Vizio HDTV

Vizio is maybe a Johnny-come-lately in the LCD market but it surely is an upstart that made quite a splash on its arrival. With a single focus on bringing to consumers low-priced flat TV panels, Vizio keeps aggressive pricing schemes that cut deeply into the market shares of name brands, making it the biggest selling LCD TV seller in North America in the second quarter of 2007. The ever-increasing share in the market of Vizio is evident in its yearly sales for the past three years: just $142 million in 2005, $700 million in 2006, and just under $2 billion in 2007.

Vizio’s low prices however came with trade-offs: inferior images and contrasts, less features and innovations, and TVs that are generally under-performing compared to the leading brands. Still, consumers seems not to mind these little trade-offs in exchange for saving significant sums when opting for Vizio LCDs or plasmas.

Visio plasma HDTVs are available in 42-inch HD-ready (VP422), 50-inch HD-ready (VP503) and 50-inch full 1080p HD resolution models (VP504F and VP505XVT). Powered with the proprietary Silicon Optics HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) processor, high contrast ratio and more than a billion natural plasma colors, these TVs offer natural-looking images and adequate black levels. With simple designs, impressive sound reproductions and more than sufficient connectivity options, these TVs definitely give real value for money.

The Vizio LCDs are slightly smaller – from 19-inch to 47-inch screen sizes and available as HD-ready or full 1080p HD resolution TVs. Like the other brands, Vizio offers more features in the pricier items, and just the basics in the cheapest ones. The LCDs give acceptable color reproductions and enough connectivity options for entry-level high-def experiences. Some of the latter releases have ditched the traditional black frames in favor of coffee-inspired hues that blend well with modern lifestyles.