Another HDTV question: Vizio vs. Everyone Else

[BillySixty]

I'm probably the 943rd person to ask an HDTV question, but thanks to a generous refund I'll be making the plunge into HDTV land.

I've been hearing good things about Vizio, but it almost seems too good to be true. Does anyone have one? Are they OK? I went to a Sam's Club today and looked at the display... it was OK, nothing special, but then again, it was a Sam's Club display.

I'm not looking for a TV for the next 30 years, I'm just looking at one to hold me over for four or five years until I can afford something top of the line.

Any advice?

 

[Editude]

We just bought a Samsung, which is right there with Sony for picture quality. Vizio is OK. It's a mass-market, warehouse-club HDTV. It is much cheaper.

 

[Angola!]

First off I would suggest against buying electronics from Walmart/Sam's Club, I have had multiple items go bad from those stores quickly. Of course, I am also biased.

I have a Sony 36-incher and it is really nice, it is about a year old and still works like a charm. Of course it weighs so much it takes two grown men to lift it, but other than that.

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

Billy:

I'm going through the same process right now with HDTV. I settled on plasma because for what I'm going to use is most -- sports and movies -- and, to me, the refresh rate is better than LCD, although LCDs are catching up. I also picked plasma because the viewing angle is 170 degrees unlike rear projection or DLP or even LCD for that matter.

I looked at Vizio... I want to get 42 inches and I don't have a lot of money to spend, but there is a reason Vizio is cheaper, is because it's quality is below that of Panasonic, Samsung, Pioneer, etc.

I know you want something short-term, but consider looking online instead of the brick and mortar places and you'll find things much cheaper. My buddy got a 42-inch Samsung from Amazon, free shipping, and he saved hundreds of dollars.

My advice, whether it's LCD or Plasma, go with something of a little better quality then look online for prices. You might find it comparable to the Vizio.

 

[OnTheRiver]

I want to get 42 inches and I don't have a lot of money to spend

How many times did Ron Jeremy hear this from a movie producer?

 

[playthrough]

Costco sells Vizio and their customer service is usually very good.

I got a 42-inch Hitachi three months ago. Still amazed I got my wife to go along with it.

 

[BTExpress]

generous refund

The IRS gave you interest on the money you loaned them in 2006?

 

[kokane_muthashed]

There was a thread a while back about plasmas, etc. and one poster (NDub, I think?) had lots of good advice. I think he used to work at Best Buy. IIRC, he said stay away from Vizio.

 

[rico_the_redneck]

We just bought a 32-inch Toshiba LCD from tigerdirect.com for $650 shipped (technically $700 until I get the $50 rebate check three years from now). Ordered on a Sunday, had the TV Wednesday. My BIL, who is much more the electronics geek than I, says he knows some people with Olevia LCDs that are as nice as brand name TVs for much cheaper, so that might be another brand to look into.

Still waiting on DirecTV to install the HD dish and Receiver/DVR so I can see the new TV in its top form. One of the folks I talked to at DirecTV said they're going to be adding something like 100 channels to their HD-lineup by the end of the year ... right now, there's only nine or so HD channels. Good to know since they're charging $9.99/month for HD service.

 

[kokane_muthashed]

Here's the thread from Sept. 06. It's about Hi-Def, but lots of good info about sets too.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/31951/

NDub didn't mention Vizio by name. Here's the bad ones he mentioned to stear clear of ...

STAY AWAY FROM:
Westinghouse - Every floor model we had (about 3-4) had to be sent to service because something wen't apeshirt inside of it.

Maxent - Here was my line when people asked "What's Maxent?"
Me: "Have you ever heard of it before?"
Customer: "No."
Me: "Exactly."

Insignia - It's the Best Buy house brand. You won't find it anywhere else. It's cheap, but don't suckered. These are generic TVs.

 

[BillySixty]

Most reviews I've read online all say that the Vizio is pretty good, especially for the money. I can't remember the exact site, but I think PC World rated it the best 37-inch LCD HDTV out there (this was last October).

What about Sylvania? I saw a 42-inch plasma for 800, which seems insanely low.

 

[slappy4428]

Sorry, I just saw this.
I bought a Vizio and it's great. Three actually. Bought a 32 inch and it didnt fit in our entertainment center but wanted to get so I bought it even though it didnt quite fit; about 3 weeks later was in Costco, saw they'd refit the 32 inch enough so it would now work in the Center, so exchanged it.
It then looked small, so three weeks after that, took it back, forked over another 200 bucks and got the 37 inch. Yes, I refit the entertainment center
Cant say enough good things about it. Paid 899 from Costco, but you vcan also order from the website too. Picture is sharp, sound is good and remote is simple. Have HDMI line running in from the cable box and another from the surround system (200 bucks of RCA from tiger direct; another very good buy)...
I had priced and looked for months before pulling the trigger; then when I did, I was able to upgrade thanks to Costco's liberal return policy which lets you return/exchange things like that as long as you have the original packaging and dont put a softball through the LCD screen.
I highly recommend the Vizio TV (and the RCA surround system too).
This would be one you have in the living room now, then move to the bedroom down the road when you can afford more screen size for the den/living room.
42 inch is 1299, 37 inch is 899... 32 is 699, but spend the extra 200 and get the 37...
And Best Buy does not sell Vizio.

Here's how clear it is. Ms. Slappy and I were watching tv last week and landed on the Discovery Channel's HD station with it's sunrise program. On the screen were Bison roaming through some park and eating. The dog looks up, sees what's on the screen and literally goes up to the screen to stare at the Bison, then sticks her nose on the screen to see what else she can find out about it.
She has never done that before -- watchede TV yes, but gone to the screen to scope out something she saw? Never.
It's that clear and sharp. was the funniestthing we've ever seen with the dog, and she's provided some humorous moments...