Cheap 42 inch 720p plasma hdtv: VIZIO VX42L - 42" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p

VIZIO VX42L - 42" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV Review

VIZIO VX42L - 42" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV Overviews

VIZIO's VX42L High Definition Liquid Crystal Display blends high performance with an incredible value. Only the best ingredients reside within the thin 3.9" display (wall mounting capable) including 1366 x 768 native resolution, wide 16:9 aspect ratio and multiple video input sources, two of which support HDMI technology. Vivid colors with breathtaking response times are sure to carry you into the high-definition future. The VIZIO VX42L. Pure HDTV. Pure value.

VIZIO VX42L - 42" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV Customer Review

Let me first start by saying that yes, Vizio is a value brand. However, after having seen 1080p Samsung units that are twice the price, I can definitively say that the Vizio is able to hang with the big boys.

Straight out of the box, there were some calibration issues, and each input retains its own settings; you'll have to go through the process for each device you have hooked up. After bumping down the brightness and backlighting, image quality is phenomenal. HDTV is crisp, smooth, and rarely jagged. SDTV scales nicely with an OTA antenna, and is much less pixelated than I had assumed it would be. The remote layout does leave something to be desired, but it has all of the important functionality on it (sans backlighting). PIP settings are very useful, although you cannot use PIP on certain combinations of inputs (i.e. component and RGB at the same time). This is not a huge problem, however, since you more than likely will want to flip between the tuner and another input.

I can't comment on how the XBOX 360 or PS3 look on it, but I can tell you that the Wii performs extremely well with component cables. I even have cables with extra thick jack sleeves, and they fit without any issue.

Sound is just as mediocre as any other flat panel tv in this price range; that's why I hooked it up to the surround sound as quickly as possible.

For those worried about the illuminated Vizio logo, it quickly dims after power up; I've not been distracted by it once, plus it looks pretty classy.

Long story short, at under 0, you will not be able to beat this deal in terms of overall quality and value.

Pros:
Great image quality
No ghosting
Works excellently as a computer monitor
Wii looks fantastic!
Good PIP functionality
Value, value, value

Cons:
Slight light bleeding from upper right hand corner (probably just my set)
So-so speakers
Remote layout