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Vizio reveals $3,499 price for its 58-inch ultrawidescreen HDTV
We were told at CES last month to expect Vizio's ultrawidescreen LCDs would hit the market sooner rather than later, now we know how it will fit into our budgets, even if we're not sure how the aspect ratio will fit in our living rooms. Similar to the way its first Theater 3D TVs popped up last year, the XVT 3D CinemaWide product page reveals a 58-inch model (50- and 71-inchers are also planned) sporting its trademark 21:9 aspect ratio (compared to a traditional HDTV's 16:9) and 2560x1080 resolution will start at $3,499. It also has an array of specs, measuring the 120Hz Edge LED lit screen at 56.7-inches wide by 29-inches high and 1.8-inches deep. Just as we saw when they were first announced at CES 2011, Vizio upscales Blu-ray and other wider-than-widescreen sources to fill the screen without those black bars we've become accustomed to. If you're watching standard HD programming, the extra space alongside can accommodate tiles for Yahoo! Widgets pulling information from the internet without blocking the picture at all. Check our gallery below for a better look and a demo video after the break, we'll keep an ear to the ground to find out when and where these displays might hit the market first. Update: Vizio tells USA Today to expect this set to launch ahead of March Madness -- the better to manage our completely-useless-by-the-Sweet-16-because-Gonzaga-won-again brackets on. [Thanks, chilipalm]
Vizio's M-Series Theater 3D TVs are officially available, at last
Last CES Vizio announced a slew of new LCD HDTVs with its passive glasses-compatible Theater 3D capabilities and Vizio Internet Apps built in, and now it's finally ready to announced the M-series midrange lineup is shipping nationwide. M3D models in various 40- and 50-inch sizes have been popping up over the last few weeks, featuring edge LED backlighting for between $1,039 (42-inch) and $1,649 (55-inch). Need something bigger on your wall? There's also a 65-inch version on the way in 2012, with a pricetag of $2,099. As usual, Vizio's displays bring a rather complete line of features without an ultra-high price tag, but there'd be more reasons to share the included four pairs of 3D glasses with friends if the NBA season would just ever start. As is, buyers will have to make do with whatever videogames and college sports they can find for now -- check after the break for more specs and prices.
Vizio Theater 3D HDTVs show up on Amazon, confirm rumored pricing
The 32- and 42-inch versions of Vizio's E3D series HDTVs are now listed for preorder on Amazon at $499 and $699 just as our tipster indicated. The E3D320VX and E3D420VX are currently expected to ship in 3-5 weeks, which should also allow buyers interested in the new FPR-based Theater 3D technology to be among the first pick one up without heading to Walmart. Of course you still can if you want to, a 48-pack of paper towels should go well with your new 3DTV and its dual-sided QWERTY remote. [Thanks, Phil Z.]
Vizio starts celebrating 2010 LCD sales wins early, has bigger plans for 2011
Industry analysts will reveal all the numbers later this week but according to Vizio its LCD HDTVs have outsold all others, again. Specifically, it has again rated as the #1 seller of LCDs in North America according to DisplaySearch and #1 seller of LCDs in the US according to iSuppli by carving out a 27.6% share of the market, the largest for any seller since 2004. We spoke with Randy Waynick, Vizio's chief sales officer (and star of that tablet-exposing Rose Bowl ad) and found Vizio's telling a very different tale about HDTV sales in 2010 than some of the competition. In contrast to lower than expected sales from other manufacturers and retailers last year, especially when it came to 3D televisions and connected TV products, he claims demand was so high for the new Theater 3D HDTV with passive glasses they couldn't keep it in stock. He also attributed much of the sales growth to its strategy of offering higher end tech like local dimming LED backlighting and WiFi built in at lower prices than the competition, and plans to use its position as a market leader to push technology initiatives -- like passive 3D screens, where he echoed LG's claims that it tested far better than active shutter 3D with customers -- rather than follow them. Among some of us in the home theater community there's still, deserved or undeserved, a perception of the company as simply a cheap, low end manufacturer that's not as reliable as others but with results like these it looks like the rest of the market will be the ones with something to prove in 2011.
Vizio shows off its full 2011 HDTV lineup: ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all
No more dribs and drabs of information leaking out as Vizio has finally listed its entire 2011 LCD lineup, again featuring LED back & edge lighting across all models. That includes two ultrawidescreen 21:9 Cinema models in its Theater 3D line in 50- and 58-inch sizes, two VIA Plus TVs with Google TV in the XVT3D476SP and XVT3D556SP, and continuation of its existing Yahoo! Widgets based Vizio Internet Apps features including WiFi and Bluetooth QWERTY remote across TVs sized 22-inches and above. Check the press release after the break for all the models and what they offer, perhaps wisely there's no detailed information about when and for how much they'll be available just yet, so we'll still have to speculate about which models will represent the sub-$300 3D portion of the lineup.
Vizio unveils Theater 3D HDTVs with passive glasses tech in 22- to 71-inch sizes
We doubt we've seen all of Vizio's 2011 product lineup yet, but the latest information is that it's expanding upon the one Theater 3D TV model currently available with an entire line -- promising to offer 3D with passive glasses in sizes from 22- all the up to 71-inches. There are 21 models detailed in the press release after the break including LED edge lit LCDs, direct LED backlit models, ones with the Yahoo! Widgets VIA package and a couple of the new Google TV-powered models. No word on price or ship date yet, but the company is quick to point out that putting the 3D processing into the screen means cheaper movie theater-style 3D glasses with ostensible greater brightness and less flicker, plus compatibility with Oakley's "optically correct" specs. Check out all the details in the press release after the break.
VIZIO's 65-inch Theater 3D TV with passive glasses is official, launches this month
If the current crop of active shutter 3D televisions isn't your style and you'd prefer some cheaper specs, say hello to VIZIO's new 65-inch Theater 3D Razor XVT3D650SV LED set, its biggest TV yet. Previously spotted lurking about on the manufacturer's website, this set uses cheap polarized glasses like the ones in most movie theaters unlike the more expensive (and, according to the press release, more prone to dimming and flickering) active shutter glasses used on most televisions today, including a few of VIZIO's own. Beyond that, it's a 120Hz edge lit LED LCD set that comes with four pairs of glasses and also includes VIZIO Internet Apps and SRS TruSurround integrated speakers. The downside for the cheap glasses however, is that most of the cost is in the display itself ratcheting the price up to $3,499 when it arrives on Sam's Club shelves this month -- until then, check the details in the press release after the break.
