Westinghouse LCM-22w2 Multifunctional Monitor

Setup

The physical design is pretty nice—the black bezel making the screen stand out, while the snap-on silver base rotates the display up and down with ease. Side-mounted controls (there’s no remote) are complemented by the inputs on the other side. These include Component,S-Video, and Composite, along with audio line inputs; the DVI-D and VGA inputs are hidden on the back at the lower bottom. Screen resolution is 1680 x 1050, combined with a 700:1contrast ratio, wide viewing angle, and a very fast 5ms response to ensure there isn’t any streaking or image blurring. There are also internal stereo speakers: They are quite puny in amplification, and sound a bit “tinny,” but they are adequate provided you’re fairly close and there isn’t any significant ambient noise competing with the sound. 

In Use

While the LCM-22w2 is a worthy display for one’s computer, where we see it excelling is for playing video in tight quarters. It makes a great replacement for the aged 20-inch CRT placed in front of our exercise bike in a corner of the living room—so within minutes of swapping the two and attaching a DVD player through the Component inputs, we get a much better“view” for pedaling off the calories (the image looks very crisp and clear from edge to edge).

But where the resolution of this display re-ally gets tested is with high-def signals: The LCM-22w2 had no problem displaying a quality image from my Dish Satellite HD receiver,and action scenes from the Blu-ray of the movie Crash were displayed with aplomb, rendering the actors with detail, as well as proper contrast and highlights. Although this required a bit of tweaking, the on-screen A/V menus make it a fast and easy process (there are also computer-specific menus as well). The menus also make it quick and easy to change the aspect ratio between wide and full screen or to zoom in on the image. I haven’t mentioned using the DVI yet: While it works with computer signals,lack of HDCP-compliance renders the DVI in-put useless for viewing from A/V components,so it’s fortunate that the Components look as good as they do. 

Nothing Wrong with Small

The Westinghouse makes for a great small dis-play, whose slim profile can fit just about any-where in the house (or wall- mounted if you should so choose). Computer use through DVI is nicely executed, and the Component inputs work well with A/V equipment. While the display is deficient audio-wise, it’s been well designed so as to not compromise the image.Those looking for a widescreen display with flexibility, as well as high resolution in a com-pact design for a very good price, can stop searching right now.

Specifications

LCM-22w2 Multifunctional Monitor 16:10, 1680 x 1050 High-Definition LCD display Video Connections: DVI, Component, S-Video, Composite, VGA Built-in speakers; 2W x 2.5W amplifier Dimensions: 17.8" (H) x 20.9" (W) x 8.5" (D) (with base) Weight: 12 lbs. (with base) Power consumption: <50 watts Power consumption/Standby: <2 watts MSRP: $499 Westinghouse Digital Electronics www.westinghousedigital.com