Closer Look: Honeywell 42" HDTV

I know why you're reading this: chances are good you have accepted the inevitable future of high definition television. HDTV's are already a big part of the home entertainment lifestyle for many people, and with so much improvement over standard definition there comes an added demand for high quality. This article isn't just about another HDTV; it's about a new generation of 120Hz panels featuring 10-bit color depth. 1080p Was nice, but 1080p on a 120Hz/10-bit HDTV truly captures the term 'High Definition' and makes it a working reality.

This Honeywell HDTV unit surprised me when it was delivered by FedEx like any of my small review items. The gave the carrier some assistance as we placed the large full-color retail box into my doorway. Safely packaged inside was the MT-HWJCT42B2AB LCD panel unit with the stand positioned along side. Once out of the box, Honeywell's Altura MLX looks like any other 42-Inch 1080p LCD widescreen HDTV you've seen: glossy black bezel with simple one-legged base stand (pictured below).

Honeywell uses a piano-black high-gloss finish on the plastic bezel trim and single-leg stand. In my region of Nevada we have a major problem with airborne dust, and it seems to have an attraction to these fine finishes. However, the exposed LCD panel surface is utilizes a matte finish, which does very well to help guard against glare and reflection.

The stand included with the Honeywell Altura MLX is very suitable for most entertainment centers and secures with five included machine screws. If you find yourself more interested in wall-mounting the 42" widescreen LCD, then a small plastic plate comes included to seal closed the stand opening at the bottom of the unit. With the stand attached, this 1080p HDTV keeps a modest profile of 40.35" wide by 28.54" tall. Without the stand, the HWJCT42B2AB unit measures a mere 26.25" tall.

At the lower-left corner of the Altura HDTV is the power indicator LED and the IR sensor for the remote control. I especially like that the remotes IR sensor is not placed at the units center point like I've seen on other televisions, because most times this important component gets blocked by a center channel speaker. Directly below the IR sensor is the power indicator LED which stays illuminated whenever the unit has power connected (as illustrated below).

Because of its offset position, the bright blue power LED dissolved away into my peripheral vision while viewing the HDTV in a decently lit room. However, with the lights turned off in my bedroom and the unit positioned directly in front of my bed, the power-indicator LED acted more like an unnecessary night-light. Since I'm such a light sleeper it didn't take long before the lens was filled in with a black marker.

There are no exposed speaker vents on the front of the bezel, and instead Honeywell uses the underside of the front bezel to fire the stereo speakers out towards viewers. Honeywell has done well with the integrated speakers, primarily because they are powerful enough to fill the room with above-average quality sound, most people are like myself and have an audio/video receiver powering several surround sound speakers.

The Honeywell Altura MLX comes with a standard-layout universal remote, with two different backlit regions. The four input-device selection buttons are lit with a red background for only the input-item selected, while the volume and channel buttons are backlit green. All other buttons on the remote are made of gray silicon-rubber, save for the red power button and do not offer illumination. The few lit buttons offered by this remote should be enough to get by with, but I found it difficult to use other buttons in a dark room.

There are more than a few buttons on the Altura MLX remote control that have no function (despite the labels). In specific, the PIP, Swap, PIP Freeze, and TV/DTV buttons have no corresponding function on this model.

In our next section, the Honeywell Altura HDTV goes under the magnifying glass as we inspect the detailed features.

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