Vizio Proves Cheap HDTV Sells

[rekced]

The absolute worst article I've ever read on Audioholics. Not one mention of the fact that Visio makes an excellent product. We're extremely pleased with our bedroom set. Future articles like this will certainly diminish the reputation of Audioholics.

If you want people here to tell you Vizio is a subsidiary of Sony, made in USA, a new example of American innovation, or somehow anything more than a giant Taiwanese value brand that exploded because of their arrangements with Costco and Wal-Mart, you might be in the wrong place. I'm a new user here so I can't speak for anyone else.

What brand of television has the highest return rate at the stores that sell them? Look at percentages and not totals.

What brand of TVs are known for the pop of death in their plasmas after 1-2 years of normal operation?

What brand of TVs used cheap back lights for a long time causing an inaccurate warm color to appear after only a few months? (Ever notice the custom white balance feature was added with the VX models? That was their "fix". Sometime later the issue was mostly resolved).

What brand of TVs are known for having crackles in the sound due to a defect in the electronics?

What brand of plasmas are known for their annoying buzz?

What brand has tech support that sometimes doesn't even answer the phones?

It would be a lot ask for conscientious home theater enthusiasts to look past all of those things as this new wild card challenges the companies that have offered long-term commitments to overall quality and customer satisfaction. What if Vizio makes unwise business decisions? Do you remember Princeton Graphic Systems going bankrupt? That's William Wang, Vizio's CEO.


Besides, I don't see where Vizio has an edge in price. Here's a typical example:

Toshiba Cinema Series 42XV545U $999.99.

Vizio 42'' XVT Series SV420XVT $999.99

 

[Seth=L]

Not to be a naysayer, but I can find no conclusive reports of Vizio being the highest returned in the way of percentages. I used to work at Wal-Mart and personally never saw anyone attempt to return a Vizio television (and I never saw one in the return facility either). The brand that we most often saw returned was RCA.

I'm also unsure of where you found those prices. A quick search on Google found the Vizio you pictured for $699 and the lowest on the Toshiba was $899. These are real market prices, not MSRPs. The market usually decides what something is worth.

*ignore silmond.com's $599 deal on the Toshiba, the site is a scam*

 

[highfigh]

Some are hailing it as a sign of good-news in this foul economy! Vizio, maker of the sort of cheap HDTVs you’d find at Wal-Mart, is actually growing and breaking sales records. But the real success behind Vizio might be a variation of an old adage - if you build it cheap, they will come. Is Vizio a silver lining in the troubled economy or just another symptom of the downturn?

Discuss "Vizio Proves Cheap HDTV Sells" here. Read the article.

Why is this a surprise? This is America. We want the World, for fifty cents. Quality has taken a back seat to price and quantity. If these were made here, it would help the economy but it's really just more money being shipped out. Some of the profit stays here but I would imagine that some of the corporate HQs are "officially" located offshore.

 

[swestbom]

Wow. Sorry you feel that way.

As stated in the article, it's very likely some people will have great experiences with Vizio. It's no surprise that some are finding them a fine quality set.

But they're a third tier enterprise – as such you can't expect the same commitment to quality as you’d find with company’s that actually research and use their own display technology.

I think people have a right to know how companies operate. Nobody is any less for having read about tiers in this industry, even if they disagree with my position that any third tier purchase represents an inherent risk.

If you love third tier enterprises keep reading... I’m doing some homework on another third tier company and what I'm finding might curl your toenails.

Whenever you find a product that can undersell its competitors chances are still that - You pay for what you get. The old adage hasn’t stopped being true.

Ok, so this means you feel the same way about Oppo? It is the same sort of set up. Also, don't buy another car, the manufacturers are designers and assemblers, almost all the sub assemblies are from third parties.

 

[Wayde Robson]

Also, don't buy another car, the manufacturers are designers and assemblers, almost all the sub assemblies are from third parties.

Former Detroiter here. I have a lot of friends in the auto industry and I have a decent idea of how it works.

The Ford I drive was designed in Dearborn and I have exchanged messages with the community in a certain Yahoo! Group where they were answering questions. I know guys who worked at an assembly plant where seats were made for various manufacturers.

I realize some parts are outsourced, but it's not the same.

 

[treetownal]

I purchased a 50 inch plasma P50 in early 2006. It had DCDi deinterlacing from Faroudja, the professional reviewers had given it higher marks on the technical tests than many sets costing twice as much, nice deep blacks and good detail. I have had no issues, no fan noise, and have never been happier with a TV set. I would compare my experience with my Vizio set to that of my Oppo DVD players.

I have heard less flattering, but generally positive, reviews of its LCD sets. My former roomate has bought two of their plasmas after watching my set and has had the same experience.

 

[Dragon99]

Poor Article

Wow. Sorry you feel that way.

As stated in the article, it's very likely some people will have great experiences with Vizio. It's no surprise that some are finding them a fine quality set.

But they're a third tier enterprise – as such you can't expect the same commitment to quality as you’d find with company’s that actually research and use their own display technology.

I think people have a right to know how companies operate. Nobody is any less for having read about tiers in this industry, even if they disagree with my position that any third tier purchase represents an inherent risk.

If you love third tier enterprises keep reading... I’m doing some homework on another third tier company and what I'm finding might curl your toenails.

Whenever you find a product that can undersell its competitors chances are still that - You pay for what you get. The old adage hasn’t stopped being true.

This article has severely lowered my opinion of Audioholics. This website is supposed to be about pursuing the truth. Where are the facts proving tier 3 manufacturers make an inferior product? The only truth in the article is in the description of the 3 tiers of manufacturing, the rest if purely biased opinion and has no place here. Take yours opinions to the forums or make a blog. If you truly have research about a third tier company post that as an article.

This article was not up to the standard that Audioholics has set in the past.