Customer Reviews

Westinghouse SK-26H590D 26-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I been burned before getting a so call hdtv that turns out more to be just a monitor that needs a turner to receive any signals. Not so with this product, it is the real deal. You will find the small Westinghouse model has that built in hdtv turner, still able to receive the older sdtv signals, and got a DVD player inside as well.

I am very impress with the quality of the set. One of the more cooler things is that it shows the strengh of the TV signal, what resolution it is, and the programming of the station at the time. It has all the whistle and dings of its bigger brothers, and a beautiful widescreen picture. A great bedroom set.

Unlike most TV sets I seen, it has its function buttons still on the set. That may not seem a lot to you, but it is murder for those who loses the remote control, and can not do any major changes to the settings. Another plus is the TONS of extra inputs. Two composites, two S-Videos, two components, VGA connection,HDMI, and the standard cable lip. For sound there is support for both digital and analog outputs. I love all the additional inputs because now I don't have to unplug my different video consoles. The PS2, Dreamcast, and Xbox 360 can live in peace.

When you do get to see the old 480 resolution channels next to its superior 720 and 1080 settings, you will see the differences. The local CBS station has both the older sdtv and new hdtv channels. While watching the Late Show, I could see the wood grain on David Letterman's desk, and the fancy lights switches off of Paul's musical instruments on the hdtv channel. On its sdtv brother, everything seems out of focus due to the lack of detail. I not saying sdtv is bad, it more like going from VHS to DVD in picture quality. So it is nice that this set supports both formats for now.

If you are tight on space, this Westinghouse TV set is one that will meet all your needs.

The Westinghouse SK-26H590D is a 26" LCD HDTV with a built in DVD player. This is an ideal set for a second room. The form factor of this set is also well thought out, allowing this set to be wall mounted with the on-unit controls (power, volume, channel, input selection) and DVD operation still easily within reach.

Regarding the picture: I used the picture tuning/optimization DVD from Digital Video Essentials to set up the picture controls (brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, tint) as well as assessing the picture placement within the confines of the screen. The one takeaway was that after completing the setup, I was able to significantly reduce the level of backlighting. As even in the middle of the range, there was significant picture illumination in low light settings and with daylight. In short I was happy with the outcome of a brief 20 minute set up. The final picture was achieved quickly and easily without excessive back and forth adjustment and the image is very well balanced. I would not go so far as to suggest that this set is at the level of a Sony or similar high-end brands. However in all honesty the pricing of this unit is significantly in its favor when you compare this with other LCDs on the market. The other important consideration is that this is a moderately sized screen 26", which is beneficial in the pixel density and thus the resultant picture quality/detail.

My one criticism is that the power cord is a bit short (6') for wall mounting.

I received the product and have had a chance to use it for a couple months. The picture quality is good and the DVD player has worked flawlessly so far.

I was skeptical about Westinghouse, as it's not known (as far as I knew) for quality as much as it's low price. I was so impressed I went out and bought a 42" Westinghouse LCD as well and have been VERY pleased with that TV as well.

I would strongly recommend this LCD for the money.

I picked this TV when I was shopping at Target because, in comparison with similar sized TVs in its price range, the picture was clearest and brightest. However, when we first got the TV, we found that our DVDs would skip at random intervals. I tried to overlook that and just continue using the TV, but last night, we were watching a DVD and the picture froze. I ejected the DVD and tried re-inserting the DVD, and it wouldn't work. I even tried inserting other DVDs and NONE of them are working on this TV. The built-in DVD is SHODDY! I'm returning this TV to Target. The picture is nice, but the built-in DVD feature is worthless if the DVD goes out. Caveat emptor!

This is overall a very nice TV. The display is very good, with immaculate images from HD sources. Standard def TV looks good as well. Widescreen looks fantastic. "Overscan" mode allows you to zoom a 4:3 image and maintain aspect ratio, which is a nice way to avoid pillar-box or letter-box ( black bars ). The speakers are adequate, but any serious HD setup would have dedicated speakers.
The built-in DVD player is a nice touch, as it's very convenient. I've never seen nor own any HD DVDs or HD players, so I can't compare in that domain, but the DVD player seems to hold its own.
Another great feature is the "spine" in the back of the TV that contains all the input ports aligned vertically for easy access.
The only downsides are occasional lockups or "crashes" of the TV, where I need to "reboot". This could be endemic or just apply to my unit. YMMV. Also, the menus and channel tuning support are a little on the slow side, where you need to be deliberate with the remote.
Overall, a great TV for a great price.

I had been looking for a television for the bedroom. I had seen this television at Target (but they did not have it in stock). I found it at Amazon (with free shipping). I have cable but I do not get a HD signal. The quality of the picture is very sharp. I can't imagine the picture could be that much better to justify me buying a HD signal. The built in DVD player is a nice surprise, loading the DVD in the front is very convenient. If you're looking for a television that fits nicely on a dresser with a great picture I recommend this one.

After doing a local market survey of HDTV's that would fit my entertainment cabinet from the "old days" TV I gave to the Salvation Army, I liked the set of features and inputs best for the Westinghouse 26" HDTV. I acommodated all of my inputs from DVD, VCR, & ATSC. I was particularly impressed by the tuner sensitivity as it pulled in 28 analog channels and 24 digital channels off my attic antenna (I am about 30 miles out of NY City and also get Philly stations).

Now for the bad news. Like other reviewers (wish I had read these earlier) I also had a persistent problem with total lockup from on-air signals. None of the buttons on the remote or TV worked... except that I discovered the old PC trick of holding down the power button for more than 5 seconds, after which the TV would "reboot" just like an old PC.

I called the Westinghouse customer service and they walked me through the factory reset process, which forced me to reprogram all of my stored channels and configuration again. At first this seemed to work for a couple of days, but the problem returned and got progressively worse again. So I returned it to Target.

One good thing I will say off topic is that Target seems to have the best return policy of any place (including Amazon, as far as I can tell) with a 90-day return allowance. Now if they only they had the model I wanted... I would buy it there in a heartbeat (same prices as listed on Amazon for what is mutually stocked - and you get to have it now). I go to Amazon when I cannot find it at Target.

I bought this TV at Target several months ago specifically for its size and the fact that it had a built-in DVD player. Very soon after, the DVD player started having problems. It would skip despite cleaning the DVDs and the laser lens of the DVD player. The same DVDs would play just fine on my stand alone Panasonic DVD player. After several months of problems, I called Westinghouse and was told that I should send the TV back and they would send me out a new TV within 5 business days. I was also told that I had to pay for the shipping which ended up being over $60. It has been over a month since they received the TV and I'm still waiting for a new TV. Multiple phone calls to their customer support have been useless. They take your number and say that a supervisor will call you back. The supervisor never calls back requiring you to call again and wait on hold forever for a supervisor to come on the line. The supervisor then states that the problem is being resolved but gives no indication of when I will get back my TV. I am writing a letter to president of the Westinghouse requesting a full refund. I will never buy a Westinghouse product again.

I bought this TV and exchanged it once and then I returned it within the 1st 3 weeks.
Cons:
- when you peel off the label the glue stays on TV, making your new TV look old and ugly. I exchanged it and the 2nd one had the exact same issue.
- a flickering line on top. I thought it was normal for LCD TVs, but now that I bought a diffrent brand I see that was a quality problem.
- If you look at screen with an angle especially from under (i.e. your TV is some place higher than where you're sitting) the quality goes way down. Again my new Sharp LCD TV doesn't have that problem.
- It froze twice in a week and when it freezes nothing works unless you plug it out and in again. This was a bit funny from a company that is good in making fridges, but I decided not to take further risk with it before my 30-day return policy expires.

Pros:
- DVD player also reads other formats such as VCD
- good size and price (after going on sales). There aren't many 26-inch combos out there
- So many options for connecting to other devices, though I'm not sure how useful that is for a combo TV!

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THIS TV/DVD COMBO AT THIS PRICE. HDMI PC COMPONENT CABLE INPUTS EVERYTHING NEEDED TO GET STARTED FOR YOUR BEDROOM. PURCHASED AND SATISFIED. RECOMMEND!