Introduction
14.55 pounds. Soaking wet and with its stand attached, the Westinghouse LD-3255 HDTV weighs a mere 14.55 pounds – which is even more remarkable considering this is a 32″ TV.
The tummy tuck on this one and a half inch thick LCD TV was achieved, in part, by employing an LED backlight rather than the bulkier CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent light) variety.
I know that might be more technical information than many of you want to know, but using LEDs as a backlight offers a couple of other practical advantages.
First, LED backlight units are usually more energy efficient than the traditional CCFLs. In fact, the LD-3255 consumes about 52W of electricity, which meets the stricter EnergyStar 5.0 standards that take effect on May 1, 2012.
Also, LED technology has matured in the last few years, and now, it often provides better picture quality than CCFL LCD TVs. Of course, a myriad of other elements are also involved in producing a great looking display.
With that said, Westinghouse is positioning their new line of LED TV’s as a less expensive alternative in the marketplace. To maintain a certain price point, the LD-3255 is not equipped with some of the high-end features that videophiles crave.
For example, this TV is a 60Hz, 720p display, not 120 or 240Hz and not 1080p. But I still believe that most people won’t be able to see the extra resolution of 1080p on a 32″ screen. And I am not a huge fan of the higher frame rate TVs.
In addition, the LD-3255 cannot connect to the Internet or your home network. But this minus can be a plus for those who just want a regular TV because it is easier to set up and simpler to operate.
The LD-3255 does not have all the bells and whistles to serve as the centerpiece of your home theater, but its performance is good enough to fit into almost any other TV viewing spot in the house. And it’s definitely light enough to tote there.
(Editor’s note: By the end of the 2010, all of the TV’s in Westinghouse’s line-up will be LED backlit models. The LD-3255 is one of the first off the assembly line. All of the larger TVs will be 1080p, with some 120Hz displays being released at the end of the year.)
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Performance: 3.5 
Features: 3.5 
Ease of Use: 4.5 
Value: 4.5 
Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.
