HDTV Forum

dblb48...Dont listen to eliwhitney! I have a 42" Vizio LCD 1080p and I LOVE IT!!!! Its quite stupid to spend money on more expensive Sony, Samsung, Sharp, or LG; when you can get the same or almost equal quality for a cheaper price.

I can't contribute to a debate on which TV to buy, but I do appreciate reading a comprehensive listing of warranty policies. Digging out this information has been difficult for me. The www.hdguru.com article is a valuable resource no matter what TV you end up buying.

Vizio Is Just As Good As Sony!!!

Not in performance and certainly not when it breaks! Same for Samsung. Can't touch Sharp, or LG for service either. If you are happy with yours that is great but with all due respect your opinion is not supported by the facts.

Hi Richard -

I "thank you" for sharing your experiences ! There are some other similar
"forums" which are frequented. Although all do seem to be wonderfully "happy"
about having saved a very few hundred dollars, oh how they " howl " whenever they realize
that they must prepay round trip shipping to the West Coast or, that there are no provisions for parts/service at all on the 366th day, etc..

It's a shame that a very high % of new HDTV buyers will, indeed, be doing it all over again !
eli whitney

Per HDTV solutions

VIZIO 42" GV42L LCD HDTV Review
Dick De Jong
August 31 2006
HDTV Solutions
Comfortable

So what makes you think these people understand imaging science? Are they to be believed because they are a mass market publication? Does their delivery and view match one you already had going in?

Before I elaborate on the merits of comfortableness, let's take care of the formalities. The GV42L LCD HDTV has a resolution of 1366 x 768, with an 8 ms response time, an 8-bit processor yielding 16.77 million colors, which are all industry standards for a 42" LCD in this price range.

That is pretty sad... although I suppose correct for the price range. Not the size...

Imaging standards would want either a 1280X720 or 1920X1080 square pixel matrix, 10 or 12 bit processing, 4ms response or less, correct color decoding and color gamut, correct color temperature and tracking, 1:1 pixel mapping, the ability to turn off enhancement features, ect.; and with LCD definitely a back light control.

HDTV Magazine is a great general resource and we pride ourselves on facts, not opinion.

For starters...
viewtopic.php?t=4450

For specifics try Video Waveform...
viewforum.php?f=103

Making your brain hurt? Hire a professional!
http://www.isfforum.com/Find-a-Calibrat ... ators.html

Widescreen Review is one of the better magazines and even then take those reviews with a grain of salt unless they are done by Greg Rogers. None the less at least you will get some real info in other articles about what makes a performance image.

Some REAL display and product reviews
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/reviews/aut ... sher&id=20

I have no attachment to any company or advertiser or anything. Except for the Oppo all those products came off the shelf - no manufacturer provided or tweaked products. I tell it like it is even if goes against what everybody feels or has been told; check the feedback thread on the Panasonic LCD front projector. Everybody has a right to their own opinion, not their own facts.

Again, if you are happy with the product then enjoy. We understand that most folks are casual viewers and we support you too! To be clear it was you who provided a subjective opinion on performance rather than an objective statement of performance using science. I'll be the first to admit that the amount of information you need to learn can be overwhelming but if you are seeking the truth it is here to be found.

None of those articles talked about what happens when it breaks did they...?

Its quite stupid to spend money on more expensive Sony, Samsung, Sharp, or LG

Note that nobody has called you stupid for buying a Vizio... Your statement was harsh and an attempt to justify your very personal decision!

I've recently bought/sold/replaced several HDTVs on my way to the 42" model I now enjoy each and every day. I've reached this conclusion: pay no attention to the brand/model, just look at as many sets as you can and buy the one that has the best picture, based on your own preferences. Extra attention should be paid to black levels and contrast, those can be deal-breakers once you get the thing home. Most competitive retailers (e.g. WalMart, BestBuy,etc.) will take the set back, no questions asked, if the performance is not to your liking. I worked my way up from an Olevia, to a Sanyo, to a Panasonic, then back to a Sanyo for my final choice: best picture/performance/price, based on my experience. Go to Ebay and observe how many Sharp Aqueous sets are for sale as refurbs, and it's true of other 'quality' sets as well. So...pick your retailer, look at a LOT of sets and pick the one you like best. Take it back for any reason if you don't like it. It's a buyer's market out there for HDTVs, so be assertive and get what you want.

Excellent advice along with calling the manufacturer to find out who your local service center is... not having one speaks volumes!

I purchased a 41" LCD HDTV Vizio a couple of years ago from Costco and had a bad experience with it. After about 1 year the sound mechanism would wigg out and go to full volume with a terribly loud buzz. This is not a good thing when my toddler nieces and nephews would come over and nap while we watched TV. I would have to turn the TV off to reset this. It was before Costco implemented their newer return policy so the only real inconvenience was unmounting and lugging it over to the warehouse.

I ended up purchasing a Sharp Aquous and it has functioned beautifully for over 1 year already.