Westinghouse TV Reviews
Westinghouse Digital manufactures LCD and LED HDTVs and it is a licensee of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, a well known American brand name. However, one should not confuse the old Westinghouse company with the newer licensees of the Westinghouse name. The manufacturer actually started as Golden Star Electronics LLC with its base in Orange, California. The company achieved success by marketing HDTVs at highly competitive prices enabling it to become the fourth leading seller of such products in the American market. Our review of Westinghouse TVs is divided into the following sections:
Westinghouse TV Review Contents:
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Overall Westinghouse Brand Review
If you are looking for a lower priced HDTV that is simple to use, then a Westinghouse product might be the right choice. The company started by offering LCD TVs and has recently expanded its product line to include LED products.
By using an energetic marketing strategy and undercutting competitors’ prices, the brand made quick strides in the early 2000s. However, Westinghouse products get average to poor ratings when it comes to quality and reliability, so the maxim ‘you get what you pay for,’ seems to apply in their case.
Westinghouse Product Quality
In rankings published by sources like CNET, PCWorld and Consumer Reports, Westinghouse HDTVs scored either at about average or poorly in terms of quality and reliability. While the price of their products may appear attractive, you have to consider cost against the quality of the HDTV that you will purchase.
In a survey by PCWorld on HDTV reliability, Westinghouse scored 12th out 16 brands in overall score. The brand rated “average” in terms of problems and ease of use, but as “worse” for overall satisfaction and reliability.
Consumer Reports ratings tend to rank Westinghouse along with JVC, Mitsubishi, Philips and Sanyo in the middle with lower quality than top ranked Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic for LCD TVs. However, Westinghouse rates above the lowest tier occupied by Magnavox and Sylvania HDTVs.
Westinghouse Pricing & Value
The best thing about Westinghouse HDTVs is that they come at price tags that will appeal to budget-conscious consumers. For those that cannot afford the highest quality HDTVs, Westinghouse still allows them to own a set with up to 1080p resolution.
However, in terms of value, consumers should not expect too much of a low priced Westinghouse HDTV. If your budget can handle it, you would probably be better off investing in a more expensive Samsung, LG or Panasonic. While Westinghouse products may appear to have the same specifications as the higher priced alternatives, published customer reviews indicate that there is a wide gap in satisfaction between the brands.
Westinghouse Customer Service
Maybe not surprisingly, given the low quality of their products, Westinghouse also scores badly in the customer service department. A scan of customer reviews across the Internet shows a consensus of dissatisfaction among customers. One can imagine that the company is flooded with calls due to the reliability problems of its products.
Westinghouse scores very low in terms of issue resolution and responsiveness. The only area in which rates at about average is in customer representative friendliness. Many customers have complained about the confusing terms of the company’s product warranties.
The Westinghouse website offers FAQ’s along with software and documentation downloads. A live chat customer support service is available seven days a week during business hours CST. Toll free phone tech support is available during the same hours. The site also offers a web-based customer service request form.
Westinghouse Overall Rating
Generally, Westinghouse HDTVs rank about average on the market although some of their products do receive favorable reviews. They offer competitive pricing, which is an advantage to those consumers who simply cannot afford the better quality but more expensive brands like LG and Samsung.
While you may experience problems with Westinghouse products, they do provide opportunities for high definition viewing that some consumers would not be able to afford without lower priced options.
One area in which Westinghouse can really improve is in customer service. The company gets near universal bad ratings in this department.
The product quality tends to vary with some of the HDTVs getting bad rankings, but others receiving a favorable reception. However, they still have a long way to go in terms of consistently producing quality TVs.
Generally, you may be better off investing in more reliable brands like Sony, Panasonic, LG and Sharp, but if these are out of your budget range, then Westinghouse is competitive with alternatives in the middle tier of the market including JVC, Philips and Sanyo. Because of the inconsistency in product quality and reliability, it is a good idea
