Picked up one of these from Costco today

Anybody else on here have one?

Specifications here

http://www.vinc.com/site/products/product_l32.html

Seems like great value for the money. No complaints so far.

have you hooked it up to a pc yet? can it display at native resolution of the panel?

Just tried hooking it up to a couple of different machines.

I was able to hook up my Windows XP machine (with a Radeon 9000) to the display through the VGA port to get 1360 x 768 (standard rez on radeon). I was then able to use powerstrip to get it to render at 1366x768 (which is the native rez of this panel).

For some reason I wasn't able to get the same results using a HDMI -> DVI cable on my windows box. VGA works - HDMI doesn't - on windows.

I then tried connecting it to the DVI port of my powerbook. Mac OS X detected it (surprise!) as a Visio L32 and showed a number of supported resolutions - the resolution closest to the native resolution was 1344x756.

I like the results but I don't think I would use this display as a monitor. I have a Dell 2001FP already (which is much crisper than this) and if I needed a bigger monitor I'd go with the 23" version of that (which runs cheaper than this and is native HD rez).

Just bought the Vizio L32 2 weeks ago from Sam's Club. This is a definite keeper.

I also own a Sharp 32" lcd, so I have had something to compare the Vizio to.

Let me tell you, there is not much difference in PQ between these two sets. I'll mention a few comparisons here in my mini review.

1. Black levels (very important to a lot of people) - The Sharp wins here. But not by much. During daytime viewing, the difference is non existant. Only during nightime viewing does the Sharp stick out, and even then the blacks are only a little deeper. Not realy a deal-breaker in my opinion.

2. Grayscale - There is no temp adjustments on the Vizio. (i.e. warm, standard, cool, ect...) However this is a non issue for me because the Vizio looks right on the money grayscale wise. More so than any of the temp settings on the sharp.
Vizio wins this one.

3. Colors - Equal here. Both tv's have great saturation of colors. Both look great in HD and DVD. The Vizio displays a bit more of a red push than the Sharp, but after cranking down the color setting I got rid of that. Even without losing the "pop" of the other colors.

4. HD Viewing - Equal here also. Both sets are stunning. No complaints here on either set.

5. DVD Viewing - The Sharp has a bit sharper picture here. I am using the same model of dvd player on both sets, so it's easy to compare. (a sony ns50) Color saturation is the same. The sharper more detailed picture on the Sharp could be because of the deeper blacks, but like I said, I'm not sure this is a deal breaker either.

6. PC use - I don't use either one of these as a PC monitor. I have a 26" Astar lcd/tv which I bought from Newegg.com that I use for that, and I'm very pleased with the quality of the Astar for PC use.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the Vizio L32. We originally had the Sharp in our family room used for home theater purposes. Both me and my wife have agreed that the picture quality between the two is almost the same. With the exception of deeper blacks on the Sharp, which are not that much deeper, both sets are very comparible. However, the cosmetic look of the Vizio goes better with our home theater set up in the living room. So we've decided to put the Vizio downstairs, and the Sharp is now up in our bedroom. By the way.....the plan when we bought the Vizio.....was to go in the bedroom.

Sounds like I made a good choice. :-)

rufus101 - will you post the settings you are using. did you use Avia or the like for adjustments?
Thanks

Here are my settings using Avia:

HD/Satalite (Dish Network) via component:

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 52
Contrast - 60 (HD stuff looks better more vivid in my opinion) This setting can go between 50 and 60 but the picture is more brilliant at 60.
Color - 32
Tint - 50
Sharpness - 0

DVD via component (progressive):

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 55
Contrast - 45
Color - 25
Tint - 52
Sharpness - 0

Cable via coax:

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 56
Contrast - 65 (due to poor signal)
Color - 36
Tint - 50
Sharpness - 0 or 25 (can't make up my mind yet)

Hope these settings point you in the right direction. Also hope your loving this tv as much as I am. The picture is just amazing on it. I guess I'm just impressed with the quality for the price. I paid $500 more for my Sharp at Cost Co and just have a hard time justifying the extra money for the name. I really don't see that much of a difference in PQ. I might return the Sharp this weekend so I can pick up another Vizio at Sams. I'd like to see Vizio make a 37" LCD. We'd probably see a price tag around $1500 if they did.

did u guys compare to other 32''? like westinghouse, scpetre and philips..just curious..

At my local Sam's Club they had the Vizio on display right next to the Philips. The Vizio had a much more impressive picture. And I really liked the cosmetic look of the Vizio over the Philips. I like the black bezel with the silver trim and speakers on the bottom. That's why I ended up buying the Vizio over the Philips. Plus it was $400 cheaper. I've seen the Westinghouse at Best Buy and debated for a while on purchasing it. Pretty good picture quality. Then I heard about the Vizio and decided to check it out. I was pleased more with the Vizio than the Westinghouse. In the end I couldn't justify spending and extra $400 for another "no-named" brand LCD. Plus, If I was going to do that, I would have bought the Philips or another Sharp. Still really impressed with the price and PQ of the Vizio. Plus it has all the same connections as the name brand LCD. 2 HD component inputs, HDMI, ect.....Really you can't beat this tv for the price.

I am going to buy the 32" vizio when it arrives at my local costco, ive heard great things about this lcd

Before I bought the Vizio I compared it to the following LCDs

- Syntax Olevia
- Samsung
- Philips
- Westinghouse

Syntax was probably the most price competitive TV to the Vizio but I didn't like the picture quality and the design is just ugly. Very blah.

I saw a 37" Westinghouse which was probably twice the price of the Vizio.

Samsung and Philips have some great TVs but I felt like the price is almost 1.5 times that of the Vizio and the difference in picture quality does not justify that. I saw a 27" samsung for $ 1199 and a 32" philips (at costco) for $ 1499.

I think the clincher for me was that the design of the unit itself stands out among the other brands (kinda reminds me of the latest generation of Sharp Aquos displays) and that the speaker is mounted below the screen (as opposed to on the sides). That just fits my space much better.

What do I not like?

Well it would have been nice to have a built in HD tuner. The svideo port on the side of the LCD would have much better suited to be behind it with the rest of the ports. A regular DVI port would have been nice.

Since I use the LCD for mostly TV watching (tivo) I'm still coming to terms with the 4:3 aspect ratio of most regular TV stations. Kinda sucks to use a 16:9 panel in cropped 4:3 mode most of the time :-/.

Anybody know what a good mount to use with this TV is?

I'm looking for a flush lcd wall mount (not adjustable). Hopefully at a good price.

Anybody know what a good mount to use with this TV is?

I'm looking for a flush lcd wall mount (not adjustable). Hopefully at a good price.
How about this one (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?ec=BC-EC3527-ProdID11068582&pos=1&whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11006977) at Costco for $55.

http://www.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/834059L.jpg
22"-37" Tilting Wall Mount

Go to www.vizioce.com. They have a matching flush wall mount (model #VMF30-37) for $99. You can buy it direct from their site.

Khans: cannot see the vizio 32'' on samsclub website. therefore not sure of the price.

chrono03: Is costco going to keep vizio 32''. their website does not have it.

mallu2u: $ 999 at costco

(hope I didn't break some forum rule by doing that)

They're not on the costco website but they have quite a few units in the store.

The costco ID for the 32 inch LCD is. 932023. you will have to call your local costco to see if they have them in stock yet. All stores already have them on order, it is just a matter of time until they actually get to the store. I spoke with an administrator in a MI costco and he said the price would be "around a grand"
mallu2u: it isnt on the website, it is in store only

Hmm... I might be inclined to agree with Khans... Though i really want to "love" the philips model, the 500 premium for a tuner/cablecard is so steep.

I am waiting for the Vizio and the Maxent to show up in Costco stores and I will very likely end up with one of those too. i might as well buy some premium HD channels with the money I save.

thanks for the info chrono. will call my local costco.

When I bought mine, my local Sam's Club had about 12 in stock. $999 is the price tag on them. Can't beat the price!

Does anyone else have any input about this new lcd?

More? You want more?

I have researched these sets as well, and if I needed one today I would go to Sam's and buy the Vizio. Just can't beat the price, and it's a very attractive design. Widescreen sets are wide as it is, but when you add side speakers they are a difficult fit sometimes.

But I'm NOT needing one today, and would much rather buy a set that has a built-in HD tuner. The wife just cannot deal w/more than one button to push just to watch TV!

So the two new sets to watch are the Samsung LN-R269D and the Toshiba 27HL95 (they also have a 32", wildly expensive). :eek:

I e-mailed Vizio yesterday to let them know how happy I was with my purchase of the L32. I also asked them if they plan on releasing a 37" in the near future. They responded back this morning and said they plan on releasing a 37" LCD early 1st quarter of 2006. No pricing was available, but I'm betting at the current price drops on LCDs we'll probably see a price tag of $1200-1300 at Sams. Maybe even lower. I'd like to see the same look as the L32 on this 37". I'll be waiting for more details. They said to look for more information coming this fall on their website.

Picked it up from Costco yesterday. Like it overall. But seems a bit small for my bedroom. Might upgrade to a 37''. Have it connected to SD (Dish) right now. Decent PQ.

Few things:

- Wish there was a way to label the AV sources
- Wish there was a way to skip some AV sources
- Did not like the sorround sound of the TV. regular seems better to me.
- Remote is pretty good but I could not get it to work my dish receiver. Tried all the codes. Nothing helped
- Like the design. Silver and black.
- Overall a very nice feature TV for a bargain price.

Might go back since it looks small in my room and also coz I might want ATSC tuner in the room. Will keep it for a few days and decide. Would recommend.

When the L32 first came out, I stopped at Vizio to have a look. The receptionist let me into their showroom. They didn't have the L32 on display, but did have the L37 prototype. It looks identical to the L32. It wasn't powered up, so I can't comment on the picture.

I couldn't get any of the codes for the remote to work with any of my devices at first. Then I went online and downloaded the manual from Vizio's website. They have updated codes in it, and they all worked. Try 01005, 00775, or 01505 for Dish Network. They worked for me.

If the L37 ends up being identical to the L32, (PQ and Design wise) I'll end up snatching one up. I really like the L32, and I'd be even happier with a 37" version.

I may have to check this out. Im returning my Westy 27" (it was great, just you can get more now for the price) so I'll check this out and decide between it and the new Westy 27".

I'd like to see dual HDMI ports on the L37. I'm ok without a ATSC tuner. (I have one on my Dish 811 receiver). Wonder if they'll make the L37 a 1080p panel. Only time will tell I guess.

has anyone hooked this up to their computer and tried to display the native resolution of the monitor?

You folks keep us posted about when the 37" Vizio will come out. I, too, have been attracted to the 32" at Sam's. But, I have decided that the next TV that I buy will be a flat panel with a, quote, "Big Screen". The 37" is the largest that will fit into my entertainment center and my wife will not part with that entertainment center. Thanks!

I couldn't get any of the codes for the remote to work with any of my devices at first. Then I went online and downloaded the manual from Vizio's website. They have updated codes in it, and they all worked. Try 01005, 00775, or 01505 for Dish Network. They worked for me.


thanks will try that. quite late right now and wife is sleeping. or I would have tried right now. i just wish some small enhancements I mentioned were part of an updated firmware on their website. And if their 37'' has a HD tuner...I would be interested to get it home and check it out...
Edit: BTW where did you see the manual. On their website I could not find the manual for L32

I dont even see 37 on their website...anyone knows when and what price is that gonna be introduced at? thanks.

Vizio told me they would have information (including specs) on the L37 in the fall. It will be posted on their website.

Does anybody know if you have to pay taxes from Sams club on the internet? I'm betting you do because walmart makes you.

I noticed this in-store too and was shocked at how nicely Visio designed this chea--err inexpensive little display!

It has decent black, uniform backlighting and solid contrast (even on its horrible source), but sadly couldn't show anything even close to true white. Tried adjusting tint under user settings, but no go. A faint yellow/green caste spoils whites and contaminates highlights--It's subtle, but not all that subtle. Nearby tv's running off the same loop looked fine.

Was it just the single display unit I saw?


Planned to wait for the 32" Hitachi at CC to drop under 2K as it would look great in my bedroom<it's design IS worth a premium to me>, but saving THIS much I would be happy with the Visio(given more accurate color).

I E-Mailed Vizio today and ask them about their 37" LCD Vizio. They replied that it would be coming out this Fall. That's good news. I think!
I viewed the L32 today at Sam's and also noticed that it had the slight yellow/green caste to it compared to the Phillips next to it. They did not have a remote available, so I worked with the menu on the bottom of the TV. I tried to change it by adjusting the user settings, but was not successful.

I saw the set today at Costco and intended to buy it. However, it was next to a Samsung and was really overwhelmed by the difference. The Vizio was soft, almost blurry when compared to the Samsung. Contrast was close, Sammy just beat it out, color was close, cabinet is gorgeous and price is perfect. However, even the 32" ugly Maxent was sharper then the Vizio. So, I crossed that set off my list sadly. I think I may spend more for the Sharp at Costco, or wait to see the Westy 32".

I have the vizio right now but its going to go back. Not quite enjoying the SD picture at all. Will pick up sharp 37'' tonite and see what happens.

I looked at this set at SamsClub today. It had a very nice picture. This would work well in my bedroom.

I particularly like the fact it has both an HDMI input and two component inputs.

Interesting that this thread is fairly positive on the Vizio L32 while the other current thread is quite negative.

hooked up the sharp 37'' yesterday and this tv is surely going back. that thing is a beauty compare to this..but then its double the price as well. all in all, vizio is great but it was too small for my room and there is no 37'' right now. besides I need a ATSC tuner as well.

mallu2u- Which is better-being sent back? The Sharp or the Vizio? I'm impressed with the Sharp on SD and I think it's a keeper and a for a good price at Costco.

Vizio is going back. Sharp is much better with SD as well. My only gripe with sharp is its response time. maybe it haunts us soon..with HD football season right here and other sports activities.

Yea, I agree. The set is awesome, great blacks, awesome feature, rocks at SD but the response time is up in the air. It doesn't do animation very well. We'll have to see how it handles football. It doesn't look very bad as it is, but I'll wait till I can check HD and DVD before concluding anything.

I started shopping for two TV's about 6 weeks ago...a smaller HDTV for our daughter's room...and a larger HDTV for the living room. Over the course of those 6 weeks we bought 5 different sets, returning several before finally ending up (very happily) with the two sets we now have in use.

We wanted a relatively inexpensive HD set for our daughter and wound up going with a 27" HD LCD by Akai. Not what I'd call top-of-the-line, but it's a surprisingly decent PQ for a ridiculously cheap price!! We started out by buying her a 15" Sharp EDTV...great PQ, but it was way too small. For another $300 bucks we were able to get her into the 27" Akai HD LCD...and we were obviously one of the lucky ones as the PQ on that particualr set is really quite nice (no two sets are created equal...especially at the lower price points...I feel that we won the PQ lottery with that set).

For the living room we ended up spending more than we had planned, but then we started out looking at 32" LCD's...and ended up with a 42" Hitachi plasma! :D

When we started out, the first set we bought for the living room was the 32" Vizio. In the store it looked like I'd be getting a real great bang for the buck. The blacks were very good and overall PQ was not too shabby at all. While still at Sam's Club, I was a little bit bugged by the "beige-like" whites, but I figured that I wouldn't noticed that once I got it home and away from the other nearby sets (by Samsung, Panasonic, and Phillips). Boy was I wrong!

We pulled the trigger and took it home, got it set up, and I then spent hours trying to figure out how to get the whites looking white. I finally concluded, that it was not possible. The color is tuned way too warm from the factory and try as I might there was no way to shift it towards cool. After about a week of looking at the tannish/yellowish/beige-like whites, I couldn't take it any more and returned the set.

We then stepped up in price and bought the 42" Phillips...again from Sam's Club...and that lasted for even less than a week...at which point my wife and I agreed "To heck with it!" "We're gonna have to live with this for awhile so let's just bite the bullet and buy something really nice." So we left Sam's and never looked back.

In the end we wound up with the Hitachi and I am quite certain we couldn't have done any better. If I had done more research in these forums before starting out, I might have saved myself a lot of back-and-forth to the stores...(but then I don't know if I would have wound up with the Hitachi...and believe me I am more than thrilled with that decision). ;)

I too have to check the HD for this set. Will pull a line from my OTA see how it works

Yea, I agree. The set is awesome, great blacks, awesome feature, rocks at SD but the response time is up in the air. It doesn't do animation very well. We'll have to see how it handles football. It doesn't look very bad as it is, but I'll wait till I can check HD and DVD before concluding anything.

Does anybody know if you have to pay taxes from Sams club on the internet? I'm betting you do because walmart makes you.

This is sort of late answer to this question. Sam's has to collect sales taxes on internet sales to customers in each state that they have a nexus (presence, store, sales office, warehouse, etc). My guess is that this is probably every state in the union.
Dealers that do strictly internet sales only have to collect sales taxes in the state that they have a physical sales office, store, warehouse, etc.. (For example - Crutchfield - Virginia).

I picked one of these up at Costco and put it on a Peerless wall mount. For the $999 this is an incredible TV. Compared to my Phillips 30" the blacks aren't as dark, but everything else is pretty much even.

Where this TV really shines is in it's NTSC images. There isn't too much noise at all and it displays in the center of the screen (unlike the phillips). If you've looking for a top notch tv at under 1K, then this is the one for you.

There is NO REASON to pay half as much more for the sharp or phillips at the same price.

I picked one of these up at Costco and put it on a Peerless wall mount. For the $999 this is an incredible TV. Compared to my Phillips 30" the blacks aren't as dark, but everything else is pretty much even.

Where this TV really shines is in it's NTSC images. There isn't too much noise at all and it displays in the center of the screen (unlike the phillips). If you've looking for a top notch tv at under 1K, then this is the one for you.

There is NO REASON to pay half as much more for the sharp or phillips at the same price.

So you have found the whites to look white, rather than tinted with color like some others have reported? Or maybe you found more color temperature controls in the menu?

What other factors contribute to a nice LCD panel?

I've noticed that the Kreisen and Soyo 32" LCD tv's use the same LG/Phillips panel.

http://www.kreisen.com/ model KR-321T
Soyo 32" http://www.soyogroup.com/products/proddesc.php?id=325

Technical Specifications
* Panel: LG 32" Wide Screen
* Display Area: 15.4” (vertical) x 27.5” (horizontal); 32” (diagonal)
* Resolution: 1366 x 768
* Aspect Ratio: 16:9
* Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
* Viewing Angle: 176 degrees horizontal 176 degrees vertical
* Light Source: 50,000 hours (typ)
* Response Time: 8ms
* Brightness: 600 nits (typ)
* Display Colors: 16.7 million
* Surface Treatment: Anti-glare

Do you guys have any experience with either of these?
Thanks

What other factors contribute to a nice LCD panel?

I've noticed that the Kreisen and Soyo 32" LCD tv's use the same LG/Phillips panel.

http://www.kreisen.com/ model KR-321T
Soyo 32" http://www.soyogroup.com/products/proddesc.php?id=325
Do you guys have any experience with either of these?
Thanks
Kreisen: CNET didn't like it, but the user reviews thought it was quite good. I don't know if we can trust CNET anymore; many of their reviews do not reflect the results of actual buyers and especially other professional reviewers.
Costco has the expensive 37" and 40" with Costco lifetime warranty.
PS: don't buy according to specifications - see it for yourself or buy with money back guarantee.

I would like to see them before I buy one Tropicalisland, but no one around here in houston carries them I think.

Well, for me, the specs are all good, but I would need sharpness and settings. The Vizio was blurry and I liked the Polaroid, but you can't adjust color!!

All in all I'm happy with the Sharp 32" from Costco, great price. However, I'm not settled until the 32" Westy comes out any week now, hopefully before my 30 days are up.

Just bought a Vizio, it's quite a nice set.

HD is predictably beautiful, SD is predictably coarse.

Not sure why someone would describe the picture as blurry, perhaps it was the store setup, but HD is razor sharp. Sharpness is adjustable.

Biggest negative is a weak internal scaler, DVD's would probably benifit greatly from a good upscaling player, as DVD's look poor from the three older players I've tried. I'm going to pull the Zenith 318 from my front projector and try that...

Just bought a Vizio, it's quite a nice set.

HD is predictably beautiful, SD is predictably coarse.

Not sure why someone would describe the picture as blurry, perhaps it was the store setup, but HD is razor sharp. Sharpness is adjustable.

Biggest negative is a weak internal scaler, DVD's would probably benifit greatly from a good upscaling player, as DVD's look poor from the three older players I've tried. I'm going to pull the Zenith 318 from my front projector and try that...It may benefit with DVI/HDMI 720p sources.

It may benefit with DVI/HDMI 720p sources.


I agree. I'm going to poke around and find a good inexpensive one (this is just my bedroom TV)...


This morning I'm getting surprisingly adequate results from a $30 Magnavox player from Sam's Club.

Just bought a Vizio, it's quite a nice set.

HD is predictably beautiful, SD is predictably coarse.

Not sure why someone would describe the picture as blurry, perhaps it was the store setup, but HD is razor sharp. Sharpness is adjustable.

Biggest negative is a weak internal scaler, DVD's would probably benifit greatly from a good upscaling player, as DVD's look poor from the three older players I've tried. I'm going to pull the Zenith 318 from my front projector and try that...

Yea, it was blurry, running off the same feed as a Samsung, Maxent, Proview and a Sharp. The Vizio had the worst PQ. It was soft right next to the Samsung. I adjusted sharpness, it did nothing. So, either the Vizio had an unfortunate connection and the other 8 sets were fine, or it's just not as crisp as the others. Colors, brightness and contrast were fine, but next to the Samsung it just looked cheap.

I purchased a Vizio L32 and want to give a report on my experience in using it.

My purchase price was $999 and although it is not the best LCD on the market, with the features it offers and at that price, it is a great value.

I hooked it up to my HD cable box using both component cables and HDMI/DVI cable. The high definition channels were much better using the component connection and the standard definition channels were better with the digital connections.

The internal analog tuner provided reasonable good pictures.

DVD's looked better using component cables than the digital cables.

That were weaknesses in the black levels that you would expect from an LCD, but they were no worse than other makes.

The worst negative is that the whites in the picture tend to be light tan instead of true white. I guess that has to do with the factory settings for color temperature. There are no color temp, settings (warm, neutral, cool).
The manual shows color temp. settings (green, blue, red) in the HD Digital and RGB modes. However, I could never get that menu to come up in the HD Digital mode.

Overall, as I said above, this set is a great value. Anyone wanting and LCD in that size and price range should be well pleased with it.

I saw the Vizio 32" at Sam's and thought the picture was really soft, too. Then I checked the connection. It WAS showing the same feed as the other sets, but it was connected to COMPOSITE VIDEO! I couldn't believe it. It really looked horrible. They couldn't have located another component cable? :rolleyes:

Hello all,
I want to hook up a Tandberg 770 MXP to this display via a DVI to VGA connection.
I know that this monitor likes to go to Sleep/Standby... But what I wan to know is if a signal is sent to the VGA connection while the display is asleep will it wake back up with out having to re-power it?

Any assistance is appreciated because if this will work I will need 5 by noon tomorrow.
Thanks in advance
Adam

Hello all,
I want to hook up a Tandberg 770 MXP to this display via a DVI to VGA connection.
I know that this monitor likes to go to Sleep/Standby... But what I wan to know is if a signal is sent to the VGA connection while the display is asleep will it wake back up with out having to re-power it?

Any assistance is appreciated because if this will work I will need 5 by noon tomorrow.
Thanks in advance
AdamI can't answer this question, send an email to techsupport@vinc.com

I currently have the Proview 32" from Costco but the PQ (black level), the lack of hidef inputs and the inability to adjust the picture (only brightness and Contrast are adjustable - Saturation is boosted and cannot be reduced!) in HDMI mode (1 of only 2 hidef inputs) leads me to think the Vizio is a better set to try.

I downloaded the manual but it does not state what picture adjustments are available in HDMI mode. Can any one look at the video menu while in HDMI mode and tell which of the variables (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc) are useable (not grayed out).

Also, I hope I can still find a Costco with one of these in the store. I only found them in one store a month ago in the Puget Sound (Washington State).

Thanks.

Any Vizio folks out there?

This forum moves faster than any other I visit here. Front page news gets old quick here. ;)

I currently have the Proview 32" from Costco but the PQ (black level), the lack of hidef inputs and the inability to adjust the picture (only brightness and Contrast are adjustable - Saturation is boosted and cannot be reduced!) in HDMI mode (1 of only 2 hidef inputs) leads me to think the Vizio is a better set to try.

I downloaded the manual but it does not state what picture adjustments are available in HDMI mode. Can any one look at the video menu while in HDMI mode and tell which of the variables (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc) are useable (not grayed out).

Also, I hope I can still find a Costco with one of these in the store. I only found them in one store a month ago in the Puget Sound (Washington State).

Thanks.Isn't there a store locator on Costco's site?

I currently have the Proview 32" from Costco but the PQ (black level), the lack of hidef inputs and the inability to adjust the picture (only brightness and Contrast are adjustable - Saturation is boosted and cannot be reduced!) in HDMI mode (1 of only 2 hidef inputs) leads me to think the Vizio is a better set to try.

I downloaded the manual but it does not state what picture adjustments are available in HDMI mode. Can any one look at the video menu while in HDMI mode and tell which of the variables (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc) are useable (not grayed out).

Also, I hope I can still find a Costco with one of these in the store. I only found them in one store a month ago in the Puget Sound (Washington State).

Thanks.


I have the Vizio, and can only tell you my indirect impressions of mine vs. the Proview I've seen at costco many times.

I'd say that the Proview has sharper HD, and better blacks than my Vizio. They are the same price and I would have bought the Proview but for me, the very limited inputs on the Proview were a deal killer.

All the same adjustments are available in HDMI as are available in component.
Backlight, Brightness, Contrast, Color, Tint, and Sharpness.

Hope this helps...

Thanks Robert. I'm sorry to hear that the blacks are better on the Proview. I don't think they're that great on my Proview. Although it may be more of a bad grayscale. The blacks are about the same as my Maxent 26". I have seen worse blacks though. I do think the blacks look good on the Set in the Costco warehouse. I find that I need to watch a program with low contrast and low light levels in order to really test the blacks. The show "LOST" helped me decide to take the Maxent over the 30" Sceptre. A lot of details in the darker areas just could not be seen on the Sceptre that I could see with the Maxent. And I did a lot of adjusting of variables because I wanted the bigger, and more user friendly, TV.

The HD on the Proview is pretty good but the over saturated colors ruin most of the HDMI input stuff. And there is only one other HD input.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't just bite the bullet and get the Sharp. Although the odd (I think it's odd) TV stand is 14" deep and I built a wall shelf that is 11" deep. hmmm.

The Philips is the other challenger and there are negatives about it.

I really like the versatility of the 26" Maxent. I can hook up a subwoofer to it and the sound is quite good and controllable with my TV remote. And I can add an external receiver to it and the TV remote can still control the sound as the audio output can be set at Fixed or Variable. I read a poor review of the 32" Maxent so I doubt if I'll get it, though. No 3:2 pulldown and one can't turn off the Edge Enhancement.

So - I'm not sure what I'll do. But the Proview has to go.

Have you seen the Winbook 32" from MicroCenter?

It's nice too...

Jim,
I've used the locator to find all the Costcos within 60 miles or so but I need to call each one to see if they have the Vizio. So far none have it in the store.

Robert,
I really want to only use Costco for this purchase. Buyer's remorse is easier to deal with through Costco. And I don't have to worry about warranties.
Thanks for your help. The info about the HDMI adjustables is excellent.

Just wanted to mention that although I have dissed the Proview 32 I must say that its PQ is better than our 26" Maxent. The color is better and the blacks seem better (but not much). The viewing angle is FAR superior. (I mention this because I am presently watching "LOST" on ABC in HD and it is easy to compare and contrast.)
EDIT: Strange but the detail in the dark areas is much more discernable in the Maxent than in the Proview, even though the Proview seems to be blacker. I have adusted the Contrast and Brightness on both to see into the black as much as possible.

Anyway, wanted to mention this in this thread that is about a completely different LCD. :o

I am still returning the Proview. Maybe for the Vizio. Maybe for the Sharp 32. Maybe for the Philips 32. Or something else. :confused:

I was on the fence like you Cyrano, but my Sharp is now running off of DVI and i'm drooling. I've made up about 98% of my mind already.... keep up the search.

i feel the cost is justified over the Maxent and the Vizio.

Thanks for the input bluesxtreme. Sounds good!

I am using two Vizio L32s as monitors on my Mac G5. The left (Main) monitor is on the VGA connection. The right is connected via a DVI/HDMI cable. When I tried hooking up the left screen using a DVI/HDMI cable the overscan prevented me from seeing the menu bar and the bottom half of the Dock. Does anyone know how to adjust the overscan when using the HDMI input on the Vizio L32?

I am using two Vizio L32s as monitors on my Mac G5. The left (Main) monitor is on the VGA connection. The right is connected via a DVI/HDMI cable. When I tried hooking up the left screen using a DVI/HDMI cable the overscan prevented me from seeing the menu bar and the bottom half of the Dock. Does anyone know how to adjust the overscan when using the HDMI input on the Vizio L32?In the Mac G5's Display Preferences, what does it say the pixel resolution is?

A friend of mine was trying to decided between the Proview and Vizio. They had them side by side at our local Costco. One thing we noticed was the Vizio cut off about 1/4" of the picture left to right and a little off the top too.

We both felt the Vizio had a better picture, along with the capability to display 1080i. It was our understanding that the Proview was only able display 720p. As a result of this both of us now own the Vizio. Neither of us have HDTV feeds yet. I know this will improve the picture greatly; but the SD picture from my Directv Tivo is unimpressive and poor.

Cyrano, you mention Costco and buyers remorse. How many LCD TV's have you purchased and returned?

I tried this Vizio 32" LCD back in early July.

It will not pixel map 1360x768, or any other resolution- i.e. it scales all inputs.

I could not get it to display anything from a PC with Radeon 9000Pro card via DVI. The highest I could send it was 1024x768 via analog RGB from the PC.

I took it back the next day.

I own the Winbook 32" LCD from Microcenter. It works with PC's as a big LCD monitor with 1:1 mapping, good NTSC analog cable picture, very good to excellent HD and 480p DVD. The Winbook is less than the Vizio after MIR.

A friend of mine was trying to decided between the Proview and Vizio. They had them side by side at our local Costco. One thing we noticed was the Vizio cut off about 1/4" of the picture left to right and a little off the top too.

We both felt the Vizio had a better picture, along with the capability to display 1080i. It was our understanding that the Proview was only able display 720p. As a result of this both of us now own the Vizio. Neither of have HDTV feeds yet. I know the will picture improves greatly, but the SD picture from my Directv Tivo is unimpressive.

Cyrano, you mention Costco and buyers remorse. How many LCD TV's have you purchased and returned?

Good info Jeff.

Okay - Soul baring time. :o

I bought a Maxent 26" and a Sceptre 30" (Sceptre via online sale) expecting to keep them both. Side by side showed the Maxent to have the superior PQ. I would have kept the Sceptre but the black level was just way too bad. The Maxent's Black level isn't great but it's much better than the Sceptre's.
I returned the Sceptre after 1 week.

I then got a 17" Proview Costco had that had a good picture in the store and I thought I'd try it on the coffee table in the Living Room instead of using a bigger screen far away. It worked all right, for a week or two. Then we started comparing the Maxent to it. Dark scenes were all but impossible to make out on the Proview. And unless the scene was daybright human faces were "clayface".
So we returned the 17" Proview after two weeks.

We put the Maxent in the Living Room, (It will end up in a coffee table I'm building as a set that will be hidden under the table top and fold out when needed. It looks really good when viewed close up!) and got the Proview 32" for the bedroom. (11 foot viewing distance) It seemed all right, especially with the RS HD tuner ($90!) added to it. But the HD tuner uses the HDMI input. I've related its lack of adjustments. The DVD is in the only other HD capable input.
I've related my impression of the Proview's black level probs. I will be returning this set soon. I've had it for two weeks. I don't like returning so many items but they are all like new. I'm glad to have the ability to check these expensives items out and be able to change my mind. Most of the retail money we spend is in Costco.

I would like the next set to be the one I stick with so I'm asking a lot of questions.
Thanks to all for all the helpful answers.

I tried this Vizio 32" LCD back in early July.

It will not pixel map 1360x768, or any other resolution- i.e. it scales all inputs.

I could not get it to display anything from a PC with Radeon 9000Pro card via DVI. The highest I could send it was 1024x768 via analog RGB from the PC.

I took it back the next day.

I own the Winbook 32" LCD from Microcenter. It works with PC's as a big LCD monitor with 1:1 mapping, good NTSC analog cable picture, very good to excellent HD and 480p DVD. The Winbook is less than the Vizio after MIR.

How's the black level on the Winbook? And what Picture adjustments are available with DVI (or HDMI) (Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Sharpness, etc)?
And is there an edge enhancement defeatable checkbox in the menu?

BTW, I have the same PC card.
Thanks!

In the Mac G5's Display Preferences, what does it say the pixel resolution is?
Left screen (VGA) is 1024X768. Right screen (HGMI) is 1920X1080 interlaced. When the left screen was using DVI/HDMI cable and was overscaning at all resolutions.

Any other news from anyone on when the 37" might be out? I was looking at the 32" yesterday at Sams and I like it a lot, but I currently have a 30" CRT and I don't think 32" is worth the expense or trouble. I think I'd be all over the 37", though.

Vizio told me the 37" would be out somtime this fall or winter. You should call them and ask.

I currently have the Proview 32" from Costco but the PQ (black level), the lack of hidef inputs and the inability to adjust the picture (only brightness and Contrast are adjustable - Saturation is boosted and cannot be reduced!) in HDMI mode (1 of only 2 hidef inputs) leads me to think the Vizio is a better set to try.

I downloaded the manual but it does not state what picture adjustments are available in HDMI mode. Can any one look at the video menu while in HDMI mode and tell which of the variables (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc) are useable (not grayed out).

Also, I hope I can still find a Costco with one of these in the store. I only found them in one store a month ago in the Puget Sound (Washington State).

Thanks.
They are in most Sam's Club Stores.

They are in most Sam's Club Stores slightly under $1000.00.
Thanks.
I buy at Costco because of their excellent return policies. (And I like their corporate integrity.)
I ended up getting a Philips 32" @ Costco. It cost more but it is quite good.

Sam's Club has the same excellent return policy as Costco. So no worries buying from them.

FYI on the Vizio 37" LCD:

VIZIO LCD TVs
Offering 1366 x 768 native resolution, and true 8 ms response time, the 37" widescreen VIZIO L37HDTV is great for home theaters and for fast-moving games. Built-in HD ATSC and NTSC tuners, 3:2 pulldown, powered speakers and stand, a universal remote control, PIP and POP, component, VGA-type and HDMI video inputs along with multiple video settings allow it to be in high demand by the entire family. Supporting WXGA 1366x768, 1280x768, 1024x768, 800x600, 720x400, 640x480 via the RGB 15-pint dSub input and a 176 degree all angle viewing, this product is a perfect fit for the office or boardroom. Standing up to the VIZIO's high quality picture and service reputation, the L37HDTV will offer a unique ??Zero Bright-pixel" defect guarantee. The VIZIO L37 will be in stores in mid November at a suggested retail price of $1,499.99.

Check the VINC site for the picture and the full write up.

Has the same look as the L32 so hopefully Costco\Sams will have this before Thanksgiving with a great Sub $1500 pricetag with 8ms response and built in ATSC tuner to boot.

Chartman

Good afternoon Mr. Karp,

The L37 will be available on Black Friday (November 25) Costco stores nation
wide and they will hit Sam stores shortly after. They are available NOW
through our on line store at: the vizio website or over the phone at
888-846-4623 option one for sales.

Best regards,
Bertha Villasenor


-----Original Message-----
From: Marshall Karp
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 1:30 PM
Subject: Vizio L37

I saw a tech article that said that the L37 will be out mid-November. Will
that be at Sams Club and does that mean the week of November 14? I am
looking to buy this.

Thank you.

Marshall Karp

Thanks for posting that, Marshall. I was just looking up the Vizio website to check out this very thing.

I just returned the Viore plasma on Friday and haven't replaced it yet. I'd really like to see this set before I do anything... If it won't be much longer. Nov. 25 is later than I was hoping, and I'm still not sure about all the pluses and minuses of plasma vs. LCD. :confused:

BTW, besides being a solid value and a very nice-looking set (IMO), it's good to see the response time improved from 12ms to 8ms in this one.

Oh, one thing I forgot: Does anyone know anything about the HD tuner in these? It would be nice to eliminate my STB if the tuner in this one is equally as sensitive.

Thanks for posting that, Marshall. I was just looking up the Vizio website to check out this very thing.

I just returned the Viore plasma on Friday and haven't replaced it yet. I'd really like to see this set before I do anything... If it won't be much longer. Nov. 25 is later than I was hoping, and I'm still not sure about all the pluses and minuses of plasma vs. LCD. :confused:

BTW, besides being a solid value and a very nice-looking set (IMO), it's good to see the response time improved from 12ms to 8ms in this one.

Oh, one thing I forgot: Does anyone know anything about the HD tuner in these? It would be nice to eliminate my STB if the tuner in this one is equally as sensitive.What STB and ATSC chipset do you have now?

What STB and ATSC chipset do you have now?
Well, I'm not sure of the chipset, but it's the Accurian STB from Radio Shack. As I was saying on the thread on that box somewhere else on this board :), it's quite a bit more sensitive than the Samsung SIR-T151 I had before. I'm in a fringe area and had almost given up watching HDTV because two weak stations 40 miles away required constant antenna adjustment, but the Accurian brings them in just fine every time I turn it on.

I'll see if I can find out more about the L37HDTV's ATSC tuner.

FYI: L32 will be on sale at SAMS next Friday. Have enough people confirmed as to whether you can get at or near(like 1360X768) native res through HDMI and/or VGA with a PC?

BTW, L37 will be $1499(original MSRP even though Vizio now has it at 1699 on their website) at Costco next Friday.

Anyone?

I have mine running at 1366x768 via VGA

I tried very hard to get that res on an DVI to HDMI cable but could only get 1360x768 and it looked like crap. I do recall being able to get a somewhat decent picture via dvi by using the "Force 720p" option in the ATI driver.

Anyway, here is the inf file I made that enables me to run 1366x768 via vga

The 32" model doesn't have a tuner, does it? I think I already know the answer, but does the Tivo work as a regular SD tuner? I already plan on getting a separate cable box (maybe one with built in DVR) for HD, but for SD i'll probably still stick with my Tivo, as long as it has a built in tuner.

EDIT: N/m, I just saw on the the website that it does indeed have a NTSC tuner. I think I'm gonna try this model from Costco or Sam's Club (this has the same return policy as Costco, right?) to see how I like it, before I decide whether or not to splurge on the Sharp.

Yes Sam's Club has the same return policy as Costco.

{mod note: no pricing, please. Thanks!}

EDIT

My Vizio L32 is soooo blury I think I am starting to get sea sick... Please tell me what I am doing wrong...

Your proably watching SD from a really bad signal. How is the picture when feed HD or Progressive Scan DVD?

Don't know if this was posted elsewhere, but I saw a press release from Vizio announcing a MSRP drop of $100, bringing the MSRP down to $899. Free ground shipping from the website.

Got mine doing 1366x768 thru VGA, no special driver needed (with ThinkPad X40).

By the way - this is my second one. The first one worked for 2 days, and then turned into a strobe light. Hopefully this replacement lasts longer.

Don't know if this was posted elsewhere, but I saw a press release from Vizio announcing a MSRP drop of $100, bringing the MSRP down to $899. Free ground shipping from the website.

Confirmed at my local Sam's Club.

Can you tell me how you have it running 1366x768 in vga more? I can not seem to get it to go any higher. Please share your tips!

Garrett

Is the L37 better than this 32"?

I'd say so, the L37 is 8ms and has a built in HD tuner.

Can you tell me how you have it running 1366x768 in vga more? I can not seem to get it to go any higher. Please share your tips!

Garrett

I had to play with it a little. First, I went into display properties and extended my Windows desktop onto the second monitor (the L32) at 1024x768 (the 1366x768 resolution wasn't an option in windows). Once I had that up, I went back into display properties, and for some reason the 1366x768 resolution was available for the external display. Change to 1366x768 and voila - it worked. 1024x768 on computer, with 1366x768 extended desktop on L32.

Alternatively, you can hook up the L32 thru VGA, try to set your computer primary display to 1366x768, and then do dual display (Fn+F7 twice on ThinkPad). I got the wide picture to show up, but for some reason it didn't look that great.

In any case, the trick seems to be playing with it until you get that 1366x768 resolution to show up in display properties.

hope this helps.

Hello All,
Well, yesterday I took the plunge and purchased a vizio L32 @ one of our local sams clubs. I've been reading a lot of positive info. about the vizio brand, so I thought I'd check one out first hand. As I'm still discovering all of the feature with it, this post may not provide very much useful information except for myself. One thing I've already noticed is this tv seems to emit some kind of a 'electronic' type of odor. Not a burning smell..but similar, also..the picture seems to get somewhat better as the tv has been on for a bit. As this is my first lcd tv, I'm really learning about it as I go. I set it up very quick yesterday, by just hooking it up via the standard cable tv rf connection. Actually..the picture really doesn't look that bad, but from all the reading I've done..I realize I could probably achieve a better picture using a different connection type ( composite video, etc. ) I do have the cable tv cables running through a sony 4-head hi fi vcr. The vcr doesn't have a s-video out connection, only composite video / audio out. So I don't know if I could actually get a video signal out of the vcr that way or not. I may try it and see what happens. I hope this makes some sense..I haven't tried watching a dvd on the tv yet..but hopefully will soon. So far my biggest gripe with this tv is how big the tv stand is. I have this tv setting in a entertainment center, and I guess because how the screen is designed, to be able to view the entire screen, I have to have the tv pulled out with some of the pedestal mount hanging over the front of the entertainment center..I guess that's not a big deal..just a little inconvenience. Thanks for listening..happy holidays !
David :)

Dave, I also did not like the stand to much and decided to wall mount the unit and like it much better that way! I know that is not an option for you, but maybe you can seek other means of finding a way to mount it in your entertainment center. Enjoy the tv and happy holidays!

Garrett

Dear Garrett,
Thanks for the reply..overall, are you happy with your L32 so far ? How do you have yours hooked for video ? I hope I made the right choice..I was just trying to get away from the rather old fashioned, bulky, crt style of televisions. Even thogh..most of them display a great picture.
David :)

Dave,

I could not be more happy with the tv! Of course there are better TVs out there, but then look at the price difference. I bought this set for my bedroom. My father has his 50inch Pioneer Elite Set in our upstairs living room. So if i want to watch something on a bigger screen I go up there. But then again my sound system puts his to shame! For video, I have my comcast HD DVR hooked up via components and same with my dvd player. I have my other video decives that are not component compatible hooked up via rca video that runs into my receiver and then into the TV. I will soon upgrade to a new receiver that has component inputs in them and go from there. But all in all, it is a nice set and the price tag makes me even more happy. I suggest you get a HD receiver and you will like it even more!

Dear Garrett,

Thanks so much for the quick response..I'm also on a comcast cable system. But at this point in time, we don't have / use a cable box..of course that means we aren't digital cable subscribers. We had tried that once before..signing up for the digital silver package. Of course we received a lot more channels, but seemingly, we didn't really seem to watch that many more of them. Also, when we did decide to watch an on demand presentation..it never seemed to work properly. I traded out the digital receiver more than once hoping that would correct the problem. One of the boxes did help the problem somewhat. So we decided after the special offer ran out, we would just switch back to preferred basic again. Now with this new lcd tv..we might have to think differently. I wish I could get a split signal out of my vcr ( with the audio and video coming out of the rca composite connections )
instead of having to use just the regular cable rf style connection. Even in the vizio manual it says just using the rf connector doesn't give you the best picture. I also plan on hooking up my computer to the L32 somedat..but first I have to buy a svga male-male cable to do so. Have a GREAT day !!
David :)

Your VCR should have rca outs that will allow you to hook up to your TV. But the only drawback to that is that you will need to use the VCR's tuner to control the channels. In my opinion the Comcast box gives the best picture. I do not watch to much TV, but I have the receiver record the shows that I want and just go back to it when I can. Of course this is all recorded in HD. The digital channels also look very nice as well. The new motorola 6412 is a nice unit and works well. If you go this route, your Comcast provider should carry these units. It is HD receiver with dual tuners for recording two shows at once etc. As for hooking up to your computer, I have this done already and looks great. The resolution that I have it on is 1368x768. When I am not using it and using my other computers, I have the marine aquarium on there and it looks fantastic!

Garrett

Dear Garrett,

Thanks again for a reply..I see your point on the vcr's rca composite jacks. I had to do a setup like that before due to having a rather old tv that wasn't cable ready. I just set the tv channel to either 3 or 4, and as you said..changed channels through the vcr. It sounds like I'm going to have to consider getting either a comcast digital cable box, with either a hdtv unit in it, or a dvr like you have. I was hoping I could avoid doing so.
Thanks,
David :)

If you go the comcast route, get the HDTV unit with the dvr. You will not be disappointed and if you are you can always cancel!

Garrett

Dear Garrett,
This is some interesting reading about the vizio brand..that you might want to take a look:

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050829A7047.html

David :)

[QUOTE=omnivore]I noticed this in-store too and was shocked at how nicely Visio designed this chea--err inexpensive little display!

It has decent black, uniform backlighting and solid contrast (even on its horrible source), but sadly couldn't show anything even close to true white. Tried adjusting tint under user settings, but no go. A faint yellow/green caste spoils whites and contaminates highlights--It's subtle, but not all that subtle. Nearby tv's running off the same loop looked fine.

[QUOTE]

My L32 also show the yellow/green caste compared to the wallyart sanyo hdtv. b ut price at Sams (850) what the h***. Got the RS ATSC tuner for 89 locally. HD football on CB* is great.

Has anyone figured out how to get to the service menu on this unit yet?

The 37" vizio has not shown up here in the DC area yet or in MD at Sams. Where have you seen it?

Dear Tropical6350,

That's what this forum is all about isn't it...user sharing information with other users. I'd have to agree with you about the tv showing good whites, as I've never had a lcd television until now, I really didn't know what to expect. On my visits to one of our local sams clubs to check out this vizio L32 before I bought one, they always had a dvd playing on it. I'd have to admit..at least there in the store, with the store lights blazing..the picture looked pretty impressive. Of course I'm far from a true videophile..but as I used to work with many different colors on many different substances, I feel like I have a good eye for correct color. I guess right now..my biggest concern with this tv is the odor that it emits into our family room where I have it located. It' kind of hard to describe..it's not a 'burning' type smell, more like a warm electronics type smell. Does your tv emit such a smell ? I'm sure I could have paid a LOT more for a 'name brand' of tv, but did I 'really' need to ??
I even thought about waiting for the newer L37 to become available, but of course it's more expensive, and I didn't have the extra funds right now. Actually, I seriously considered buying a flat screen sony 32" wega monitor, but then I remembered how heavy our last tv that size was. So..I chose the vizio L32, I'm still trying to get used to the shape of the widescreen picture.
David :)

Dear Tropical6350,

I guess right now..my biggest concern with this tv is the odor that it emits into our family room where I have it located. It' kind of hard to describe..it's not a 'burning' type smell, more like a warm electronics type smell. Does your tv emit such a smell ?
David :)

I'd return that L32 to Sam's as quick as possible and get another one before they are gone. No LCD should emit any type of odor. I'd be concerned that the TV will short out and start a fire. Take it back now, before somthing serious happens. :eek:

Dear Jeff,

I'm seriously thinking about doing what you suggested...I guess I thought possibly that smell was 'normal' for a lcd television. I'm glad that I purchased it @ sams club, they have a decent return policy, but I guess not as good as costco..from what I hear.
Thanks,
David :)

David, I bought an Vizio WGUe 30 at Sam's. It had a problem and I returned it for the L32. No problem! Sam's was great to deal with. I too understand that Costco is better, but I felt Sam's was GREAT!

Jeff,
I really hate to even think about taking the tv back..especially since my wife seems to like it. I've talked with her about the 'smell' I mentioned, and either she didn't want to smell it...or couldn't smell it. Maybe my nose is just too sensitive.
David :(

I cannot see that material change in the displayed picture upon changing the backlighting from 0 to 100, nada. Looking thru the back panel also see no change in fluorscent intensity. Perhaps tube is running at some default intensity and that is what is causing the yellow/green tinge to the whites??

Also set occasionally turns itself off and on for no apparent reason.

Heard back from Vizio tech support and they said no noticable difference would be observed on changing the backlighting......hummmm

Check out a Olevia 30" and changes in backlighting are quite apparent!! go figure

Bought this TV (Vizio L32) from Sams a week ago and so far so good. Just curious, for those of you who have also bought it what is your dead/stuck pixel count? I have noticed 1 stuck (red) pixel on my screen about half way up the screen and 40% towards the center (When playing DVD's and Xbox) but according to the manual this is normal. Do stuck pixels ever get "unstuck"?

I would consider opting to return it for another one but I would then run the risk of getting a set with more dead/stuck pixels so that shuts down that idea.

My other option is to upgrade to the L37 but I can not justify a $600 price increase for a 0 dead pixel policy, 5 more viewing inches and a 8ms response rate (vs the 12ms).

Can anyone comment on this for me as I would like to know if other L32 users have noticed this as well?

Other than this its a great tv and I am loving it.

Difference in Screen Area 37" vs. 32"

37" 16:9 screen is 18"H x 32"W or 576 sq. inches of viewable area
32" 16:9 screen is 16"H x 28"W or 448 sq. inches of viewable area

A difference of 128 sq. inches or 28.6% more viewable area
***
The VIZIO L32 is $2.01 per sq. inch
The VIZIO L37 is $2.60 per sq. inch

Cool... thanks for the breakdown. I wish I could upgrade to the L37 but still $600 more and it was hard enough convincing the wife to get the L32.

Anyways, any opinions on Dead/stuck pixels on the L32? Still wondering if I should let the 1 stuck pixel on my L32 go or if I should try to return it to Sams for another?

You shouldn't have any stuck pixels. I've had our L32 for 3 months now, and have no stuck pixels. Personally I'd take it back and get a replacement.

Thank you for the post. I think I might pick up another one tomorrow and try it out and wost case if it had more bad pixels with the new set I will just stick with what I have and return that one.

Dear Jeff,
Just an update about the 'electronic smell' that I had mentioned previously. I did call vizio tech.support about that, he was very helpful and not rude about it at all. He said I was probably just smelling the 'newness' of the tv..plastic, etc. He said it wasn't anything to be alarmed about, and should go away in a few more days. Since talking with him about this..which has been a few days, the smell is virtually gone now. I guess I just got somewhat overly concerned about this. I'd have to agree with some other users here in the forum about the sound on this tv, I really didn't care for the 'surround' mode either. Also....at least on my tv, when I scanned automatically for all available cable tv channels, it didn't seen to capture the 'stereo' sound of the captured channels. I had to manually go back in and designate the 'stereo' mode on each channel. Did this happen to anyone else ? Thanks to everyone for listening and helping each other. Have a GREAT day !
David :)

Dear tonyxcom,

You had said:
" I have mine running at 1366x768 via VGA

I tried very hard to get that res on an DVI to HDMI cable but could only get 1360x768 and it looked like crap. I do recall being able to get a somewhat decent picture via dvi by using the "Force 720p" option in the ATI driver.

Anyway, here is the inf file I made that enables me to run 1366x768 via vga
Attached Files vizio_L32 "

Not to sound to dumb...I download your file to my computer, I un-zipped it to a separate folder labeled vizio L32. Now.....what should I do ? Thanks for any feedback !
David :rolleyes:

Dear tonyxcom,

I don't know if you already read my last post or not...but PLEASE just disregard it. When I hooked up my computer to my vizio L32 tv , everything went fine. the option contained in your file was already available in my display properties. I must be living right..
Thanks,
David :D

Davy49 - do you have any stuck or dead pixels on your L32? Sorry to keep asking people but I want to see if this is acceptable on the L32. Thanks!!

Jim - if you have any input I would greatly appreciate it.

Dear rdaino,
I haven't noticed any stuck or dead pixels so far..of course there could be some and I just haven't noticed them yet.
David :rolleyes:

My wife bought me this LCD for XMAS from Sam's ($$$) and I love it so far. I noticed that running SD through an Inspiron 9300 with Media Center and the Dell tuner was significantly betther than the internal tuner. I have played a few DVDs and am v v happy. I am hooking up Comcast HDTV soon and am excited to see that. Great set - I was also thinking Sharp or Sony. My decision - I wanted a 32 and my XMAS budget was less than $1,000. I spent a considerable amt of time looking at Sharp, Sony and Samsung and I think this set is a close - it is definitely nicer that Olevia, Proscan, RCA, Viewsonic and other "cheaper" brands.

EDIT>>

mod note: no price other than MSRP, please. Thanks

Glade to see you are happy with the set. This set still has not disappointed me! I watch it everyday and can not believe what you get for the price! Enjoy the set and HDTV will look great on it!


Garrett

Can you tell me how you have it running 1366x768 in vga more? I can not seem to get it to go any higher. Please share your tips!

Garrett


Most of the newer Video Card drivers from ATI and Nvidia include 1366x768 on the slide bar when setting resolution through VGA.

Good luck.

Also the Visio looks great through DVI to HDMI if you are using your PC as a PVR/DVR, but VGA works best for windows apps and games....Just a little fyi....

Dear tonyxcom,

You had said:
" I have mine running at 1366x768 via VGA

I tried very hard to get that res on an DVI to HDMI cable but could only get 1360x768 and it looked like crap. I do recall being able to get a somewhat decent picture via dvi by using the "Force 720p" option in the ATI driver.

Anyway, here is the inf file I made that enables me to run 1366x768 via vga
Attached Files vizio_L32 "

Not to sound to dumb...I download your file to my computer, I un-zipped it to a separate folder labeled vizio L32. Now.....what should I do ? Thanks for any feedback !
David :rolleyes:

Both ATI and Nvidia have both given me the the option for 1366x768 on their newest drivers.

Cool... thanks for the breakdown. I wish I could upgrade to the L37 but still $600 more and it was hard enough convincing the wife to get the L32.

Anyways, any opinions on Dead/stuck pixels on the L32? Still wondering if I should let the 1 stuck pixel on my L32 go or if I should try to return it to Sams for another?


I would stick with it unless it is real noticable. I went by the store the other day, and could pick out a dead pixel on almost every LCD TV in the place. It is an LCD hazzard.

Dear Jeff,
Just an update about the 'electronic smell' that I had mentioned previously. I did call vizio tech.support about that, he was very helpful and not rude about it at all. He said I was probably just smelling the 'newness' of the tv..plastic, etc. He said it wasn't anything to be alarmed about, and should go away in a few more days. Since talking with him about this..which has been a few days, the smell is virtually gone now. I guess I just got somewhat overly concerned about this. I'd have to agree with some other users here in the forum about the sound on this tv, I really didn't care for the 'surround' mode either. Also....at least on my tv, when I scanned automatically for all available cable tv channels, it didn't seen to capture the 'stereo' sound of the captured channels. I had to manually go back in and designate the 'stereo' mode on each channel. Did this happen to anyone else ? Thanks to everyone for listening and helping each other. Have a GREAT day !
David :)

I had to go and set all channels to stereo as well, and I did notice a smell at 1st , but don't notice it any more.

I actually think the sound is great from this tv after I set all channels to stereo.

Dear tshrimp ,
WOW...I feel a little better now about someone else besides myself having similar little quirks with their vizio L32 tv. Unless I'm mistaken...this is the first tv that didn't AUTOMATICALLY pickup the tv channels audio when doing an automatic scan. You would think that paying this much for a new lcd set that would work correctly. As far as the 'smell' goes.....I'm glad that it's better too. Have a GREAT day !!
David :rolleyes:

I am new to the AVS Forum and to HD. I pretty much only get on forums when I need info or have an "ax to grind". This forum has been a great source of info. and I have only explored an extremely small part of it!

I bought an L32 a few week ago at Sam's. Maybe I'm color blind, but I haven't noticed a problem with the whites. It seems like the picture is very good. (I haven't spent much time looking at hi-res TVs, it looks better than my 1985 RCA). The only hi-res source I have is my DVD player, and I love it!

However, this TV does have a problem with MTS (stereo) sound from the NTSC tuner. Most of you guys have STB's or HD tuners, so this may not be a big deal, but it irks me because after spending the $$$, I went from using my VCR for a tuner, to using my VCR for a tuner. I took the unit back and exchanged it, only to find that the second unit had the same problem. Also, I was getting some tires put on my car, and borrowed an antenna and headphones; it was a bit noisy in the store, but it seemed as if the demo unit also had the same problem.

The problem is that the amplitude of the "L-R" information (which is what turns mono into stereo) fluctuates wildly, creating a very distorted sound with stereo cable or OTA sources.
I'm not sure whether this is a bad design or a production problem. After many e-mails and a phone conversation, all I've gotten from VINC tech support is a case number. I even contacted Sam's to tell them what I found, but haven't heard much from them either.

Other issues:
I also had the problem that others had with the TV not recognizing stereo channels. I don't remember any smell.
Here's a weird one: I did have a problem with the remotes interacting between the L32 and an APEX DVD player. I wasn't paying attention, but I think my APEX remote was able to connect the audio output of the TV to a different internal source on the first unit before I took it back. The audio output would not adjust with the volume setting, and in some cases with PIP, would have a different source from the speaker audio.

All that said, I still like the L32 and will keep it. I thought I would solve the MTS problem by getting a Westinghouse 32 in from BB. Its lack of functionality really made me appreciate the L32 (I could write multiple K words on the W, but I'll spare you). It went back quickly!

Happy new year!
Glenn

Does anyone know if Costco still carries this model instore?

Dear gfoulke,

Once again I'm SO glad to hear other members of this forum speak so candidly and honest about their experiences with the same equipment that other users own. I also have sound problems my vizio L32 in the ntsc 'stereo' tv mode. Of course not having the tv 'recognize' stereo sound. You would have thought the engineers that 'designed' this product would have noticed that problem. As most know...this product is made in taiwan, but normally.....they produce some pretty well designed products. Also, as it it with most lcd tv's...the viewing angle makes ALL of the difference. This weekend my wife and I wanted to be able to view some of the nfl playoff games a little better on our vizio L32. So I came up with a temporary method of elevating our tv at a higher viewing angle while sitting in our entertainment center. As this tv is pretty light, I just sat the unit on a sturdy box....WOW, what a difference that made. Now my goal is to get rid of the tv stand altogether, and locate a decent under-cabinet mount for our L32. I e-mailed vizio customer service about some little quirks with our L32..I never received a reply back from them. I guess for the money...our L32 was a decent buy. Of course I'm sure this year that lcd prices will fall even more...of course that's normal. Have a GREAT day !!
David :)

I picked up my L32 1 week ago. Overall very pleased. We are on Mediacom Digtal in Springfield, MO. HD is great, Sd looks pretty decent also.

I have to say for $$$, this is an awesome set.

I am also looking at their 50" Plasma, it is almost too good to turn down.

Has anyone been able to set the factory remote to run an AV receiver? The book and website seem to favor their upgrade remote (with the source remapping) any takers on this one?

Andy

EDIT>>

mod note: no price other than MSRP, please. Thanks

I really like this TV but im running into two pretty major problems.

1) Component looks worse than Composite. I use SD running through a Humax TiVo so I'm aware of the signal being pretty grainy. But what i dont get is why my S-Video signal looks so much smoother than component. Ive used several brand of cable and i always get these slight artifacts that i dont see on Svideo. DVD quality is about equal but i still prefer the S-Video by a tiny margin.

2) Audio lag. I can't tell on regular viewing, but when playing a timing-based game like Guitar Hero then you can see a slight millisecond delay that just screws you up. Is that a slow audiocompressor? I have to run the PS2 through my stereo in order to play and if i dont mute the TV i get a slight echo since the TV is a tad late.


Other than that im really wanting to keep this TV. Great price but those two issues are convincing me to get the slightly more expensive Westinghouse at Best Buy.

delete

Any one know how to get into the service menu?

Awful awful awful. Second L32 to go bad in 3 months. Same problem. Loud intermittent distortion from speakers. First one bought at Costco, replaced by Vizio. I'm utterly disappointed. Now going to have to see what Vizio does about this one.

I became a Vizio L32 owner yesterday. My wife went to the nearest Sam's Club and lo and behold, there was only the floor model left and it was marked down to a clearance price of $600. What a deal! Hooked it up to the DirecTV receiver and the S/D picture looks pretty good. We'll go HD next Christmas.

What I'm trying to figure out is Vizio's future plans for retail distribution. Costco stopped offering the L32 once they sold out by Christmas (still has some L37s) and Sam's Club is also canceling the line (they also had a number of L37s).

I became a Vizio L32 owner yesterday. My wife went to the nearest Sam's Club and lo and behold, there was only the floor model left and it was marked down to a clearance price of $600. What a deal! Hooked it up to the DirecTV receiver and the S/D picture looks pretty good. We'll go HD next Christmas.

What I'm trying to figure out is Vizio's future plans for retail distribution. Costco stopped offering the L32 once they sold out by Christmas (still has some L37s) and Sam's Club is also canceling the line (they also had a number of L37s).Costco and
Sam's Club will continue to sell several VIZIO TV's including the P50HDM and L37HDTV.

The new VIZIO P42HDTV will be at Costco for a March Madness promo. The new VIZIO L32HDTV will be available at the same time. For specific info by store and model please call 888-VIZIOCE (888-849-4623).

Hello All,
So far ....our L32 is still working, it does still have a few quirks though. Of course the distortion in the speakers is still there, ( I've regretfully reverted back to mono sound for now to get rid of that ). Also, I've noticed that while watching a vcr recorded show, there is definitely what I call a 'lag' time in the picture. It actually favors more closely to a ghosting type of effect. I have our 4head hi fi vcr hooked up via the rca composite jacks. It sure would have been nice to get a L32 for $600.00 like mmarton did...I wouldn't feel so bad about the quirks this set has. I bet if I could get into the service menu area, at least my sound problem could be fixed.
David :)

Costco and
Sam's Club will continue to sell several VIZIO TV's including the P50HDM and L37HDTV.

The new VIZIO P42HDTV will be at Costco for a March Madness promo. The new VIZIO L32HDTV will be available at the same time. For specific info by store and model please call 888-VIZIOCE (888-849-4623).
Can you tell us more about the new L32HDTV? Is it just the addition of an HD tuner? Is there a timeframe for adding CableCard and/or unencrypted QAM tuners to the 37"? Any sign of 1080p from Vizio?

If a 37" LCD with at least a QAM tuner were available from you guys, I'd probably jump on it today. Definitely so if it were 1080p as well. As it stands, the P42HDTV may be the one to make me jump since it will have QAM at least.

Can you tell us more about the new L32HDTV? Is it just the addition of an HD tuner? Is there a timeframe for adding CableCard and/or unencrypted QAM tuners to the 37"? Any sign of 1080p from Vizio?

If a 37" LCD with at least a QAM tuner were available from you guys, I'd probably jump on it today. Definitely so if it were 1080p as well. As it stands, the P42HDTV may be the one to make me jump since it will have QAM at least.Both new VIZIO HDTVs will have QAM and ATSC tuners. Here's the link for the release on the L32HDTV-
http://www.vizioce.com/site/news/Vizio_32HDTV_Announced.html

That news is such perfect timing. I was about to go to Sams tomorrow to exchange my L32 because of this audio lag problem thats getting annoying. But now I guess i have to go for a straight return.

So if anyone gets this updated L32 then please tell us here. Other than my problem, I really liked my L32 but the addition of the HDtuner is just too incredible.

Hello All,
After reading the news about the offering of the new model L32, I'm also thinking about returning my present model of L32 and waiting for the new and supposedly 'improved' version. I will miss having the bigger picture for a while, but hopefully it will be worth the wait. I agree with monkeybutler, the sound distortion problem is annoying. Hopefully...they corrected that problem on the newer model.
David :)

Problems:

1 Sporadic remote control functions: TV responds inaccurately to functions pressed on remote. Example; pressing VOL will change channels; pressing MUTE will turn off TV; Pressing INPUT will cause TV to go into 1/2 mode. Different things happen at different times.

TV is less than 10 feet from remote; new batteries have been installed; no other remote item is on or being used at the same time;

2 Poor Stereo sound with NTSC processor: Stereo audio is poor during stereo broadcast using standard cable NTSC input. This problem does not occur on other CRT TV's hooked to the same cable line. Sound is fine when TV is changed to MONO. Audio is good using ANALOG-HDTV input from OTA HD receiver and from DVD. Audio sounds "garbled", like there is a poor connection to the speakers, as if you were moving a speaker wire and the audio will "come and go" from that speaker. Right speaker seems to be most affected.

3 "No Bright Pixel Guarantee" was a major influence in my purchase decision, however there is a pixel that constantly glows RED only. At viewing distance this is not a problem, but I am very disappointed that only 1 month from purchase this problem is already showing up. I'm concerned that after a few years how bad will it get?

I sent this email to Vizio . . . twice . . . no response yet. Well, it's true . . . . you get what you pay for!

It looks like some of you noticed the problem with the stereo tuner sound. For a while, I thought I was imagining it. Well here's the scoop on that:
It is a firmware problem. Of course, the Vizio support is non-functional, but somewhere on this website (in this forum?) I ran across a link to a news item that an outfit called "AmTRAN" is actually the supplier of the TV. They not only returned my emails, but actually sent me a programming adapter (with a return label) and emailed me new firmware. It almost completely fixed the problem, but for some strange reason some channels are still affected (especially the Disney channel!?).
I would expect at some point in the future (or present) that new TVs will have the fix.

I went to all this trouble, because I really like the set otherwise.

However, I don't see a good way for AmTRAN of Visio to help everyone else out, I can't imagine them sending programming adapters to everyone (although, I guess it beats sending new TVs to everyone).
The adapter is USB-serial interface, but it does not use standard RS-232 levels (that might fry the TV). It uses inverted 3.3V logic levels (which are similar to what usually connects to an RS-232 driver IC). (I hope this doesn't violate the reverse engineering directive, strike the previous sentence if I did).

I have been annoyed by the remote problem, I will mention this to the AmTRAN people, now that I see others have had this. I'm not sure what they can do about it without redesigning the remote.

.... $600? ... wow!

Glenn

Problems:
send an email to me and cc: techsupp@vinc.com for an exchange or repair.
jim_noyd@acker.com

Jim,
email sent, thanks for caring . . .

by the way . . . . . the very first stereo we ever bought was a Sherwood. Such a great stereo! Don't see them much anymore.

Dear gfoulke,
What an interesting bit of information concerning the vizio tv's...is this the firm you are referring to ?

http://www.amtran.com.tw/index.jsp
If so....how did you discover this information...I know the tv is manufactured in taiwan, as it says so on the label on the tv. I too would rather keep the L32 that I have already...even though knowing the 'new' model is being introduced for sale soon.
David :)

I found the AmTRAN site, too, but only saw 30" as they maximum product

Dear captaincrunch,
I agree with you...I also only saw a 30" lcd listed...but I'm sure that if indeed that company does manufacture or has something to do with the manufacturing process of the vizio brand, that they also manufacture other brands too.
David :)

I just bought an open box Vizio 32" from Sam's on Friday for our master bedroom. So far so good. We got an addtional 3 year warranty for $79.

Nuz

This is a very infomative thread about this product, and I think its greeat that the Vizio person has participated in the discussion. That's impressive to me.

After coming very, very close to buying a Sony or Samsung 30" CRT direct view for my 1st HD set, I decided to exercise a little patience. After studying various threads on this board, I admit that I was not even considering LCD.

Just so happens that I saw the Vizio LD 32 at Sam's today, and it sure "seemed" impressive--expecially for the price. And so much smaller than the CRT's.

Looks like I may just wait till the March introduction of the new LD 32, but for now, I have a question.

This will be our secondary TV in the study, and primarily for cable TV viewing--much of which will not be HD. I plan to get the digital/hd set top box from Time Warner. Sounds like the HD reception is really good, but I would really appreciate hearing comments about PQ of regular cable on this set.

Thanks for all the great info.

gfoulke,
You are lucky, so far anyway....amtram hasn't answered the message I sent to them about my tv. By the way...is this the e-mail address that you sent your message to : aubrey.lee@amtran.com.tw
I do hope eventually, that I can get the stereo sound problem fixed on my tv, also the remote working normally. To tell the truth...had I known the 'new' version of the L32 would be introduced, I surely would have waited for it.
David :(

gfoulke,
You are lucky, so far anyway....amtram hasn't answered the message I sent to them about my tv.

Send your inquiry to techsupp@vinc.com for response.

PQ seems pretty good to me. Watching normal cable in WIDE takes some getting used to but not much. The only time you notice it is with humans, they're really fat. With graphics, landscapes and objects you don't really have a reference point and so you don't notice them being fat.

DVD's and Cable with Shadow box, using ZOOM brings it to full picture. All perspective is the same.

Still, receiveing true HD OTA the picture is incredible. During the Super Bowl I could see the loose threads from around the players names on their jerseys!

Boy, I bet the female announcers are HATING HD!

PQ seems pretty good to me. Watching normal cable in WIDE takes some getting used to but not much. The only time you notice it is with humans, they're really fat. With graphics, landscapes and objects you don't really have a reference point and so you don't notice them being fat.

DVD's and Cable with Shadow box, using ZOOM brings it to full picture. All perspective is the same.

Still, receiveing true HD OTA the picture is incredible. During the Super Bowl I could see the loose threads from around the players names on their jerseys!

Boy, I bet the female announcers are HATING HD!

Capt Crunch-
Thanks for the input. My wife has heard a lot about poor reception for standard cable broadcasts on HD TV's [wide screen or not]. And that's pretty much why we haven't taken the plunge into HD yet.

I admit to having some of the same concerns.

But, that's why I'm here. Its great to be able to share the experiences of so many others.

Thanks again

I'm not an expert, but it seems that the new HDTVs can display a lot more information than you're getting using standard cable or NTSC input, therefore they "guess" at all the blank spots and so there is some distortion, especially around the edges. But I must say that the picture is still as good, if not better than a CRT. If you watch it in NORMAL mode you still have a very nice 26" TV. LCD is easier on the eyes because of no flickering, doesn't use near as much energy and is light enough to be moved about with ease.

Yes, it's still a little early in the game and only prime-time TV is coming in HD, but in Atlanta, 11Alive news is already broadcasting in HD, so it won't be long. You can wait a couple more years and jump in when these TV's will probably sell for $300 and HD is common, or go now and get to see really clear TV.

If it weren't for the remote and stereo problems, which seem to be ridiculous with these two technologies being so standard, I would be a very happy camper.

I guess for less than $900 they had to cut corners somewhere. Must have bought their parts from Guido off the corner by the docks.

Costco and
Sam's Club will continue to sell several VIZIO TV's including the P50HDM and L37HDTV.

The new VIZIO P42HDTV will be at Costco for a March Madness promo. The new VIZIO L32HDTV will be available at the same time. For specific info by store and model please call 888-VIZIOCE (888-849-4623).

So can you tell me if Sam's Club will carry the new updated L32HDTV? This is the one I want but do not have a Costco near me. Should I run out now and get the old version while its still available?

Watching normal cable in WIDE takes some getting used to but not much. The only time you notice it is with humans, they're really fat.

Thats true. With guys and really skinny girls then i don't even notice i'm watching in stretched widescreen. But get someone who's just slightly... (fill in nice word for un-skinny)... and you really notice. Those "Dancing with the Stars" girls look fine, but poor Rachel Raye looks like a turkey. I wonder if they'll start considering this stuff when casting shows in the future.

Anyway, I returned my L32 and I'm itching for my L32HDTV. $1000 for a 32" w/HDTuner is amazing.

Thats true. With guys and really skinny girls then i don't even notice i'm watching in stretched widescreen. But get someone who's just slightly... (fill in nice word for un-skinny)... and you really notice. Those "Dancing with the Stars" girls look fine, but poor Rachel Raye looks like a turkey. I wonder if they'll start considering this stuff when casting shows in the future.I hope people will stop watching SD channels stretched. and if you have to watch an SD channel, watch it as 4:3 in its original aspect ratio (OAR).

But, Jim . . . . we've got all that screen . . . . . . it needs to be filled with something! :-)

It won't be long . . . more and more broadcasts are using HD cameras . . . but I've still got to get this remote/stereo thing fixed, it's really bugging me. The other day we lost all audio on WSB 2(Cable #3). Come to find out somewhere along the way our remote told the TV to put this channel on SAP. I just happend to hit something and brought up the SAP icon. I had already called the cable company complaining!

Thought I was going to get some help. Actually got an email from techsupp, but all they wanted was to know if I was using a cable box or going straight to TV. Haven't heard back.

I also got to get the antenna figured out. Seems I'm getting a lot of multipath-ing. When 5 is good others are bad, when 5 is bad others are good.

Sometimes it makes you wish for the times when all there was to watch at night was the fireplace . . . . . . not really . . . . . .

Anyone else having problems getting the set to power up? I bought mine on black Friday and have had fairly good luck. HOWEVER, the last two evenings when going to view (bedroom set) it refuses to power up. The power LED is blinking red/green. If I disconnect the power, wait for the LED to go out, and restore power I hear a clicking sound from the lower left of the set and then the LED blinks again. Last evening it finally came on but not tonight.

Guess it's back to Sam's tomorrow.

I loved my 1st L32 so much I bought a 2nd! Both are sweeeet!

Anyone else use these calibration settings or have different opinions? I am using the 1st set listed below and it seems pretty good!

Steve



Here are my settings using Avia:

HD/Satalite (Dish Network) via component:

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 52
Contrast - 60 (HD stuff looks better more vivid in my opinion) This setting can go between 50 and 60 but the picture is more brilliant at 60.
Color - 32
Tint - 50
Sharpness - 0

DVD via component (progressive):

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 55
Contrast - 45
Color - 25
Tint - 52
Sharpness - 0

Cable via coax:

Backlight - 70
Brightness - 56
Contrast - 65 (due to poor signal)
Color - 36
Tint - 50
Sharpness - 0 or 25 (can't make up my mind yet)

Hope these settings point you in the right direction. Also hope your loving this tv as much as I am. The picture is just amazing on it. I guess I'm just impressed with the quality for the price. I paid $500 more for my Sharp at Cost Co and just have a hard time justifying the extra money for the name. I really don't see that much of a difference in PQ. I might return the Sharp this weekend so I can pick up another Vizio at Sams. I'd like to see Vizio make a 37" LCD. We'd probably see a price tag around $1500 if they did.

I loved my 1st L32 so much I bought a 2nd! Both are sweeeet!
Steve
Care to share with us photos of where and why two?

[QUOTE=rdaino]Davy49 - do you have any stuck or dead pixels on your L32? Sorry to keep asking people but I want to see if this is acceptable on the L32. Thanks!!

I've had an L32 since September and noticed my first stuck red pixel about 2 weeks ago. It's one pixel and it is almost dead center. At a distance it is not noticeable though. As others have said, it's a hazard of the LCD technology. Hopefully no others go.

One other quirk I've noticed once or twice is that suddenly I'll get static in the audio for no apparent reason. A simple unplug for 30 seconds did the trick. Not sure what was happening, but it scared me at first. I got the receipt and box ready for a return and found this suggestion either here, or on vizio's site.

All in all for the $1000 or so I paid, it's a pretty nice LCD. We use it in our playroom and have HDTivo connected to it along with a cheapie JSI HDMI DVD player. HD looks amazing, and DVDs look pretty nice as well. I'll be looking at the new models come March to upsize the playroom set and move this into the bedroom. . .

Hey hobbes4444
Read all the posts here . . . it's all explained

Jim N. (or anyone) How long should we wait for VIZIO Customer NOservice about these problems? Should I go ahead and dismount and return this thing?

Hey hobbes4444
Read all the posts here . . . it's all explained

Jim N. (or anyone) How long should we wait for VIZIO Customer NOservice about these problems? Should I go ahead and dismount and return this thing?
You're having a problem with multi-pathing....not much we can help there.

hobbes4444,

As far as I can tell....I haven't noticed any stuck or dead pixels on my screen. Actually though, I've been more concerned about my tv's inability to capture the stereo sound properly, when I did a channel scan in the cable tv mode. and when I manually go to each captured channel and change the audio mode from mono to stereo, most channels have distorted sound. also when viewing a recorded program with my 4 head hi-fi vcr connected to the av1 composite jacks, there is the problem of ghosting / waving of the viewed image. I think the reason vizio might be introducing the 'new' model of L32 is they realized they had some problems with the old model, and hopefully corrected them in the newer model. As well as adding in a atsc tuner. Of course that's just MY opinion.
David :rolleyes:

So can you tell me if Sam's Club will carry the new updated L32HDTV? This is the one I want but do not have a Costco near me. Should I run out now and get the old version while its still available?


I called the number that was given for info and the girl told me that Sam's would be carrying the L32HDTV.

Just got emailed from techsupp. Here's what they said:

the remote that you received with this could be bad and can be replaced for you.
the analog signals coming from basic coax hookup is actually a mono signal. And will produce a garbled sound if your display is set to stereo.
for the pixel issue please contact us here @ 877-668-8462 m-f 730AM 530PM pst

Will be calling this week, if I get a chance. I'm confused about the mono/stereo statement . . .

I have a question about the "backlight" . . .

What does it do? When I change it I can't tell any difference in the picture at all. I leave it set at 0.

This new 32" says 8ms response time as opposed to 12ms for the old NTSC version. I hope SAMS gets this soon, I will jump on it.

I called the number that was given for info and the girl told me that Sam's would be carrying the L32HDTV.

Thats good news. Did they give any indication of the date of availability? March like costco? Dang patience is a virtue but Im ready for my new TV!

I asked about availablity and she said "by the end of March". I think the Visio rep in this thread said it would be out for the March Madness push (NCAA tournament starts Thursday March 16, but the play in game in on the 15th I think). I would assume it would need to be out a week or so before, or the Monday at the latest.

i just returned my L32 since it was the end of the 30 day return policy. That L32HDTV better come in soon because im back to my old 27" convex screened TV and its making me want to puke. So if anyone spots this model then please respond in this thread.

I will be on the lookout for this one also.
I just hope it hits B&M SAMS so I can get it risk free.

When/if I get the L32 I will post detailed information.

Dear gfoulke,

Once again I'm SO glad to hear other members of this forum speak so candidly and honest about their experiences with the same equipment that other users own. I also have sound problems my vizio L32 in the ntsc 'stereo' tv mode. Of course not having the tv 'recognize' stereo sound. You would have thought the engineers that 'designed' this product would have noticed that problem. As most know...this product is made in taiwan, but normally.....they produce some pretty well designed products. Also, as it it with most lcd tv's...the viewing angle makes ALL of the difference. This weekend my wife and I wanted to be able to view some of the nfl playoff games a little better on our vizio L32. So I came up with a temporary method of elevating our tv at a higher viewing angle while sitting in our entertainment center. As this tv is pretty light, I just sat the unit on a sturdy box....WOW, what a difference that made. Now my goal is to get rid of the tv stand altogether, and locate a decent under-cabinet mount for our L32. I e-mailed vizio customer service about some little quirks with our L32..I never received a reply back from them. I guess for the money...our L32 was a decent buy. Of course I'm sure this year that lcd prices will fall even more...of course that's normal. Have a GREAT day !!
David :)

I'm also glad I to know I wasn't imagining the stereo problem when I returned this set back in October. gfoulke describes the sound problem rather accurately - wild amplitude fluctuations. I just couldn't place what exactly was wrong with the stereo sound when listening to it. The mono sound was very clear, but I couldn't make out dialogue clearly in stereo, and was wondering if my room or TV armoire was causing weird stereo 'imaging' or something.

I wasn't going to return the set for this reason, as otherwise I really liked the set and preferred the cabinet design, color, SD image, and panoramic stretch mode over the Westinghouse 32W1 that I have now. However, I also had a remote problem (several buttons failed), and after not getting a new remote for a month, I figured two problems was worth a return.

For those having remote issues, they will eventually replace faulty remotes, but you have to be persistent - I did get a new one in the mail a week after I returned the set. It was a weird customer service experience, they were very responsive but with no action - I'd get a prompt e-mail after every one of my e-mail's saying so-and-so was working on it, and a new case number each time, but no remote. I even got a call from their OEM remote manufacturer, who asked for detailed symptoms of my problem so they could build a better remote - but no replacement. The trick to getting action appears to be politely leaving a voicemail to so-and-so that you'll be returning the TV immediately to the shopping warehouse store you bought it at, since the TV is hard to use without a functional remote.

FWIW, since the remote was my primary problem, they never responded to my side question about whether there was a defect in the stereo sound.

Hello all,
As I've mentioned here before..I also have some problems with our L32. One of which was the remote acting rather strange when pressing some of the function buttons. I've been in contact with one of the vizio tech. support people, I've already received a replacement remote, and so far..the new one seems to work better than the original. And supposedly, I'm going to receive a on site service call to either hopefully fix my present L32 problems or I'm to receive a new tv @ no charge. i was told by the tech.support rep. that vizio is trying to establish itself as a reputable company, and they are trying to take care of consumers problems. I guess time will tell.
David :rolleyes:

I just purchased the L32HDTV from Sam's Club in Palmdale, CA. I'll give my impressions after a bit of viewing.

I just purchased the L32HDTV from Sam's Club in Palmdale, CA. I'll give my impressions after a bit of viewing.


So the new panels are out? What's the response time on the panel? Was the asking amount similar or higher than the older 32" model it's replacing?

According to the specs listed on the Vizio website the response is 8 ms. The price was the same as the L32.

According to the specs listed on the Vizio website the response is 8 ms. The price was the same as the L32.

Thanks. I'll see if my stores have them.

so the 8 ms one is out? anynoe else see it?

PC Magazine did a review and said that the Proview RX-326 was a better set than the Visio. It said nice things about both but gave the edge to Proview. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? I'm trying to find the best low cost model out there.

so the 8 ms one is out? anynoe else see it?

I went to two Sams and Costco and I didn't see it. They did have the L37HDTV.

so the 8 ms one is out? anynoe else see it?

My local Sam's in So. CA has them.

Saw it at Sams in Long Beach, CA and Placentia, CA. We're probably getting faster out in Socal because we're so close to their main offices. I picked one up along with the extended warranty. Its pretty much exactly like the old L32 but it uses a nicer blue for the menus and has the built in HDTV tuner.

The problem i have now is how Comcast requires me to rent a digital cable box even though I don't have digital cable. So in order to fully utilize my L32HD, Media Center PC and Tivo then I'd have to rent 3 cable boxes and that would double my bill. So my Tivo gets priority. It works fine but the signal is butchered by the time it reaches that beautiful TV.

I know i'm ranting but its annoying to be forced to rent proprietary equipment on top of the already insane prices we pay just to get those two channels we actually will watch. TV technology is getting better, but these cable companies make it so difficult to make the experience frustration-free. It's not a surprise people turn to the internet for acquiring their shows.

[QUOTE=monkeybutler]For Media Center i'm using the L32HD as an extended display. It looks incredible but again, no digital cable box means no cable channels. But for DVD's and videos its working out very well./QUOTE]

Sound like you want to be convinced to upgrade to an HD Cable box.

I know I watch very little Standard Def material anymore. Even DVD's are starting to look to low-def to me.

Go ahead and get the HD cable box and use the OTA HD Tuner.

Sound like you want to be convinced to upgrade to an HD Cable box.

I know I watch very little Standard Def material anymore. Even DVD's are starting to look to low-def to me.

Go ahead and get the HD cable box and use the OTA HD Tuner.

No, not really. Its more about being angry with rediculous HD cable box rental costs. If i could buy one fine but to rent one at a rediculous price is nuts. Plus, even with an HD cable box then it gets filtered through my Tivo or MCE system and both those don't have HDTV options.

Eventually i'll give in and get an HD cable box, but not until my DVR's can support HD content.

Monkeybutler,

Does it accept 1366 X 768 from the PC?

Monkeybutler,

Does it accept 1366 X 768 from the PC?

It sure does. Video and the Media Center look fantastic at this resolution. So my PC is now my main DVD player since the VGA connection is much better than the DVD built into my Tivo.

Question:

This is my first HD tuner experience so I'm not sure about something. Why does the Vizio have 2 antenna coax inputs? One is for standard TV and the other is for DTV. All the other HDTV's with built in tuner have a single coax antenna so when you flip channels then it goes back and forth through HD and standard channels. But on the Vizio then you have to go to NTSC TV to watch regular channels and hit Digital HD (twice) to go to the HD Tuner.

So is this normal? Westinghouse has an update o their 32" HDTV with a tuner and not only does it look better, it allows you to view all channels through one antenna.

Does it have the QAM tuner? Have you try it?

I just went looking for the L32HDTV and still can't find it locally in the MD, DC, N. VA area.

I went to both Costco and Sams this afternoon in Gaithersburg. None at Costco but the Sams did have at least 6 of the new ones. Didn't really pay attention to the actual one on display but think it was a new model. Probably be everywhere by Monday 3/20.

Golfguy

I went to both Costco and Sams this afternoon in Gaithersburg. None at Costco but the Sams did have at least 6 of the new ones. Didn't really pay attention to the actual one on display but think it was a new model. Probably be everywhere by Monday 3/20.

Golfguy


Thanks golfguy

I'm a few steps closer to dumping the L32HDTV. Like the L32, the L32HD audio sync on the thing still is a bit off. Especially on the HDtuner where sync seems to fall off randomly on me. To fix it I have to turn off the tv, and turn it on again. I really dont want to get rid of the L32HDTV so hopefully its something i can solve on my own.

As far as the picture goes, its so incredible that I find myself watching bad shows just because its 1080i. I watched Aliens vs Predator and Catwoman yesterday just to appreciate the clarity of HD.

Hello All,
Just to keep you updated about my vizio L32 problems, as I've stated previously, they already sent me a new remote control. That seem to help with the tv responding to the actual button that was pressed on the remote. Also, as far as the distorted stereo sound, I received a on-site service call this past tuesday
( 03-14-06 ) the service technician installed what they called a new audio board. It's the panel on the back of the tv where all of the audio/video connections are. That seemed to help the distortion on the stereo sound. One thing it didn't correct however was on the initial auto scan to capture all of the available cable channels, it once again only captured the sound in the 'mono' mode. While the service technician was there, she called vizio tech. support and informed them the stereo sound seemed to be better, but only captured it in mono. So once again I had to go to each captured channel and press the 'info' button on the remote, and then press the mts button to change from mono to stereo sound. At first the vizio people said they were going to then supply a replacement 'tuner' board to see if that would correct the capturing of the stereo sound. Then a few days later, I received a phone call from another person @ vizio wanting to give me a rma #. I asked him what for....he thought I wanted to send in the tv to vizio for repair. I explained to him that a technician had already came by and replaced the audio board, and that the last thing I heard was that a replacement tuner board had been ordered to be installed in our tv. He seemed 'confused' when I gave him that information..he said he would call me back, and did a few hours later. He informed me then that the tuner board had been canceled, and they instead wanted to send me a 'refurbished' replacement tv. I said I would discuss the matter with my wife, and he said he would call me back the next day...which he did. I had already made my mind up before my wife came home that I didn't want to go through the hassle of sending in our present tv only to receive a refurbished one in return. That's what I told the vizio person when he called me, I also told him that I had originally been told that if my current L32 couldn't be repaired to my liking. I would receive a 'new' replacement tv from vizio. After all this happened I contacted the original tech. support person I had been talking to, I informed him of everything that had occurred since I talked with him that last time. He e-mailed me back that he was sorry for all of the confusion and frustration I had been put through. He said he would call me the next day..and when he did he informed me that a replacement tuner board had once again been requested for our tv. I guess for now..I have three choices available to me, let them install the replacement tuner board, take the tv back to sams club and exchange it for another tv, out just get a refund and try another brand. I'm thinking maybe I jumped too fast when buying this vizio L32 tv. I hope some of you have had a better experience than me.
David :confused:

Davy49, with all you've put up, delt with, and run around, I'd return the TV to Sam's Club.

If you're willing to try another Vizio, I'd buy the new version L32 with the HD tuner built in. I'd take it home, set it up, and expect it to work perfectly out of the box. If there are any problems, I'd return it immediately and go look at other brands.

I'd still stick with what brands that Costco & Sam's offer, just for the return policy.

Good Luck!

Dear Jeff W.,
I feel the same way...had I known what is was in for with vizio I might of never purchased one in the first place. Of course in their favor..they have tried to help me.
David :)

The sound on my L32 just started the wild volume swings. Given I've already returned this once in early January (original purchase Black Friday) for failure to power on, it's time for a refund from Sam's. I may consider the 32" HD if it's there and at a similar price.

I've also returned an L37 to Costco in December (also Black Friday) for the tuner going out.

If it weren't for the backing of the warehouse clubs, I'd probably not be willing to try the brand again for sometime. Too bas becasue when they're working, they're great sets :)

BTW, the stereo not set on channel scan is probably a systemic issue. It happened on each of the two L32 and L37 sets I've had.

Dear rakstr,
You said:
"BTW, the stereo not set on channel scan is probably a systemic issue. It happened on each of the two L32 and L37 sets I've had. "
It sounds like this problem is much more widespread than I first thought. It might not help at all if they go ahead and replace the tv tuner board after all. Thanks for your comments.
David :)

Just picked up new Vizio L32HD from Sams here in Raleigh yesterday.
Played with it last night and today. My first LCD TV. I have a 19"LCD computer monitor so I knew a little of what to expect. Have 2 other HD monitors TVs, 27" crt and 50" crt rear projection. Time Warner digital cable customer.

First impressions, well packed, clever box design. Had a little trouble finding accessary pack. It was neatly fitted in the top of the lift off box cover.

Hooked up cable to both RF input ports (NO set top box) and did channel scans for both TV (analog) and DTV digital (QAM) inputs. Picked up all expected analog channels and about 30 of in the clear QAM channels. Each set has the ability to mark channels for skipping over. Several of the QAM channels were digital duplicates of the analog channels.

Only major complaint with the QAM operation is related to channel naming capability. Many of the clear QAM channels are assigned to channel number 0 instead of the expected 5.1,5.2,5.5 ....113.4 etc. with no other naming or electronic program to help identify them. It would be very nice if the Vizio let you type in a channel name for any channels that you wanted to name.

Analog SD channels looked kind of crappy due to the their 4x3 nature.
The HD channels looked pretty good but I wasn't happy with the black levels. Tried all three standard picture settings (vivid1,2,3) and then proceeded to set my own.

Tried an old Toshiba DVD player through the component inputs at 480p and it worked ok. Then tried a Sammy 850HD through the hdmi interface at 1080i and 720p. After calibrating with Avia DVD, it looked pretty good. I got no sound with the hdmi setup, until I set the Samsung player to downsample its pcm output.

Results are, SD channels are ok, true 1080i HD channels are stunning. remote works ok, DVD plays ok. I was worried about the sound volume/quality when I demoed this model in the store, but its ok in my smaller relatively quiet room.

So far, I'm pleased with the Vizio L32HD LCD. I'm putting it a bright sunroom so a CRT or plasma would have had too much glare(reflections)..

I will try a indoor antenna for OTA HD soon as I move the TV to its resting place in the sunroom. I think the QAM channel naming issue will go away with OTA.

ymmv :cool:

One question for all you new L32HDTV owners. Who here has tried a 360 on it? I would like to hear some comments on how 720p 360 looks like. Is there noticeable ghosting? Any 360 comments?

So I saw the new L32 at Costco today, next to a Phillips 32, Akia 27(?), and the L37. I have to say this one looked very good compared to the 3 and better than the L37. I have been looking for a TV for the bedroom and this one may have made the shortlist. I was very surprised, especially after seeing the Visio 42 Plasma and being very disappointed with it.

Jeff

More comments on Visio L32HD from Sams Club.
Analog SD channels looked kind of crappy due to the their 4x3 nature.

I have found that the SD 4x3 channels look much better if you don't stretch or zoom them. The panaromic mode looks ok for some things.


The HD channels looked pretty good but I wasn't happy with the black levels. Tried all three standard picture settings (vivid 1,2,3) and then proceeded to set my own.

My sunroom is very bright in the daytime and I now prefer the vivid 3 adjustment during the day. In the evening, I go to darker user preference setting.

True HD 1080i channels still have an amazingly great picture. I am using the QAM tuner via cable w/o a cable box. I did have observe one show with a minor lipsynch issue, but I think it was a network or cable problem.

I like the hdmi 720p input from my Samsung 850hd DVD player better than the 1080i input. It seems to have a slightly smoother image overall.

I tried the OTA HD (ATSC?) tuner with a indoor antenna (Silver sensor type) and it worked also, but wife banished it as unsightly.

New minor issue has surfaced...The standard TV channel skip function seems to not work above channel 80. I flagged the channels from 78-97 as skip since my cable doesn't provide them. If I press channel up on channel 77, I expect it to go to channel 98, instead it stops at 81 and every channel thereafter. Skip function works fine below channel 80. :confused:

ymmv

I'm still fighting with Vizio about the L32 I bought. Now they want my CC# to "hold" so they can ship me another one (refurbished?). I would rather take it back and exchange for the L32HD, but acording to what I've read here, they have many bugs, too.

Is anybody getting OTA HDTV with the new L32HD?

I refuse to pay Comcast for TV I can get for free. I don't understand that if we can get OTA HD for free, why does Comcast charge $99 to get it? Most HD is on the major networks anyway. They even went up to $50 now for standard cable. I'm dropping them next month and going back to free TV.

Is anybody getting OTA HDTV with the new L32HD?

I have tried and received OTA HD with the new Visio L32HD. I'm about 15 miles from the towers that transmit about 4 HD channels and multiple SD sub-channels. I had no problem getting these with a $39 indoor antenna from CC. The L32HD also has a nice program guide that it builds for the OTA channels that provide program info. I recently tried a external digtal HD tuner (w diff TV) for a few days and the L32HD OTA tuner seems to work better than that external tuner with same site and same indoor antenna.

I normally use the cable QAM tuner (no STB) instead, as I already have TWC cable for my two other HD monitor TVs. There is no program guide/info provided with the QAM channels that TWC is passing. However, the HD channel quality is excellent and the indoor antenna was unsightly.

As you may know, the L32HD has two RF inputs(tuners) one for normal TV (analog) and another for DTV (digital QAM or ATSC). I split my cable connection and ran a line to each RF input. The remote has buttons to easily switch from one to the other. In fact, you can have a picture-in-picture with analogue/digtal channels displayed together.

Again, my annoyances with the L32HD (user channel naming and non-functioning skip above channel 80) are minor and could easily be fixed with a firmware upgrade. The L32HD has a lot of bang for the buck. :p

Is there noticeable ghosting on these new sets?

I have not played any video games on the L32HD, but I've watched a couple of the NCAA basketball games in HD and did not notice any ghosting. It's supposed to be a 8ms panel.

Some of you gamers speak up... the first Sam's I went to had already sold out of these L32HDs, so somebody is buying them. :rolleyes:

I was an inch away from buying this model at Sams, but it will be mainly used for 720p 360 goodness. So I wanted to first hear any comments about ghosting with the 360 first. :)

Mukdweller,

I have the L32HDTV and I mostly use it for my Xbox 360. I run the 360 in 720p and it looks great. I had a 26" CRT HDTV prior to purchasing the Vizio so I am not just being wowed by the jump to HD.

As far as ghosting, I had one game give me ghost images. Fight Night Round 3. The arms and fists would give me about 3 images when punching. However, this was on the factory setting. I changed to user setting and dropped the sharpness and contrast (something I read on this forum somewhere). This took care of the problem.

GRAW looks awesome (except for the tearing). I have played all types of games on this tv and have not had any problems except noted above.

For 360 gaming, I think it is a great tv. I love it. I hope this helps.

On another note:

Oldmanphil,

What did you think of the basketball games in HD. I thought they looked good on the far away view of the floor but when they showed a close up action shot or replay it seemed to degrade the picture. Also, were you hooked up to satellite, cable or OTA?

Thank you.

I bought this TV last week. I'll be posting some detailed impressions and pictures. Including the 360 and my HTPC.

Awesome everyone!! Keep those 360 impressions coming. :)

Oldmanphil,

What did you think of the basketball games in HD. I thought they looked good on the far away view of the floor but when they showed a close up action shot or replay it seemed to degrade the picture. Also, were you hooked up to satellite, cable or OTA?

Thank you.

I thought the NCAA live HD games were very very good. Replays will not be as good as live due limitations in their replay equipment. Using QAM tuner in the L32HD fed via TWC cable.

Also have large CRT rear projection HD monitor in my media room using SA3250HD STB from TWC as input, and a 27 CRT HD monitor in bedroom with Pace STB...so I am not new to HD.

Here's my overview of the TV. I've had the L32HDTV for about a week. I bought it at Sams for under the millennium mark. I was hoping not to have to take it out of the box so it could fit in my car. Luckily, it did fit while still in the box.

Design

Once I got it home, the overall design of the TV is good. I like the fact the speaker (not detachable) is below the TV and not to the sides. The only issue is that I don't like the placement of the S-video connection. It's on the side panel of the TV.

The remote is okay. It has buttons so you can go directly to the inputs (i.e. AV, Analog HD) instead of cycling through the menu. It does appear that the closer you sit to the TV, the remote does not respond properly at times. A few other people noted this with the older model. I think it has to do with the placement of the senor. The sensor is on the extreme right side of the tv. I have a Sony AV3100, so I just taught the Sony remotes the Vizio codes.


PQ and Sound

I don't have digital cable/ satellite or a HDTV antenna. SDTV looks decent. You eventually get used to the way it looks. Some channels look better than others. Component video is about as good as you can expect. After watching a few DVDs, the blacks look nice and dark. For example, I've watch Batman Begins and Sin City. You do need to calibrate the TV. With the Vizio Vivid settings, it seems like it has an over emphasis on red. Once calibrated, it's corrected.

The included speaker does what it needs to do. The Vizio also does some fake surround sound. I really won't be using the included speaker, do to my home theatre.


PC/ HTPC

I have my HTPC connected via VGA. My DVI to HDMI cable is in the mail. I was able to get 1366x768 res on my Radeon 9600 SE. The VGA connection is clear and works well. However, when I tried doing some screen adjustments (adjusting the vertical size) using the ATI software, the screen blanked out on me. Other than that it's fine.

Xbox 360

I have the 360 connected through component. The games that I've played were NBA 2k6, Burnout Revenge, Call of Duty, and Ghost Recon. I have the Xbox set to 1080i instead of 720p. 1080i looks slightly better. There was no ghosting in the games I've played. I did download the Fight Night 3 demo to see if I would get some ghosting like the above poster said, but I didn't see any. However it was only the demo. I'll be buying the VGA adapter shortly.


Pictures included

More pictures

Dear members,

For the ones that have seen the new L32HDTV with tuners at Costco.
Which Costco was was it? I have tried South San Francisco, Palo Alto with no luck in the past week.
I have so ready to buy this TV from Costco and see if it is good.
Thanks.
L

I got the new 32" Westinghouse HDTV (w/tuner) last week. It cost a bit more but i wanted to try out a different brand since i ran into a few annoying problems with my L32 and L32HDTV. I thought the Vizio was amazing using the HDtuner but in a side by side comparison with the westinghouse then the quality of the Vizio is very washed out. On the westinghouse then whites were whiter and reds were redder and all that. But when using my MCE PC with the VGA then the westinghouse looked much worse than the Vizio. Colors werent as bright or crisp but on the Vizio then it was very good. Tivo going through the component was pretty bad on both.

So i ended up returning the Westinghouse and keeping the Vizio for now since my Media Center is what i use for watching DVD's and some recorded TV. So for now then the Vizio seems to be the best TV for this price range.

Here's my overview of the TV. I've had the L32HDTV for about a week. I bought it at Sams for under the millennium mark. I was hoping not to have to take it out of the box so it could fit in my car. Luckily, it did fit while still in the box.

Design

Once I got it home, the overall design of the TV is good. I like the fact the speaker (not detachable) is below the TV and not to the sides. The only issue is that I don't like the placement of the S-video connection. It's on the side panel of the TV.

The remote is okay. It has buttons so you can go directly to the inputs (i.e. AV, Analog HD) instead of cycling through the menu. It does appear that the closer you sit to the TV, the remote does not respond properly at times. A few other people noted this with the older model. I think it has to do with the placement of the senor. The sensor is on the extreme right side of the tv. I have a Sony AV3100, so I just taught the Sony remotes the Vizio codes.


PQ and Sound

I don't have digital cable/ satellite or a HDTV antenna. SDTV looks decent. You eventually get used to the way it looks. Some channels look better than others. Component video is about as good as you can expect. After watching a few DVDs, the blacks look nice and dark. For example, I've watch Batman Begins and Sin City. You do need to calibrate the TV. With the Vizio Vivid settings, it seems like it has an over emphasis on red. Once calibrated, it's corrected.

The included speaker does what it needs to do. The Vizio also does some fake surround sound. I really won't be using the included speaker, do to my home theatre.


PC/ HTPC

I have my HTPC connected via VGA. My DVI to HDMI cable is in the mail. I was able to get 1366x768 res on my Radeon 9600 SE. The VGA connection is clear and works well. However, when I tried doing some screen adjustments (adjusting the vertical size) using the ATI software, the screen blanked out on me. Other than that it's fine.

Xbox 360

I have the 360 connected through component. The games that I've played were NBA 2k6, Burnout Revenge, Call of Duty, and Ghost Recon. I have the Xbox set to 1080i instead of 720p. 1080i looks slightly better. There was no ghosting in the games I've played. I did download the Fight Night 3 demo to see if I would get some ghosting like the above poster said, but I didn't see any. However it was only the demo. I'll be buying the VGA adapter shortly.


Pictures included

This is awesome! How did you get rid of the red push? Would you be so kind to post your settings? :)

This is awesome! How did you get rid of the red push? Would you be so kind to post your settings? :)

I calibrated the TV. The TV has a user defined setting.

I bought the L32 model from Sam's last night for my brother thinking it would be decent at the very least. Let's just say after a couple of hours it was back in the box. The PQ is terrible, just absolutely horrible. No matter how much I adjusted the settings 1080i OTA looked like a DVD with average transfer quality. The contrast is also atrocious, the blacks are medium gray not even dark gray. There is also quite a bit of bluring when objects move across the screen. The only thing that was decent was the built-in tuner. I mean I didn't expect a Sony or Sharp for this price but it was simply unwatchable. I guess you get what you paid for with these no-name displays, which isn't much.

Hi Guys,

Did any one see the new L32HDTV in Costco around San Franciso bayarea?
I have tried South San Francisco and Palo Alto but have yet to see.

L

Hi Guys,

Did any one see the new L32HDTV in Costco around San Franciso bayarea?
I have tried South San Francisco and Palo Alto but have yet to see.

L

I don't live in the bay area, but none of the Costcos in my area carry the L32HDTV. They only carry the 42 and 50 in Vizio plasmas. However, the Sams in my area have them.

Thanks. I wonder when it will come to San Francisco bayarea...

Thanks. I wonder when it will come to San Francisco bayarea...Should be in most stores this weekend.

Thanks. Jim~!!!!

Sams website doesn't list it yet, not as of yesterday.

I notice the price shown on the vizio site has gone up.

Yeah, I noticed that too a few days ago.
But isn't that pretty common on other kind of merchandise too? The manufacturer's price is higher than reseller's price.

Anyway, this is kinda dumb on vizio's side tho, because they advertised the L32HDTV to be sub-1k mark and other places were saying this is the FIRST 32 inch LCD with all the tuners to make it below 1k mark.

L

Thanks everyone for your posts. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the L32HD at Costco (NJ) tomorrow. The model number they had was L32HDTV10A. Does anyone know what the "10A" designation is? Also, does the "stand" come off? I want to mount this on a wall.
{Edit: Never mind. I love that companies are putting their manuals on-line. I checked the Vizio site and the manual indicates the stand comes off for wall mounting.]

Thanks

I will check on the costco over here in San Francisco also and pull the trigger as well.... Hopefully it will be in stock.

New minor issue has surfaced...The standard TV channel skip function seems to not work above channel 80. I flagged the channels from 78-97 as skip since my cable doesn't provide them. If I press channel up on channel 77, I expect it to go to channel 98, instead it stops at 81 and every channel thereafter. Skip function works fine below channel 80. :confused:


This turned out to be a non-issue. I discovered that this problem occurred on my Visio L32HD because I originally stopped the auto channel scan at 81. After Scanning all the NTSC channels again, the skip function now works correctly from 77-98 etc. :rolleyes:

I have small lip sync problem with NBC HD programs through the QAM tuner. I think its a cable company problem, not a problem with the L32HD as the other networks seem to be fine.

The true 1080i HD picture continues to be great. Can't decide which way I like the SD 4x3 channels displayed. The SD 4x3 picture is has best detail at NORMAL mode, but the letterbox side bars are annoying. In WIDE mode every thing is stretched horizonal and in ZOOM mode its stretched hoz and vertical losing a lot of resolution. I like the panoramic mode (center normal and sides stretched) except when there is some sort of ticker tape message scrolling across the screen and then it looks like you looking through a fish bowl at it.

Most of my local Sams have sold out their intitial allocation.

ymmv

I went to a costco around san jose. There were at least 6 of them.
Now there are 5 of them left.. heheh

Thanks everyone for your posts. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the L32HD at Costco (NJ) tomorrow. The model number they had was L32HDTV10A. Does anyone know what the "10A" designation is?

Today I stopped in the Costco's in Orlando and the L32HDTV10A was on display. On the side of Vizio's shipping box there are many details/info listed about this set. I noticed that NTSC and ATSC tuners were listed on the box, but a QAM tuner was not listed. It could be that the 10A designation means there is no QAM tuner. Of course, the best source about this point would be to contact Vizio directly to confirm the correct configuration, since they could simply be using an old shipping box. Also the production lot series on this one was G09, and Costco was selling this model at the old price, as opposed to the new one on the Vizio site.

By the way, a 32" Sony Bravia was also nearby, so I compared the PQ with my superbly calibrated eyes, and both sets were of excellent, equal quality.

Today I stopped in the Costco's in Orlando and the L32HDTV10A was on display. On the side of Vizio's shipping box there are many details/info listed about this set. I noticed that NTSC and ATSC tuners were listed on the box, but a QAM tuner was not listed. It could be that the 10A designation means there is no QAM tuner. Of course, the best source about this point would be to contact Vizio directly to confirm the correct configuration, since they could simply be using an old shipping box.
The site says it has it
http://www.vizioce.com/site/products/product_l32hdtv.html

Has anyone successfully get channels from cable using QAM tuner ?
I am about to pull the trigger to get one.

Hi,

As a new owner of a L32HDTV, I got to say I like what I have seen so far but I know there are stuff that I still learn about this unit.
What I have tried so far:

Gaming:
I only tried Composite Cables with Gamecube and PS2. Not the best pic but acceptable. My shipment of Gamecube component cable is coming in next week and I am looking for a deal for PS2 component cable as well. So more on gaming later.

Video:
I don't have HDMI upverting dvd player but I have my computer hook up to the TV via RGB port ( regular pc monitor port). I played DVD on it, the picture is excellent. I think if I connect my computer to the TV with DVI-hdmi cable, the resulting picture will be even better... maybe marginally.. :)

TV:
1080i channels are HEAVENs to my eyes. I was able to pull in 3-4 channels (but only 2 of them are HD) via OTA w ATSC tuner but nothing interesting. HOWEVER, I was able to pull 2 1080i and 2 720p channels via cable with the QAM tuners, and that includes ABC, NBC, CBS, and one other channel ( i thnk it's a discovery channel, not sure yet). The detail in the picture is just excellent. My dad/mom/brother all went O_O ... WOWWW over the picture.. hehhe... ( I told them so but they didn't realy believe the difference). As for other channels over the QAM, they are just standard 480i SD channels. So my setup right now is one cable line coming in and splits into two lines, with one going into the HDTV connector and one to the SDTV connector in the TV.

As for SDTV, like I expected, HDTV will expose all the flaws in SDTV signals, so some channels do not look even as good as on regular CRT. But I found it watchable.

That's all I have tried so far. Let me know if anyone need any more feedback of the unit. I got to get back to work since I played with the unit the entire day on Saturaday... ... and half of sunday... hahahha :)

I am wondering if SDTV via ATSC tuner from air is 480p or 480i.
Is 480p much better than 480i or almost no difference ?

I think SDTV OVA are always 480i...
that's why regular dvd player (480p) seems better than SDTV.

I've got digital cable (Cablevision io) and hooked it up to the digital cable input. When I ran the channel search, it only found 6 channels. Any ideas? I'm going to call the cable company, but I don't have much confidence in them.