Technofart

Vizio Introduces Their New XVT Series, Promises Internet Awesomeness by Fall

Recently Vizio introduced a whole bunch of new HDTVs: the XVT, M and E series. Now, mind you, Vizio is American (based out of Irvine, California), not Japanese, and has only been around since 2002, and…they

series is the prettiest of the bunch, it has 1080p panels, 120Hz technology, and a JAVA design. Lastly, the E series (E is for Eco) uses much less power than the rest, and has screen sizes from 19 to 42 inches–all models are energy efficient, meeting and exceeding Energy Star 3.0 requirements.

HDTV + Wireless High-Speed Internet = WIN

What really got my attention, though, was the promised XVT series with Internet Apps and 802.11n wireless technology plus a slider QWERTY Bluetooth remote that looks like this:



Now, other HDTV manufacturers have bragged about being able to access Netflix and download movies right from your TV, but Vizio have just set the bar a LOT higher by claiming that you’ll be able to get…ready?…All this: Yahoo! Widgets, Flash, Blockbuster OnDemand (!), Flickr, Pandora, Vudu, Revision3, Facebook, Twitter, Showtime, Rhapsody and Accedo Broadband. In the infamous words of Neo, “Woah.”

Prices

Vizio says that there is absolutely no price premium for these features, with the 55-inch model going for the same $2,199 price as the model it’s replacing, although the 47-inch is over $200 more than the previous edition at $1,699, but it does come with the local dimming LED backlit technology that was previously only in the 55-inch. The 42-inch model is going to be the first and most affordable available at $1,199 (no LED), which will be available in October, with the higher-end ones following in November and December of 2009.

Additional Resources and Further Reading

Vizio Homepage

Awesome CNET article called “The secret of Vizio’s success”