Vizio has quickly made a name for themselves in the low cost HDTV market. They were the first manufacturer to come out and offer affordable flat panels for the average consumer and they have been rewarded with a great deal of success. Now thanks to a rabid consumer electronics market and a good bit of competition from manufacturers such as Emerson and Philips their prices have dropped even further. I wanted to see if the quality of their products have been effected so I decided to pick up a 32″ Vizio LCD HDTV model VW32LHDTV30A and see just how well it performed.
Styling: 4/5
Picture Quality: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Product Overview:
The VW32LHDTV30A does have a sharp outward appearance with a fine glossy bezel it does still look like a budget LCD. The black framing around the 32″ screen is quite bulky and gives the set a hulky look. The wide base that is included doesn’t help things as it lays down a large footprint. It does however seem to give the VW32LHDTV30A a firm placement. The speakers are however well hidden and produce surprisingly full sound. The overall appearance I’m pleased to report is really the only legitimate complaint I can find with this set.
The 32″ display produces a vivid 720p picture that is bright and crisp. I found that by providing the VW32LHDTV30A with a signal from my Bluray player that it performed flawlessly. The standard definition viewing was perfectly acceptable but only watching SD broadcasts would truly be a waste of this lovely display’s capabilities. I had no trouble finding a good spot in the living room for this display thanks to an extraordinary viewing angle. There is no need to rearrange the furniture to attempt to find the sweet spots. I did notice a bit of motion bluring but that is to be expected from virtually all LCD televisions sporting a 60hz refresh rate.
I found the television to have plenty of connectivity options. It was very easy to set up and offers 2 HDMI ports. I would have liked to have seen at least 3 however for the money spent it isn’t a deal breaker, besides it does have other inputs such as component.
Product Value:
Currently appearing at retailers with a price below $450 I believe the Vizio VW32LHDTV30A is a true value. This television would be ideal for a bedroom or dorm room and I wouldn’t even mind it in a small living room. I’m glad to see that Vizio hasn’t compromised it’s quality in the face of stiff competition and price reductions.
