Before we start this review I want to talk about the word Value. From a consumer perspective the value of a purchase is usually the features and quality of a product divided by the amount of money you spent on it. In marketing speak "value" products are usually items that offer features at reduced quality for a lower price, at least that was my take on it until I got my hands on a "Value" HDTV from Vizio.
I recently had the change to spend four weeks with the Vizio VU42L, one of their latest 42" LCD televisions. While Vizio is fairly new to the market I had heard a lot of buzz about them in the tech blogs and spent a little quality time checking out their wares at CES this year. I was fairly impressed at how Vizio could cram so many features (big screen, 1080p) into on box without charging and arm and a leg for it. So while the product focus was value I had some fairly high expectations for the product. Before we delve any further lets take a look at the numbers behind the VU42L.
The Specs
Screen Size: 42"
TV Dimionsions: 40.5" W x 28.5" H x 9.7" D
Weight: 48.5 lbs
Contrast Ratio: 1800 : 1
Inputs:
- 2 HDMI
- 2 Component
- 2 Composite
- 1 RGB
- 1 Svideo
Supported resolutions 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i.
Max PC resolution: 1366 x 768
What`s in the box
TV, remote, AV Cable, manual, batteries, power cord, safety strap, cleaning cloth
Packaging and Aesthetics
The VU42L came packed in a decent 1/4 inch cardboard box. it`s the standard large TV setup where you pull a few plastic pieces off the bottom of the box and then pull the majority of the box off the base. The TV is well secured in the box with styrofoam inserts and the TV itself comes wrapped in a nice plastic bag. The majority of the accessories come in a little box stacked at the bottom of the box. It took me a while to find the box of goodies (with it being a press review unit I wasn`t sure if the previous owner had absconded with the goods but I finally found them tucked safely away in the box)
The TV itself is good looking and it did pass the significant other test (i.e. the girlfriend approved). The first thing I noticed about the TV was that there are not buttons on the front of the TV which means you have a nice clutter free TV. Instead the buttons are are mounted on the right side of the TV. The seven chiclet sized buttons are located on the right side of the television. They control the power, volume, channel, menu, and an input selector. I like having a separate input button as you can quickly switch inputs on the TV without having to navigate through the televisions on screen menus.

If I am not mistaken, and I've tried doing some research on AVS forums, the set can take a 1080p source. The max res for the TV is 1366x768 so it converts a 1080p image down to it. It's a 1080p display capable and it's still considered HD because anything 1024x768 and above meets the HD standard definition.

At that size anyways, you most likely won't be able to tell that you're missing some lines in 1080p. I think it's only when you get to 50" and up would you start to see differences.

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To whom is may concern,

I am very dissatisfied with your product. I have a 42" LCD: VU42L FHDTV10A serial# LSPAPAH2225665, it was manufactured in May 2007, I purchased it May 30, 2007 from the Costco in Eureka, California. MY CUSTOMER ID#262043. My ITI# 007692. I purchased this flat screen because of the coupon in the Costco "junk mail"-- $400 dollars off (the original price was $1,199.) This particular vizio stopped working Wednesday, January 16, 2008. Just barley 6 months after i purchased the unit, with less than daily use, "My Vizio" will not turn on. The unit is getting power, because the "Vizio" logo lights up orange. The LCD was properly plugged into a Monstercable surge protector as is every other "high dollar" electronic unit in my house including 4 large 10,000 rpm hard drives with nearly 2 TB of important information. Theses hard-drives have had no problems in their 3 years of constant operation.

I have 3 main concerns. One, why does my nearly $1000 dollar tv not work after less than one year of non-constant operation?

Two, though your telephone tech support staff confronted me with the statement, "We take our televisions very seriously, sir", my comfort was suddenly diminished by the fact that i had to watch my San Diego Chargers loose to the New England Patroits on a Zenith 20" tube set purchased also at Costco (the Price Club), in 1986. The telephone tech support person informed me that my television would be fixed in a timely manor. I reported my problem on Wednesday, January 16, 2008, though i have not heard from anyone from either Vizio or ITI. I'm not sure what ITI is an acronym for, but they are apparent contractor hired to fix broken Vizio's... Vizio does not service their own products. I then thought i would call Vizio again this Monday, January 21, 2008. After contacting Vizio i was given ITI's phone number (408.321.2886). ITI informed me that no one has contacted me because they wait to receive the part before scheduling a technician for a house call. I also was informed that ITI had a FEDEX tracking number on the part i needed. The part has not even been shipped yet. The television not turning on must be a common problem in Vizio's LCD's because they know that part I need even though my TV has not been inspected.

Three, Vizio informed me that they would fix my television, for that i am thankful. But how long am a going to have ti wait. That is the reason i called Vizio and ITI this morning, and why I am currently writing this letter, to vizio, the Better Business Bureau, and who ever will listen. Assuming Vizio sent ITI the part i need to for my TV to work ITI would be able to atleast have a rough calculation on what day my LCD could be serviced. However we are at a standstill, ITI has know idea what their going to get the part. And Vizio has know idea when ITI is going to get the part. And when i asked can candidly, "Can you give me a rough estimation of when my LCD will be serviced, like a couple days, weeks, months, neither of the ladies from ITI would even peg the servive date to days, weeks or months.

Can some one just let me know how long i am going to have this 1000 dollar POS? And after it is fixed, will anyone out there buy it off of me? I'll give you a good deal... I don't blame you.

If i could get my money back, I WOULD. Here is a couple of the almost endless sob stories relating to Vizios. This person is pissed because his TV stopped working in two years (he's lucky), http://tech.yahoo.com/us/1994432116?review=18 . Here are some others, http://www.fixya.com/sup...elevision_will_not_turn . And some more people with the same problem, http://bits.blogs.nytime...tays-on-top-in-lcd-tvs/ . I could come up with more, but anyone can google this problem and read for hours.


Vizio Sux

-Justin Berg
type0h@cox.net

The email I got back from Vizio states the opposite though. I'm going to reword it cause that doesn't make sense and see what their response is.

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Just telling you what Vizio tech support told me. Whether they are right or wrong it's what they told me :)

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You'll get over it quick

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