Vizio hacks prices on select HDTVs prior to Black Friday

We've already seen that a number of retailers will be offering Vizio HDTVs on the cheap this Friday (or Black Friday, as the in-crowd calls it these days), but the company is stealing a bit of their thunder by announcing cuts from the top a few days early. Vizio's 19-inch VA19 LCD will be offered for just $199.99 at Costco through December 7th, while the 32-inch VP322 plasma (pictured) will go for $437 at Walmart starting today. There's also the 37-inch VW37 LCD HDTV for $499.99 at Costco, the 32-inch 1080p VOJ32LF LCD for $559.99 at Sears and the 42-inch 1080p VS420 for $698 at Sam's Club. If none of these sets float your boat, check out our condensed guide to Black Friday: HD style for something more to your liking.

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 26th 2008 7:08PM]

NICE

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:28PM]

lol, Fuzo's comments are really quite funny, though not as much as his persistence at commenting here despite all those replies to his comments (mostly not complimentary).

Dumbass + douchebag = Fusion Fuzo

[ace587 @ Nov 26th 2008 11:37PM]

very different this time.

[nerdtalker @ Nov 27th 2008 1:09AM]

Mr. Professional is at least persistent for some reason.

Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or feel so sorry for you. Nevermind, I'll just do the former.

Pfft, professional my ass.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 26th 2008 7:10PM]

Great for cheap outdoor TV's.

[ElevatorHappyFun @ Nov 26th 2008 7:23PM]

Have they improved picture quality yet?

[Takran @ Nov 26th 2008 7:25PM]

32" 1080p for $560?? It may not be LG, but it's also not $700, sign me up.

[DarkLight @ Nov 26th 2008 8:22PM]

Ditto. Yes it is crappy, but at 1080p over 32", you'll be hard pressed to notice the crappiness.

And moreso at $560

Just don't put it side-by-side with the expensive ones. Not everyone has ~$1k to blow on a TV.

[Knives_Out @ Nov 26th 2008 7:25PM]

any of these actually good?

[puhsitch @ Nov 27th 2008 12:51AM]

My parents have one and it looks a lot better than what I expected. But from my understanding, buying a Vizio is kind of a crapshoot because they pull their parts from a number of manufacturers. You may get the same screen that's on a brand costing hundreds of dollars more...or you may not.

Don't know about the build quality, though.

[Eric @ Nov 26th 2008 7:50PM]

The plasma rates very well and seems like a real steal in terms of pricing.

[Dragod @ Nov 26th 2008 8:05PM]

My dad has one of the original Vizios, I'm not sure what size though. I'm looking for around a 32" LCD with 2 PC Inputs... Anyone have any suggestions? If I can't find one, I might just have to use a switch..

[Spirit @ Nov 26th 2008 8:09PM]

I got the TV in my room a couple years ago near Black Friday... sadly, it's a 25" Wal-Mart TV that was $88. Hey, it works, but I think it's time for the jump to HD. These TV's sound great. If I want to have a TV good for XBOX but also hooking up my computer, which do you guys recommend?

[Rock Stone @ Nov 26th 2008 8:41PM]

Original Xbox or Xbox 360?

If you've got an Xbox360 then look at Engadget's recommendation:

Dell S2409W - Everyone knows it's impossible to get anything done without three or four large LCDs to distribute IM and audio visualizer windows among, and Dell's HD-friendly, 24-inch S2409W fits the bill nicely. The 1080p resolution and HDMI input make it perfect for doubling as a bedroom Blu-ray playback display or for plugging in his Xbox 360 -- there are certainly higher quality 24-inch displays out there, but it's hard to beat the price.
$349 - Buy from Dell

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 26th 2008 9:49PM]

I loved my Vizio great picture!

[Fourthmeal @ Nov 26th 2008 10:31PM]

Loved? What happened to it?

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 26th 2008 10:36PM]

I bought a samsung 50" plasma and sold the 32" vizio for 400.00

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 26th 2008 10:59PM]

I picked up a 50" Samsung Plasma this time last year, the 5084. The picture is breathtaking and people still say its the best picture they've ever seen.

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 26th 2008 11:06PM]

I picked mine up for under 1K and got it at a super deal

[Billy @ Nov 26th 2008 9:52PM]

Wow a 19" TV! AMAZING!

Who in their right mind buys a TV smaller than 42" these days? You'd have to be certifiably insane.

[Galley @ Nov 26th 2008 10:28PM]

I've got a 19-incher on my kitchen counter.

[Autopsy15 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:38PM]

I've got a 19-incher right in front of me.


(It's a computer monitor and a TV! lol)

[Abuzar Baloach @ Nov 26th 2008 10:46PM]

Mine is only nine inches :(

[lorddshadow2 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:57PM]

i have a 1080p 40 inch sony bravia.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 26th 2008 11:01PM]

I put 19" in my medicine cabinet, two on my fridge and a few in the car. They are great for surrounding the jacuzzi as well.

[puhsitch @ Nov 27th 2008 12:46AM]

Aside from what should be the obvious reason of not having enough money, some rooms are just too small for a 42" screen to make sense.

[Anthony @ Nov 26th 2008 10:02PM]

Vizio said they were going upscale. I guess that process has changed & they're continuing to move down stream.

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:21PM]

Just going with the flow (of the economy)

[futurepastnow @ Nov 26th 2008 10:41PM]

A family member who works at a large retailer tells me that Vizio has *by far* the most returns of any of their HDTVs. Quality isn't Vizio's specialty.

[xsmarc @ Nov 27th 2008 2:48AM]

It's possible that the retailer your family member works for sells more Vizio's "by far" then any other type of TV due to the great prices. This would likely explain the large amount of returns. What is the percentage of returns? If a family member informed me that 50 percent of all mp3 players returned were ipods, it would look horrible. However, if you followed that information with 75 percent of all mp3 players sold from that store were ipods, the 50 percent doesn't look as bad. I happen to own a Vizio and I have had absolutely no problems with it. I suppose I could have purchased a higher end TV but with the money i saved, i was able to purchase my Zune.

[Brian @ Nov 26th 2008 10:44PM]

I have a 32" vizio, and it's alright. I got it for $400 (retails $600), and it displays 1080p. It's a great TV for the party room. It's not actually that bad of a TV, but it gets compared with the ~$1200 series because that's what the specs are. For the price, you could get 4 of the one i got and link them to make a huge TV with over 8000 x 4000 display with average colors, or you could buy one of the high-end sony 40". The choice is yours.

It's a good TV, but they are assumed to be bad because of their low price. If you're not a nazi about perfect colors and picture, then you probably won't notice the difference between this and a pioneer.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 26th 2008 11:02PM]

Please explain how four 1920x1080 displays produce an image that is 8000x4000.

[ace587 @ Nov 26th 2008 11:39PM]

hows VIZIO quality? ive never owned Vizio products

[Jamus @ Nov 26th 2008 11:52PM]

for 700, not bad at all. but the case needs some work.

[Neon Jebus @ Nov 27th 2008 12:48AM]

I have the 32 inch plasma and it's been a wonderful first flat screen TV for me. Except for the speakers...cell phones speakers have better sound.

[DarkLight @ Nov 27th 2008 2:25PM]

You don't use a plasma display without a home theater

Even a small 2.1ch will do, or a sound bar if you're pressed for space

But yeah, built-in speakers are a thing of the past.. You're not even supposed to use those anymore. Included just so cluseless people doesn't bitch about it.. Maybe on smaller TVs (like kitchen ones), but not in a 32" plasma..

[cs @ Nov 27th 2008 2:09AM]

thanks for the heads up! went to wal-mart right after work and picked up the 32" plasma. they hadn't even changed the price yet (still read $477). best thing about it all, if i see something better on black friday, i have 15 days to return this one!

thanks engadget!

[tony @ Nov 27th 2008 4:40AM]

i will keep my old crt 40 inch tube mitsubishi, it was made in 1996 and has never been repaired, i get mad watching football and throw the remote at the screen all the time, still no problems. the down side is it weighs 375lbs. plasma/lcd is all hype,its just a giant calculator screen with a bright light behind it and a bunch of window tint in front of it. it took 10 times more work to build a tube tv than a plasma. no plasma tv can last over 6 years, there is not one 1998 NEC or PANASONIC plasma still hear today. if this keeps up, they will fill landfills faster then tube tvs. the sony wega 40 inch tube HD, is the best tv ever made, built to last 30 years problem free. sony stopped making them in 2003 to kiss bestbuys rear end and make all plasmas and dlps. just say no to bullcrap technology.

[Tony @ Nov 27th 2008 6:16AM]

I bought the 32" plasma five days ago for $477 it had some ghosting problems so I took it back and got another one from another store. After the hell at walmart I got the second one home and it has the same problem. It's not as bad as the first but if I leave something bright on the screen it leave a faint image behind. Other then that the screen has a very good picture.

[Jack @ Nov 27th 2008 8:31PM]

Vizio's 19-inch VA19 LCD will be offered for just &199.9？ I want to order a one.
http://www.laptops-battery.co.uk

[Sam @ Nov 28th 2008 12:40PM]

Was talking to a guy at Vizi before I went out to get my new XVT and he said they had a new service that would text when they had price drops, so I figured that could be useful!

Text VIZIO to 44144 and follow the instructions.

Good for the shopping process especially today, but I'll let know on the XVT, my buddy has one and once you tweak the settings it looks as good or better than my Samsung.

[AJ @ Nov 28th 2008 3:37PM]

I have the 37" Vizio they're talking about in the post. For $499...you really can't beat it. I've had no problems with mine and the picture quality is fantastic. You also have to temper your expectations a bit. I was not expecting the greatest picture ever on the face of the planet. It's a very good picture, but I've also seen better on other TVs.

I have my HD PVR and XBox 360 hooked up to it. The picture for both is very good. There's a whole pile of inputs, and for $499, that's tough to beat.

[John @ Nov 30th 2008 3:08PM]

Costco said they don't even carry a 19" TV.

[sumsika @ Dec 8th 2008 5:21AM]

Oh Very good prices But! i buy new HDTVs from http://www.buycheaphdtvs.com in last month T_T . Great for cheap outdoor TV's.

[doubledsquared @ Dec 9th 2008 12:14AM]

WOW!

Awesome deals at http://www.buycheaphdtvs.com/
They have the same VP322 Vizio that WalMart is selling.

Only one problem, WalMart sells it for $437 and http://www.buycheaphdtvs.com/ sells the exact same set for $597.