Vizio has announced lower prices for some of their HDTVs including a few Black Friday deals. Here are the details:
Vizio’s Costco Black Friday Deal
The Vizio 37-inch VW37L 1080i LCD HDTV will be on sale for $499.99 at Costco for Black Friday weekend (11/28-11/30) while supplies last. The VW37L has 2 HDMI connections, 5500:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and weighs 55 lb. LCD Buying Guide has a review up of the VW37L, rating it a 78.5 out of 100, which appears to be a pretty average rating for their site.
Vizio previously made inroads into the world of HDTVs as a bargain brand, but their most recent HDTVs are starting to impress reviewers with their quality as well as their price.
CNET recently took a look at the new Vizio 50-inch VP505XVT 1080p plasma HDTV ($1499 msrp) and was extremely impressed, rating it a 7.7 out of 10, the highest rating yet for a Vizio television. Reviewer David Katzmaier had this to say:
Simply put, the Vizio VP505XVT is one of the better-performing plasma TVs we’ve tested this year from any manufacturer. It delivered deep black levels, relatively accurate color, and solid video processing, thanks in part to HQV.
That’s a pretty strong statement for a bargain HDTV.
Katzmaier liked the Vizio’s cheap price, deep black levels, realistic shadow detail, accurate grascale, extensive picture controls, and 4 HDMI inputs. They didn’t like the fact they noted some false contouring and an inaccurate green primary color reproduction. But overall, they found the set to be “Vizio’s best effort yet” and find it stands toe-to-toe with similar-sized but much more expensive models from other brands. Playback Magazine also reviewed the VP505XVT recently and was likewise impressed.
The Vizio’s $1499 price tag is the suggested manufacturer’s price and is likely to drop quickly in the near future. Be on the lookout for the Vizio VP505XVT on the shelves of Costco soon.
Costco has a few in-store HDTV deals for Black Friday 2008. If you’re looking for a huge LCD this Christmas, Costco may be your place. The deals require coupons. Here’s a link to a scan of the coupons from bfads.net. The coupons are good for November 28, 29, and 30. Check out the deals below.
CNET recently reviewed the new Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray player ($299) and gave it their coveted Editor’s Choice with an 8.0 out of 10 rating. The DMP-BD35 is a Profile 2.0 player, and CNET noted that it’s the first player Blu-ray player with all of the essential features of the PlayStation 3 at a much cheaper price.
They liked the Panasonic’s image quality for Blu-ray discs, and even said they feel it equals the quality of the PS3 (the PS3 is currently the gold standard of Blu-ray players). They also liked the player’s slim styling, in-player decoding for all high-res audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), and bit-stream output. The only cons were that the PS3 has faster disc loading and navigation, and some other functionality like media streaming and online movie renting that the Panasonic doesn’t.
The old argument that the PS3 was the best value for a Blu-ray player is losing some steam. If you’re a game player, the PS3 is still the best choice. But if you only want to play Blu-ray movies, there are now options that meet the PS3’s quality for a much cheaper price. Check out CNET’s video review below:
If energy consumption is a primary factor in your choice of an HDTV, the 52-inch Sharp Aquos LC-52D65 LCD ($1500) should be of some interest. CNET recently reviewed the set and gave it a 6.9 out of 10.
They liked the Sharp’s cheap price, energy efficiency, good color reproduction (after calibration), 5 HDMI inputs, and its smooth and subtle styling. They didn’t like the set’s poor black levels, average off-angle viewing, and “below average” standard-def picture.
The Sharp Aquos LC-52D65U complies with Energy Star’s new version 3.0 energy efficiency standard, which, for the first time ever, measures power consumption when devices are turned on.
Specs for the Sharp Aquos LC-52D65U:
52-inch LCD
1080p
60hz
5 HDMI inputs
2 component inputs
2 composite inputs
1 VGA input
63.9 lbs (Ed. That’s very light for an LCD this size)
Blooming occurs on an HDTV when light from a bright area of the screen bleeds into a darker area, creating a glow, halo, or bloom effect around the bright object. It usually occurs in areas of high contrast such as white letters on a black background.
Below is another example. Note the grayish halo around the letters:
Because the problem is inherent to how each HDTV handles dynamic backlighting and contrast, there is no way to fix the problem short of purchasing another television.
This is a collection of reviews I’ve put together from the AVS Forums thread on the Vizio SV470XVT and SV420XVT. This is for your convenience so you don’t have to cull through dozens of pages of price questions, technical queries, and troubleshooting. (Note: The 47 inch and 42 inch models are exactly the same except for screen size.) The original thread can be found here.
Amazon.com has cut the price of the Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player to $258 with free shipping (from $399). The player received a 7.0 out of 10 from CNET, who liked the unit’s “excellent Blu-ray image quality and very good DVD upscaling” and its “compact size.” The BDP-S350 didn’t originally ship as a Profile 2.0 player, but subsequent firmware updates have added the ability. Check out CNET’s video review below:
Other specs for the BD-S350:
1080p DVD upscaling
Sony’s XMB graphical interface
Dolby TrueHD decoding
Bit stream output for all high-res audio
Ethernet port for firmware updates
USB port
The Sony BDP-S350 is a step up in quality from the BDP-S300, which we just mentioned had its price lowered to $199. It’s thinner and faster (less load time for Blu-ray discs) than its slightly cheaper brother, the BDP-S300. EngadgetHD also reviewed this unit and also noted the quicker loading times and that the player had no problems with every Blu-ray disc they threw at it. Their biggest complaint:
Our favorite feature of the BDP-S300 (source direct) is missing and the 24p “auto” feature didn’t work on our favorite 1080p30 title, Planet Earth (BBC). So to watch it at its native resolution, we had to stop the movie to change the frame rate to the native 30.
The Godfather trilogy is being released on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, September 23, as a four-disc gift set. The suggested retail price is $124.99, but Amazon currently has it on sale for $61.95.
This version of the trilogy is known as the Coppola Restoration. Godfather parts I and II have been restored under the watchful eye of original cinematographer Gordon Willis to ensure they match the original color schemes. Technical enhancements were made to all three of the films as well.
The new set introduces some extras that weren’t on the previous DVD releases of the films. One covers the restoration process. Another, titled “Godfather World,” shows the films’ effect on American culture.
Memorex has introduced a bargain Blu-ray player, the Memorex MVDB-2510, at a nice starting price point of $269. The player will go on sale in November 2008 (right around Black Friday, eh?). It has all the basics you’d expect: 1080p and frame rates of 24p and 60p. It does not have Profile 2.0 (aka BD Live), but that’s hardly a knock against it. Features for BD Live have been lame so far and not worth the premium price the inclusion usually brings.
Memorex is also touting the MVDB-2510’s good looks, pointing out the player’s “elegant details” like brushed metal chroming and a white LED display.
What else has it got? Check the list below:
DVD upscaling
7.1 HDMI digital audio output
5.1 analog audio output
Dolby TrueHD audio
Dolby Digital Plus audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio decoding and bit stream output
Master Audio bit stream output
Feature-wise, the Memorex MVDB-2510 stands toe-to-toe with more expensive players. We’ll track the reviews when it’s released in November to see if the hardware inside matches our excitement. With the November release date, it’d also be nice if a Black Friday 2008 deal could knock down the price even more.
