Welcome back! Enjoy your visit.

Vizio 32 720p LCD HDTV VU32L HDTV

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A good, basic set with great HD performance
I have to admit I bought this set on an impulse, without a lot of research. I needed a new TV, I'd heard and read some positive reviews about Vizio (in general, not this set in particular), it looked great in the store (don't they all) and the price was right. So without any experience with or knowledge of HD televisions I took the plunge.

Set up couldn't have been easier, although the down-facing inputs are a little difficult to access. The manual and back panel are well diagramed and it was simple figuring out what goes where. I had the cable box and DVD player hooked up immediately and was watching standard def TV within 5 minutes of getting it out of the box. I got an HDMI cable the next day from my cable company for $9 (DON'T OVERPAY for an HDMI cable!) and was accessing the Hi-Def channels after that one simple connection.

The 32" size is perfect for my small (15 x 15) living room. I was immediately impressed by the picture, but the factory settings for brightness and color were way too high for my taste. After getting slightly frustrated with the many picture adjustment settings and choices and having trouble getting a consistently good picture from channel to channel, I found a review online on cnet of the similar VX32L which listed the exact settings they used for the review...I transferred those settings to my set then slightly tweaked them to my liking and the picture is now pretty close to perfect.

Like I said, I have no experience with HD so I can't say if this set has a better picture than its competitors, but standard-def stations are actually better than I expected they would be and most hi-def content is absolutely amazing. If you're getting this set to watch sports that are shot and broadcast in HD you will not be disappointed. I can't imaging the picture being any better - it far exceeds my expectations. That being said, if you expect all channels to look like the HD demos they display in the stores, you're in for a let down (nothing to do with the Vizio, but the majority of programing out there is still standard def). It takes a little getting used to the bars on the side or the stretched image (depending on what mode you choose to watch standard TV on), but the Vizio makes it easy to access the menus and experiment with those different viewing modes. Some of the other hi-def content has been a mixed bag. Most of the sitcoms on TBSHD don't look that much better than the standard-def versions. The movies on HBOHD are considerably better than the standard broadcasts, but none have blown me away with crisp detail and vivid color like the sports and concert content have.

The Vizios remote is very basic. Adjust volume, change channels, choose input source, and bring up the menus. That's it. Unless you have another universal remote that can handle all the Vizio's options you're going to need at least one other remote to fully operate your system. Another minor complaint is that the viewing angle is not as good as advertised. I found that viewing off center by as little as 25 or 30 degrees dulls the picture considerably. No big deal for me, but something you might want to investigate if it's important to you. On the plus side, room lighting had very little affect on the quality of the picture - it looks just as good in the day with the blinds open as it does when the room is completely darkened. A nice surprise.

The built-in sound is adequate. Typical simulated surround sound option and a basic equalizer. Clear dialog and good enough to live with until I get a real surround system, but nothing to write home about.

DVDs look just fine, but it's hard to get excited over the quality after experiencing the HDTV. Just keep in mind that DVDs that aren't already 16 x 9 will still have to be viewed with bars (top and bottom, or side to side depending on the original aspect ratio) or be stretched (i.e. distorted) in order to fill the screen. Know this going in, as this is the top complaint I'm hearing in talking to other new wide screen owners.

Overall all I'm very happy with my purchase. I think I had realistic expectations of what standard def programming would look like on an HDTV and I'm satisfied (though not thrilled) with the Vizios performance. I am thrilled, however, with the Vizios HD performance - It is amazing, and I would recommend this set to anyone looking for an affordable entry point into HDTV.

5 Stars Incredible Quality
This is our first LCD HDTV and I am extremely happy with it. The picture quality is gorgeous and the price is very inexpensive. I dare say that the quality is matched with Sony and Samsung!! That's just my opinion.

I love that there are all these inputs, 3 HDMI, Composite, S-Video, Component and RGB.

I first hooked it up to my PC and immediately it was so nice. My goodness. I highly recommend this TV and other VIZIO's. Don't do what I've done for many, many years and stay with the higher more expensive brands. Dare to compare this one with the leading brands.

5 Stars One remote fits all
We bought two not only is the picture great but the cable boxes like it too. We replaced our westinghouse tv's with Vizio's and now we can use the remote that came with the cable DVR for everything.

5 Stars Awesome Value
If you want to get Hd television for little money, VIZIO is amazing/ The built-in hd tuner is awesome! The picture quality is outstanding & it weighs nothing! The only downfall to this LCD is that there are no audio outputs, so could be frustrating. If you are like me though & have a cable or sattelite receiver you can just run your audio straight from the box to your receiver w/ minimal problems. Amazing quality for the price/ worth a try!

Buy/More Info

Panasonic Viera TH 42PZ85U 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

PRODUCT FEATURES:42" class (41.6" diagonal) widescreen VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV with increased native contrast ratioPC inputAnti-reflective filterDeep color technologyGame modeBuilt-in SD card slotGalleryPlayer ready to view3 HDMI inputsVIERA Link HDAVI control

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars What A Picture!!!
We have a 42-inch Panasonic plasma TV that we bought about 7 years ago for $4,000. My how times have changed! The new TH-42PZ85U from Panasonic is currently selling for about ? the price we paid and is a vastly better television.

For starters, the outward appearance is elegant. It features a very slim cross-section and smooth, seductive lines. The screen has an anti-reflective filter which cuts way down on glare and, you guessed it, reflections. This, coupled with the TV's high contrast ratio of 1 million to 1, gives you a very sharp, realistic picture. On top of that, this TV can handle a 1080p signal, producing the highest quality image currently available. This is ideal for Blu-Ray viewing. Content providers such as DirecTV are promising 1080p programming "real soon now."

A little more of the specs, then I'll talk about the good stuff. On the back of the TV, there are more ports and plugs than you'll know what to do with. If you're considering this TV, then you probably have a high-definition source such as an HD cable or satellite box and maybe Blu-Ray. Most modern HD devices can use an HDMI cable, which can carry the HD video signal along with the Dolby 5.1 audio information. This TV has 3 HDMI ports which make for a very uncluttered back plane.

Okay. So we ordered one of these for my in-laws to replace a gigantic tube television they had. That one weighed 180 pounds. This one weighs 70 pounds. When it arrived, it took about 20 minutes for us to unbox it and screw in the base plate. We took our time. 10 minutes later, it was upright, plugged in, and showing us that we had made the right choice. The picture is gorgeous! With DirecTV as the source, on any of the HD channels, you really can't help but stop and stare. That effect is magnified when you watch a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. It's almost unsettling! Watching HD versions of the old Star Trek episodes, for example, shows you things Mr. Spock never wanted you to see! Make-up lines, costume glitches, etc. that were invisible in the 1960s are now stunningly obvious. But I digress.

There are plenty of settings available but we changed very few. I'm sure a videophile would be in there tweaking everything, but were very happy with the image. Skin tones, blacks, saturation, were all to our liking once we told the unit it was not in demo mode (the mode used to attract people in a store. Usually, it is oversaturated.) We've watched movies, football games, and even video sent over from the PC. It is all wonderful.

As I said at the top of this review, we've had a Panasonic 42-inch plasma TV for about 7 years, as well as a 52-inch for about 5 years, and both are still in great condition. No dead pixels, no color fading, no problems at all. That gives me hope that this new entry will fare at least as well.

4 Stars Very good TV
This TV has great color and action reproduction. I definitely prefer plasma over LCD for both of those reasons and Panasaonic does it as well as anybody in my opinion. My main concern has to do with the frame. It is wider than I would prefer which makes the outer dimension wider than it needs to be. The frame is also shiny so I get more reflection from the frame than I get from the screen, which is usually the concern about plasma TVs. Both of these are minor compared to the stellar picture quality.

5 Stars Great TV.
looked at alot of reviews, haved had panni for about a month. just change settings, awesome picture. Underworld was incredible, using stanard DVD's with inexpensive upconvert player. no motion blur. very happy with purchase, shipping was fast no problem with shipping. TV was double box. great price but price has dropped even a little more since purchase.

1 Star Great TV, horrible delivery
let me say, this TV is great. picture, etc are all fantastic.

I will never buy anything from amazon again that requires shipping via freight. To put it mildly, the shipping was a nightmare. I was stood up on 3 occasions by CEVA. Their only accommodation was to offer for me to drive to their warehouse to pick up the tv. When they finally did "deliver" the tv, they brought it to the wrong address. I spent about 14 hours total waiting for this delivery at home, and then they delivered it to my work address. Totally unacceptable. Even worse, and very disappointing, was Amazons response. I contacted them regarding my experience and they sent me a form email back without a real apology, Certainly not what I expected. I understand mistakes happen, and most people have had good experiences so far, but its very alarming that amazons response to their shippers mistake was basically "too bad".

5 Stars jim
I did alot of research on tvs before buying this panasonic and so far am very happy with it. The picture is terriffic as others have said the sound system could be better, but not a reason to not buy this product. As of now i believe I have received a great product at a great price!!!!

Buy/More Info

Samsung PN63A650 63 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Samsung plasmas feature revolutionary Touch of Color design. A hint of color is naturally blended into the frame creating a stunning look. You'll also get vivid colors, incredible clarity and lifelike images. Your favorite movies and TV shows will come to life with an astounding 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. And with a 100,000 hours panel life, you'll enjoy your plasma HDTV for years to come.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Best large screen TV on the market
Amazing is the only way to describe it. For the longest time I thought LCD was the way to go. But decided to take a serious look at plasma tvs, primarily because of inherent motion lag and color reproduction issues with lcd. Fancy technology such as 120 Hz still does not mask the problem to a semi-trained eye. Once I decided to go with Plasma, I did a comparison between Panasonic, Pioneer & Samsung. Did a side by side comparison at Best Buy & found the Samsung to have the overall best picture quality. To be totally honest, Pioneer has a slight edge in some aspects but it is priced 30-40% more than comparable Samsung Plasma.

Icing on the cake: The latest street price is $3000.

5 Stars Very Happy
The picture and viewing angle are amazing. I almost bought the PN58A650 (the 58" screen) and decided to spend the extra money on the 63". I'm glad I did because I did not want to be staring at the 58" for the next few years always wondering what the 63" would look like. If you're hesitant about buying it online, I went to Consumer Reports and buyers are just as happy buying online verses a store. The delivery was great. I got a tracking # and the white glove service was nice. They brought it in, took it out of the box and set it on the furniture and I hooked up the HDMI cable and they turned it on to verify that the picture was ok and off they went. The touch of color is pretty subtle and looks nice. I was concerned about the glare/reflections on the glass but the anti-glare technology they have is fine. I have two windows behind me and I was able to see them with my old 61" projection but I can't see them on this.

5 Stars Love my new 63" Sammy
I bought this tv three weeks ago, CEVA delivered within 7 days of ordering, great delivery, they delivered within 24 hours of scanning the item into my local CEVA hub. They brounght the TV in, took it out of the box, set it on my stand and made sure it worked. I signed for it and they were off within 25 minutes.

The TV is truly amazing. I can honestly say that I have never seen a better picture. No issues whatsoever with this set so far. HD sports are unbelievable and even SD cable is very nice. TV gets a little warm to the touch but certainly not hot. The remote wheel takes a little getting use to but is not bad IMO. The sound on the set is surprisingly better than I expected. I will be hooking up 7.1 but haven't purchased the receiver yet.

If you are in the market for a TV this one will not let you down. I was a little disappointed that as of Sept 1 Amazon will no longer give you the price reduction when they mark something down from the time you order to the time it's delivered. Two days after ordering the set dropped $250 and has now dropped another $400. I would gladly have spent the savings right back with Amazon on a receiver but I may now go to a big box that will give me at least a 60 day price match windoq on any reductions.

However for $4081, this set should be a no brainer. Buy and enjoy, I certainly am!

Buy/More Info