VIZIO 37" LCD
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New member Username: Kreiser99Post Number: 2 Registered: Dec-05 | I'm interested in purchasing the Vizio 37" LCD HDTV. I'm concerned about it not being a 'name' brand and being cheaper ($1499) than others that I have looked at. I'm also looking at the Samsung 40" LCD which costs significantly more - but not sure worth it when compared to the Vizio. Any feeedback would be appreciated. -S |
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plasma newbie. Unregistered guest | Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Samsung is the parent company of Vizio, so they should share similar technology. |
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Unregistered guest | the price is right...but, how high is contrast |
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Mikkel Heimburger Unregistered guest | I looked at this TV at Costco yesterday...wow amazing....the best LCD I've EVER seen. No smaering at all..probably due to the 8ms response time...I'll get one of these for sure. P.S. Nope I'm not an emplyee of Vizio!!! :-) |
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wahsah Unregistered guest | As a Christmas present for me, I purchased this screen at Costco ten days ago. The quality of the set is very high. It has multiple inputs (analog video, component, RGB, S-Video, HDMI), built-in Digital and NTSC tuners, and PIP. It has a great HDTV picture, and it does equally well with progressive DVD and broadcast NTSC. (The white is so bright that it almost hurts the eyes! And that is after a proper setup with DVD Essentials). I am pleased with my purchase, and recommend it - particularly with the great price and the generous return policy at Costco! |
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wilbil Unregistered guest | Just purchased one from Costco as well. I am totally overjoyed with everything it has for the price. I first just set up my Dish network input and it was a nice great picture but when I hooked up my old antenna in the attic and pulled in all of Chicago High Def stations it was just unbelievable how great the picture was. Very happy |
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Dave _ P Unregistered guest | I did a lot of research before stumbling across this particular Vizio LCD, including with a good friend of mine in charge of the HD Lab for Ziff-Davis. The encouragement I've just read here seems like additional icing on the cake -- gonna go pick one up from Costco ASAP (as a holiday gift). |
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Anonymous | You guys are right on the money. I would highly recommend this unit. A+ in my book. |
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Anonymous | Vizio 37" LCD or Westinghouse 37" LCD? I've narrowed my search down to 2, HELP!!!! |
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Anonymous | i bought one 2 days ago from costco ($1499)and haven't left the apt since. i am so happy with my vizio 37. bought it with a upconverting dvd player (toshiba sd-4980) connected via hdmi and the picture is beautiful. over the air hd is also very beautiful. the contrast is listed at 600:1 but i can't tell the difference. |
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ScottKW Unregistered guest | I have the same question as the person two posts back - does anyone have a recommendation of Westinghouse vs. Vizio? BestBuy just put the 37" Westinghouse up at $1395, which seems like a big drop in price. |
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Unregistered guest | I can clear up any ones uncertainty they have about which lcd flat panel 2 choose. I own a high end home theater consulting and custom instalation company and have been in the industry for many years and have seen all the tvs available in person and have tested them, both the popular brands and the nevr heard ofs. The question of Vizio37" or Westinghouse37"? Though its moreexpensive, No question, the westinghouse. Higher resolution, betterblack levels, and much closer to a REAL 8ms response time. The Vizio says 8ms because of a loophole in how they are allowed to time it. In reality its closer to a 12-16ms refresh. Another choice over the vizio but at the same price level, the soyo 37". At the top in contrast ratio, brightness, and refresh rate. Not to mention the best speakers ive heard, and just overall, an impresive flat panel at any price. the 6 in 1 media card reader is a nice feature also. Hope this helps you guys with your decision. |
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Anonymous | Bought the Vizio 37" LCD from Costco for Christmas (paid $1495). Great TV for price and value. Would highly recommend it to anyone. I have a Comcast HDTV connection and the TV works great. Sound is excellent with many options on how to project it; and the product seems to be well built. From the previous post I would not worry about if it is truly 8ms or 12 ms response. I think it would be very difficult for anyone to distinquish that except for gamers (but I do not think you want to use an HDTV for a game console). Costco seems to have a very nice return policy if you are not satisfied, sure beats ordering from the Internet than trying to ship it back if you do not like it. I think the other manufactures will be sweating it out with this competitor on the market. |
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tho Unregistered guest | Actually, many of us do like to use the HDTV for game console and computer monitor and LCD is the best choice since it does not suffer from burn-in like plasma does. |
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New member Username: IrthmanBaltimore, MD Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-06 | Hi all, I visited Sam's Club and saw the Vizio 32" LCD HDTV ($896). I love it. I then went to Tweeters and BestBuy. They both have impressive units, but can't beat the prices for the same size. The salesman at Tweeters confessed that he bought on from Sam's. |
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Unregistered guest | I got the Vizio 37" LCD from Costco over the holidays as well and am quite pleased with it. But... I also now see Vizio has a 42" plasma at a price not much more than the 37 LCD. Can anyone comment/compare these two? |
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Betty P Unregistered guest | I just bought the 37" LCD Vizio and love it. I too have Comcast and the picture looks great. I'm not sure I'll watch regular television again. HD has such a beautiful picture. If your in search of a universal remote code for the Vizio try codes listed under Samsung. I used 0030 for my comcast dvr 3. Good luck to all and enjoy the show! |
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New member Username: SampillarsPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-06 | mdconnelly, in march 2006, costco will have the vizio 42 plasma on sale for the same price as the vizio 37 lcd. i have yet to see the picture quality of the vizio 42, but comparing the vizio 37 vs vizio 50 side by side, my wife and friends both think the vizio 37 pic quality beats the vizio 50 hands down. now that i know the sale is coming up, i'm torn between buying the vizio 42 with the bigger screen versus the vizio 37 with most likely a better pic quality. |
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Bronze Member Username: Johnhunter44Post Number: 25 Registered: Dec-05 | What about the vizio 50 plasma? I have seen this in Sams club and the picture looks great. I wonder how the reliability is with this set. Will Costco have this set, as well as the 42? |
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Anonymous | i picked up the 37 lcd at costco last week, i had to exchange it tonite because the component video2 all of a sudden went way dark. costco of course took it back with no questions. this is a great tv and am very happy with my choice. fyi i called vizio and they were more than happy to send a free tech out to me but the soonest would be 10 days, i said thanks but no thanks and just returned it, good thing i saved all the packaging. |
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Erik L Unregistered guest | Got the Vizio 37DHTV, great picture, great looks. (fits my Bang & Olufsen at a fraction of the price) Do however have problems with the remote control. Seems randomly to activate the wrong functions like suddenly adjusting volume while switching the channel. Have any of you seen that problem? It also seems to share frequencies with my Akai DVD player. |
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Cam M Unregistered guest | I finally took the plunge and got the Vizio 37 inch at Sam's Club for about $1500. I also got the Radio Shack 15-1892 amplified indoor antenna (really the only antenna they had and I was anxious to get going with HD). I don't have much to compare this set with, my 1992 32 inch Toshiba was no match. But the blacks are black. I found someone had gone through the effort of optimizing the user options in the picture settings, the default settings were "vibrant 1", obviously not optimum. Has two tuners, one HD Tuner and one NSTC, plus two sets of component and composite inputs on the back. In addition one composite input on the side (with S video) for camcorders or PSPs - easier to get at. The set up was quite easy. The pacakging on the box is fantastic, you unsnap four clips near the bottom of the box and the top separates and you pull off to expose the TV sitting in a short base box. Really then easy to get the unit out of the box This set has a good PIP (and POP) which is important for my viewing habits (I always have a PIP window available to skip most ads). Unlike some other sets I investigated, I really can have nearly all input sources in either PIP box. I have been a long time PIP user on a CRTV. Over the years I have had some well designed ones (you can change the channel of the PIP separately from the main window) but the magic remote that worked died eventually and no universal remote has worked (no cheap ones at least). The next CRTV had PIP but you could not change the channel of the PIP source. Often PIP is hardly mentioned in reviews or manuals. I did make sure that the main and pip windows could show all the necessary input signals (AV1, AV2, AV3, TV and DTV but not component). Other model I looked at was the Olevia by Syntax and it could show all sources in either main or pip. Anyway this works for me. But I discovered some great additions. The PIP window can change channel separately from main, the remote even has pip channel + and - buttons so TV and DTV tuners can be controlled from these buttons. I can also swap the audio separately from the video (so watch main video but listen to pip audio). The pip size is adjustable from the remote with three sizes of pip, and separately a POP set-up where the screen is split in halves. So for the Olympics I am TIVOing content in the middle of the night or early afternoon and pip-ing with live content at night. So I am not much of a men's ice skating and was able to speed through several TIVO events (at lower quality). But I could always monitor the live HD broadcast and swap over. One feature is that I don't really have to see any adverts, in particular using TIVO this way I skip through them. But on a normal night I just have some other interesting thing in the PIP window so I can hop away from ads. Suppose the advertizers don't think this is a good thing? I have read other sites where posters could not understand the allure of pip, but they probably had the sucky kind (as I did). Thanks to all the posters on these forums for their comments and experiences. I would never buy without trolling for information. What did we do before the internet? |
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Unregistered guest | I just bought the 37 from Costco and it is great with one big exception. The component inputs (at least the one i tried) are very dark. I thought it was xbox 360 but i got the same result with prog scan DVD. Has anyone else had this problem |
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Johnnalei Unregistered guest | Vizio is a Taiwan-based company. Therefore, there is nothing connected with Samsung. However, I would say their quality and price are as good as Samsung and even better. |
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Anonymous | VIZIO, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California is a leading edge digital technology company. Founded by William Wang, a leader in the computer display industry, VIZIO is bringing vision to the consumer electronics market through practical innovation. V, Inc. 320A Kalmus Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Phone:714.668.0588 Fax:714.668.9099 |
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bluemax50 Unregistered guest | The Vizio L37 has one of the worst Hi Def LCD Displays I've Demo'd. The picture is so dark that any low light scenes are basicly unviewable. If your thinking of buying this display ignor all the "It's awesome comments" and find a store that will let you demo video other than bright sports feeds on this TV. Ask to see some low light examples and then see what you think" LCD as a whole has trouble with black levels but the L37 is really, really bad. |
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Anonymous | I stopped by Costco today, and the salesman informed me Vizio is a Samsung private-label brand made specifically for Costco and BestBuy. I asked him what the return rate has been on this brand, and he indicated he wasn't allowed to talk about that on any electronics. Go figure. Anyway, I too was impressed with the picture of the 37" Vizio -- nicer than the Sony sitting right next to it. |
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New member Username: MtvPost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-06 | I bought the Vizio 37" LCD less than 30 days ago, then purchased a wall mount at Vizio website, to find out about the 42" plasma display coming to Costco for the same price March 20. I like the LCD display, but wondering if i should return it and buy the plasma. I don't like to return stuff that works OK, but Costco really shoved this thing in my face as I walked in last month. Need some epinions. |
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New member Username: EhdmiPost Number: 9 Registered: Mar-06 | I bought the Vizio 37inch myself from Sam's. Overall, very pleased with the TV and would recc. to anyone looking for a nice LCD within a budget...I got mine for $1400, which is pretty good. Picture quality and sound work great as well. The 11ms response time isn't too bad, could be better I guess. Keith Http://www.eHDMI.com |
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New member Username: Edu_da_floridaPost Number: 5 Registered: Dec-05 | OK. It seems that for the $, VIZIO is a good deal. If $ wasn't an issue though, would you get a Sharp Aquos? |
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New member Username: MarkkramPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-06 | Can anyone comment on the black contrast and how the Vizio handles standard tv (non HD) signals? Are the blacks really black and how is the detail in dark scenes? Blurred or clear? It wasn't easy to tell in Costco. |
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New member Username: TzonePost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-06 | Alright, where to begin, well I bought a 42" Plasma from Costco in Dec 2004, 2 weeks ago, first week of June 2006, I was watching a movie with my wife when the TV just went black, no video at all.... tried , everything, including resetting it... nothing worked.... well that weekend I took it back to Costco, and I told them it was over a year and a half old and what happened, oh I didn't even have my receipt, they had to look me up on the PC and my Costco card... well. I got $1900 and some change back, cash in hand.. and was getten ready to leave the store after looking over their current Plasma selection and LCD selection... and ofcourse, they had a ton of the Vizio products, so I was like Im not buying Vizio again.. and was gonna walk, but then it hit me.... what store is gonna give you a cash back, no questions asked, over a year old return... NO ONE ! except Costco... So I was well hell, Im just gonna buy a new TV here... I ended up buying 2 NEW LCD's that day, I bought the 37" & 32" Vizio HDTV LCD's..... and I haven't looked back.. I luv em! I got 2 Mini PC's hooked up to them, one downstairs and one upstairs... the one downstairs is my main PC, so I gave my wife my Dell 21" LCD for her PC and my daughter got her 19" LCD... it looks GREAT on the 37" to me, ofcourse I'm not using the HDMI interface, just the VGA (WXGA) at 1366 X 768 I have no complaints at all.... to answer Mark's question, standard TV on some channels does look grainy, but it did on my plasma too.. I just think it's the broadcast.... when I go upto the HD Channels on my Comcast, it looks great... but I hafta say the PC looks the best to me.. for what I paid and the AWESOME store return policy of Costco, I do care what negative things other people say about these TV's.. you wanna go buy a more expensive Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic or any other brand from Best Buy or anyone other then Costco, well, your outta luck if you have probs.... Costco ROCKS!! and I luv my Vizio LCD's! |
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New member Username: Larrywms45Chandler, Arizona USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-06 | Just saw the Vizio 37 LCD at Sam's Club in Chandler AZ for $999. What a price. |
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New member Username: MagicmoPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-06 | You should check out OPPO Digital's new LCD TV and DVD combo. The screen size is significantly smaller, it's 20", but you get so much more with a cheaper price. It's going for $599 and you get a DVD player included. It's awesome. I just received mine and it's definitely worth checking out. It's also awesome because it's attractive and fits in everywhere. You can even take it traveling. Check it. |
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New member Username: Louie_caSunnyvale, CA USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-06 | I really have to add my 2 Cents: Bought the Vizio last weekend. My first try at LCD 37" or any LCD, after using Sony 27" Trinitron for 17 years. How about that? Not that pleased with the quality, bought it for the price. $999 at Costco. At first setup, I was awed and thought that I had found a "secret" gold mine. After about an hour of watching, I realized that the picture did not focus quickly enough after there was a lot of movement or action on the screen. For still shots, it was excellent. As you can tell, I am not a big spender for state of the art video equipment, but I exchanged the unit at Costco for the SONY Bravia, 40" and will probably stay with this for at least 25 years. However, I would like someone to comment on whether I should get the ONKYO TX-SR674 or one of the newer Pioneer DPMI capable units (Elite?). Louie |
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New member Username: George5dPost Number: 7 Registered: Apr-06 | Got a Vizio 37" the other day for $999 at BJ's. Hooked up to regular cable for now and it looks great.. Just was not sure which coax input to use ant.digital or ant. cable. So for now I hooked it up to ant.cable. I'm not running a cable box with the TV now. Going to get a High Diff cable box in a few weeks and see what it can do. So far my wife and I are 100% happy with the picture. We have a 43" non HD rear projection Toshiba that we love and have in the living room. The Vixio 37" does a good job comparing it to that.What I would like to know does Anyone have setup tips as far as brightness and contrast settings as far as making the set last a little longer? I did re set the brightness down to 50% and I think that looked great. Your thoughts please.. Thanks! George |
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New member Username: Vail_cookiePost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-06 | anyone have experience with the vizio GV42L 42" LCD? |
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New member Username: FourscompanyPost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-06 | My 16 year old 27" Sony XBR was showing signs of failure, so I began my search for a replacement. I read the reviews here and on other boards about the Vizio 37" so my wife and I went to Sam's club to look at one. (Had been looking at Sony's CRT XBR 34", but was concerned about weight and the picture being too small.) We found the Vizio 37" at Sam's Club, but the picture looked underwhelming. Then I noticed that ALL the TV's pictures on the displays looked less than stellar so I figured it was the source signal. There was not a price on the Vizio, so we asked for information. A manager told us he had one that was returned and repaired by service, and we could have it for $500. Our jaws dropped! My wife and I figured if we didn't like it we'd just return it. We bought it and thought it prudent to add a three year extended warranty which was $50.00, total of 4 years. Stopped and bought component video cables and went home and hooked it up. DVD picture is awesome after tweaking; with a regular cable box picture is decent. Will exchange cable box for HD box after Labor Day. Wish it had more than one HDMI port though. Christmas came early at our house this year! |
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New member Username: George5dPost Number: 8 Registered: Apr-06 | Joseph, Wow,Great deal! We got ours for $999 at BJ's, had it about 3 weeks now and are very happy with it.. About the only thing I did was turned down the back light to 50 and left all other settings alone.. How are you finding the set? Have you found any settings you like best? George |
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New member Username: MrmelodyPost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-06 | I don't have much luck with this TV. I bought the Vizio 37 LCD for $1499 from Costco 8 months ago and really loved the picture as well as the sound. Except the response time from the remote control is so bad. After about a couple of months, all of the sudden there's a loud distorted noise that made me jump while watching a TV show. This happened every once in awhile. So I exchanged for another one. Everything was fine for a few months, then the TV turned itself off every 15 or 30 minutes. This also happened intermittently, so I decided to return it for good. It's tempting now that the price has dropped to $999, but I think I'll go with the Phillips. I have to praise Costco for honoring their return policy. |
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New member Username: FourscompanyPost Number: 3 Registered: Sep-06 | George, I ordered the digital video essentials disk. After I receive it I'll post my settings. I did try HDMI from my HD cable box, went back to component. I can't put it into words, just that the HDMI looked a little washed out at least to me. I've read posts about the remote having to be pointed right at the tv to work, although I found that true, it improves greatly when you have good alkalines installed. My family is very pleased with our purchase...Knock on wood! |
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New member Username: FourscompanyPost Number: 4 Registered: Sep-06 | George, I also found this forum where some users already have the DVE disk and have posted their settings. It's about halfway down the page... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=607501&page=4&pp=30 |
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New member Username: George5dPost Number: 9 Registered: Apr-06 | Joheph, Thanks for pointing in the right direction with some settings so start with. If you find you like some other setting pleas post.. George |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 75 Registered: Sep-04 | These are good buys, but you should look for the highest contrast levels. For me the best LCD-TV is the SHARP AQUOS. They look just like the SONY version of the LCD. Still price shouldn't be your only concern. I look for picture quality in these sets. VIZIO and WH look sort of wash out. Although the WH does look sharp and with high contrast, but some of the sets sold at Samsclub with the DVD player built-in seems to be an added catch to to buy the set. |
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New member Username: FourscompanyPost Number: 5 Registered: Sep-06 | Well, I used the DVE Disk and after using it then fine tuning it to my taste I came up with these settings: Backlight 50 Brightness 56 Contrast 70 Color 40 Tint 53 Sharpness 50 I'm veiwing through Analog HD 1, I must also say it's not easy making adjustments because the menu covers most of the screen during adjustments. Anyway, that's where I'm at now. It seemed to improve SD channels as well... |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 13 Registered: Apr-06 | Joseph, Thanks for posting your settings. I'll give them a try..My setting, set with out using a setup disk are: Backlight 52 Brightness 50 Contrast 50 Color 50 Tint 50 Sharpness 50 Keep in mind the TV is used in a low lit bedroom. I have a Sound & Vision set up disk that I must run soon. And I will also post the settings. Any one remember the Vizio'z default factory setting? I just don't want to hit the reset all and have to set it up all over again.. I want to see who far my setting differ from the factory ones.. Thanks! George |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 14 Registered: Apr-06 | Sorry Contrast should be 81! I don't see a way to edit my org. post! George |
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Bronze Member Username: EhdmiPost Number: 84 Registered: Mar-06 | Thanks for those setting ideas. I'll take a look at them...I've been looking for a few other setting ideas! |
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New member Username: BbrownbsSpringdale, AR USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-06 | purchased Vizio 37 HDTV from Sam's for $999. Generally pleased, but some channels have head partially cut off on top of screen (in wide, normal and zoom modes) and scrolling message on bottom cut off. Only occurs on some channels. Any remedies? Also, why would one re-adjust the default setitng for backlight, brightness, contrast, etc.? |
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New member Username: CpthkPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-06 | [QUOTE]VIZIO, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California is a leading edge digital technology company. Founded by William Wang, a leader in the computer display industry, VIZIO is bringing vision to the consumer electronics market through practical innovation.[/QUOTE] That only tells you the America's headquarter not worldwide headquarter. Also, Vizio is a Subsidiary of amTran technology, which is still a Taiwan-based company. On top of that, I could set headquarter any where they want. There is no law says I have to set headquarter at the main office. Just like Trend Micro(an anti-virus company, now has contract with Microsoft hotmail), it's a Taiwan-based company. But they set their headquarter at Japan. There is no need to complain. Now is 2006, businesses are always internationally. |
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New member Username: KingramPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-06 | What about the Emerson 37" (EWL3706). I just purchased it from Wal-Mart day before yesterday. Yesterday I went to Sam's club and they had the Vizio for $100 more. Has anyone compared these two sets? |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 15 Registered: Apr-06 | We have the Vizio 37"*about 3 months now*, But had seen the Emerson 37" in WalMart a few weeks ago. I was impressed with the picture but did not see both of the Set's together so i really can't say how they compare to each other.. Over the Hedge was playing in the store on the Emerson so we picked up a copy for our granddaughter and played it on our Vizio just to see if it looked as good.. To me it did.. But let us know how you like or dislike your Emerson. Good luck with it! George |
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New member Username: BbrownbsSpringdale, AR USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Nov-06 | The problem with heads on top of screen and scrolling message on bottom of screen being cut off is solved. We needed to adjust picture through Dish Network remote control which had nothng to do with our 37" Vizio HDTV. We continue to be impressed with the picture quality and the ease of connecting our laptop to the RGB port and digital camera to AV port on the TV. |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 76 Registered: Sep-04 | I have this Emerson 37" Widescreen LCD HDTV for about 1 week now... I also found out a few days ago I too have a dead pixel where you would see the. HDMI Video1 Video2 You can see it right on top of the blue bar. It's not small either. I've call the FUNAI Corporation hot line and was directed to local service center. Which turns out to be mom and pop run TV repair stores. One was history the other one didn't know about dead pixel problem well the girl or woman who pick up the phone. She told me the owner would call me back. He did, but didn't answer my question. My dead pixel or pixels looks like a size of the letter "o" on your keyboard black dot with a little tail. There is also green pixel showing up not to far. But that can be fixed by rubbing the screen while the LCD is off then turning it on while you keep on rubbing the area. Not to hard just though. That filled in the pixel and fixed that. One thing I don't like and just came back from our local Costco store they only sell VIZIO, SONY, PANASONIC, SHARP, AKAI, MINTEK, an etc.. LCD HDTV, but they all come with except for the SONY 18 parts/labor, 18 in-home-service. The rest are 1 year parts/labor and 1 year in-home-service which sounds like a better deal. FUNAI Corporation only gives you 90 days (3 months) labor, 1 year parts and 2 years on the LCD screen. I did get the $58 bucks for extended service so that would make it 4 years on the LCD screen, 2 years on parts and 2 years plus 90 days labor. I also tried going to repairman walmart site and found out that my receipt doesn't work for the extended warranty tells me it can't find the record of the sell. I still don't know if the service store will come to the house to fix the set, or do I have to drive to him which is 4 towns away. With Costco you have 6 months to return the set or exchange it for something better. Wal-mart isn't going to do that. I know something wasn't right. I only found 1 store out of 3 in my area that had this Emerson 37" LCD Widescreen. But it sounds like to me all or most of you have a dead pixel problem. I should return the set, but I enjoy viewing it! The picture for HD is excellent! I too have to view it high over the bed, so I just got a Sauder new stand for HDTV LCD Panel up to 43" wide. So that puts the set up 38" high... Looks great with the Emerson. Well I am still thinking, and I don't know if I should the mom and pop repair come to the house to replace the LCD screen on a brand new LCD HDTV? |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 77 Registered: Sep-04 | I was considering VIZIO VX37L which about the same as the Emerson except it has 2 HDMI (which is nice to hookup and upconvert HDMI DVD Player) and RGB for PC. For now I'll keep looking at my Emerson and the dot on the screen until I decided about taking it back or not... One thing I would like to add is that Emerson doesn't have bass/trebble features for the audio, but you do get Digital output sound through a Digital Coax instead of Optical you would get with the VIZIO model. Emerson has HDMI for sound/video using the one HDMI cable through a Motorola Dual-Tuner DVR High-Definition Set-Top DCT6412 Phase III HDTV/HDMI works excellent with this LCD HDTV. |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 78 Registered: Sep-04 | Emerson looks very good for SDTV Emerson looks excellent in HDTV Remember you can to be a good 6 to 12Feet away to view anything on this set. I've hookup a Media MVP (video/audio network streaming device through s-video).. DVD Recorder (YBG cables) and I use HDMI through Cox HDTV/DVR box, everything looks excellent. But for the dead pixel and the way the 90 labor or in-house-service which I am trying to find out if that's available are the only negative features for the EWL3706. |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 16 Registered: Apr-06 | Tipstir, If it was me I would return the set to WalMart they have a good return policy and I don't think you will have a issue.. Having said that.. We have the Vizio 37" and it has a no bad pixel warranty for the first year Parts and labor.. Along with the normal one year warranty they offer up to a 4 year extended warranty for $149 for 4 years in the box . So far so good with our vizio. For me my eye would always be pulled to the bad pixel and I just could not enjoy it.. Good luck and thanks for the input on the Emerson.. George |
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New member Username: JoshiscoolPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-06 | I have just recieved a 32" Vizio L32 TV as a christmas present. Sofar, so good  Cox Digital Cable user here, and its going as a bedroom TV. |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 83 Registered: Sep-04 | Not quite sold on Vizio they seem to be a part of TATUANG also. Still the Emerson with CPE (Clear Pixel Engine) feature is still a plus for today's LCD HDTV. I am waiting on more Emersons to hit the store or better yet the next version of sets, but I can't wait to long |
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New member Username: TzonePost Number: 2 Registered: Jun-06 | I have both the 37" & 32" Vizio HDTV LCD's and have been very happy, also since I purchased them from Coscto, if I have problems in the future with them, it won't be an issue. I have a media pc connected to both LCD's and have been using them regularly. Only thing you should remember is that the factory settings for the picture are not recommended, as they do not provide the best possible picture quality, I have fine tuned both of mine and many of my friends ask me how come mine look so good compared to the ones they have seen in costco. They were initially put off of buying the Vizio LCD line when they saw the image quality in the store, but once they saw mine and realized that the adjustments need to be made to make the TV's enjoyable, then they were convinced and also have bought Vizio LCD's. One poster had mentioned that they seem to think the Vizio company is associated with TATUANG, while my sources have indicated SAMSUNG. I have gone to Vizio to clarify this and will return with the results. |
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Bronze Member Username: TipstirPost Number: 95 Registered: Sep-04 | You do know you can get next model of VIZIO from Costco, just by returning the ones you have.. Lot of people have done it.. It's a pain.. My Emerson has two dead pixels on the screen and doesn't have PC hookup. 32" Models have it though. Funai makes the Emersons an etc.. If it wasn't for the dead pixels I would keep what I have but I'll return it.. |
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New member Username: TzonePost Number: 3 Registered: Jun-06 | Actually it is at the discretion of the Costco manager to allow you to trade up. Unfortunately the Costco where I am requires that there be something "wrong" with the TV to trade in or refund, basically they want you to say something is wrong. Also on a side note, Vizio is not related or tied to Samsung, Vizio responded to my query. |
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New member Username: ShanekleinJefferson parish, Louisiana U.s. Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-06 | I just purchased a 37" Vizio from Sam's and paid $899.00 plus tax. I am a serious believer in SONY but this television is for my bedroom in which it is displayed in an armiore and is only visible when I am watching it. I own a 60" Sony XBR LCD and love it and also have it conected to a Sony ES receiver with a theater type surround sound system. After reading numerous reviews on the Vizio television I decided to give it a try rather than spending a large amount of money on a television that is for my bedroom. So far the television is great but I am not satisfied with the speakers. I did read reviews in which some explained that the speakers were great and others advised that they were just OK. I went and purchased a cheap surround sound system for this television and now it is much better. I recomend this television and think for a bedroom or spare room it is fine but for your main livingroom I would still stick to the SONY. |
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New member Username: ElectronicgirlPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-07 | Gosh, after reading everyone's reviews, I went to costco and got this Vizio TV for $899.99. What a deal, I thought! But then, the TV froze up on me. I had to unplug it, wait 5 minutes, plug it back in and then turn it on. But after a couple of days, it just wouldn't turn on anymore. I went to Costco to return it, and not surprisingly enough, a lot of TV's had been returned for the same problem - "power problems". I had Costco search high and low for other stores that carried the same model, however, the other stores were having the same problems as well... They only carried "non-saleable" TV's which meant, the only ones they had in stock were the ones that DON'T work. So, like a little child with a new toy, I was soooo disappointed in this TV that didn't work. So I drove to Fry's electronics and bought myself a new Samsung 32" LN-S3241D with the same money I got from my Costco refund. Lo and Behold!! I am quite satisfied with my new Samsung with it's picture quality and HD channel pick up. Although I lost 5" of my TV, I'm very happy.... |
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New member Username: JfheltonPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-07 | I caught this thread and I need help with my Vizio XL37HDTV. I'm on my second set of this model since early December and am generally very happy with it except for one condition. Small streaks will begin appearing horizontally across the picture which are slight but noticeable. The only way I can get rid of them is to unplug the set, wait a few seconds then plug it back in (a kind of "cold restart"). That will last for a couple days before it starts again. This happened with may last set and when it started doing this every day, I took it back to Costco for a replacement. I've tried switching to a grounded outlet but it continued. I've disconnected and traded out various components that are connected to the TV but to no avail, it still happens. Has anyone heard of this or have any ideas how to get around it? I'd appreciate any comments because I'm at a loss and I really like the set but I'll replace it again (with another brand) if I have to. |
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New member Username: RekrewdnahPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-07 | For the record, I purchased from Costco before x-mas at $899. Awesome. Subscibed to Time Warner (digital extreme package) with an HDDVR. I have a Sony home theatre, & Daewoo VHS/DVD combo unit. Vizio is connected to HDDVR (from Time Warner) with a Monster Ultra 600 HDMI cable ($100 from Radio Shack) and the HDDVR is connected to the Sony Home Theatre with a THX fiber optic cable ($25 from radio shack). VHS/DVD is connected to the Vizio with the component cables, and a coaxial cable (orange) to Sony home theatre. Awesome crystal clear. Whites and Blacks are perfect. Sound is true 3/2.1 on the HD stations, and Dolby Digital Pro Logic II on the non 3/2.1 broadcasts. Either way could shake off the roof of the house! Sound from the Vizio itself is OK, but no comparison whatsoever to when the sound it played through the home theatre (of course). I'm watching the NFL playoffs today and it couldn't be better. |
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New member Username: WesPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-07 | Just purchased a new VX37L - 37" LCD Vizio TV from Costco on 1/20/07. Love the clarity on the HD channels. Very, very happy with the picture on all HD channels. I have a HDbox by TimeWarner and used a DVI(HDMI) cable to connect box to TV. The only disappointment I have is on non DVD channels, the pictures have a 4:3 ratio since this t.v. is 16:9 widescreen television. Therefore you'll notice black bars on the side of the screen on regular (non HD) stations. As a new Flat Screen owner, I wish I knew how to stretch the screen on non HD channels so it will still have a 16:9 viewing. Is this doable? Can you stretch the screen with this T.V.? How? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If not possible, what other TVs would you recommend that allow you to stretch to full screen size on nonHD channels so you don't have the black bars and the picture quality isn't too distorted or too fuzzy? I prefer a 16:9 to a 4:3 screen for sports/movies that are in widescreen format. Thanks for your suggestions and recommendations. |
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New member Username: MrmelodyPost Number: 2 Registered: Sep-06 | To Wes Brasell, You can stretch the screen on your Vizio by simply pressing the "Wide" button on your remote. Last year I bought the first release of this 37" model from Costco but had to return it because of the "shut down" problem that many people complained about. Since the price dropped, I just got the brand new 42" Vizio LCD and love it. The only thing I notice is if you turn off the volume at night, there is a weird humming sound coming from the unit. The HD channels are outstanding and the sound is way much better than the Philips LCD. Enjoy! |
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New member Username: WesPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-07 | To Le I've tried the "Wide" button but it doesn't eliminate the black bars on the sides. It just makes the picture zoom in closer in the same 4:3 picture. It stretches the picture but doesn't eliminate the bars. Is there a possible setup I need to adjust with HDCable Box? Still need help. |
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New member Username: FourscompanyPost Number: 6 Registered: Sep-06 | Keep your Vizio on Wide, then use your cable box controller, use the settings button, then select more settings,(yellow triangle), then scroll till you see Aspect Ratio. Select Widescreen 16:9 then over to the right select stretch 4:3 Now it will automatically stretch the picture when not broadcast in Widescreen...most of the time. |
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New member Username: StixPost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-07 | To ALL of those who think that LCD has no Burn In like Plasma. I am sorry to inform you that it does, having worked with equipment that uses LCD displays for many years they do have Burn In.. just like CRTs' and Plasma. |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-07 | I bought the VX37L from Costco a couple of weeks ago. I'm very pleased except for one thing. If I view VHS tapes I've recorded, the picture "tears" and jumps horizontally. Very significant. I tried it on both of my VCRs and with various record speeds. Same issue for all tests. So I conclude that the problem is with the Vizio, probably something to do with upconversion to the 720p from the VCR output. Anybody else had this issue? So if you plan on using this TV with video cassettes, think twice. Everything else is fine. One other thing I think I've noticed.... The color settings seemed to "age". After a couple of weeks, I had to change them. All things considered, I'm happy (for the price). But I can't use it for VCR viewing. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1513 Registered: Feb-04 | George, my 3 month old VX37L has performed flawlessly in all modes including playback on my Mitsubishi VCR. The VCR's signal is input via the TV's Ant in on channel 3. I have not tried the composite video input but I doubt very much there'd be a problem there either. I have not had any issues with the color settings either. |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 17 Registered: Apr-06 | George, This may not apply because I have the older 37" Vizio but it works great with DVD cable and video tape.. May I ask if you checked your tracking? This most newer VCR's you will need yo hole channel UP or channel DOWN button to do so..It does sound like a tracking issue to me..Have you tried a few other VCR's? I think this will fix your issue.. Good luck! George |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-07 | Thanks for the inputs. Yes, I tried it on a second VCR. Same result. The suggestion about tracking was a good one. I tried that, and it didn't help. I have two other TVs, one of which is a tube HDTV-ready Hitachi (720p). On both those other TVs and with both combinations of TV-VCR, the picture from the same tape is fine. So I blame this on the Vizio. Except for this, I'm very pleased with the TV. But it is nearly useless for VCR play-back. I think I will phone the tech support line and see whether they offer any help. If that fails, I'll return it to Costco and exchange for another Vizio of the same model. Thanks again. |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-07 | Oh, one more thing. I did the test with a video recording of a movie I had purchased a few years ago. I wondered whether the problem might be related to my VCR's ability to record a good signal. But the results are the same. Whether a tape I've recorded or a professionally-recorded program, the picture is terrible on the Vizio. |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 4 Registered: Apr-07 | Well, this sorta makes me mad.... I exchanged teh VX37L for another one. same issue. I'm convinced it's in the Vizio, maybe the basic design. I had decided to keep it anyway because I won't watch many VCR programs on it. But I figured I'd call tech support just to see if there is anything that can be done. After being on hold for a very long time, I finally was connected to someone, probably in India, who could barely speak English. He denied that there is a problem. And he said the set is not really designed to work with a VCR. I told him several times about the tests I had conducted and that two other TV sets, one of which is HDTV, both work fine with the samve VCR(s). Furthermore, the owner's manual tells how to use it with a VCR. So I think it should work. He said I should just buy a DVD recorder. Well, I would have been satisfied to just have them apologize for the poor quality, admit that it's a design limitation, and offer a refund (which I would have declined). I would have kept the set anyway. But the way I was treated, and his denying that I really have a problem made me dig my heals in. So I got more firm with him. The end result is that they are sending a technician to my house to look at it. Seriously, I doubt they will be able to resolve it. But If they want to treat a customer that way, then they can make a call at their expense. At least maybe the onsite technician will be able to speak English. OK. Sorry for dumping. I feel better now. geo |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 18 Registered: Apr-06 | Try another VCR or buy a new VCR... See if it will work better.. I can't believe your the only one with this VCR issue nor can I believe you would have the kind of bad luck to get two bad sets... It would be easier to buy and return VCR's.. We have two vizio sets, there 46" and there older 37" L37HDTV and love them both!! George |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 5 Registered: Apr-07 | I have done the following tests: *** I tried the same video tape on two different VCRs. Both produced the same problem *** I tried both the coax antenna input and the component input. Both produced the same problem *** I tried different record speeds for the VHS tape. Same problem on all speeds *** I tried several different cassette tapes, including retail movies that I purchased. Same problem *** I viewed the same tape(s) on two other TVs, one of which is a HDTV-ready set. The other two TVs displayed the picture with good quality. *** I tried changing the tracking on my VCR(s). It did not help. *** I tried cleaning the VCR heads. It did not help. *** I carried my VCR and tape to a friend's house last night and tried it on his 50" HP HDTV. It worked fine. So I confidently feel that the Vizio TV is the problem. |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 19 Registered: Apr-06 | My one last thought is that you look and see if in your vcr setup menu there is a progressive scan mode? try it with it on and with it off to see if that fixes your issue.. Just a note some vcr's don't let you set that mode when using component read you manual to see if yours will let you set this mode when using component you may need to use s video just to set this mode.. Wish there was a easy fix for you so you could be happy with the set and could enjoy it.. Best of luck! George |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 6 Registered: Apr-07 | Thanks, George. I appreciate your reply. Actually, I will keep the set and be content, even with this shortcoming. Considering the price ($799) and the fact that VCR programs aren't the highest priority, I still think the VX37L is worth having. On the occasion when I do need to view a video cassette. I'll just do it on my other TV. Again, I would have dropped the issue if the level-2 support person had been more understanding. But I feel his attitude toward a customer was out of line. When the onsite technician arrives, I'll discuss it with him from scratch. If he seems reasonable and interested in my concern, I might tell him to cancel the replacement motherboard. (The level-2 tech is requesting the motherboard swap. It's probably just a shot in the dark and his way of getting me off the phone.) My main reason for posting these messages is to help inform other people who might be considering the Vizio. I use the forums frequently, and I feel it's sort of a duty to contribute. I hope it will be helpful and hasn't sounded too negative. Regards, geo |
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New member Username: JavoandradePost Number: 4 Registered: Apr-07 | There is a samsung LCD (LN32R51B) and the price is $845 usd , this price looks great to me , does anyone has bought this model that could tell your experiences? |
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Bronze Member Username: DotbowelsPost Number: 21 Registered: Oct-05 | Have had 37 inch Vizio (which is a Samsung)from SAMS for 3 months paid $799, which is excellent for an LCD this size. Picture is great. |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 7 Registered: Apr-07 | Here's the ongoing saga of my Vizio VX37L. The onsite technician came to my house yesterday to replace the mother board. He's an independent tech, not working for Vizio directly. He was very nice and apologized on behalf of Vizio for the way I was treated. I demonstrated the VCR issue,and he agreed it should not do that. So he disassembled the TV. Screws, plastic parts, sheet metal were all over my living room floor. After about 45 minutes, he had the mother board out of the unit. He opened the FedEx package that Vizio had sent to him, and immediately saw that it was the wrong mother board. He wasn't very happy about that, even though he will get paid regardless. So we both got on the phone to cust support. The woman taking the call was very nice, polite, and eager to help with the problem. She said that the next step would be to send me a replacement TV and pick up the old one at my home, no cost to me. They won't send an onsite tech out twoce for the same problem, she said. I was ready to do that, But I wanted to confirm that it would be a new TV, not a refurbished one. I was told that it could be either. So I declined. After we hung up with the cust support person, I asked whether it might be possible that this particular manufacturing run might have used a batch of marginal comonents, making the upshift circuuitry not work properly. He agreed that was a distinct possibility. So my plan is to keep the TV for about 60 days then return it for a refund at Costco. I'll buy another one just like this one, starting the 90-day clock all over again. Maybe if this is an issue with a batch or parts or a particular manufacturing run, in two months the TVs will be better (or the price will have dropped). So for now, I'll view video casssette tapes on my other TV only. Stay tuned.... I'll report back in a couple of months. geo |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 20 Registered: Apr-06 | George, Any reason your not trying there next one up? There 42" they are really reasonable now you would have a bigger TV and I don't think you would have the same issue.. My next thought if you had two 37" sets already and you insist on another 37" bring the VCR and Tape with you. Let them hook it up tell them why! Costco is great that way.. I like most here have no VHS VCR issues like you describe with our Vizio's 37" and 46".. Best of luck and do let us know how you make out..George |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 8 Registered: Apr-07 | George; The only reason I don't move on up to the 42" is that I don't have room for it on the shelf where I need to sit it. The 37" fits nicely with a couple inches to spare. But the 42 would be a bit too wide. Good idea, but just won't work for me. Regards, geo |
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New member Username: LightsyderPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-07 | How does this TV perform in regards to regular digital cable. I've heard many stories about how a lot of HDTV's don't have a quality picture when not viewing DVDs or HD channels. Just wondering if my Time Warner digital cable with look good. Also, what should I buy for connecting everything? I've seen all of these new types of gold cables and monster boxes that are supposed to improve the quality. Do they help or are they just a rip off? |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1530 Registered: Feb-04 |
While I understand the knee-jerk rejection of a 'defective' orphan refurbished unit, I would advocate some calm thought regarding same. A refurb has been at the mfr, who sould know the ropes. |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 9 Registered: Apr-07 | Refurbished units are readily available to be purchased, and they cost less than new units. Look at web sites like pricegrabber.com, for example. If I wanted to have one of those, I could have bought it in the beginning. So accepting a refurbished unit now means that I wasted money. Also, refurbished units often have cosmetic blemishes like scratches. So all-in-all, even if they work just as well, a refurbished unit is no substitute for a new one. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1531 Registered: Feb-04 | George, I agree that refurbs should cost less, and I fully understand your reluctance to accept one without at least some amount of price adjustment. However, my point was that the company has (presumably) corrected and tested a 'factory refurbished' unit and that those units can be a better bet for trouble free operation than taking your chances with a 'new' unit. After all, aren't you 0 for 2 with new-in-a-box units? BTW, I am still baffled as to why you're having a problem with VCR feeds, while having no problem with any other video source. Did the on-site technician have any insight as to why? |
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New member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 10 Registered: Apr-07 | The onsite tech was a really good guy. Very knowledgeable and willing to talk. He's also a computer repair specialist. I showed him the issue, and discussed all the tests I'd run. Together, the only explanation we could muster is that the up-convert circuit for VHS is a marginal design or is using marginal parts. VHS signals need more processing to achieve the same quality picture as other signals, as I understand it. So that task requires more exacting designs than for DVD, antenna, or cable signals. I suppose it's possible that Vizio didn't put much effort into that, since most people are moving away from VHS in favor of DVD or TiVo. That could be one place Vizio saved cost to keep the price down. But that's just speculation. As I said earlier, I'll keep the VX37L long-term and just view VHS tapes on my other TV (a 720p tube Hitachi). For all other signals, the Vizio performs well. I do fully agree with other forum members that the sound quality from the built-in speakers is very poor. Last night, we tried to view Bobby from a rental DVD. The picture on the Vizio was great. But we had to abandon it and switch to watching the movie on the Hitachi due to the sound. I guess I'll have to add auxilliary speakers to the Vizio when I put it in its final location on the shelf. geo |
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New member Username: YalavartypPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-07 | I purchased Vizio 37 for 799 + taxes after several deliberations last weekend and truly amazed by the quality. For the folks who is still looking and haven't decided, go for Vizio and you wouldn't regret it. |
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New member Username: LightsyderPost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-07 | I also purchased a Vizio for $799.99 at Sam's Club and it looked great. At least until the screen turned red. Vizio tech support had no solutions and wanted to send me a "new" TV. Of course it would take 7-10 days. I decided to go back to Sam's and get another one from there. This one has been great and I have to say the quality of these TV's is great when comapred to the price. I think they are a wise purchase. That is assuming this doesn't go out as well... |
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New member Username: LightsyderPost Number: 4 Registered: Apr-07 | Anyone tried playing PAL format DVD's on this TV yet? Just wondering how they look... |
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New member Username: Dlm2000Post Number: 1 Registered: May-07 | I've been reading.......and reading.........and reading. Needless to say the information here is overwhelming. I'm looking to join the ranks of flat screen tv viewers and thought I'd take advantage of my Costco membership but honestly, I don't know where to start. I don't have cable(& don't want it at this time) so I'm just looking to optimize my Chicago area viewing and have a way to 'record' for playback. Can someone point me in a direction for newbies or give me an appropriate entry level shopping list? I need to be led by the hand through this process, I think! |
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New member Username: CrumbUtah Post Number: 1 Registered: May-07 | I have bought this particular TV and I love it, BUT I have noticed that a slight discoloration at the top of the monitor when the screen is all black. It looks like a screw was tightened too much and has created pressure there or something. Has anybody else noticed this? It is starting to irritate me when I see it. |
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New member Username: WpunchPost Number: 1 Registered: May-07 | Hello George Clark, Many thanks for sharing about the VHS tape situation. I still view these tapes so this is important to me. Someone said it was not a problem with the 42" model. I was actually more interested in the 32" model. Does anyone know if there is a VHS issure with the Vizio 32" models? Thanks~! |
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Bronze Member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 11 Registered: Apr-07 | Here's an update on my 37-inch Vizio. It's now been two months since my initial purchase, where I discovered the VCR issue. Since that initial purchase, I exchanged the set for another one at Costco, a service technician visited my home to try resolving the situation, and I verified the tests with two different VCRs, various VHS tapes (both retail movies and ones I'd recorded), and with three other TVs (two of which were HD 720p). Two days ago, I exchanged the set yet again at Costco and tested the new one, the third VX37L. The problem still exists with this third set. So I'm convinced that there is a design deficiency in the set, probably in the upconversion circuitry. The issue occurs most on scenery video rather than people. I first discovered it while watching Planet Earth which I recorded so I could skip through all the commercials. The introduction of each episode has snips of scenes from several episodes. The Vizio issue is VERY apparent during that introduction, notably with the view of snow-capped mountains, the camels crossing the sand dune, and the circular feature that looks like a crater in the earth. Scenes of jungle and birds are not as badly distorted. Commercials and views of newscasters are so-so in quality. But still the issue is usually noticeable to some extent. I've decided to keep the set anyway, because it's intended for my bedroom where I won't be viewing VHS tapes. I like the value of the set so much that I have considered purchasing a second one for use in my family room as my primary TV. But there I do indeed record and play back video tapes. So I won't be buying another VX37L for that room. Some people would say that I should just upgrade to DVD recordings, but my preferences are to wait until HDDVD recorders (or Blueray) are a reasonable price. Even then, I'd still have old video tapes that I would occasionally want to view. So I doubt I'll be purchasing another Vizio anytime soon. I don't want to dissuade people from buying this set, expecially if a VCR is not part of the home entertainment picture. The TV is a great value for most applications. If there are other members of this forum who have the VX37L (specifically that model, not the older 37-inch version) and have tested it with a VCR, I'd like to hear about the findings. geo |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1595 Registered: Feb-04 | As I stated on April 15: "George, my 3 month old VX37L has performed flawlessly in all modes including playback on my Mitsubishi VCR. The VCR's signal is input via the TV's Ant in on channel 3." My set was manufactured January 2007 and is definitely the new model with the cream-colored back panel. I believe the earlier models were grey and of course the model number was slightly different. "So I'm convinced that there is a design deficiency in the set, probably in the upconversion circuitry." A bad production run maybe, but there's no way it is a design flaw. If that were the case there'd be complaints throughout this thread and other forums. Certainly not everyone is using a VCR with this TV, but there should be enough that the problem would be well established by now. I will say that my picture quality on VHS isn't perfect. There's edge instability and an over all lack of sharpness. But it's VHS, with 260 line performance---on a good day. Plus I use the TV in permanent stretch mode which doesn't help much regarding the impression of picture quality. I can't say, however, that I am having the problems you are having. Thanks for the update. |
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Bronze Member Username: Ge0rgePost Number: 12 Registered: Apr-07 | Thanks for the reply, John. I had forgotten about your note back in April. That does make this more of a puzzle. I don't think I'll spend any more time on it, although it's perplexing to me, a certified geek. I was watching the local news on a HD channel last night, and I'm still amazed at the difference in picture quality with this TV. I have it temporarily side-by-side with my Hitachi 720p (tube technology) so I can compre the two pictures, and the difference is striking. My only antenna for the HD channels is a folded dipole I made out of some 300-ohm lead-in wire. Still, I receive about 7 or 8 HD channels. All-in-all, the VX37L is a good value. geo |
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New member Username: R0ssPost Number: 4 Registered: Sep-07 | I bought the 42in 3 months a ago and we all love it....the only thing with Vizio is the pip you can't switch to all different inpunts if you want..like watch AV1 and AV2 at same time..unless that is a way and i don't know it? tnx R0ss  |
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New member Username: L_dillanPost Number: 2 Registered: Sep-07 | i bought a Panasonic 50in. for nothing. check this out http://shopamerica.x10hosting.com/television/plasma/panasonic-th-50px600u-50-in- hdtv-plasma.html It took about 2 weks for shipping but for only 900 bucks :-) |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1810 Registered: Feb-04 | Good for you Lawrence---but what does your good fortune have to do with Vizio's LCD TVs? |
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Silver Member Username: Donnie1973Post Number: 902 Registered: May-06 | ross, ur PIP Input button doesnt do that? |
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New member Username: No_westinghouse_productsPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-08 | I owned a Westinghouse 27" LCD. After 2 1/2 yrs the picture went black. Westinghouse will NOT stand behind their product AT ALL. I will NEVER buy ANYTHING Westinghouse again. Just got a 37"LCD Vizio from Costco and very happy with it! |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3811 Registered: Jul-04 | From one generic brand to another. Didn't learn your lesson the first time I guess. |
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New member Username: No_westinghouse_productsPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-08 | What generic brand, David Massey? Westinghouse has been around since I am a child and I'm way over 40! Everyone I have spoken to that owns a Vizio HD/LCD is very happy with it and all have bought in Costco. Ours is still very new, but so far we are happy. We also own a Samsung and a Sharp, both manufactured in 1998 and both still working well. I have seen negative comments about these two brands also. As I figure, it is the luck of the draw. I was told by Westinghouse that there is only a 2% rate of failure in their products (oh please!) and we were just unlucky enough to fall into that 2%. However, Westinghouse doesn't feel that because we fell into that "unlucky 2%, that they have any obligation to rectify the problem only 2 1/2 yrs and a lot of money later. Why should we have to pay for THEIR mistakes? Not only that, but we cannot even find anyone to work on a Westinghouse as we were told by several repair shops that they are hard to get parts and schematics for and by the time we got done, it would not be worth the money we'd have to put out. I am not here to argue about Vizio, just to tell the world that Westinghouse will NOT stand behind their products and I highly DO NOT recommend them to anyone for any type of appliances. I also will continue to post my comments about Westinghouse on any and all websites that are appropriate for this type of thing. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3812 Registered: Jul-04 | Westinghouse is just a name like RCA. It hasn't been owned by the old company you refer to in a long time. It's a generic Chinese owned company like Vizio. Look at all the Vizio complaints here. Call a local repair shop and ask them about Vizio. I had 2 different technicians from 2 different shops both tell me Vizio is crap. There's a reason name brands cost more. You get what you pay for. |
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New member Username: ThumpmaticPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | I have just purchased this Vizio 37" TV for $585 from Wal-Mart due to it being an extra display model, and works flawlessly. Great picture. One MAJOR flaw is that they fail to provide a analog RCA audio output to hook to your stereo. It only supports a optical digital output. I called up Walmart with this dilema and they were stunned. They said they don't sell a converter that converts optical digital audio to analog. I'm debating right now is it worth it to me to take it back, or due to the big savings just to buy an inexpensive surround sound system that has a digital output. Shame on Vizio, who doesn't provide an analog audio output? |
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Bronze Member Username: George5dPost Number: 21 Registered: Apr-06 | Bill, I think that's a heck of a good deal I have the older 37" *about 4 years old and was $999 at the time was a good deal too* and I think mine does have the analog out for the audio I had a high end audio system Denon and to tell you the truth I never really use it only if we rent a DVD.. I would keep the TV and up grade your audio equipment if I was you and really wanted 5.1 or 7.1 sound.. As you can see it's a great picture on that TV.. my .02 worth!! George |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2339 Registered: Feb-04 | My 1½ year old VX37L has an analog audio output. Apparently, they've decided to eliminate that on the new model (with the all black bezel). I do agree that $600 is a good deal on this TV. Bill, be advised that the optical output on your Vizio may not work all the time. In a recent teat I found my optical worked only on digital channels that I could pick up via an antenna and those digital channels the set's QAM tuner could pick up on basic cable. I did not test the optical output with an incoming HDMI signal. |
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New member Username: ThumpmaticPost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Well, that's pretty messed up. So if my optical only worked with digital audio, my Directv DVR which is hooked up with A/V cables (don't have HD with Directv yet) would not come out the audio output. I have been checking into upgrading my surround sound, and am looking at a Samasung 5.1 system which has a upconverting DVD player that also supports DIVX. I suppose I can still rig things up so a set of analog rca cables goes from my DVR to the surround sound, but this is still cheesy. I will call Vizio tomorrow with questions. Thanks for all the input guys. ~ Bill |
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New member Username: ThumpmaticPost Number: 3 Registered: Aug-08 | I just checked my manual, my model is a VW37L HDTV20A |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2340 Registered: Feb-04 | Actually, connecting audio from a cable/sat box is not cheesy at all. It is the preferred hookup. Before you make the plunge into some sort of HT surround system, make sure that it has analog audio in as well as an optical/coax digital audio input. You would use the analog for now from your SD satbox, but when you upgrade to HD (and you should), then you will want to use the HT satbox'e digital output to feed the discreet 5.1 channel signal you get on many channels into the surround system. |
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New member Username: MaksPost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-08 | Hello, I am thinking to get a used 37 Inch Vizio HDTV. Have anyone had experience with it? |
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New member Username: TpoloneyPost Number: 2 Registered: Feb-09 | i have a vizio vx37L, i need a main unit with this spec. 3637-0082-0150(4C). Send me an email mailto:tpoloney@hotmail.com if u know were i can buy it. Pls |
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