Westinghouse LD-4258 42-inch LED HDTV Reviewed

Published On: July 21, 2011
Last Updated on: October 31, 2020
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Westinghouse LD-4258 42-inch LED HDTV Reviewed

The Westinghouse LD-4258 LED HDTV is more impressive than our reviewer had thought it would be. That said, there are still many drawbacks to Westinghouse's television especially in comparison to its competition.

Westinghouse LD-4258 42-inch LED HDTV Reviewed

By Author: Andrew Robinson

Andrew Robinson began his career as an art director in entertainment advertising in 2003, after graduating from Art Center College of Design. In 2006, he became a creative director at Crew Creative Advertising, and oversaw the agency's Television Division, where he worked for clients such as TNT, TBS, History, FX, and Bravo to name a few. He now has one of the most popular AV-related channels on YouTube.

Westinghouse_LD-4258_LED_HDTV_review_explosion.jpgIt's amazing how quickly prices begin to fall once a new technology hits the market. In a little over a year LED backlit HDTVs went from commanding high premiums to now being outright affordable. Case in point, the LD-4258 from Westinghouse reviewed here. At $599 retail the LD-4258 is one of the more cost effective LED solutions available today.

Additional Resources
• Read more LED HDTV reviews by Home Theater Review's staff.
• Find a Blu-ray player in our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• See soundbar pairing options in our Soundbar Review section.

The LD-4258 is a 42-inch, edge-lit LED display with a native resolution of 1920x1080 with a reported contrast ratio of 4,000:1 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It doesn't have 3D or Internet capabilities but many budget-oriented consumers (aren't we all) may be willing to overlook their omission. The LD-4258 itself is simple in its physical appearance, though still manages to be stylish compared to the competition. It measures 40 inches wide by 25 and a half inches tall and a little over one and a half inches deep. Obviously if you take into consideration the LD-4258's included table stand, then it's depth increases to roughly nine inches. As for weight the LD-4258 tips the scales at approximately 30 pounds. Where the LD-4258's budget DNA begins to show its true colors is in the connection options, which are sadly limited to two HDMI, one composite (with analog audio), one VGA, one mini PC audio and one RF antenna input. Outputs include a single optical audio out as well as an analog audio out. Westinghouse does list an optional accessory dongle set on their website to include a component to VGA adapter as well as an analog RCA to mini jack audio adapter.

In terms of performance the LD-4258 isn't as bad as some but nowhere near as good as even some of its counterparts from, say, Vizio. That being said, there's quite a bit to like here. For starters, the LD-4258's black levels are deep, though they do lack a bit of sophistication in their low light detail rendering. Colors are punchy and vibrant, again a bit basic, but overall fairly natural in their rendering, though on a few scenes I did detect a slight warming trend overall despite the LD-4258 having three unique color temperature presets in its menus. Whites are crisp with little to no blooming and edge fidelity is relatively sharp without seeming artificially so. There is a bit of noise present throughout though artifacts are largely kept to a minimum. If I had to give the LD-4258's image quality an overall rating, I'd probably label it average to slightly above average.

Read about the high points and low points of the Westinghouse LD-4258 on Page 2.

Westinghouse_LD-4258_LED_HDTV_review_angled.jpgHigh Points
• The LD-4258's build quality and appearance is more upscale than I was expecting and it physically appears higher end when displayed next to some of its contemporaries such as the craptastic Dynex LCD HDTV.
• The LD-4258 is easy to setup and use and should provide the viewer with hours of hassle-free enjoyment.
• In terms of picture quality, the LD-4258 is by no means the best I've seen but it's far from horrid, possessing deep though simplistic blacks with bright, punchy colors and largely untarnished whites. Edge fidelity is also quite good as is motion.

Low Points
• The lack of input options, especially HDMI, is a real letdown with the LD-4258.
• The LD-4258 has no 3D or Internet capability of any kind.
• While the image quality overall was slightly above average there are still a few areas that needed improvement, mainly noise levels and black level detail. There is also a slight warm shift throughout which may or may not be a good thing for some viewers.

Competition and Comparison
I recently ran across another budget LED HDTV in the Phillips 7000 LED Series HDTV. The two are fairly evenly matched overall though the Phillips is a bit larger at 46 inches, but then again it does cost a bit more at $649.99. If you're looking for a HDTV that can do a bit more, for instance say 3D or perhaps connect to the Internet, then I recommend checking out Vizio's 42-inch Class Theater 3D HDTV at $729.99 retail. The Vizio isn't an LED based design but the features it packs, not to mention inputs, more than makes up for the difference in back light technology and price.

For more information on LED HDTVs including the latest news and reviews please check out Home Theater Review's LED HDTV page.

Conclusion
For just under $600 retail the LD-4258 from Westinghouse isn't a bad budget HDTV for a secondary system or bedroom so long as you keep your expectations in check and accept it for what it is. If you're buying the LD-4258 expecting to embarrass a similarly sized and appointed Samsung or Sony for half the price you'll be disappointed, but if you're looking for a solid, no frills, HDTV to just watch a little HD content on, then the LD-4258 may be worth it.

Additional Resources
• Read more LED HDTV reviews by Home Theater Review's staff.
• Find a Blu-ray player in our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• See soundbar pairing options in our Soundbar Review section.

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