The TX-47F430S measures 31.4 by 46.1 by 9.8 inches (HWD) with its base attached, and weighs in at 71.6 pounds. On-display controls consist of a series of thin buttons along the right side of the TV’s frame. A lone Westinghouse logo adorns the bottom bezel, as does an unobtrusive blue power-indicator light. The TX-47F430S’s two integrated 10W speakers are concealed within the TV’s frame along the bottom edge and fire downward. The set delivers ample volume for a large room, and an integrated subwoofer (15W) helps balance the system’s otherwise bright sound.

Watching standard-definition video using DVD and satellite television sources revealed that the TX-47F430S’s picture was a bit too colorful. Light skin tones were excessively green, and grass lawns tended to look eerily electric, likely a “feature” designed to grab the attention of outdoor sports fans. Also distracting, at viewing angles of 20 degrees or more, was screen glare that overwhelmed the corners and edges of the picture, resulting in decreased image contrast. Apart from that, the set’s results on the HD HQV Benchmark test DVD were among the best I’ve seen; I recorded perfect performance within the HQV’s film resolution loss tests. In fact, the TX-47F430S is one of only two HDTVs I’ve reviewed that properly process 24p video material encoded in 1080i format.

Sadly, contrast was another story. I configured the TX-47F430S for dark-room, eye-friendly viewing by lowering the backlight control, which produced a respectable but still relatively bright 0.25 Cd/m2 black level with a nearly identical contrast ratio of 463:1. Power consumption measurements put the monthly operating cost of the TX-47F430S at a relatively pricey $10.65 with the backlight set to maximum. I based my calculations on 8 hours of daily operation with a kilowatt-hour cost of $0.13. This was more than $3 higher than any similarly sized LCD I’ve measured to date.

Despite the set’s competitive price, videophiles may be put off by the TV’s oversaturated green, relatively poor black levels, low gamma response, and lack of video noise reduction controls. I did find the TX-47F430S’s picture quality more appealing, however, once its color was calibrated to realistic levels.

Price
Westinghouse TX-47F430S: $1,799.99

Check This Out:

EIZO FlexScan S2111W: Stunning Monitor for Imaging Pros

Samsung LN-T5265F: An HD Detail Destroyer

Westinghouse L2046NV: Light-duty LCD