffied with the component circuit manufactured correctly.

No it will, you just won't be able to plug the cable from the wall straight into the TV. You'll have to use the DVR/Tuner box to watch TV. Basically you use the Cable box to change the channel instead of the TV to change channels, get me?

As it says though, it's a Monitor, not a TV.

jqubed wrote:That's a little curious... I thought the FCC must-carry laws for cable operators required that local channels be carried in the standard cable package.

No such law exits. The cable / sat componies make agreements with local stations.

Joat321 wrote:
I got lucky with my unit (from Costco online) which had no major problems including no dead pixels. But UPS really did not take much care with delivery. Parts of the box had lots of holes and it looks like it had been dropped several times. Luckily, the monitor itself was unscathed.

UPS, Fedex, etc. can be rough on items like this -- they're put on conveyor belts at sort operations, not always with the greatest of care, and loaded into shipping containers and trucks, which must be packed densely to maximize profits. Unless the cost savings are considerable compared to brick and mortar retailers, you pays your money and takes your chances.

labsrule wrote:UPS, Fedex, etc. can be rough on items like this -- they're put on conveyor belts at sort operations, not always with the greatest of care, and loaded into shipping containers and trucks, which must be packed densely to maximize profits. Unless the cost savings are considerable compared to brick and mortar retailers, you pays your money and takes your chances.

Last year I bought 46" LCD online and it was shipped by Fed-Ex. They did a fantastic job. When the delivery came the driver made sure every mark on the box was noted and in what condition the overall package was in. He then asked me to double check his remarks. He even helped me move into the house.

bigd451 wrote:$549.00 here http://www.onsale.com/shop/detail.aspx?dpno=7349223&store=onsale&source=bwbgooglesearch&wt.srch=1&wt.mc_id=bwbgooglesearch&gclid=CIyl7tnOmpYCFQO2FQodfXhF7g

Don't forget to add your 125 bucks for shipping and the Woot tv is new not referb

Hexydes wrote:Oooohhhh...didn't catch that. Total deal-breaker. Over-the-air HD is just too nice to not have a tuner on the TV for. What a stupid decision, what do tuners cost, like $7 (for the manufacturer to put in the TV)? This will kill the deal for a lot of people. This is basically a computer monitor at this point (and if used as such, still not a bad deal), and most people don't need a 37" monitor for their computers (I have a 32" for editing HD video and it is perfect). I guess this could be good for a HTPC but...I mean, if you're going to have a TV, it should at least get OTA signals.

most people probably use a digital HD set top box from their television provider (Comcast, DirecTv, FiOS). So unless OTA reception is really important to you, I dont see this as a deal breaker

I have had a 37" Westinghouse for over one year--no problems. I have three other Westinghouse (all 32"--1 used as computer monitor, 2 as televisions) that I have owned for 4-5 years. They really have been great and I have had no issues with picture quality. I loved the ones with PIP because you could swap the audio without having the delay of swapping the picture. If I didn't have the 4 Westinghouse (and the 65" Olevia from Woot), I'd be in for one. Still considering it for my mom for Christmas.

norm401 wrote:No such law exits. The cable / sat componies make agreements with local stations.

Well, sort of.

The way the law works, is if you are a high power local TV station, you can force the local cable company to carry your station for free. That is "must carry". Smaller stations in a market do this because they have no leverage. The bigger stations can choose to not invoke "must carry" and can negotiate directly with the cable/satellite company over carriage, both in terms of channels and how much the TV station gets paid. What I mean by channels is a lot of the local stations are using their digital bandwidth to broadcast multiple channels instead of just one killer quality HD channel. Cable/satellite don't want to have to broadcast multiple channels, so that is usually where the breakdown happens these days.

The good news is in most markets you have options, two satellite providers, one cable provider, and maybe even a Telephone company. One of them should have all the local channels you want.

I was planning on purchasing a 37" Vizio 1080p today at CostCo for $720 + tax (this is after $80 coupon). The Vizio has the tuner and 3 HDMI inputs. Any comments on which unit you would purchase?

I have satellite TV so the tuner isn't really an issue. I would be using almost exclusively for TV with HD stations. No gaming and probably not connected to PC.

winchestereod wrote:Don't forget to add your 125 bucks for shipping and the Woot tv is new not referb

True! I forgot to check that.

I bit the bullet and bought one. Will be using it as a PC monitor. 95% of the TV shows I watch I watch on the internet so I cant see having any problems. Just about every TV show can be watched online nowadays.

So If I were to shell out a few bucks for one of those HD pc cards I could get HD local channels?

so is it a TV or a PC monitor?

misterjohnny wrote:Well, sort of.

The way the law works, is if you are a high power local TV station, you can force the local cable company to carry your station for free. That is "must carry". Smaller stations in a market do this because they have no leverage. The bigger stations can choose to not invoke "must carry" and can negotiate directly with the cable/satellite company over carriage, both in terms of channels and how much the TV station gets paid. What I mean by channels is a lot of the local stations are using their digital bandwidth to broadcast multiple channels instead of just one killer quality HD channel. Cable/satellite don't want to have to broadcast multiple channels, so that is usually where the breakdown happens these days.

The good news is in most markets you have options, two satellite providers, one cable provider, and maybe even a Telephone company. One of them should have all the local channels you want.

Well put!

I bought one. Beed needing a new tv. (thats right I said tv, you people throwing a hissy fit about monitor/tv need to just grow up, we all know what this is). I will be using this on standard dishnetwork for now but upgrading to HD content and gett a blu-ray player for christmas. Hopefully on black friday I can find a good deal on a much bigger panel tv and then move this one into the bedroom.

Cant wait to get this in!

If you are going to use this as a TV, you might want to know that it doesn't have a remote or an IR receiver.

Edit: I'm an id10T. I looked on the manufacturers website and it didn't mention it. I should always trust Woot. What was I thinking ;)

stonefry wrote:If you are going to use this as a TV, you might want to know that it doesn't have a remote or an IR receiver.

Then why under "in the box", does it list "remote control"?

If it didnt have a remote, you wouldnt be able to turn the volume up and down or change the inputs.

dysfunction26 wrote:People still get OTA signals? I thought this was 2008 and everyone had cable or satellite by now?

What made you think that? If it is unfathomable to you that some people don't want to pay for it, I would say rework your thought process and you really need to gain some life experience. (I thought this one was obvious)

Also, not all locals are on cable and/or satellite. A good example is CBS in many markets will not allow it's HD signal over cable because the cables companies don't want to pay for it.

And finally, cable and satellite aren't immune from outages or problems. When the big game suddenly cuts off for who knows what reason, switching over to OTA can save the day (and has for me).

Square Trade is a great service. I have had two returns for them and they handled both fast, refunding the money.....

I apologize if I'm a little off topic, but I think this fits in with the current line of discussion.

I'm thinking of building or buying my own DVR and drop the monthly charge from cable. Does anyone have any opinions of the idea and what would you recommend, build or buy (I do build and repair computers on the side so the tech stuff is not a problem. But I'm not familar with DVR program or hardware other than it's a hard drive).

I have used this monitor (the w3 version) for 16 months as a computer monitor and for the Xbox. I have not used it as a TV. It makes a GREAT computer monitor and at this price its a steal.

Great for gaming, and good for surfing. Connected via DVI text is sharp.

If you want to know more info go to the massive thread on this display over at Hard OCP display forums.

For those who take the plunge? Enjoy!

I dont know if this is a repeat, but if it is my apologies a si don't want to read through every post, yes i am lazy

This product seems to be written to imply what it is not. This legally isnt an hdtv, it is an hd monitor but not an hdtv. HDTV are required to have a built in tuner which this does not.

If you use a computer for your DVR, make sure your D-TV-Tuner has good software. I bought a cheapy chinese card, and though the picture is fine, the software s*ucks. So, next time I see a PInnacle PCI card I'll get it.

And, further off topic: When did WOOT start charging TAX????? That really figures in now. BUY.COM is Free Ship and no tax (in MO).

norm401 wrote:No such law exits. The cable / sat componies make agreements with local stations.

Here's an interesting article.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mustcarryru/mustcarryru.htm

kjburns31 wrote:Any of you experts know which Converter box is best to get with my Govt. Coupons. Right now, I'll be using them in the Kids room and Kitchen where I don't have Satellite. I would like to use them to drive a monitor like this Westinghouse as well. Do all of them output HD signals as well or are they strictly converters?

All US government coupon eligible converter boxes are standard definition. High definition capable boxes were excluded from the coupon program.
From http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_2e.htm:

54. In its comments, Funai recommended that NTIA clarify the types of outputs that would not be permitted in a CECB. Funai commented that “we feel that it is inappropriate to extend Coupon Program eligibility to devices that support high-definition (HDTV) viewing, i.e., a display with higher-than-standard definition video resolution.”[ 98 ] Funai then listed a series of connectors which it felt should not be permitted in the NTIA supported converter box. Funai requested that the following connectors be excluded from the converter box program: Digital Video Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), analog component video (YPbPr), computer video (VGA), as well as USB IEEE-1394 (sometimes trademarked as iLink or Firewire), or IEEE-802.3 (Ethernet) or IEEE-802.11 (wireless).[ 99 ] Funai further recommended that “any device that includes an integrated display intended for use as the primary video presentation should be ineligible for the Subsidy.”

55. In the NPRM, NTIA proposed that “the converter box would not be required to render pictures and sound at more than standard definition quality.”[ 101 ] This proposal follows from the definition of a converter box contained in the Act, which limits the converter box to a unit so “the consumer can display on television receivers designed to receive and display signals only in the analog television service.”[ 102 ] If NTIA were to permit any digital output to the CECB, then it would cease to be a digital-to-analog converter and would become a digital tuner capable of providing a digital signal to a television monitor. This would clearly be beyond the plain language of the Act which states that the CECB shall “convert any channel broadcast in the digital television service into a format that the consumer can display on television receivers designed to receive and display signals only in the analog television service.”

56. Therefore, NTIA specifies in the Final Rule those connectors that will not be permitted in a CECB. Likewise, NTIA clarifies in the Final Rule that CECBs are prohibited from containing items such as display screens, recorders or storage devices that go beyond the simple task of converting a digital television signal to an analog signal for display on analog television receivers.

Mescalero wrote:Here's an interesting article.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mustcarryru/mustcarryru.htm

Good link,

Here's the long and short of it:
"More confusion resulted when, in October 1994, the FCC gave stations a choice of being carried under the must-carry rules or under a new regulation requiring cable companies to obtain retransmission consent before carrying a broadcast signal. The retransmission consent ruling gave desirable local stations increased power to negotiate the terms of carriage the cable company would provide, including channel preference. "

It doesn't matter what it costs the manufacturer to install a tuner, it matters what they'll charge you to buy the monitor with a built in tuner. Usually $100 - $200 more for the exact same model as an HD ready.

Man up and learn that you won't watch just the couple of OTA HD channels you can get for free (cheap a$$) and realize that you'll buy cable or satellite and be forced to use their tuner box anyway.

Being HD ready should make you want to buy this for the savings in the end. BTW, you'll get your darn local channels from cable and sat too.

if there isnt a COAX connector is there ANY way of getting cable straight out the wall?

winchestereod wrote:Don't forget to add your 125 bucks for shipping and the Woot tv is new not referb

Where do you see referb on this model? Intentionally spelled to keep name the same.

xmorph wrote:And, further off topic: When did WOOT start charging TAX????? That really figures in now. BUY.COM is Free Ship and no tax (in MO).

Woot charges those of us in Texas tax, as thats where they ship from. TAXSUCKS gets us 5 bucks off an order above 45, but such is the price we pay. Thats why they offered a reduced price on that Olevia tv a couple woots back for pick up at their warehouse, with tax ended up being same price as shipped to outside Texas just didnt hit Texans 8.25% higher than you nonTexans as usual.

I have this you cant hook it up tregularly to a normal hd cable box. You can get an HDMI Box for more money from your provider though. The quality is decent i bought one a few weeks ago for $600

jasong21 wrote:It

Being HD ready should make you want to buy this for the savings in the end. BTW, you'll get your darn local channels from cable and sat too.

Think twice about that. Last year I paid $65/mn for cable. I'm now up to $110/mn. With no increase in service or programing. I plan on dropping cable. Sat is not that much different. AND my local CBS stations dropped out of the cable line up. Now what do you do with a non HD monitor with no turner in it?

I'm not the only one thinking along these lines. I don't have to have cable, but I do need at least the local stations. Mainstream TV is still OTA.