VIZIO M550NV 55-inch Full HD 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We bought this on Memorial Day at a local store - price was a little cheaper than Amazon, plus no shipping cost, so we got a great deal. First off, the packaging for this TV is HUGE - the only way we could have put this in our van would have been to lay the third row seats down AND take out one of the 2nd row seats, as the box is too wide to fit in the aisle between them. Luckily we have a truck and had no problems fitting in it. If you plan to put this TV in a cabinet/entertainment center, you'd better buy a big one. Due to the shape of the frame, which includes the speakers on either side, this TV is wider than a typical 55" - it measures about 55 1/2" at its widest point, so is too wide for most cabinets that say they will fit a 55" TV. Wall mounting or mounting on an open table setup would be no problem. OK, enough about the size of this monster - you get the picture :)
Setup was a snap - got it out of the box, hooked up a Toshiba DVD recorder/VCR combo via HDMI and a standard def DirecTV DVR to the composite A/V (no HD DVR yet). On a HD signal, this TV has an incredible picture - bright image, great blacks (some TVs have problems with dark/night scenes, but this one handles them wonderfully). Standard-def images (480i) can be grainy, but that's simply a factor of size vs. resolution and is only really noticed if you're close to the screen. Viewing from across our family room (about 12' from tv to couch) is fine. We also connected an antenna to pull in over-the-air signals. The tuner is pretty good, and picked up all the UHF networks in our area, about 30 miles away. The local CBS affiliate broadcasts on a VHF frequency and we can't pick it up - but we can't get it on any of our TVs, so I can't say this tv is any better or worse in that regard.
Connection to our wireless network was quick and easy, and streaming from Netflix, Vudu and Amazon works great. I haven't tried any of the other services available, but there are plenty to choose from. The Netflix software on this TV is better than on the LG blu-ray player we have connected to another TV - this one will allow you to find movies that aren't in your instant queue, while the LG will ONLY play items in your queue, so that's a bonus. Vudu plays well in SD or 720 format, but frequently pauses in 1080p - we need a faster internet connection to support full HD downloads. DivX movies downloaded in full 1080p look fantastic when played from the Toshiba player over HDMI.
This TV comes with a remote that connects to the TV via Bluetooth. It remembers which equipment is connected to the various inputs, and automatically changes the controls to match the input equipment - really nice! I found that it will control all my equipment, and since it works via bluetooth, you don't have to have direct line-of-sight to the TV. Wish that the bluetooth part worked for my satellite equipement too! Programmable remotes will operate this TV, but depending on how old they are, they may not be able to hit all the features of the tv - our older directv remotes will operate the basic features, but only the newer models will change the input source - so you may want to use the remote that came with the TV. We have smaller kids, and wanted to limit their use of the tv remote, because it has a slide-out keyboard similar to those on some cell phones to make posting to facebook (one of the apps that comes on the tv) easy. Since our youngest is 5, we thought it might be best to keep that remote out of harm's way.
All in all, this is a fabulous TV for the money - it's an LED for less than many LCDs of smaller size. I was considering the new Sharp LED with the 4th 'yellow' pixel, but after seeing it in person, couldn't justify paying nearly 50% more for a smaller (52") screen. The LED runs mucher cooler than plasma - while shopping for TVs we walked through a local Sears store, and you could feel the heat radiating off the plasma screens - that alone steered us away from plasma. LED seemed too high until we found this Vizio - we'd gotten a 32" Vizio with 1080p capability for our bedroom at Christmas, so knew that the Vizio had the quality of the bigger names, but without the price premium of Sony, Samsung or LG. When we get ready to replace our other tube TVs, we'll be looking at the Vizio M-series as our top choice - just in a smaller size!

Click Here to see more reviews about: VIZIO M550NV 55-inch Full HD 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV


VIZIO's M550NV 55" RazorLED LCD HDTV with VIZIO Internet Apps puts the best of the web right on your TV screen, giving you the convenience of on-demand movies, TV shows, social networking, music, photos and more with just the push of a button. With built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n), a standard Ethernet connection and a customized Bluetooth universal remote with a slide out QWERTY keypad, the M550NV allows for easy Web surfing. It also boasts sharp detail with full 1080p high definition and RazorLED backlighting for brilliant clarity all in a razor thin design.
Amazingly slim profile that is less than 2.0".

Click here for more information about VIZIO M550NV 55-inch Full HD 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV

Read More...

Mitsubishi Diamond Series WD-65838 65-Inch 3D DLP HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I researched many TVs before buying this one. I focused on Plasma, LED, and LCD sets. I had settled on a 65inch plasma and went to the store to purchase one. The salesman asked me if I had looked at DLP? I didn't even know they still made DLP sets to be honest. I was very impressed with the picture quality of the Mits DLP TVs.Then.......he showed me a football game in 3D on this set.....it was AWESOME! If you are a sports fan - do yourself a favor and go to a store and watch demo's on these TVs - it is like you are at the event. During all viewing, the black levels and white levels are very good and the color is sharp and infinately adjustable. You would have to spend 2X-3X as much on a top end plasma or LED to rival the picture quality and 3D capability of the Mits 65838.
I ended up choosing the 838 model rather than the 738 due to the additional sound capability of the 838. As I was shopping for the flat panel TVs I noticed the sound was never very good. The room we have the TV in is pretty big and I need good sound. When I bought the TV, Mits was throwing in a free Polk subwoofer with purchase. The sub can be hooked directly to the 838. That subwoofer + the 16 built in speakers produces phenominal sound. I also have a full AV receiver/surround system hooked up, but I did not want to mess with having to power everything up every time I wanted to watch TV - now I don't have to!
The brightness and viewing angles are good on this set. I have the TV on a 19inch stand. No noticable dimming when standing/sitting if you are more than 6 feet away. I would estimate that viewing angles are good to 150-160 degrees without any real noticable dimming.
Lastly, I find the menu system easy to use. The TV was easy to set up and navigate with. The only downsides I have found to this set:
1. 3D capabilities - it is still early and you will have to buy the Mits 3D adapter set to view a lot of the content. They have been promising a firmware update to the 738 and 838 series to take car of this, but nothing yet.
2. There is a noticable delay when switching between HD channels. Folks in the forums have commented on this, regardless of service type (Comcast, DirectTV, etc).
3. The factory default settings for color/brightness/contrast are not great. I found I had to spend some time in the advanced menu getting it dialed in to get the proper contrast/brightness/color. It is not hard to do and the menu is easy to understand, it just takes some time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mitsubishi Diamond Series WD-65838 65-Inch 3D DLP HDTV


3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use our checklist below to ensure that you have everything you need. If you have any questions or want to learn more about 3D, we invite you to visit 3D 101--our center for everything 3D. To get started with 3D, please ensure that you have:
If you want to get more information about 3D, shop our 3D products, watch videos, or interact with other customers, visit 3D 101, our customer center about everything 3D. The 3D Ready Mitsubishi WD-65838 DLP HDTV.Click here for a larger image.

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Mitsubishi Diamond Series WD-65838 65-Inch 3D DLP HDTV

Read More...

VIZIO XVT553SV 55-Inch Class Full Array TruLED with Smart Dimming LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We have had this TV for three weeks. It replaces a Vizio 50" Plasma purchased 4 years ago that died.
- Picture quality is outstanding. Very dark black with no visible back-lighting. NFL games and fast-action video work great. Side-angle viewing is good with this TV.
- Tons of inputs.
- Vizio Support answers the phone promptly. They're helpful and courteous.
- Excellent matte screen surface with little to no glare from lamps, windows, and doors. Because of the matte finish, we opted to move our TV location perpendicular to a an 8ft sliding glass door out to the pool. We have had no problems with light or glare degrading picture quality. In contrast, this door would have caused extreme glare on the slick surface of the plasma, while also washing out the picture.
- Internet Aps are handy. Neflix is the one we use primarily. Because the TV is now the sound source, an Optical Cable is needed for connection to the Receiver. Once setup, sound and picture quality are outstanding. Getting to a list of movies with the VIA button on the remote takes only a couple of clicks. The NetFlix ap works so well, we barely use our media computer hooked up to the system.
- Remote Control and TV Setup menus on the unit are intuitive, easy to use, and graphically well done. The TV picture quality was great for us out of the box, requiring no adjustments. Remote control setup via the on-screen configuration automatically tries codes and only requires the user to click "worked" / "didn't work" in order to cycle through and find the right code. Best remote setup I've ever seen.
- Remote Control itself is nearly perfect. Well-spaced buttons that are easy to read and arranged logically and in similar locations to other DVR's. Physical size is ideal, Not too long like many remotes. Keyboard flip out is a fantastic addition.
- TV mounts to a wall without any problems. (We used the Vizio XMA 1200--worst user manual I've ever encountered) The unit is surprisingly light, given the TV's size. Still best to have two people when hanging the unit on the wall.
- Because our previous Vizio died after only 4 years, we bought a 4-year Square Trade warranty from Amazon (STAY AWAY FROM ALL WARRANTIES BY THE COMPANY "NEW"). Our Sams Club warranty was through NEW. A month of being hassled resulted in our TV being picked up and taken to a local shop. After another 10 days NEW gave us an undetermined ETA on Parts for the repair. We called SAMS CLUB and explained our warranty nightmare. Sams Club Manager told me to bring in the TV. NEW Refused to give the TV back. I found a phone number to the shop they contracted out and was able to get a address, then go pickup the TV myself. Sams Club gave us a full-refund! Avoid NEW (read reviews here on Amazon of New Warranties). Vizio also offers a similarly priced warranty extension. There is paperwork in the box for purchasing this product from Vizio.
- We're very happy with the TV.
Update 3/16/2011
We've had this TV now for approximately 6 months and are still happy with it. However, one complaint: I notice on very black screens where there is a an object that is brightly colored, you will see haloing. For example, credits on a movie where the screen is black and the text is white will show haloing around the text. Another example, the moon against a black background will have haloing. Seems to be a panel lighting issue. This issue can detract from your viewing experience in these high contrast scenarios.


Click Here to see more reviews about: VIZIO XVT553SV 55-Inch Class Full Array TruLED with Smart Dimming LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps


VIZIO's XVT553SV 55" TruLED LCD HDTV with VIZIO Internet Apps delivers the ultimate HDTV experience. Packed with the latest technology, this high performance HDTV combines advanced picture quality, immersive virtual high definition sound and premium wireless Internet connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band so you can enjoy the convenience of on-demand movies, TV shows, social networking, music, photos and more with just the push of a button on the premium Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard universal remote.
Backlit LED blocks turn on and off based on the real-time content.

Get 6% OFF

Click here for more information about VIZIO XVT553SV 55-Inch Class Full Array TruLED with Smart Dimming LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps

Read More...