Vizio has been praised for years in some circles (for what reason), in others. Known and respected by many products as a leader in value, Vizio announced products at CES 2010 that are known to change the value in television. The main difference between this year and past years is that Vizio offers products that pull no punches when it comes to competing against the big boys in performance.
Vizio 72″ is the largest television in the line as of early 2010. The new set offers 480Hz refresh, led backlight with local dimming (different from edge-lit, which could offer better longevity than cold-cathode lighting, but not necessarily better picture) 3 -D, and HDMI wireless. It is clearly designed to take the realms in the category of offerings that connect to the internet, wireless networking and using content, which Vizio dubs “Vizio Internet Apps”, or “VIA”, is very interesting from a development perspective by restoring 480Hz, and wireless HDMI.
Wireless HDMI is something that many custom installers and early adopters of HDMI might, at first glance, avoid as full of challenges. Although the technology has been tested on a mass-scale, and in a variety of environments, Vizio is tackling the issue with a full-frontal attack. The wireless HDMI television technology is called “SiBEAM”, operating at 60GHZ, all but completely avoiding signal corruption and competition from wireless phones, remotes, and most phone cell. HDMI signals are delicate in a round environment, and Vizio tries to overcome this by adapting the way it offers four HDMI connections, as well as 1080p functions. This innovative new technology is perfect for a television panel, as many factories today have a television on display, speakers around it (in the ambient environment), and equipment sequestered in a closet or closet, out of sight. The installer had a challenge with the HDMI cable from the audio rack (where the switch takes place) to the display; without loss Vizio’s solution using robust transmission technology should go a long way in saving customers money from not having to buy a long HDMI cable, for installations that don’t have drivers from installers, turn on a long warm-up session to get everything in sync.
LCD televisions and plasma televisions have been playing shows for some time, depending on the smooth motion. LCDs, for color and fade, once carried the unfortunate moniker of “lowest common denominator” because they couldn’t keep up with their larger plasma brethren to satisfy the viewer’s discernment. Vizio is trying to tackle the motion problem by upgrading to 480Hz, a first for LCD panels in this size and category. Although the interpolation device has its critics of “creating from scratch”, the technical work helps to avoid stuttering and motion slippage. The key is to make the outcome look real, and not do all that “live TV” that can ruin the films. Vizii’s efforts to make the image look better is convincing, which is refreshing, considering that many of the competitors’ efforts have been met with an overwhelming response in many cases.
Vizio, with its XVT line, is really making every effort to establish itself as a serious competitor, consumer marketing to ignore before . Brands have an uphill climb to value, having perished because of perceived cheapness and worse, poor after-sales support. Vizio, while never working with any unusual frequency, is moving fast in the category that Samsung took over three years ago – with great work, increased cost.
