So Vizio is a relatively new comer to the display market. Yea they've been around a few years, but who are they. I have heard they may be playing fast and lose with their MPEG2 decoder licensing and a few other shady deals. It used to be very easy to decide where a company slotted. You had your SONY, RCA (good job Thompson :() Phillups, Samsung and then came more house brands that would come and go, now I initially thought Vizio was just some house brand, but they seem to be building a reputation. Where do they slot in the continuum.

I don't want to drop 2k on a panel that has known build quality issues and a company that could be bankrupt from a lawsuit in 18 months. I just wondered where people rank vizio from a picture quality standpoint and a build quality standpoint. Are they on par with Samsung, Sony, and the big boys (top notch, cutting edge, premium) or are they more LG/Westinghouse (quality, good value, great for most people) or are they a DYNEX/Scepter (when price is all that matters, little junky but hey it's cheap) with better marketing?

Vizio is the best cheap brand there is!

Vizio is the best cheap brand there is!

So does that mean they are above a house brand and below LG/Westinghouse etc.

not necessarily. they are known to many as being almost disposable due to a lack of replacement parts. they are also lacking on menu features. basically what they do is buy old technology from others, so you will be behind. for the money i cant recommend them.

not necessarily. they are known to many as being almost disposable due to a lack of replacement parts. they are also lacking on menu features. basically what they do is buy old technology from others, so you will be behind. for the money i cant recommend them.

See this is what they don't tell you in the commercials. Now to convince the girlfriend of this without having her think I'm trying to manipulate her...:D

You have to keep in mind that Vizio doesn't actually manufacture anything themselves...the panels are bought from LG, the electronics and components from various suppliers, and then finally assembled by a third party contractor. This doesn't always mean that quality will be lower...but not having in-house R&D/manufacturing means that Vizio has less direct control over the sets they put their name on.

That contract manufacturing business model is shared by all of the "Tier 3" brands. I agree that the business model itself is not the issue - sometimes the contract manufacturer is a major player like Mitsubishi who also builds Tier 1 brands like Sony.

To my mind, the biggest problem is the lack of service. The store you buy from will probably do even exchange for 30 days - then you are dealing with the manufacturer warranty. Frequently this means that if you need service, you pay to ship an empty box to your address, you pay return freight for the HDTV. Then you are without a TV possibly for weeks. Then you may get a factory serviced set after they decide not to fix yours.

But the biggest problem is that if the unit fails 1 day after warranty expiration, you get nothing. Nobody repairs the brand, no spare parts, nothing - total loss.

Sony, Samsung, Pioneer, and Panasonic are Tier 1 suppliers. There are a bunch of Tier 2 suppliers like HP and Hitachi that do offer service. Then there are some well known names like Polaroid and Westinghouse that are actually Tier 3 suppliers in disguise, some Chinese company that bought rights to a recognizable American brand name.

Let the buyer beware.

Wow lots of misinformation given here.
to answer your first question Vizio will give you a solid middle of the road Picture Quality. Not up to par with the High End Samsung, Sony models but definitly very comparable to the their middle and low end models. they have sort of been regarded as one of the best budget brands. Very nice picture and feautures and connectivity at a third tier price. Most models have gotten solid prof. reviews from consumer report, C-net, PC world etc.

They didn't play fast and loose with the MPEG2. The lawsuit looks to be DOA as AmTran,part owner and manufacturer of Vizio was able to produce the reciepts of the MPEG licenses. If anything it more shady on the part of the other manufacturers looking to doing anything to slow down vizio, worst case scenerio for them they would at least give Vizio some bad press, whether they were worthy of or not.

As far as the service for repairs, well the above posters aren't updated of what Vizio has done over the past year. They have inhome repair service thru Repair Solutions and ITI, these are a national repair network. This is also who you would use if your TV fails out of warranty.And NO their parts aren't some "White Whale" that nobody can find. That's just non-sense. Just do a google search for Vizio parts and see what you come up with plus they are also a part of the Vancebaldwin www.vancebaldwin.com parts which is also a national network that supplies parts. It's just silliness. Too many people are still referring to an old outdated HDGURU blog over a year ago. Alot has changed with Vizio since the time of that article.
Also if your Sony, Samsung, Panasonic etc. breaks down Out of Warranty if these posters think they are flipping the bill for parts and labor well, their wrong. YOU pay the bill, Sony is not picking up the check. Out of Warranty is Out of Warranty. Whether it's Vizio, Samsung or Sony, YOU pay the bill.

Yes they do purchase their panals, LG is one their biggest suppliers, they are assembled at AmTran which is part owner of Vizio, so they do in a sense have their own manufacturing plant.
But almost everyone buys panals from each other, only Sony/Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp and LG produce their own panals so everyone else buys their panals from them, Phillips, Mistubishi, Hitachi,Toshiba pretty much of the rest of the flat panal industry. So you can't bash Vizio without bashing the others for not making their own panals.

I hope this clears up any mis information that is normally slung around on the net

Not sure where Vizio is sourcing their components, but I just saw a 22" LCD set at Wal-Mart over the weekend for $347! Frankly, I don't think you could beat the value, and the differences in picture quality are not that great in terms of those that you would get from a different manufacturer. That said, I would not want a Vizio plasma...the contrast ratio is quite poor on their set. However, I have not seen the latest version that is to arrive shortly, a 50" 1080p for $1,400 as I recall.

not necessarily. they are known to many as being almost disposable due to a lack of replacement parts. they are also lacking on menu features. basically what they do is buy old technology from others, so you will be behind. for the money i cant recommend them.

Since when.

Vizio's support is better than anyone's I've ever seen. They also don't make any of their own parts. All my Vizeo's parts are LG, so if theres parts for the LG, theres parts for my vizeo.

To my mind, the biggest problem is the lack of service. The store you buy from will probably do even exchange for 30 days - then you are dealing with the manufacturer warranty. Frequently this means that if you need service, you pay to ship an empty box to your address, you pay return freight for the HDTV. Then you are without a TV possibly for weeks. Then you may get a factory serviced set after they decide not to fix yours.

Cut the misinformation. Vizio offers inhouse support. No shipping of anything.

Keep in mind what the two Vizio fanboys described is the ideal case. I live in South Silicon Valley and last year I could not find anyone who would make a service call on a Westinghouse set. The nearest qualified service was San Francisco - they did offer to work on it if I hauled it to them (90 minutes each way on a GOOD day).

I work in the service industry (computers not HDTVs) and I never heard of vincebaldwin.com or Repair Solutions. ITI I frequently refer people to if they have annoyed me.

There are Tier 2 suppliers (as defined by market share) which offer full service - HP for example has online parts ordering, online repair manuals, and online support (free E-Mail and voice telephone free for warranty and available afterwards for a fee). But HP makes high-end stuff with unique features like built-in wifi.

The message is - best not take any sage advice from anybody here about availability or quality of service. They only have their own experiences in their own area. If you don't live in the same area, it's anecdotal information of no particular relevance.

Keep in mind what the two Vizio fanboys described is the ideal case. I live in South Silicon Valley and last year I could not find anyone who would make a service call on a Westinghouse set. The nearest qualified service was San Francisco - they did offer to work on it if I hauled it to them (90 minutes each way on a GOOD day).

I work in the service industry (computers not HDTVs) and I never heard of vincebaldwin.com or Repair Solutions. ITI I frequently refer people to if they have annoyed me.

There are Tier 2 suppliers (as defined by market share) which offer full service - HP for example has online parts ordering, online repair manuals, and online support (free E-Mail and voice telephone free for warranty and available afterwards for a fee). But HP makes high-end stuff with unique features like built-in wifi.

The message is - best not take any sage advice from anybody here about availability or quality of service. They only have their own experiences in their own area. If you don't live in the same area, it's anecdotal information of no particular relevance.


It has nothing to do with being a fanboy but more to do with dispelling rumors and assumptions and in most cases just flat out lies.

You've never heard of Vancebaldwin, well then here you go this is some information on them http://www.vancebaldwin.com/about.asp
http://www.vancebaldwin.com/news/


Your experience you described was with a Westinghouse not Vizio, two separate companies.
But your last paragraph is right, you don't have to take anybody's word especially from an internet forum. Just do a little research and you'll find your answers, It' just that the answer you'll find will be to what I said:D

And not just some random, "they don't have service". Which is just nonsense

Wow - this reminds of the days when people asked: "Who is Samsung??":rolleyes:;)

Wow - this reminds of the days when people asked: "Who is Samsung??":rolleyes:;)

This may be true, I don't remember that far back. However this company popped virtually out of nowhere, overnight to dominate the big box chains. It's not just a single store either... from BB to Sams Club they all have Vizio.

I appreciate them filling a void in the market - bargain/value/budget/cheap flat panels, however it's causing considerable headache with the GF. She thinks it's fine to go with Vizio because she's 'heard of them before' but I want to know a bit more. It's not a fair apples to apple to compare a 50" Kuro v. 50" Vizio - but to the untrained eye most don't notice until it's too late - if they ever notice at all. HD is not like color TV - it's not obvious to everyone what good pq is. Some people are just clueless - and I'm not talking $1k power cable details - I'm talking deinterlacing etc - most people just can't tell.

to correct some additional misinformation.

Sony deosn't manufacture panels, instead, buys them from samsung.

Hitachi deos manufacture it's own Plasma-Panels.

This may be true, I don't remember that far back. However this company popped virtually out of nowhere, overnight to dominate the big box chains. It's not just a single store either... from BB to Sams Club they all have Vizio.

I appreciate them filling a void in the market - bargain/value/budget/cheap flat panels, however it's causing considerable headache with the GF. She thinks it's fine to go with Vizio because she's 'heard of them before' but I want to know a bit more. It's not a fair apples to apple to compare a 50" Kuro v. 50" Vizio - but to the untrained eye most don't notice until it's too late - if they ever notice at all. HD is not like color TV - it's not obvious to everyone what good pq is. Some people are just clueless - and I'm not talking $1k power cable details - I'm talking deinterlacing etc - most people just can't tell.

Even a first time HD novice will CLEARLY see a vast difference once the PDP is in their home....
between the better ones and the Vizio's of this world.

Save just a little bit more and buy frm one of these guys:
Pioneer
Samsung
Panasonic
Sony
Toshiba

Hitachi deos manufacture it's own Plasma-Panels.

And while you don't see them in Vizio a lot of other lesser manufacturers use them. Hitachi is not the only one. Akai seems to be a big user of them, I'm sure other lesser brands are sourcing from Hitachi as well, not just LG.

Things in the plasma sector are bound to get more confusing shortly, last I heard Changhong was firing up its plasma line last month and should be in mass production mode shortly, one of the major manufacturers (might have been LG) helped them design this line, but until the finished product is seen in the marketplace there is no saying how they'll be. You'll have a cheaper panel source for cheaper manufacturers.

It has nothing to do with being a fanboy but more to do with dispelling rumors and assumptions and in most cases just flat out lies.

You've never heard of Vancebaldwin, well then here you go this is some information on them http://www.vancebaldwin.com/about.asp
http://www.vancebaldwin.com/news/


Your experience you described was with a Westinghouse not Vizio, two separate companies.
But your last paragraph is right, you don't have to take anybody's word especially from an internet forum. Just do a little research and you'll find your answers, It' just that the answer you'll find will be to what I said:D

And not just some random, "they don't have service". Which is just nonsense

My company sells parts through Vance Baldwin and a few other companies... Vance Baldwin is just a distributor who purchases from the manufacturer and resells to the service network/public for profit... Having Vizio sell parts through Vance Baldwin says nothing about the availability of said parts....


Frankly with Vizio making such lower end sets, I would be willing to bet there is a relatively poor supply of service parts available to repair them....

But the biggest problem is that if the unit fails 1 day after warranty expiration, you get nothing. Nobody repairs the brand, no spare parts, nothing - total loss.

...Then there are some well known names like Polaroid and Westinghouse that are actually Tier 3 suppliers in disguise, some Chinese company that bought rights to a recognizable American brand name.

Let the buyer beware.

Well put bottom line on these manufacturers. If you buy one of these sets, you are essentially buying a disposable TV.

My company sells parts through Vance Baldwin and a few other companies... Vance Baldwin is just a distributor who purchases from the manufacturer and resells to the service network/public for profit... Having Vizio sell parts through Vance Baldwin says nothing about the availability of said parts....


Frankly with Vizio making such lower end sets, I would be willing to bet there is a relatively poor supply of service parts available to repair them....


The point of using vancebaldwin as an expample to the someone saying their parts are impossible to find which is just nonsense. I actually found the vancebaldwin site just by google Vizio parts and an array of sites came up.

And your second paragraph is just one of assumption and basically you have no idea what parts they use. Unless you can provide facts that their parts are impossible to find, you can't just make outlandish claims. The fact that they are teamed up with one of the nation's largest parts distribotor's sort of goes against everything you assume.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Vizio+parts&btnG=Google+Search

Wow I can see where you guess base you claims on. unbelivable

Well put bottom line on these manufacturers. If you buy one of these sets, you are essentially buying a disposable TV.



Again for the 1,000th time, Vizio does provide out of warranty service, they do provide in home repair for both in and out of warranty, PLEASE stop referring to an outdated HDGuru article.

Hmm let me see if I can pull out my warranty on my 1975 Sony TV and apply that to today's debate that Sony's warranty stinks.

Oh and I was wondering, can you tell me, Does Sony, Samsung, Panasonic etc, do they pay for your out of warranty service?

You missed the point.... Stating that Vance Baldwin carries Vizio parts doesn't' say anything about the availability of those parts.... Okay you did a google search and found that Vance Baldwin carries for Vizio, but are those parts readily available to fix their products? How long are said parts in production for? You can't conclude anything based on your search....

If you want to continue believing that a tier-3 company somehow provides adequate service of their lower end products, be my guest....

I would love to see where Vizio ranks in Customer Service & Support in Consumer Reports...

and you can't just blurt out and say that their parts aren't available. do you have any factual data to back up your claim? I provided a website that distributes parts for Vizio, can you provide a reliable site that say's their parts can't be found?

And why would Vizio partner up with a parts distributor if they don't have any parts to distribute, doesn't make much sense.

Well, looking through Vizio's page, I went to "previous models", and found the L37HDTV10A.
Looking at Vance Baldwin's site, they don't have any parts for this model.
http://www.vancebaldwin.com/models/?VIZL37HDTV10A

Looking at all the models listed, only a few seems to have parts, and not all parts. For the GV42LH, only the remote is listed.

They however have parts for the VP322 wich is this year's model I believe.

these are the parts that they carry. just click on any of the parts number and you have to remember alot of these sets will share the same parts

http://www.vancebaldwin.com/pages/Vizio_Consumer_Electronics_Parts_and_Accessories.asp

and you can't just blurt out and say that their parts aren't available. do you have any factual data to back up your claim? I provided a website that distributes parts for Vizio, can you provide a reliable site that say's their parts can't be found?

And why would Vizio partner up with a parts distributor if they don't have any parts to distribute, doesn't make much sense.

Manufacturers use parts distributors like Vancebaldwin, MCM Electronics, Pacific Coast Parts etc because they don't have the infrastructure & manpower in place to handle the volume of the workload themselves... They rely on these companies and their employees to handle over the phone orders, web orders, and the physical shipping of said parts. Manufacturer just has to ship in bulk to a single location (the distributor) and the Distributor in turn ships out to all the smaller customers...

Your original post seemed to imply that Vizio parts were so easy to come across because a simple google searched linked you to Vance Baldwin... My point is that you can't conclude parts are readily available just because Vizio is listed on Vance Baldwin's site....

I can tell you that these distributor sites are often outdated and do not reflect current availability of specific parts from the manufacturer. You can find multiple older parts on Vance's site for my company, that you simply can't get any more... Are they listed on their site? YES... Will you ever receive them if you order them? NO....

Telling us about Vance Baldwin really did little to reduce concern over parts availability for Vizio products... You keep saying that the HD Guru blog is outdated, but how much progress can a tier-3 company really make in their service in what, 1 year? I for one don't believe Vizio could have transformed their below average service in such short time to anything that would be considered adequate.... I would love to see a report to the contrary....

to correct some additional misinformation.

Sony deosn't manufacture panels, instead, buys them from samsung.

Hitachi deos manufacture it's own Plasma-Panels.

to correct your incorrect "correction"...

Samsung and Sony are joint partners (50% each) in S-LCD the JV that produces panels for both of them.

Sony has also announced a new JV with Sharp (of which Sony is 33% owner) as an additional source for future gen panels.

Manufacturers use parts distributors like Vancebaldwin, MCM Electronics, Pacific Coast Parts etc because they don't have the infrastructure & manpower in place to handle the volume of the workload themselves... They rely on these companies and their employees to handle over the phone orders, web orders, and the physical shipping of said parts. Manufacturer just has to ship in bulk to a single location (the distributor) and the Distributor in turn ships out to all the smaller customers...

Your original post seemed to imply that Vizio parts were so easy to come across because a simple google searched linked you to Vance Baldwin... My point is that you can't conclude parts are readily available just because Vizio is listed on Vance Baldwin's site....

I can tell you that these distributor sites are often outdated and do not reflect current availability of specific parts from the manufacturer. You can find multiple older parts on Vance's site for my company, that you simply can't get any more... Are they listed on their site? YES... Will you ever receive them if you order them? NO....

Telling us about Vance Baldwin really did little to reduce concern over parts availability for Vizio products... You keep saying that the HD Guru blog is outdated, but how much progress can a tier-3 company really make in their service in what, 1 year? I for one don't believe Vizio could have transformed their below average service in such short time to anything that would be considered adequate.... I would love to see a report to the contrary....


But at the same time can you provide proof to back up your claim of this "lack" of parts or horrible customer service you are referring to? You are basing your claim based on assumption that you feel they are a third tier company so that automatically means they have no parts or service, and to me that is just not true.
I only posted that link to vancebaldwin in response that no one can find parts anywhere. Well that's not true. How can you make a claim against someone based on assumption. And you claim that Vancebaldwin only deals with small companies that can't handle this stuff themselves, well I do believe I saw Samsung, Panasonic, Sony etc. on their list of clients. so I don't know where you basing that on.

You think they're third tier, I don't. They've been around for about 5 years and in that five years that have steadly improved their models, improved their warranty service, improved on their repair by making available in home repair service by hooking up with national repair networks. They didn't have to change their warranty or continue to advance their products, they've already carved out a solid nitch for themselves. But they did. Are their prices third tier, sure, but their products aren't. They've have gotten solid prof. reviews from across the board from C-Net, Consumer Reports, PC World etc. Do I think their tv's can match up to the high end Samsungs and Sony etc No. But can they match up to their middle and their lower end sets, yes.
I own one and I did my research on this company and I talked to their customer service about their warranty and to Repair solutions and I feel very confident in the product I bought from them. I have a great tv at a great price.

I base my claims on research and by personal experience, you are basing your claim simply on assumption.

Checking cnet.com, just one set ranks in the 7 range and comes in at 7.0... All the other sets are in the 5 or 6 range out of 10.....

I'd love to know how Vizio stays in business if as you claim they are offering Tier 3 prices on non-tier 3 products and providing above average service on their products...

Vizio's are best intended for bargain seekers.... You get what you pay for... Service and a product below that of the standards of the tier 1 companies....

And for the record, manufacturers use Parts Distributors because it's cheaper to contract out the work then it is to create the positions and pay their own employees to do it... By no means does a company have to be small to benefit from utilizing Part Distribution Networks....

Checking cnet.com, just one set ranks in the 7 range and comes in at 7.0... All the other sets are in the 5 or 6 range out of 10.....

I'd love to know how Vizio stays in business if as you claim they are offering Tier 3 prices on non-tier 3 products and providing above average service on their products...

Vizio's are best intended for bargain seekers.... You get what you pay for... Service and a product below that of the standards of the tier 1 companies....

And for the record, manufacturers use Parts Distributors because it's cheaper to contract out the work then it is to create the positions and pay their own employees to do it... By no means does a company have to be small to benefit from utilizing Part Distribution Networks....


yes C-Net has most of their models in the 6.0 to 6.9 range which is "Good", Consumer Reports has some of their models ranked higher as does PC World. And some of their models are ranked higher them some of the more established names. So you see their are more than one prof. reviews.
To know why their set's are inexpensive would be to understand their business model, which you obviously haven't read or researched, just base all you thoughts on assumption.

But anyway this is just going around in circles, I own one you haven't and by sounds of things never will. I am very happy with my set, picture quality is fantastic and you just have it in your mind, "new company, cheap prices = bad tv" well hey if we all drank from the same Kool-Aid glass then there would be only Pioneer and Panasonic Plasma's and Sony and Samsung LCD's.

To be fair, most buy Vizio's over those brands to save money.
Nothing wrong at all with that....especially these days.

To know why their set's are inexpensive would be to understand their business model, which you obviously haven't read or researched, just base all you thoughts on assumption.

Which seems very common at this point. People saying things like "Bad service" who have never even used the product.


From what I've dealt with at this point, Vizio's service is a whole lot better than Sony's.

Let me add something to this discussion. I am in the process of trying to get a Visio plasma set repaired. After 45 minutes on the phone with them they told me I needed to have the receipt to get it serviced. It would have been nice if they had pointed that out first. It was a gift for a family member & the receipt has been lost. It is out of warranty, the repair is obviously coming out of pocket, but Visio wont even release a number for a local repair facility. The local phone book search has turned up nothing, & calls to repair facilities have gotten the response that it's too difficult to get parts for Visio products. The set is 1.5 years old, & it looks like it was $1,000 wasted at this point. I did e-mail Visio my complaint about this & the case number. Hopefully they supply a phone number, or the set goes in the trash, & another brand gets the money for the replacement set.

Let me add something to this discussion. I am in the process of trying to get a Visio plasma set repaired. After 45 minutes on the phone with them they told me I needed to have the receipt to get it serviced. It would have been nice if they had pointed that out first. It was a gift for a family member & the receipt has been lost. It is out of warranty, the repair is obviously coming out of pocket, but Visio wont even release a number for a local repair facility. The local phone book search has turned up nothing, & calls to repair facilities have gotten the response that it's too difficult to get parts for Visio products. The set is 1.5 years old, & it looks like it was $1,000 wasted at this point. I did e-mail Visio my complaint about this & the case number. Hopefully they supply a phone number, or the set goes in the trash, & another brand gets the money for the replacement set.

Let us know how things progress....

Let me add something to this discussion. I am in the process of trying to get a Visio plasma set repaired. After 45 minutes on the phone with them they told me I needed to have the receipt to get it serviced. It would have been nice if they had pointed that out first. It was a gift for a family member & the receipt has been lost. It is out of warranty, the repair is obviously coming out of pocket, but Visio wont even release a number for a local repair facility. The local phone book search has turned up nothing, & calls to repair facilities have gotten the response that it's too difficult to get parts for Visio products. The set is 1.5 years old, & it looks like it was $1,000 wasted at this point. I did e-mail Visio my complaint about this & the case number. Hopefully they supply a phone number, or the set goes in the trash, & another brand gets the money for the replacement set.

What number did you call I just called Vizio and posed as friend of someone who cannot make the call himself. I spoke to Vizio customer service rep who gave me this number 1-800-762-0796, I then called and spoke to a John and said my friend is having some problems with his plasma and it was out of warranty and didn't have a receipt and he said, that's no problmem, what seems to be the issue, and that's when I was at a little loss for words and said I'm not sure but I will go by my friends house and take it look at it. He said Ok we are open from 9-6 Pacific STandard time, once we find out what the issue is we will set up an appointment to dispatch someone to your friends house. And also this way we can give you an estimate of what the parts cost will be once we figure out the problem. The labor cost will be $195.
They were actually very friendly and helpful, so I don't know if you got a bad rep or anything but call the above number and see if that works out better for you.

vizio stands right behind the dumpster

vizio stands right behind the dumpster

Yeah right next to my buddies, Samsung DLP, who they wanted to charge over $500 for parts and labor on his colorwheel which would have taken over two weeks to come out and fix, out of warranty:rolleyes:

Yeah right next to my buddies, Samsung DLP, who they wanted to charge over $500 for parts and labor on his colorwheel which would have taken over two weeks to come out and fix, out of warranty:rolleyes:

There's just no reasoning with Vizio fanboys...

His credentials:
-900 inspired posts on AVS in only 4 months
-owns an "amazing" 32 Vizio with nothing else to compare it to

bottom line:
Vizio is the best of the entry level bargain brands, no more, no less, enough said...

agree, i think its better than westys but still, its a vizio, and thats all there is to it.
A name brand if something goes wrong, you can have the possibilty of repairing for less than a new tv, vizio might as well get a new one, and i just dont think they are priced cheap enough to do that.

dlps are pretty much trash as well
you go plasma, you go lcd, or you dont go at all

samsung, i have one of their 42 in plasmas and i had to have a 1400 dollar part replaced under warranty., but the picture is great, and no probs since.
samsungs dont make great plasmas
they make fine lcds
pannys and pioneer for plasma
samsung and sony for lcd

or just dont buy.
but vizios **** on themselves daily

There's just no reasoning with Vizio fanboys...

His credentials:
-900 inspired posts on AVS in only 4 months
-owns an "amazing" 32 Vizio with nothing else to compare it to

bottom line:
Vizio is the best of the entry level bargain brands, no more, no less, enough said...

agree, i think its better than westys but still, its a vizio, and thats all there is to it.
A name brand if something goes wrong, you can have the possibilty of repairing for less than a new tv, vizio might as well get a new one, and i just dont think they are priced cheap enough to do that.

dlps are pretty much trash as well
you go plasma, you go lcd, or you dont go at all

samsung, i have one of their 42 in plasmas and i had to have a 1400 dollar part replaced under warranty., but the picture is great, and no probs since.
samsungs dont make great plasmas
they make fine lcds
pannys and pioneer for plasma
samsung and sony for lcd

or just dont buy.
but vizios **** on themselves daily
Have you ever owned a Vizio? Or are you just going off the words of other people who have never owned one?

I had a friend who owned a vizio, not bad the first few months,
at 1 year and 2 wks it developed banding at one year and 5 months it was dead.
not under warranty friend had to eat it.
but it was his fault, buying a vizio,
the legend of crap continues



Have you ever owned a Vizio? Or are you just going off the words of other people who have never owned one?

I had a friend who owned a vizio, not bad the first few months,
at 1 year and 2 wks it developed banding at one year and 5 months it was dead.
not under warranty friend had to eat it.
but it was his fault, buying a vizio,
the legend of crap continues
Nice one example. I can cite people that say the world is flat. Does that make it true?

Nice one example. I can cite people that say the world is flat. Does that make it true?



This is the same guy who posted this not too long ago.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1056078&page=2

LOL typical S-brand Kool Aid drinker with their double standards. If there Sammy breaks down it's "ohhh it happens," If a Vizio breaks down out come they come out and pretend that nothing goes wrong with their brands only vizio's.

What a joke.

Let me add something to this discussion. I am in the process of trying to get a Visio plasma set repaired. After 45 minutes on the phone with them they told me I needed to have the receipt to get it serviced. It would have been nice if they had pointed that out first. It was a gift for a family member & the receipt has been lost. It is out of warranty, the repair is obviously coming out of pocket, but Visio wont even release a number for a local repair facility. The local phone book search has turned up nothing, & calls to repair facilities have gotten the response that it's too difficult to get parts for Visio products. The set is 1.5 years old, & it looks like it was $1,000 wasted at this point. I did e-mail Visio my complaint about this & the case number. Hopefully they supply a phone number, or the set goes in the trash, & another brand gets the money for the replacement set.You might want to PM synovia...he seems to have the inside track on excellent Vizio service.;)

Well, I don't know if they've improved (though I suppose after this amount of time they have), but if you search the archives here you'll see that the earlier model 50" Vizio plasmas had a very common problem with the power supply's just "blowing up" on them.

There's just no reasoning with Vizio fanboys....
And you two are different from that? You've managed to throw trash on the Vizio without ever owning one, and only post that your decision for a panel is the correct one? $1,500 repair under warranty for a panel that should have cost less than that, and still proud of your decision? Try to keep your comments reasonable for the sake of the OP.

And you two are different from that? You've managed to throw trash on the Vizio without ever owning one, and only post that your decision for a panel is the correct one? $1,500 repair under warranty for a panel that should have cost less than that, and still proud of your decision? Try to keep your comments reasonable for the sake of the OP.

I've happened to previously own 3, pal. Used to be a V fanboy myself around 2 years ago, had a GV47, VX32L & GV52, all since returned for various QC issues, audiosynch, overscan and mainly ... mediocre PQ. Spent wasted time with V's "huge" customer service department, not even acknowledging known issues like the audio synch on the GV47. Currently have a Sharp 57", 32" and a 46" Sammy with absolutely no issues, not even banding.

Nerds getting tough over television brands. Truly a terrifying sight.

Nerds getting tough over television brands. Truly a terrifying sight.Hell hath no fury like a fanboy scorned.:p

I've happened to previously own 3....
Wouldn't it have been better to cite that previously instead of just trashing the brand? I stand corrected...at least for your post!

Wouldn't it have been better to cite that previously instead of just trashing the brand? I stand corrected...at least for your post!

Hef,

If you reread my post, I didn't trash the brand, I was merely chiding the fanboy who routinely calls his Vizio amazing.

"There's just no reasoning with Vizio fanboys...

His credentials:
-900 inspired posts on AVS in only 4 months
-owns an "amazing" 32 Vizio with nothing else to compare it to

bottom line:
Vizio is the best of the entry level bargain brands, no more, no less, enough said..."

sheesh...so sorry to offend...

Hef,

If you reread my post, I didn't trash the brand, I was merely chiding the fanboy who routinely calls his Vizio amazing.

"There's just no reasoning with Vizio fanboys...

His credentials:
-900 inspired posts on AVS in only 4 months
-owns an "amazing" 32 Vizio with nothing else to compare it to

bottom line:
Vizio is the best of the entry level bargain brands, no more, no less, enough said..."

sheesh...so sorry to offend...

My vizio is Amazing :) Anyway hopefully this has ran it's course, it does get rather tiring hearing the samthing over and over.

and GGG If you've noticed I was only defending Vizio's in terms of their warranty policy and this so called notion that their parts are as elusive as the Arc of Convenant. People keep citing this blog from HDGuru from well over a year ago about their warranty and out of warranty service and just refuse to believe that they've actually totally re-vamped their warranty and out of warranty services.

I have always said that the Vizio model's in the past have held their own against other mid and low end models from Samsung, Sony etc and of course the 2nd tier brands such as LG and Philips etc. But have always said that their Vizio's models are no match for the High End Samsung's, sony's etc.
Though it looks they are slowly closing the gap, C-Net, the only Prof. review out so far on their new series, XVT gave it a 7.3 "Very Good".

...gave it a 7.3 "Very Good".
Out of 100??? Just kidding, need to get some smoke cleared from this thread! :p

A Vizio is a great set to buy when you want to get into HDTV but don't have a lot of money right away. Then you can save up for a good quality set from a Tier 1 supplier over the next year or so, so if the Vizio dies out of warranty you can buy a Tier 1 set, and if it doesn't die, it makes a great second set for a bedroom or den.

I wouldn't buy a Vizio for my primary set, especially if I was planning to watch a lot of TV, because if it dies more than a year out of warranty, you are hosed. Vizio DOES NOT keep stock of parts on models more than the current model year, unlike Tier 1 suppliers which stockpile parts for replacement purposes up to a decade.

If you are lucky enough to find a 3rd party repair firm or parts supplier which has the Vizio part you need for your out of warranty set, great. Most people will not be that lucky, that's why Vizio has a reputation for being disposable HDTVs. I love the ads where Vizio claims to be "America's HDTV Company", that's only true in the sense that Wal-Mart is "America's Retail Store". People who care about quality (shockingly few) don't shop at Wal-Mart, and the same holds true when buying Vizio.

I think it is great that you can get a visio for so cheap.
But I would never even think of buying one.

I think it is great that you can get a visio for so cheap.
But I would never even think of buying one.

This will be the one and only time we ever agree on anything, my friend. ;)

I think it is great that you can get a visio for so cheap....
I've never heard of that brand of TV! ;)

My vizio is Amazing :) Anyway hopefully this has ran it's course, it does get rather tiring hearing the samthing over and over.

and GGG If you've noticed I was only defending Vizio's in terms of their warranty policy and this so called notion that their parts are as elusive as the Arc of Convenant. People keep citing this blog from HDGuru from well over a year ago about their warranty and out of warranty service and just refuse to believe that they've actually totally re-vamped their warranty and out of warranty services.

I have always said that the Vizio model's in the past have held their own against other mid and low end models from Samsung, Sony etc and of course the 2nd tier brands such as LG and Philips etc. But have always said that their Vizio's models are no match for the High End Samsung's, sony's etc.
Though it looks they are slowly closing the gap, C-Net, the only Prof. review out so far on their new series, XVT gave it a 7.3 "Very Good".

I just bought a vacation home in Phoenix and I'm going down there over Labor Day to furnish it. I'm going to need a budget 47 or 52 panel for part time viewing. Who knows, when I hit Sam's Club I could end up with an XVT if the PQ has improved substantially over the VO and there isn't anything better for the price . I'm more interested in seeing their new plasmas with HQV, but they probably won't be available for a bit longer. When you buy from Sam's theres no need to worry about V's service & warranty.

I bought a Vizio 50 inch plasma in 2005 and use it every day and never had a problem with it. I turn it on and it plays , no banding just a perfect picture. I bought a small Vizio lcd for my kitchen and that has performed flawless for 2 years. For the money I find Vizio hard to beat.

Not advocating Vizio but if you bought it a Costco it has a 2 year warranty and a 90 return policy. I don't have Vizio, I have 32" 1080P Sharp, a 65" 1080HP DLP and a 58" Pioneer Plasma, a 28" Hanns-G.

The only one that was troublesome was the HP DLP and after a couple of light engines it has been solid for two years, with one year left on the warranty.

The TVs that get constant use are the HP DLP and the Sharp LCD which gets used 8-10 hours a day as a PC monitor with part time TV use.

My next TV will be 70 plus inches and it needs to be affordable so it sounds like a Sammy DLP...

When I walk through Costco these days I can see the Vizio sets are dramatically better than a few years ago and the prices are aggressive they have to be.

As far as PQ is concerned, I think Vizios are fine, but if you asked me if they were comparable to a Low/Mid tier set from a well known manfacturer, I don't think I would be able to agree. "Amazing" is an adjective I wouldn't think of when I think of Vizio. "Decent" is more like it :).

As for customer service, I have yet to come across a company that was consistently "perfect". You have to remember, that the service that you receive lies solely in the hands of the rep on the other line, and as being only human, you have to understand that we are not all perfect, and the service may only be as good as the day that the rep is having.

All that being said, I think it is unfair to completely void a companies customer service based on such a small percentage of claims. If we used AVS as a basis for all of our future purchases based on their customer experiences, I think we'd all be in a bit of a bind, with nothing but fear of moving forward in investing in any new tech, or company.

One more thing, if you did a search on even a company like Pioneer, that sells high end panels, you will see that even their customers have had bad experiences with their customer service in one instance, only to try again, and receive excellent service, which only proves my point, that the service that you receive, is only as good as the person on the other end is willing to give.

A Vizio is a great set to buy when you want to get into HDTV but don't have a lot of money right away. Then you can save up for a good quality set from a Tier 1 supplier over the next year or so, so if the Vizio dies out of warranty you can buy a Tier 1 set, and if it doesn't die, it makes a great second set for a bedroom or den.

I wouldn't buy a Vizio for my primary set, especially if I was planning to watch a lot of TV, because if it dies more than a year out of warranty, you are hosed. Vizio DOES NOT keep stock of parts on models more than the current model year, unlike Tier 1 suppliers which stockpile parts for replacement purposes up to a decade.

If you are lucky enough to find a 3rd party repair firm or parts supplier which has the Vizio part you need for your out of warranty set, great. Most people will not be that lucky, that's why Vizio has a reputation for being disposable HDTVs. I love the ads where Vizio claims to be "America's HDTV Company", that's only true in the sense that Wal-Mart is "America's Retail Store". People who care about quality (shockingly few) don't shop at Wal-Mart, and the same holds true when buying Vizio.

My sentiments exactly.

Well, I don't know if they've improved (though I suppose after this amount of time they have), but if you search the archives here you'll see that the earlier model 50" Vizio plasmas had a very common problem with the power supply's just "blowing up" on them.

Yeah, and samsung has consistent problems with HDMI ports not working. Problems happen with EVERY brand, but when its an expensive brand, people just seem to ignore it, whereas the cheap brands, people are all spouting "you get what you pay for".

Vizio DOES NOT keep stock of parts on models more than the current model year, unlike Tier 1 suppliers which stockpile parts for replacement purposes up to a decade.

I;d like some actual evidence that Tier 1 suppliers do this. I've had several issues with Sony and Samsung not being able to get parts for electronics that are less than 2 years old.

Yeah, and samsung has consistent problems with HDMI ports not working.Hardly comparable, IMO.

Hardly comparable, IMO.
How is that not comparable? It's a completely valid point, and the rest of his statment usually holds true as well.

I;d like some actual evidence that Tier 1 suppliers do this. I've had several issues with Sony and Samsung not being able to get parts for electronics that are less than 2 years old.

You and me both.

Well, my brother in law's Sony receiver couldn't be repaired anywhere, Sony or independent repair stations, but it was about ten years old. Time for an upgrade anyway, but eventually, some things do go out of serviceability. My experience with Sony has always been a good one when my TV or stereo needed work.

You have to keep in mind that Vizio doesn't actually manufacture anything themselves...the panels are bought from LG, the electronics and components from various suppliers, and then finally assembled by a third party contractor. This doesn't always mean that quality will be lower...but not having in-house R&D/manufacturing means that Vizio has less direct control over the sets they put their name on.

While Vizio may have started as an off brand, they are becoming a forcr to reckon with and are now close to being the market leader if not the market leader in flat panels in the US. In fact even Sony and Samsung have introduced lines to compete directly with Vizio.

Currently, Vizio has their own lines and make their own products like the other do. They may source certain glass sizes from others, but that is common practice.

Quality wise for the video processing I believe they are going with folks like Faroudja.

Each year they are going increasingly more up market. Their cost structure is lower since they don't market much and only ship to a few sources.

My old CEO had a Vizio plasma and it looked absolutely fine. In fact, since I had never seen a Vizio before when I first saw it my first thought was "that's a fine looking display, wonder who makes it" :)

How is that not comparable?An HDMI port that won't work is hardly as potentially serious a situation as a TV blowing up 10 feet away from your face.

These power supplys blowing out literally made a huge bang and sent clouds of smoke billowing into the air. Nearly started a fire. It wasn't a situation of just going to turn the set on one day, and it wouldn't turn on.

Plus, at least you can still watch the TV and there's still component in with the other issue.

Hey, I'm not sticking up for one brand or the other - I just mentioned that fact that I remembered reading about that a lot here way back when. There were whole threads dedicated to it.

I wouldn't not ever buy a Vizio for that reason now - I personally just would like what I consider better PQ, and if it costs more, than so be it. To me they seem a little lacking in the detail department compared to some other brands, and that goes for both their plasmas and LCD's. But to each his own.

An HDMI port that won't work is hardly as potentially serious a situation as a TV blowing up 10 feet away from your face.

These power supplys blowing out literally made a huge bang and sent clouds of smoke billowing into the air. Nearly started a fire. It wasn't a situation of just going to turn the set on one day, and it wouldn't turn on.

Plus, at least you can still watch the TV and there's still component in with the other issue.

Hey, I'm not sticking up for one brand or the other - I just mentioned that fact that I remembered reading about that a lot here way back when. There were whole threads dedicated to it.

I wouldn't not ever buy a Vizio for that reason now - I personally just would like what I consider better PQ, and if it costs more, than so be it. To me they seem a little lacking in the detail department compared to some other brands, and that goes for both their plasmas and LCD's. But to each his own.
See bolded text.

The problem Ramminitski is referring to was in the VP50 and I do believe their 47 inch vizio's entry level plasmas that year, roughly about 3 or 4 years ago or so. There was a design flaw in the sustainer board from the panals they purchased from LG for those models. They would shorten each other out. This was a problem with LG plasma's and Zenith Plasma's as well since they all shared the same panal. The problem has thus been recognized and fixed.

You heard alot more from it from the Vizio owners since it was one of the best selling plasmas at that time. But you saw some LG and Zenith owners chime in with the same problem as well.

But yeah that was from about 3 or 4 years ago.

The problem Ramminitski is referring to was in the VP50 and I do believe their 47 inch vizio's entry level plasmas that year, roughly about 3 or 4 years ago or so. There was a design flaw in the sustainer board from the panals they purchased from LG for those models. They would shorten each other out. This was a problem with LG plasma's and Zenith Plasma's as well since they all shared the same panal. The problem has thus been recognized and fixed.

You heard alot more from it from the Vizio owners since it was one of the best selling plasmas at that time. But you saw some LG and Zenith owners chime in with the same problem as well.

But yeah that was from about 3 or 4 years ago.
Good to know.

At least that debate can be put to rest.

See bolded text.I did say in my original post (#46) that I imagine by now they've fixed it, you do realize?

The person who replied to that post took it all offensively and made more out of it than it was.

I did say in my original post (#46) that I imagine by now they've fixed it, you do realize?

The person who replied to that post made more out of it than it was.
My bad, didn't bother to read through the thread again. Forgot who had said what.

Wow, what a great thread! So much fun :)

Really though, it's incredible that noone has mentioned extended warranties here. If you are talking about budget priced tv's, the only difference between Vizio and [insert big name here] is that there might be problems finding parts for Vizio.

Regardless, if you are in the $500-700 range, and not under warranty, you are going to pay out the ass to have it repaired anyway, so you might as well call that Sony L4000 you bought at Walmart disposable as well. If it's under manufacturer warranty, I think most will attest to the fact that it's become common practice now, by even the top brands, to stick you with a refurbished unit that somebody else has had their greasy little paws on.

No argument here as I don't buy Vizio, but for all intents and purposes, isn't this true for all manufacturers?
Having had two separate instances (two different units) of dealing with a major tier one manufacturer, the "in-home/on-site" warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on, imo. Techs rarely can (or will) do anything on site, and the only solution is often an exchange for a refurbished (used!) unit.

Exactly, not much can be done on site, mostly just diagnosing the problem... The likelihood that the technician can show up at your house with the parts needed to fix your television is very slim....

So you've got a defective unit sitting in your house, waiting for parts. The unit might as well be sitting in the shop because you likely can't use it....

Really though, it's incredible that noone has mentioned extended warranties here. If you are talking about budget priced tv's, the only difference between Vizio and [insert big name here] is that there might be problems finding parts for Vizio.Just buy it from Sam's or Costco, and you can exchange it practically anytime, even for a different model, paying the price difference (or not, if they're in an especially good mood). If you do want to buy one of their EW's, they are more than reasonable at those places (Walmart, too).

That will also apply to every brand they sell.

yeah my BJ's warranty on my vizio only cost me $39 for two years. That's nothing for peace of mind.

yeah my BJ's warranty on my vizio only cost me $39 for two years. That's nothing for peace of mind.

Why do I find it so amusing to see the words "nothing" appear in the same paragraph as a $39 extended warranty? :)

Why do I find it so amusing to see the words "nothing" appear in the same paragraph as a $39 extended warranty? :)

I have no idea, why you would find that amusing:)

Just buy it from Sam's or Costco, and you can exchange it practically anytime, even for a different model, paying the price difference (or not, if they're in an especially good mood). If you do want to buy one of their EW's, they are more than reasonable at those places (Walmart, too).

That will also apply to every brand they sell.


I can think of a few reasons why I wouldn't buy a tv from Costco, with the fact that you can't get an upper level model from them at the top of the list.

All those guys do at Costco is exchange the TV or ship you a refund under their supposed "extended warranty" (I notice they say they extend the manufacturers warranty to 2 years), then once it's replaced, you are stuck with that unit. If that one fails, you are SOL.

I have no idea, why you would find that amusing:)

Because $39 won't even cover the cost to have somebody come out and look at your tv, let alone do any repairs on it.

then I guess I got a great deal then!

Because $39 won't even cover the cost to have somebody come out and look at your tv, let alone do any repairs on it.

Correct... It would cost you more than $39 to ship the over-sized box anywhere....


About a year ago at work I was speaking to the owner of a large TV repair service center and out of curiosity I asked him what manufacturer provided the best parts support.... He said Pioneer hands down... He told me they order parts and they show up 2 days later....

About a year ago at work I was speaking to the owner of a large TV repair service center and out of curiosity I asked him what manufacturer provided the best parts support.... He said Pioneer hands down... He told me they order parts and they show up 2 days later....

If I was paying Kuro money, I would expect Kuro service too. ;)

If I was paying Kuro money, I would expect Kuro service too. ;)

Exactly. Those guys wouldn't have lasted as long as they did if they weren't giving that level of service to their customers. Those whacky guys over at Sony and Samsung don't have to offer that level of service because they have the name. And now that they are coming down in price, the service will only get worse.

If I was paying Kuro money, I'd expect a TV that didn't break.

If I was paying Kuro money, I'd expect a TV that didn't break.

No product is 100% reliable. Do you think Ferraris and Bentleys don't break?

Wow, what a great thread! So much fun :)

Really though, it's incredible that noone has mentioned extended warranties here. If you are talking about budget priced tv's, the only difference between Vizio and [insert big name here] is that there might be problems finding parts for Vizio.

Regardless, if you are in the $500-700 range, and not under warranty, you are going to pay out the ass to have it repaired anyway, so you might as well call that Sony L4000 you bought at Walmart disposable as well. If it's under manufacturer warranty, I think most will attest to the fact that it's become common practice now, by even the top brands, to stick you with a refurbished unit that somebody else has had their greasy little paws on.

I think the part I bolded nails the point here. Sony, Panasonic, Vizio, LG... it doesn't matter what brand. The availability of parts is of course a consideration. But a much bigger consideration is the, some would say outrageous, cost of electronics repair. Replacement parts are extremely expensive, if they're available, and technicians charge upwards of $85 to $125 or more per hour in labor.

The only TV's that aren't of the disposable variety are the ones that cost several thousand dollars. That means just the very high end stuff. Otherwise, IMO it is throwing good money after bad to spend $300 or $400 or $500 to repair a $500-700 TV that is several years old anyway. For a little more money you can get a new TV, with a warranty and probably a whole lot better PQ. Go ahead and spend $500 on a repair job and there's no guarantee the set will last more than a short time until the next failure.

TV's are like cell phones and computers. You should buy it with the knowledge that if you get more than a few years out of it, you've done well. That's just the nature of modern electronics, and it is why I will never spend more than 1-1.5k on a TV.

I think the part I bolded nails the point here. Sony, Panasonic, Vizio, LG... it doesn't matter what brand. The availability of parts is of course a consideration. But a much bigger consideration is the, some would say outrageous, cost of electronics repair. Replacement parts are extremely expensive, if they're available, and technicians charge upwards of $85 to $125 or more per hour in labor.

The only TV's that aren't of the disposable variety are the ones that cost several thousand dollars. That means just the very high end stuff. Otherwise, IMO it is throwing good money after bad to spend $300 or $400 or $500 to repair a $500-700 TV that is several years old anyway. For a little more money you can get a new TV, with a warranty and probably a whole lot better PQ. Go ahead and spend $500 on a repair job and there's no guarantee the set will last more than a short time until the next failure.

TV's are like cell phones and computers. You should buy it with the knowledge that if you get more than a few years out of it, you've done well. That's just the nature of modern electronics, and it is why I will never spend more than 1-1.5k on a TV.

I only partially agree. Vizio does make TVs that cost well over $1000, at which point parts and service become issues. In the $500-$700 range, I agree.

Also, electronics or not, TVs are still considered durable goods and you better believe I expect more than a few years out of mine, especially when the expected lifespan is printed right on the box it came in. The difference between TVs and computers is that TV manufacturers have gone through great effort to extend the expected lifespan of modern TVs into the 30+ year range AND market this as a feature.

I only partially agree. Vizio does make TVs that cost well over $1000, at which point parts and service become issues. In the $500-$700 range, I agree.

Also, electronics or not, TVs are still considered durable goods and you better believe I expect more than a few years out of mine, especially when the expected lifespan is printed right on the box it came in. The difference between TVs and computers is that TV manufacturers have gone through great effort to extend the expected lifespan of modern TVs into the 30+ year range AND market this as a feature.


I'm still waiting for this concrete evidence that Vizio parts are like finding Big Foot that's not based on assumption. ( Well since they aren't as expensive they their parts must be hard to find nonsense) If they purchase most of their panals from LG, then why would these parts be so hard to find? Unless of course their is a major shortage on LG parts as well.

I'm still waiting for this concrete evidence that Vizio parts are like finding Big Foot that's not based on assumption. ( Well since they aren't as expensive they their parts must be hard to find nonsense) If they purchase most of their panals from LG, then why would these parts be so hard to find? Unless of course their is a major shortage on LG parts as well.

It has nothing to do with where the panels are purchased from and everything to do with the PCB's that are used inside the units. Are Vizio TV's comprised of exactly the same electrical components as LG sets? No, they just share the same panel...

You keep saying the HD Guru article is outdated.... And boast about Vizio "in home warranty service" but by the same token, where's your concrete evidence that Vizio parts are in steady supply? Oh I forgot, Vance Baldwin lists Vizio on their site. This is a company that previously offered no out of warranty repair options. Do you honestly think there's good availability of parts for models that are 2, 3 and even 4 years old now? If you were a betting man, what would you bet on?

Tier 3 companies that produce the most inexpensive TV sets are simply not going to have the same parts supply network as companies like Sharp & Pioneer who produce more expensive TV's... Why not? Because it's simply not cost effective.... TV repairs are expensive and many of the Vizio sets are priced such that makes them disposable after a few years of use because the repair costs would approach the price of replacing the set with current models while accounting for price reduction over time.

Look, you have a Vizio TV, and you enjoy it, there's no shame there.... But when you're dealing with a tier-3 company, you had better believe there is legitimate concern when it comes to the longevity of the product and the availability of parts to repair that product should it fail outside of the manufacturer's warranty....

Ok here's another site.

http://www.shopjimmy.com/searchparts.cfm?make=Vizio
But you'll just say this doesn't prove anything. and come up with some other excuse.

I clicked about 10 different part numbers and always got in stock.

But again you are basing on assumption and dont' have any concrete proof besides your perception.
But this is really just going around and around in circles.

Do post back in a year or two when your TV fails and you can't get the parts to repair it.

You lack a fundamental understanding of how the service industry works....

I'm still waiting for this concrete evidence that Vizio parts are like finding Big Foot that's not based on assumption. ( Well since they aren't as expensive they their parts must be hard to find nonsense) If they purchase most of their panals from LG, then why would these parts be so hard to find? Unless of course their is a major shortage on LG parts as well.


I said on more expensive TVs parts and service are important. You made the connection to Vizio.

However, if you think value brands don't make significant compromises to meet their price points, you aren't being realistic.

If I'm going to spend $1500+ on a TV, I'm not interested in Vizio. They simply are not rated as high as comparable sized models of better brands in any reviews I have read, and I wouldn't expect them to provide good long-term service. For bedroom or other smaller TVs that are not used as my main TV, they would seem to provide acceptable performance for the price.

I have seen many Vizios and to be honest they are probably fine for most people except for the particularly picky types like myself and others on this forum. But let's not pretend they are something they are not.

Do post back in a year or two when your TV fails and you can't get the parts to repair it.

You lack a fundamental understanding of how the service industry works....


Nice reply since you can't back up your claims.

I said on more expensive TVs parts and service are important. You made the connection to Vizio.

However, if you think value brands don't make significant compromises to meet their price points, you aren't being realistic.

If I'm going to spend $1500+ on a TV, I'm not interested in Vizio. They simply are not rated as high as comparable sized models of better brands in any reviews I have read, and I wouldn't expect them to provide good long-term service. For bedroom or other smaller TVs that are not used as my main TV, they would seem to provide acceptable performance for the price.

I have seen many Vizios and to be honest they are probably fine for most people except for the particularly picky types like myself and others on this forum. But let's not pretend they are something they are not.

I agree with you, I don't think Vizio's can match the top of line Big Boys, but as I've said numerouos of times I think they hold up very well with the middle of the road models and the tier 2 companies.
I'm just making my point on this thread that they have improved on their warranty and out of warranty services, they have gradually improved their models.
I think they provide a nice nitch it what was a neglected market until recently, and that is getting some bang for your buck. The big boys have responded.
I just don't understand why some people can't understand that, yes companies can improve and move forward. they've done more improvements in the 5 or so years they've been in exisitance then what would be expected of a company that makes affordable TV's.

So Vizio is a relatively new comer to the display market. Yea they've been around a few years, but who are they. I have heard they may be playing fast and lose with their MPEG2 decoder licensing and a few other shady deals. It used to be very easy to decide where a company slotted. You had your SONY, RCA (good job Thompson :() Phillups, Samsung and then came more house brands that would come and go, now I initially thought Vizio was just some house brand, but they seem to be building a reputation. Where do they slot in the continuum.

I don't want to drop 2k on a panel that has known build quality issues and a company that could be bankrupt from a lawsuit in 18 months. I just wondered where people rank vizio from a picture quality standpoint and a build quality standpoint. Are they on par with Samsung, Sony, and the big boys (top notch, cutting edge, premium) or are they more LG/Westinghouse (quality, good value, great for most people) or are they a DYNEX/Scepter (when price is all that matters, little junky but hey it's cheap) with better marketing?

It should be evident, Vizio is everywhere. They are making a name for themselves. (Especially in the value sector).
That out of the way, it's hard to classify them as "cutting edge".
The premium market still hosts Sammy, Panny, Pioneer, and Sony...and for good reason...R&D.

Panny and Sammy are current market leaders. Again, for good reason. They deliver the goods at a sub premium price.
In short, you could live with a Vizio and always question your decision. Is shaving a couple Franklins worth it?

I have a Vizio that I love. It's use? Tailgating. That is all that it is used for and it is perfect. It was just over $500 and works great with a good picture. I wanted something that had a decent HD picture for the games that were on before we went to the Tennessee games and also something that if someone knocked off the table or if it got stolen from the car while I was at the game I wouldn't be too upset over. Does it look like my Pioneer 6020 at home? Nope, but I sure as heck wouldn't bring that to a tailgate ;)

Nice reply since you can't back up your claims.

They previously offered no out of warranty service on their products... Do you comprehend what that means? No parts.... What would you tell individuals who spent $1000+ on units 3, 4, 5 years ago? Throw them in the trash? Well that's what they would have to do....

I can't comment on what kind of support Vizio is offering for current models but if you have an older model, you are SOL.... If you think Vizio retroactively decided to supply parts for all their older models that they previously made no parts available for, you must be delusional.

I guess you don't care about any of these previous Vizio customers because hey, that's not your problem....

I would never in a million years think about buying a product from a company that doesn't support that product outside of its warranty.... This was Vizio not 5 years ago, but 1-2 years ago....

Actually they do offer out of warranty service for their older models.

But you know what you are obviously not going to change your position and will remain skeptical until proven otherwise.
I'm obviously not going to change mine so I guess we can just round and round.

I don't pretend to know how any of that works, but I also find it hard to believe that parts could not be found for a Vizio. How else could they be building these sets? What are they doing? Dumping all the leftover parts in the trash? My guess is that they are much much harder to find unless you are actually under contract with Vizio. As far as I can tell, last years Vizio 32" is the exact same tv as this years. Again as has already been mentioned, would you really be willing to pay $400 to repair a $500-700 tv?

I still think if anything happens under their warranty or the cheapo extended warranties, that you are getting a refurb.

I don't pretend to know how any of that works, but I also find it hard to believe that parts could not be found for a Vizio. How else could they be building these sets? What are they doing? Dumping all the leftover parts in the trash? My guess is that they are much much harder to find unless you are actually under contract with Vizio. As far as I can tell, last years Vizio 32" is the exact same tv as this years. Again as has already been mentioned, would you really be willing to pay $400 to repair a $500-700 tv?

I still think if anything happens under their warranty or the cheapo extended warranties, that you are getting a refurb.

Sometimes it is VERY expensive to procure individual PCB's for flat panels.... I've seen power supply boards for plasmas run upwards of $800 retail... Somewhere along the manufacturing process, it gets expensive to manufacture the parts outside of manufacturing the complete unit. I can't tell you exactly how it works...

But anyone who's ever had a TV repaired, and was told they needed an entire new panel, will vouch for the fact that purchasing a separate panel will cost you MORE money then it would cost you to buy a brand new set.... Again, don't ask me why, but it's a truth in the industry...

Maybe someone who's more tied to the manufacturing end of the business can shed some additional light on the subject....

Vizio obviously had problems in the past procuring parts for their products and decided it wasn't cost effective to supply them, thus why they offered no out of warranty service.... They did an about face when HD Guru exposed them....

HD Guru did not expose them. So within a week of HDGuru putting out his article the company was able to do a 100% about face of it's warranty policies and secure all the additional ties that go with it. Give me a break.

Maybe HdGuru should have double checked his facts and made sure noboby had anything different before he put it out.

And your are right in your second paragraph, 9 out 10 times it will cost more to fix a TV than to buy a new one or close to it. But the same facts hold true whether it's a Vizio, Sony, Pioneer etc. Sony is not picking up that tab for out warranty. So to single out Vizio as cost to repair out of warranty vs Sony Samsung etc just isn't fair.

Plus you act like Vizio has been around for like 20 years or something. They've been around for 5 years. And they've done alot to improve their service in that 5 years. Sure in the begining their warranty wasn't the best but that has changed why is this so hard to comprehend. This may be news to you but new companies can improve and move forward.

I bet you've never had to use your warranty on your TV...

How exactly are you determining how much Vizio has improved? What's the source on that?

I bet you've never had to use your warranty on your TV...

How exactly are you determining how much Vizio has improved? What's the source on that?

You know what let's just agree to disagree, this is really pointless

Quite a bit of bickering ehh... Anyways, back to the original poster's question...

Just get the display that will suit both your budget and your eyes. I say just go look at a bunch of them and see which one you like without first looking at the manufacturers...


If you are curious, I have a Vizio 47" XVT 120Hz partly because it was less of a hit on the wallet and the new XVT models are definitely impressive. Got mine from costco using an american express card, so I also have a 3-year warranty with it... Helps ease the mind a bit.

That particular Vizio is even on CNET's list of Best overall HDTV
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-hdtvs-overall/

Apparently I will be one of the few people in this thread that actually owns a Vizio and not just post opinions while looking down their nose from their Kuro pedestal.

I love my home theater. While audio is more of my preference, I still know the value of researching a piece of electronics like a television. To that end a few years back I went with the Vizion VX37L from Costco. With a 90 day return policy, I figured I could always drop it if it didn't perform. I calibrated the set, and 90 days came and went. Then 6 months, now 3 years. All the while performing admirably, even getting compliments from my brothers with much more expensive sets. That being said, I know what it is and what it isn't, a less than 1k TV. I don't pretend that it can match the performance of TVs vastly more expensive, but overall, I've been very happy with my purchase, and won't hesitate to get another Vizio.

That particular Vizio is even on CNET's list of Best overall HDTV
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-hdtvs-overall/

Did you actually read their review?

Sure, it's cheaper than other 120hz TVs, but if you actually read their review it's pretty obvious where the corners were cut. At the very least I would expect the 120hz mode to consistently work without introducing artifacts or stuttering, and the Vizio fails to do this.

There are plenty of companies who have introduced 120hz modes which works smoothly without stuttering or artifacting, such as, well, all of them except Vizio. Unless you are that hard up and refuse to wait a month or two and save just a bit more money, there's just no reason to buy a Vizio.

I did read the review and I have the display in my living room. :) It may not be completely perfect in the review, but what display is perfect. With my limited experience and with the blu-ray's that I've watched so far I have noticed minimal artifacts or stuttering, if any, in the 120mhz mode.

Remember this is NOT a $5000 unit and so I don't expect it to be perfect and I also don't expect it to cook me dinner either. For the price which is about 1/2-1/3 the price of the comparable units, I'm most definitely happy with it.

It may not be top of the line, but for the average user like me, I think it does a fine job.

If I was paying Kuro money, I'd expect a TV that didn't break.

I got news for you, all brands have TV's that break. Just read through the forum and you'd realize that. :rolleyes:

Give it up boswd, why do you think this place is a ghost town nowadays. You used to need to be aware of all the shill accounts here. Now they aren't even needed.

Pathetic. would love a rep, er, umm I mean a mod to delete my newly created account.

ok I am new to the whole area of hd and have $1000 to spend on the tv portion. I'd like to get a 42" with 1080p as I play games on an xbox360. Seems that the vizio is my best bet BUT I am not sure whether to hook everything up with HDMI or some other way?

I'm buying from either sams or costco so do I ask for some special warranty or is paying by credit card enough to cover me if the set goes FOOOM!

any coupons would be nice if someone could point me in the right direction

Also I have dishnetwork and am happy with it BUT I am puzzled as to how to hook it up the way I have it today, I can select the program I want to record from the Dish onscreen guide and it programs the vcr/dvr I have.

I'm asking this here as I really can't find somewhere to ask these questions specifically for vizio so if I am pissing anyone off SORRY and point me to the right area.

ok I am new to the whole area of hd and have $1000 to spend on the tv portion. I'd like to get a 42" with 1080p as I play games on an xbox360. Seems that the vizio is my best bet BUT I am not sure whether to hook everything up with HDMI or some other way?

I'm buying from either sams or costco so do I ask for some special warranty or is paying by credit card enough to cover me if the set goes FOOOM!

any coupons would be nice if someone could point me in the right direction

Also I have dishnetwork and am happy with it BUT I am puzzled as to how to hook it up the way I have it today, I can select the program I want to record from the Dish onscreen guide and it programs the vcr/dvr I have.

I'm asking this here as I really can't find somewhere to ask these questions specifically for vizio so if I am pissing anyone off SORRY and point me to the right area.

as with Vizio or any other TV manufacture out there will have multiple inputs on the TV, so how ever you would like to connect your devices/ or the limitations on your devices, you will be able to plug what you need into the TV. ideally HDMI would be the way to go, but if you are using older devices then they will not have the HDMI connector.

as for your purchase, if you buy from Costco i believe you get 2 year warranty and a 90 day DOA period. as for Sams, i believe its the one year manufactures warranty. each club offers there own extended warranty as well as Vizio. i have heard that Vizio is sometimes cheeper, and some times not. its best to do your research on that particular issue. as for the CC. i believe if you use an AMEX card you get an additional 1 year as well.

for your set top box, connecting it to a Vizio TV will not change how your set top box operates (this is of course you are using the DVR function the box, and not an external recording device.) though do remember if you only have SD subscription then your not getting the most out of your TV.

hope this was some help.

Most of this post may be completely off base because im not really 100% sure how parts manufactured for repair services in the TV industry compared to my profession (in house home appliance repair, in and out of warranty). But im bored, drunk and lonely atm so bare with me.:) so to clear up why in many cases replacement parts costs so much more $$$ than what it cost the manufacturer during assembly:


First thing that comes to mind, and what i had in my head when i bought my TV to prevent any disappointment is that Vizio seems to be to Televisions what GE is to home appliances (washers, dryers, etc.): Does a pretty good job of doing what you get it for, but is known among repair technicians to have a relatively short lifespan, regardless of where it is in the company's "quality spectrum" and when it does break, parts are very, very expensive, difficult to get or NLA (no longer available). Sorta plays into the whole conspiracy of "planned obsolesence".

As far as cost of the parts being so much more compared to the cost of the part during manufacturing:
In my line of work, manufacturers will have whoever they have outsourced to manufacture a certain part(coincidentally this occurs most with control boards in appliance repair) and order TONS of said part to be used solely for manufacturing the product as a whole, not as a replacement part. Most people prolly already know this, but in case you don't, as an incentive to get someone to buy much more of a part, the more you have them make = bigger "discount" per each unit made. combine that with most likely lack of packaging for each individual part and the cut on freight costs from having ordered in bulk, it can knock off a considerable amount of $$$ per part of a particular order for the manufacturer in assembly of each TV.

After all these parts are used during manufacturing, sometimes a manufacturer will outsource either the same company or another to manufacture this part in much smaller batches in sometimes 3-4 month intervals. Really depends on demand for the part *and if the manufacturer wishes to support the product* . Smaller batches = more $$$ charged per each unit made. Stack on top of this the cost to individually package each part. Even more, in many cases freight cost for ordering only 1 or 2 of a part can cost the same or even more than if you had ordered 10+.

Last is the cost of keeping it in stock. If a part is sitting on the shelf taking up space, that is space that another part that moves with more frequency could have. And in my case: i live in louisiana, i am charged a property tax on the value of the parts i have in stock every year, regardless if half of the parts in my warehouse are the same parts i was charged taxes on the previous year, i have to pay taxes on that half again.

All those additional costs to manufacture parts for future repairs is, of course, passed down to the consumer in price markup. Then you have to pay whatever % markup the parts distributor tacked on in order to make a little (if any sometimes) profit.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnd last but not least for the OP: id say quality wise they are on the higher end of low quality(is that an oxymoron? lol). There are plenty of brands with a well established reputations for repair and picture quality for not much more than you would pay for a vizio. (the panasonic 42" plasma 720p for under 1000 i saw online after i bought my vizio is coming to mind atm).

I'm looking to buy Real Soon Now. But I am disinclined to go with Vizio There's been plenty enough said on that above. I might still go that way, but only at a major cost savings. And they seem to be trying to get away from that. Too soon, actually, IMHO.

veyladrone: I'm from New Orleans. If I was in Walker, I'd be bored, drunk, and lonely, too. If I were in NOLA tonight, I'd just be drunk. ;) But at least we all got spared Ike. Houston will get a touch of what we had for Katrina. Kind of fitting, after they so graciously took in so many of our people, and taught some of them that you really do go to jail for offenses, at least outside of Orleans parish. No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.

Most of this post may be completely off base because im not really 100% sure how parts manufactured for repair services in the TV industry compared to my profession (in house home appliance repair, in and out of warranty). But im bored, drunk and lonely atm so bare with me.:) so to clear up why in many cases replacement parts costs so much more $$$ than what it cost the manufacturer during assembly:


First thing that comes to mind, and what i had in my head when i bought my TV to prevent any disappointment is that Vizio seems to be to Televisions what GE is to home appliances (washers, dryers, etc.): Does a pretty good job of doing what you get it for, but is known among repair technicians to have a relatively short lifespan, regardless of where it is in the company's "quality spectrum" and when it does break, parts are very, very expensive, difficult to get or NLA (no longer available). Sorta plays into the whole conspiracy of "planned obsolesence".



Vizio does a good job at taking care of their customers, and im basing this off just a recent experience that i had. i had one of Vizio's older models a L30WGU. any who the tv went out and i was trying to get it repaired. so since it was OOW i called the out of warranty service provided by ITI, which then told me that parts for the TV were NLA, and refereed me back to Vizio. now i can tell you that at this point i was really bummed cause of the things that i hear of them not able to furnish parts. but i talked to Vizio and they offered me a rectified set for the cost of my repair. so IMHO, Vizio does stand by their product, and they do care about their customers.

Vizio does a good job at taking care of their customers, and im basing this off just a recent experience that i had. i had one of Vizio's older models a L30WGU. any who the tv went out and i was trying to get it repaired. so since it was OOW i called the out of warranty service provided by ITI, which then told me that parts for the TV were NLA, and refereed me back to Vizio. now i can tell you that at this point i was really bummed cause of the things that i hear of them not able to furnish parts. but i talked to Vizio and they offered me a rectified set for the cost of my repair. so IMHO, Vizio does stand by their product, and they do care about their customers.

I am very happy it worked out for you dude! In fact, i really hope we see many, many more testimonials that sound like yours. Even better, i hope we DON'T see more testimonials like yours or negative ones, because that would mean that our tvs aren't breaking at all.

Unfortunately your situation supports what i said in my post in response to the OP's question about PQ and build quality: looks pretty darn good, but short lifespan. Then my opinion is supported even more by your testimony because the part needed was NLA. I'm very happy that Vizio has injected a bit of steroids into its customer and repair services, because i like the brand.
But for the portion of my post you quoted, i wasn't addressing their commitment to making sure you stay satisfied in getting your broken tv repaired/replaced. I was addressing what i feel are the chances will be of having a situation like yours early into the tv's life.

All this being said, maybe i should show a little support for them though!....

Vizio was an awesome choice for me, even if looking back i know i could have gotten a better PQ and build quality from another brand for a few hundred dollars more because of 1 very important thing: .................................money burns a hole in my pocket, lol:D. Saving up a few extra hundred dollars to afford one of those better options ain't gonna happen with me,i just have no willpower when it comes to saving money for things that won't keep a roof over me and my wife's heads when it rains, put food on my table or get me back and forth to work.

Thankfully though, IMO the PQ is amazing from my TV and i am extremely happy with my 32" plasma from Vizio, despite me posting a few times in other threads of a few complaints. I just made sure i prepared myself before i bought it to not be disappointed if it breaks at a much earlier than expected time in its life compared to how long i would generally expect a TV to last before replacement or repair.

Speaking of which, what do manufacturers hold as a firm belief is the number of years a consumer keeps a television before replacing it for a newer set or because of signs of an impending failure?

as with Vizio or any other TV manufacture out there will have multiple inputs on the TV, so how ever you would like to connect your devices/ or the limitations on your devices, you will be able to plug what you need into the TV. ideally HDMI would be the way to go, but if you are using older devices then they will not have the HDMI connector.

as for your purchase, if you buy from Costco i believe you get 2 year warranty and a 90 day DOA period. as for Sams, i believe its the one year manufactures warranty. each club offers there own extended warranty as well as Vizio. i have heard that Vizio is sometimes cheeper, and some times not. its best to do your research on that particular issue. as for the CC. i believe if you use an AMEX card you get an additional 1 year as well.

for your set top box, connecting it to a Vizio TV will not change how your set top box operates (this is of course you are using the DVR function the box, and not an external recording device.) though do remember if you only have SD subscription then your not getting the most out of your TV.

hope this was some help.

hey there Jalis

this was a spot on post and a great help, it answered my questions and I thank you for that. I have a better idea as to how to approach this now.

thanks again

chidave

i cannot believe what i am reading here! i just got a Vizio and was doing some searching and ended up here. although, i have been a member before. anyway...

there are so many snobby people here. who was that person that wrote about the people who shop at walmart in general? can you be anymore elitist? pathetic. shameful.

i have a really nice 50" Sony Bravia LCD in my family room.

my wife an i decided to mount a 42" LCD or plasma in our bedroom so we took a drive to walmart. best buy scams you and CC is no longer down the street.

we chose the vizio because it was inexpensive and compared to the samsung next to it, it was brighter with better color saturation. we can afford a sony, samsung, whatever, but there is no point when you can get a nice HDTV for less money. people just "assume" the top name brands will ALWAYS be better.

that said, the vizio is not as good when you compare it to my much more expensive Sony Bravia. the Sony has richer colors and deeper blacks...but i have not played with the vizio settings yet. the point is, i am very pleased with the picture quality of the vizio for what i paid. "FOR WHAT I PAID"

a lot of people are name brand snobs and i used to be. my jeans had to be $100-200 and now i go to walmart for wranglers. lol. i guess when you get a little older and more mature, you realize these things.

buy a vizio for what it is...a very nice HDTV that will look great mounted and provide a very nice viewing experience. don't buy a vizio to compete with your friend's $3000 TV and then try to justify its specs.

oh, and people talk about quality... i got the Sony after having the light engine replaced 3 times on another top name HDTV...not to mention stuck pixels, etc. my Mercedes had problems. My BMWs had problems. Now i drive a cheaper car and i am more happy. did you know ferraris are extremely unreliable? ...and they cost $200,000 or more.

so, stop the snobby elitist posts. that reminds me, i have to run to Walmart when i get out of work today!

My experience exactly.

I needed a set for my son and ran across a great price on a 42" Vizio at Walmart. I had purchased a 32" Vizio for my daughter a couple of years ago and it looked good and still runs fine.

The Vizio was easy to mount on a stand (also from Walmart) and had excellent hookups. When I first powered the set up I was impressed with the pq and sq the set delivered with Comcast HD cable.

I found the user menus simple, but did the job. This set is a 60hz model. I can't tell the difference between it and the 120 versions with the casual viewing I have done.

The only issue I found was that a couple of cable channels had some digital noise at the very top line of the picture. The menus had vertical and horizontal adjustments and two clicks on the vertical size adjustment made it perfect.

Hooked up a PC and it synced immediately and displays a great desktop image.

I used the audio out jacks to feed a receiver. The tv had both optical and analog outs, which was a nice surprise. I ended up using the analog for a simple two channel stereo system with a sub. Works great and the tv serves as the switcher, sending the appropriate audio out the jacks as the input changes.

So far we have HD cable, a Blu Ray player, a VCR, a DVD recorder, and the computer hooked up and still have inputs left over.

I ended up buying a $98 Magnavox Blu Ray player with some of the money I saved on the TV - also at Walmart. Everything works well together with connections ranging from HDMI to VGA to Component and composite.

This set did take a big toll on my snob approach to equipment. The combination of performance and price equals value. Vizio would probably not be my choice for a main system, but I would definitely look at the brand for casual viewing needs.

Vizio is fine for what it is, a second tier set. It's the cheap alternative for when you don't want to spend a lot of money on a secondary set. They are in no way cutting edge and the overall quality is nothing to write home about. For a set on the patio or the kids room, fine, as the center of a HT set up, no. Personally I'd spend a couple of extra dollars and get the $599 Pany X1, It's a fine performer that will outshine any of the cheap LCDs and many of the mid priced ones..

As to walmart, I don't look to them as a mecca of high quality stuff. Their merchandise, TV's included, is geared toward the lowest common denominator, that's who they are. Nothing more, nothing less.

You guys and gals in this forum talk about tv parts and suppliers and sales from VIZIO to Hitachi and every company inbetween. Truth is get what fits in your budget as 99 percent of TV'S are disposable. The more you pay for and the more parts that are available do not mean anything. Have any of you ever gotten a tv repaired? probably not and if you did you probably had someone you know do it for you not an actual authorized repair dealer. Tv's are verry expensive to repair. why not pay 700 dollars for a tv that will really be ok or even 1000 dollars? Go ahead buy the big expensive 1,500-3000 dollar tv and then spend 700 - 1500 getting it fixed. And none here has really any clue to TV,s or manufacturing. There re only 4 company in the world that mass produce televisions. all other brands are sister companies. RCA, GE White Westinghouse all the same company. Duracell, Energizer and Rayovak alkaline batteries all come from the same plant just sold to the name brand company. and how many people boght a scanner like bear cat over a radioshack? Same scanner Radio shack dose not manufacture anything anylonger everything they see with theeir name on it is bought from someone else. However it is made to RADIO SHACK's specs but made by different companies.:cool:

OI!!

I've got a vizio and it rocks. I thought I had a problem with it and after been unable to sort it out on the customer support line ( easy to contact, very professional and NON robotic!!!) then sent a repair person to my home the next week. He replaced all the electronics and then found that it was a emmissions echo in the room and therefore NOT vizio's fault at all. They have the best service I have ever had and I buy tech all the time, being a CTO of a company. Oh and by the way, I could afford anything on the market today and have NO problem shopping at either Walmart or Costco to get the best price. I point this out as some folks seem to think Vizio/Costco are for some unstated underclass, those people can kiss my a@@

Ironic that some people look down their nose at Walmart and then spend hours searching the net for the best on-line deals.

Once you see the very same products on shelves at places like Sam's, Costco, Walmart and Best Buy, and realize that the price at BB is several hundred dollars more expensive, it doesn't take you long to convert.

Those blue shirts must really be expensive for BB to justify the markup they have on products, especially accessories.

Sorry, no one will ever convert me to a wal mart shopper. Even if I have to spend a few dollars more I will not set foot in those stores. As a savvy shopper 90% of the time I can meet and beat their prices elsewhere. Just as you are rabidly anti plasma I am rabidly anti wal mart. As a reference when I'm shopping for electronics I look at their website, and can find on-line retailers that are close or cheaper so why should I shop there?

You guys and gals in this forum talk about tv parts and suppliers and sales from VIZIO to Hitachi and every company inbetween. Truth is get what fits in your budget as 99 percent of TV'S are disposable. The more you pay for and the more parts that are available do not mean anything. Have any of you ever gotten a tv repaired? probably not and if you did you probably had someone you know do it for you not an actual authorized repair dealer. Tv's are verry expensive to repair. why not pay 700 dollars for a tv that will really be ok or even 1000 dollars? Go ahead buy the big expensive 1,500-3000 dollar tv and then spend 700 - 1500 getting it fixed.

That's why I'll be investing in an extended warranty from one of the forum sponsors ;)

Sorry, no one will ever convert me to a wal mart shopper. Even if I have to spend a few dollars more I will not set foot in those stores. As a savvy shopper 90% of the time I can meet and beat their prices elsewhere. Just as you are rabidly anti plasma I am rabidly anti wal mart. As a reference when I'm shopping for electronics I look at their website, and can find on-line retailers that are close or cheaper so why should I shop there?Enjoy the American freedom of choice while you still can.

I buy from Sam's/Walmart whenever I can. Aside from price, the return policy at either of these stores can't be beat. Walmart 90 days, Sam's unlimited.

A couple of years ago I took a defective TV back to Sam's after 2 years of ownership. I had an extended warranty from Sam's but nobody could fix the set.

Briefly got my entire purchase price back from the service desk(including the price of the extended warranty). I say briefly because I only had the cash long enough to pick out another tv (now larger and cheaper) and pay for it.

Most any other retailer would have told be to take a walk.

When I asked about the rationale of refunding the price of the warranty the Manager said: "it didn't do you any real good so there is no reason you should pay for it".

They may have eaten the price of that particular set, but made me a customer for life.

YMMV.

That's good customer service, some get it some don't, regardless my issues with walmart and sam's are much more fundamental. Core business practices and such. This is not the place to discuss that.

I agree. I do notice, however, that my local BB never has the same faces when I go on there (rarely, I admit). Walmart & Sam's have had the same employees for years.

Enjoy shopping wherever you choose. Getting a good price on anything is somthing that adds value to the item over the time you own it.

I just really feel bad for people wandering aroung BB. They get bogus advise and high prices.

That's good customer service, some get it some don't, regardless my issues with walmart and sam's are much more fundamental. Core business practices and such. This is not the place to discuss that.


Every company does what is best for them, some just have a better way of hiding their corrupt and unethical practices.

Every company does what is best for them, some just have a better way of hiding their corrupt and unethical practices.You're not paranoid if they really are out to get you.