Great Picture, Good Value
Written: Dec 18 '07 (Updated Dec 21 '07)
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Pros: Really good picture quality, plus a great price point.
Cons: Speakers aren't the loudest, slow channel scan, some aspect ratio quirks.
The Bottom Line: Looking for a HDTV on a budget? The Vizio VX37L offers a surprisingly good picture at a reasonable price.
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| MPescatore's Full Review: Vizio VX37L 37 in. TV |
At this price point, Vizio has no right offering a 37-inch LCD HDTV that looks this good. Now, I’m not saying the Vizio VX37L is the best looking 37-inch LCD on the market. Honestly, I preferred the Samsung on the same Circuit City showroom floor. But the Vizio was a very close second -- and for me, the Samsung was not worth double the price.
Aesthetically, the unit is attractive, a dull silver cabinet with a dark black bezel around the picture. It’s less than nine inches deep, including stand, or less than five inches deep if you plan to mount it to the wall. The speakers are situated beneath the screen, so they don’t add unnecessary width to the unit. The remote control is unremarkable -- sorry, no universal remote, light up buttons, or even fancy colors -- but it is functional without being intimidating.
Before I discuss the picture, I’d like to talk about the back of the set, because the layout is brilliant. Every input is lined up in its own colored box for easy access, and each connection for each input is clearly labeled and color coded. The exception is AV 1, the S-Video input, which is located on the side of the TV for easy access for camcorders, etc. You’re not going to find an easier interface out there.
As far as image quality, the important thing to know is that football broadcast in HD looks amazing on this set. DVDs also look rather impressive. The Vizio really does showcase the depth and quality of higher-resolution sources.
You will probably be unimpressed by over-the-air analog channels on this TV, as you would be with most HDTVs. (My non-HD TiVo has also looked better.) This is a 720p HD set, which means it converts all the signals it receives (including 1080i HD and 480i SD) into a 720p picture. Without getting too technical, a 480i signal (which is your typical over-the-air analog broadcast channel) needs a lot of help to be displayed as 720p, and it simply isn’t going to look its best. It’s still a decent picture, but don’t expect the images from a SD source to be anywhere near as sharp or detailed as an HD source.
With some TVs, the presets are ideal; there’s no need to change a thing. My guess, though, is that you’ll want to customize the Vizio image as I did. I made my advanced video adjustments with the “Apocalypto” DVD, a movie with lots of bright colors and dark shadows. If you’re not quite so picky, there are a few picture mode presets and/or some basic adjustments that are easily accessible.
Like most other pieces of electronic equipment, there are a couple of quirks. First, the TV will auto-scan for your analog and digital broadcast channels simultaneously. But the process takes several minutes -- a commercial break isn’t going to cut it -- and you can’t change inputs and watch something else in the process. Sure, you can stop the scan, but the TV will start over again from the beginning the next time you try.
Aspect ratio is also a little odd, because the TV will maintain the aspect ratio between inputs (except the over-the-air TV). For example, my TiVo is on AV 1. It requires a normal aspect ratio because it shows 4:3 video. However, my DVD player on Component 1 is a widescreen source. If I set Component 1 to “wide” and watch a movie, then switch back to AV 1, the wide aspect ratio follows, so I have to use the remote and change the aspect ratio back. This is not the end of the world, but it can be annoying.
My other complaint would be the 10-watt speakers. They sound fine, but they aren’t particularly loud. If you are going to use this TV in your workout room, like we do, you’ll probably need to plug it into an external stereo system to hear it over the noise of your treadmill.
Let me give you a little advice: When you shop for a TV, the two most important things are your budget and image quality. Basically, you want to find a great picture at a price you can afford. (Then you can start getting picky with regard to other features.) For me, the Vizio VX37L packs an incredible amount of value into a reasonably priced television. It might not have the loudest speakers or the most exciting remote control, but the picture really is amazing and the inputs are plentiful.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 750
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Epinions.com ID:
MPescatore
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Reviews written: 52
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