Crave

This is for all you Crave addicts out there who read Crave and only Crave (you know who you are). You see, CNET is actually more than quirky gadgets and gear. We review whole products!

In particular, we've reviewed quite a few LCD monitors lately. For a low-price 22-incher that boasts great movies and games performance and includes both HDMI and DVI connections, check out the Gateway HD2201.

If you're in the market for something a little smaller, take a look at these three 19-inchers, the Westinghouse L1916HW, the Viewsonic VX1962wm, and the Lenovo ThinkVision L1940p.

Also, we have the Lenovo ThinkVisions L2440p and L2440x. These two 24-inchers share the exact same form factors and only differ in their backlights. The L2440x is the first consumer-based LCD monitor we've tested with an LED backlight. The L2440p uses the traditional cold cathode fluorescent tube (CCFL)-based backlight.

Finally, with Black Friday almost here, here's a list of the lowest-priced LCDs we've recently reviewed.

Anne Geddes. You know her. She's the one who does those baby photos that pass the point of being cute and fly head first into a steaming pile of pretentiousness? Well, that's my opinion, anyway.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

Still, according to Westinghouse, her books have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 24 languages. So if you're champing at the bit to give your child a cuteness inferiority complex, read on.

Westinghouse obviously sees this and they've partnered with Geddes and the Geddes Group to create a new family of digital photo frames. The frames will feature images from Anne Geddes, but users will be able to mix their own photos and content with specifically selected photos and content of babies and children by Ms. Geddes.

The frames will require specialized software, developed by Westinghouse, to power them. So far there is no word on price.

(Credit: GizmoWatch)

Combo TVs with built-in DVD or VCR players have always gotten little respect, found on the far reaches of shelf space at retail stores next to the HDMI cables or whatever else is in the next aisle. Given this lowly station, they've usually been allowed only the smaller screen sizes appropriate for such places as the kitchen or small family room--and rarely, if ever, bearing the latest technologies.

That's what makes Westinghouse's latest model interesting. The VK-40F580D integrates a DVD player with a 40-inch display, according to GizmoWatch, much larger than the 26-inch cap seen in practically all other combo TVs. Not only that, but it's also a full 1080p HDTV. It won't "upscale" DVDs to that higher resolution, but that can be a dubious proposition anyway. Other conveniences include its "Spinedesign," which places all the ports and plugs on one side, and a front-loading DVD slot.

Of course, aficionados will always point out that combo units are obviously problematic if and when individual components need tweaking or repair. And then there's the estimated $1,149 price, which is probably more than you'd pay for a separate 40-inch HDTV and DVD player of comparable quality. But if you want a relatively large screen and watch a lot of DVDs but are short on space, this combo might be something to consider. As promised earlier, Crave TV guru David Katzmaier will have a full review in the future.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

In our longstanding tradition of featuring gadgets that do yoga, Crave is pleased to announce a first in the illustrious category: a contortionist television set.

Westinghouse has created a "flip-style" HDTV that can actually be folded, to a degree, to fit into the most cramped areas and corners of any given abode. The front bezel of the dual-hinged "Flexible Lifestyle Display" can be rotated 180 degrees on a tabletop, according to Electronic House, or the TV can be suspended from the wall or bottom of a cabinet, trapeze-style.

The PT-16H610S must maintain a petite frame to accomplish these feats, so its LCD is no larger than 16 inches. The set has full 1080p high-definition resolution, but we're frankly not sure if that's really necessary: If you're installing this in a Manhattan apartment where a hot plate passes for a gourmet kitchen, for example, your nose will probably never be more than 2 feet from the screen.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

There's a reason that all-in-one TVs are always at the very end of the aisle at retailers. They may well be the least-cool media gear around, bearing the scorn of those who complain, among other things, that the individual components can't be tweaked or repaired. But there are at least two reasons that TV-DVD (and--gasp--even VCR) combos will survive for awhile: kids and grandparents.

While these products are designed for ease of use, however, the flat-TV era has presented a complication for the DVD end of the equation. Usually the slot is mounted on the side, an awkward position that's conducive to accidental scratching--which is the last thing you need for that High School Musical disc that's already on its last legs. So Westinghouse has designed its latest HDTV-DVD combo with a front-loading player that even a near-sighted Baby Boomer could operate.

The SK-26H570D is one of the company's latest HDTV models, a 26-inch LCD intended for use in places where space is a premium. The 720p resolution isn't the highest, of course, but that won't be necessary for Spongebob or I Love Lucy reruns anyway. Until Touch Interactive makes its "hybrid" player a reality, this may be worth a look.

Westinghouse provided an update on its 2007 line of LCDs today, confirming much of what we originally reported back at CES. There's a full lineup of moderately priced 1080p models in 42-, 47-, and 52-inch screen sizes, as well as some lower resolution 42- and 32-inch models. Westinghouse is also continuing its line of LCDs with built-in DVD players, as well as a small 19-inch LCD intended to be used in smaller rooms such as a kitchen or bedroom. We've reviewed several Westinghouse LCDs in the past, and although they might not have name-brand recognition, we actually thought some of them were decent bargains. Specs for all of Westinghouse's new LCDs after the jump.

Westinghouse TX-42F430S

(Credit: Westinghouse)

1080p LCD HDTVs (Full press release)

TX-F430S series

• 42-inch TX-42F430S and 47-inch TX-47F430S models
• 1,920x1,080 native resolution
• 8ms response time
• Inputs: 4 HDMI, 2 component, 2 composite, 2 S-Video, 1 VGA
• Integrated ATSC tuner
• Available in May
• TX-42F430S $1,600 MSRP; TX-47F430S $1,800 MSRP

... Read more

This 14-inch frame is wall-mountable.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

Back in January, Westinghouse announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that it would be putting out a new line of digital photo frames in early 2007. Now the company is getting ready to make good on its promise.

I got a quick look at the final production samples, and they do appear to be significantly better than last year's frames, which were fairly lackluster. As the LCD factories in the Far East rev next-gen panels, the themes this year for digital photo frames are higher resolutions, better interfaces, and just plain big. In a few weeks, Westinghouse will begin selling a wide-screen 14-inch model, the DPF-1411 (1280x800 resolution; MSRP $399), as well as the 7-inch DPF-0702 (MSRP $119), the 8-inch DPF-0802 (800x600 resolution; MSRP $179), and the 10.2-inch DPF-1012 (800x480 resolution; MSRP $249). Along with the usual assortment of memory card slots, all the frames come with 128 MB of built-in memory. They're also capable of displaying video files.

Westinghouse is trying to differentiate its frames from the rest of the growing pack by offering them at slightly cheaper price points and including a feature called MosaicView, which allows you to display multiple images simultaneously on the frame. It's still unclear why a 14.1-inch frame should cost $399 when I just bought a 19-inch wide-screen LCD monitor at Buy.com for $279. But then again, it doesn't have MosaicView.