Get a 46-inch LCD HDTV for $869

(Credit: Westinghouse)

I won't tell you what I paid for my Westinghouse LTV-46w1 when I bought it a little over a year ago, but I will tell you I love it. (I frequently refer to it as my "third child," much to Mrs. Cheapskate's chagrin.) I'll also tell you that you can now scoop one up for the extremely less-than-I-paid price of $869.

This is a 46-inch LCD with a built-in HD tuner, Clear QAM support, and output resolutions of up to 1080i. It pairs beautifully with my media-center PC, but I've also used it with a cable box and TiVo and it works just as well. Plus, it garnered an extremely impressive 9/10 rating from CNET readers.

Now for the caveats. The LTV-46w1 has only one HDMI input, the speakers bite, and the remote has terrible range. Also, this deal is for a recertified model, not a new one; make sure you read eCost's policy regarding returns and replacements. It does include a 90-day warranty.

Some folks will balk at the 1080i, insisting on a set that offers 1080p, but I'm here to tell you, I've never seen a trace of flicker or any other supposed 1080i shortcomings. The picture is freakin' beautiful.

Unless you spring for overnight shipping (which runs around $200--ouch!), you probably won't get this in time for the Super Bowl. But it should arrive in time for next week's installment of Lost, which, truth be told, is the reason I took the HDTV plunge. And I've never regretted it for a second.

[edmundh]

It is important to note that while this set will display a 1080i image, it downscales to a native resolution of 768 lines. This is typical of older HDTVs, and still makes for some great pictures, but the difference between this set and a true 1080p set would likely be noticeable.

[rickbroida]

I'm not sure I understand this statement. To my knowledge, the display resolution depends on the source. I've not heard of an HDTV "downscaling," nor have I seen any evidence of that. (The OSD shows the display resolution.)

[edmundh]

I suppose I should not have used the term "downscaling" as I am not sure that is what is happening. However the native resolution of this set (and many other HDTVs) is 1366 X 768, meaning it can only display up to 768 lines of resolution, not the full 1080 as a true 1080p set could do. The source may well be 1080p, but if the set only has 768 lines to use, then 768 will be all you get, regardless of the source.

[big.mouth]

Thanks for the tip. Lost originally convinced me to take the HD plunge myself...LOL! Be sure to stop by my Lost blog and say hello!

http://eyemsick.blogspot.com/