Archive for category V047L

CNET’s Review of the Vizio VO47L

Vizio VO47L Tilted Sideways

CNET’s HD guru David Katzmaier has published a thorough review of the Vizio VO47L, giving it a score of 6.2 out of 10. Positives for the television include a bargain price, good color reproduction, 4 HDMI inputs, good screen uniformity, good-looking all-black bezel and speakers, and a comfortable remote control. The cons are poor black levels, the need to adjust the color settings out of the box, and only two aspect ratios for viewing HD content.

“[The VO47L's] image quality stands solidly in the middle of the road, with those lighter black levels and subpar off-angle viewing characteristics seen on many other budget LCDs, but balanced by good color accuracy, at least after adjustment. You can still find numerous larger, 50-inch plasmas available for around the same price, but if you must have LCD and want a big screen for smaller money, the VO47LF deserves strong consideration.”

The score Katzmaier assigns the VO47L, 6.2, seems surprisingly low, as the Vizio GV47LF, 47-inch Vizio LCD the VO47L replaced (and is essentially the same as), is rated at 6.6. Perhaps the low score is an indication of the scales tipping in favor of plasma televisions, which, on average, offer a must better viewing experience than LCDs. Just browsing through CNET’s scores shows lower scores on average for most LCDs compared with plasmas. The main justification for the VO47L’s low score seems to be poor black levels, which have tended to be a strength for plasma technology.

Katzmaier’s mention of the VO47L’s better than average screen uniformity comes as a surprise, as Vizios (and most LCDs, in fact) are notorius for a clouding effect on dark screens. The VO47L’s good screen uniformity should come as a big plus for those thinking about buying the television, as it’s a rare attribute for bargain televisions. However, Katzmaier does mention noticing one corner of the screen is brighter than the rest. I’ve had a similar experience with my Vizio GV47LF, but it’s interesting to note that my screen uniformity has improved over time.

Link to review.

Also checkout our collection of VO47L customer reviews.

The Vizio VO47L Remote ControlVizio VO47L 1080p LCD HDTV

Tip for Vizio GV47LF Picture Settings

GV47LF Small Text

Once you’ve found your optimized picture settings for the Vizio GV47LF, it’s important to note that those settings are not replicated for all inputs. For instance, if you adjust the color temperature while watching broadcast TV, the settings are not replicated for the component input (DVD player, etc). So, you must go to each input using your remote and adjust the settings manually. It does appear, however, that the “Advanced Picture Settings” stay consistent across all inputs.

I just found this out after having the Vizio for 7 months. The menu system gives no indication the settings are different between input and does not label the input settings when you access them. The television’s instruction booklet is kind of vague about this fact as well.

Check out my previous on calibrated picture settings for the Vizio GV47LF.

Collection of Vizio VO47L HDTV Reviews

Vizio VO47L Tilted SidewaysThe Vizio VO47L Remote Control

I’ve put together a large collection of owner reviews from the AVS Forums Vo47LF thread, so there’s no need to cull through 15 pages of questions, troubleshooting, etc to see the reviews. Reviews are after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »

2008′s Vizio 47-inch LCD VO47L to Replace 2007′s GV47LF

It’s a new year, and along with it Vizio has introduced its 2008 LCDs. How much of an update is this year’s 47-inch 1080p LCD, the VO47L, over 2007′s GV47LF? There are few nice tweaks, but not enough to call it a major update.

Vizio added two more HDMI inputs for a total of four on the VO47L, as opposed to two on 2007′s GV47LF. Also, the VO47L comes with a 6-foot HDMI cable, a nice consumer-friendly touch from Vizio.

Vizio also updated the TV’s look. The VO47L now has black speakers along its undercarriage as opposed to the awkward silver look from last year’s GV47LF. A very smart design move. Although it now appears the speakers are no longer detachable.

Compare the pictures below:

2008′s VO47L:

Vizio VO47L 1080p LCD HDTV

2007′s GV47LF:

Vizio GV52LF 2

However, a big disappointment is an apparent lack of picture improvement for the 2008 model. The technical specs from Vizio’s site has the contrast ratio staying the same at 2000:1 contrast ratio (with DCR). Contrast ratio was one of the biggest weaknesses from last year’s model, so it’s a little surprising they didn’t choose to improve it. Until CNET gets around to reviewing the unit, potential buyers should probably check out reviews of last year’s GV47LF. Also, check out the V047L thread on the AVS Forums. New owners will report their reviews and problems there.

There are reports the VO47L is selling now in some Costco stores for $1,399. Other Costsco stores are reportedly holding back until they clear current inventory (probably the GV47LF). Vizio.com has the manufacturer’s price at $1,499. That is a lot less than last year’s GV47LF’s starting price of $1799.

*Update* I’ve gathered together customer reviews for the VO47L from the AVS forums here. There’s also a CNET review of television.

Links:

Official Vizio page for the VO47LF Evolution.

VO47L thread on AVS Forums.

EngadgetHD news blurb about all the new Vizios.

What Are The Best Settings for the GV47LF: Part II

Gallevia

Review site Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity just posted an excellent review of the GV47LF. The reviewer used Datacolor Colorfacts professional calibrating equipment to calibrate the television. So any owners of the GV47LF should head on over there and check out the entire the review for tips on getting the best picture from the television. I can say their suggesting settings improved my viewing experience.

Their suggested calibrated settings for the Vizio GV47LF:

  • Red: 133
  • Green: 126
  • Blue: 106

Their suggested advanced picture adjust settings for the GV47LF:

  • DNR: Off
  • Black Level Extender: On
  • White Peak Limiter: On
  • CTI: Off
  • Flesh Tone: On
  • Dynamic Backlight: AI
  • Adaptive Luma: On

I’ve been messing around with the backlighting settings on the television, and I’ve come to the conclusion that leaving the dynamic backlight setting on AI is the best way to go, whether you’re in a well-lit room or in a dark room. I’ve found that turning off dynamic backlighting in the advanced settings and adjusting the manual backlight to a low setting (less than 40) tends to make dark scenes murky, and can turn a bright sunny scene into an overcast day. If you use the above settings and dynamic backlight on AI, you’ll get the best compromise of black levels and vivid colors that this TV has to offer. You’ll also have more peace of mind by not having to fiddle with the television anymore, knowing the settings are from a professional calibration.

*Update* I’ve been using these settings for months now, and I am still totally happy with the picture in all lighting settings. I have not touched the settings nor plan on touching them any time in the future. Again, I recommend viewing your Vizio GV47LF in dimly lit rooms–avoid total darkness.

*Update II* Please note that picture settings for each input (broadcast TV, component, HDMI, etc) must be changed while in that mode–they do not replicate across all inputs. See my post on the subject.

*Update III* My GV47LF developerd a buzz sound (out of warranty, of course) that was produced from having the dynamic backlight set to AI. I have now changed it to On (this solves the buzzing problem while maintaining the bright, vivid picture the dynamic backlight provides). I have also messed around with the other picture settings and find that reducing the brightness to 47-50 and having contrast cranked up to 90-100 helps increase the black levels.