VIZIO VX37L 37" LCD HDTV
Price: $899 (Available at CostCo, Sam's Club, BJ's)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 37-inch (1366 x 768) High Resolution Display
Tuner: Integrated NTSC/QAM HDTV tuner
HD Capability: Supports 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p and 1080i
Response Time: 8ms
Brightness: 500 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
Inputs: 2 HDMI with HDCP, 2 Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio, 2 Composite, 1 S-Video, 1 RGB plus Stereo Audio, 1 RF, 1 Analog Stereo Audio for HDMI
Outputs: 1 Analog Audio Out (RCA), 1 5.1 SPDIF Digital optical Audio
Weight: 42.2lbs. With Stand / 40.7lbs. Without
Dimensions: 36.2" W x 26" H x 10.4" D With Stand and Speakers
PROS:
VIZIO's design of the VX37L is very easy on the eyes. Beautiful gloss casing resembles that of other companies that price their HDTV's at a much higher cost. What really stands out immediately is the way that the orange colored VIZIO logo draws you in with a comfortable glow, replaced by a soft white once fully powered up. The styling is not only easy on the eyes, but is also very compact. When positioned next to Viewsonic's N3751w, the VIZIO has a much smaller profile despite the same screen size.
While the colors out of the box needed some fine tuning, the VX37L was very capable of presenting a fantastic 1080i picture on both the 360 and PS3. Using Gears of War on the Xbox 360, we tested the VIZIO's contrast ratio to see how it would hold up when presented with a wide range of colors and, more specifically, the shadows and nuances that this game exemplifies. Let's just say...it ROCKED! This was to be the same when using the 360's HD-DVD external player with the movie, King Kong.
Using a color-coded input guide on the rear of the TV, the inputs were placed in a well-thought-out position. For example, the component inputs are placed directly next to the appropriate audio inputs, thereby eliminating the guesswork as to which audio goes with which video.
In addition to an eye-pleasing TV, the VX37L's remote was very intuitive and easy to control when switching between the various inputs. Once pressed, you just need to continue to press "Input" till it gets to the appropriate selection. Sounds simple, right? It was.
CONS:
While VIZIO gives you a beautiful facade to keep you smiling while looking at the front of the television, the rear is somewhat in need of an update. Don't get me wrong, the layout of the inputs and the addition of a side composite input are fantastic, but no one, and I mean no one, likes to see your cords run wild. With only a small piece of plastic to wrangle the plethora of cords that will be sprawling out of the back of your TV, it wouldn't hurt to include clips or a clasp to keep the cords in one place.
The only other issue that we became aware of while testing was the HDMI connection. Whether playing Madden 2007 or the PS3s built-in Blu-ray player with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the HDMI connection seemed to have issues processing the signal on this VIZIO. Mind you, the VX37L is not a 1080p HDTV, so this may have contributed to this fault.
OVERALL:
Looking for a 37-inch that exemplifies beauty without you having to break the piggy bank, this TV gives you a lot of bang for the buck. Whether it is the small profile or the side inputs, this TV has what it takes to run with the big boys.
At the end of first quarter, we're moving on to:
The Viewsonic N3751W 37" LCD HDTV >>>
