Hello, I've been a looker here for awhile... I would love to know what you think of Vizio as a brand, and this 37" LCD by them.

The VIZIO L37 HDTV is a 37” widescreen liquid crystal high definition digital TV. This product offers dual tuner PIP and POP with both NTSC and ATSC integration. The L37 has a zero bright pixel defect screen with 1366 x 768 native resolution panel supporting up to 720p and 1080i HDTV as well as a WXGA computer monitor. The fast 8-millisecond action video response time ensures height quality for sports, movies and gaming.

Accessories
VLM20 Tilting Wall Mount
VMF30-37 Flush Wall Mount
HDMI to HDMI cables
HDMI to DVI Cables
HDMI to DVI Adapter
Component Cables
UVR4 VIZIO Remote Control

Features

37” Diagonal Liquid Crystal Flat Panel
with 16:9 Aspect Ratio.

High Definition Television (HDTV)
with a native resolution of 1366 x 768.

Built in NTSC and ATSC tuners
allows over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts with an external antenna

Spectacular video clarity
with 8 ms response time.

High Brightness (500 cd/m2)
providing a more vivid, brilliant picture in any environment.

24 bit color depth
supporting 16.77 Million colors.

Multiple video format support
with HDMI, component video, composite video, S-Video and RF antenna inputs allows you to enjoy video from a variety of sources.

Wide viewing angle (176º)
so that everyone can view the picture from practically anywhere in the room.

PIP and POP side-by-side for ultimate video enjoyment
while watching 2 video programs at the same time.

50,000 Hour Lamp Life
provides over 20 years of use before half brightness (based on an average of 6 hours / day use).

Energy efficient LCD display
consuming 60% less power than the same size conventional television.

VIZIO Universal Remote Control and stand
included.

specification
Panel:
37" Color TFT Active Matrix LCD, Anti-Static and hard coated

Resolution:
1366 x 768 pixels

Display Compatibility:
HDTV

Signal Compatibility:
480i (SDTV), 480P (EDTV), 720P (HDTV), 1080i (HDTV)

Response Time:
8 ms

Brightness:
500 cd/m2 typical

Contrast:
600:1 typical

Viewing Angle:
176 degrees (horizontal/vertical) for CR>10

Inputs:
2 x RF (NTSC and ATSC tuners)
1 x HDMI (Digital Video + Digital Audio)
2 x Component + Audio
3 x Composite + Audio
1 x S-Video / Composite
1 x RGB (Analog) + Audio
1 x Service Port (RJ-45)

Outputs:
1 x Audio out (RCA)
1 x Headphone
1 x Digital Optical Audio (from DTV ATSC tuner)

Features:
Removable base and supports wall mounts (wall mount sold separately), PIP – Picture in Picture and POP – Picture on Picture, V-Chip for parental control, Universal Remote Control, Video Scaling Engine with one button Normal, Wide and Zoom mode switching, Advanced Video processing with Noise Reduction, 3:2 Pull Down, 3D Comb Filter, Progressive Scan, Aspect Ratio conversion, 3D De-Interlacer, Gamma Correction, Sound modes of Stereo, MTS and SAP, Closed Caption modes supported

Speakers:
Built-in 2 x 10 W

Power:
IEC Connector for direct power line connection.

Voltage Range:
90-264 Vac at 50/60 Hz. Power consumption: 160 W

Dimensions:
37.8" (W) x 29.5" (H) x 12.2" (D) with stand,
37.8” (W) x 28.3” (H) x 4.9” (D) w/o stand

Net Weight:
61.3 lbs (19.53 kg) w/stand, 54.6 lbs (15.58 kg) w/o stand

Certifications:
UL, C-UL, FCC Class B

Does anyone have this LCD HDTV, and what do you think? I just saw this at Costco and couldn't find anyone saying much about this LCD, so I decided to register here to do so.

I'm telling you now... This LCD looked great and better than all the plasmas it was next to, however I have no idea if all of them were adjusted properly.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Can anyone help me on this issue?

I don't think anyone has viewed this unit yet. Their plasma is definitely alot of bang for the buck. I found the 32" lcd at Sam's club to be below par compared to the Philips and Sony units next to it. What would concern me is the 600:1 contrast ratio. This seems quite low. I will be checking this out at Costco, but I have a feeling the 37" Syntax Olevia with the built in ATSC tuner will be the better unit. And at a price much lower than the Vizio, if you have a Microcenter close by.

What would concern me is the 600:1 contrast ratio. This seems quite low.

Yes, that is the one thing that stood out in my mind, however it looked great when I compared it to all the others it was next to inside Costco.

Thanks, maybe the Philips 32" LCD would be the better choice... I just want the best LCD I can get at a great price.

Btw... The 37" Vizio does have built in NTSC and ATSC tuners.

i just got the vizio L37 today at Costco. They had it on the floor, but not on display so I took one to the counter and they rang it up for me. Glad I don't have to wake up early and wait in line...

Its a great LCD for the price...just my opinion.

I'll be in that line tomorrow. They said they could not sell me one until Friday. Hope it meats my expectations. If not, back to Costco. The Sharp 32 is my back-up choice. (same price). Hope to read some reviews here soon.

Mike

I'll be in that line tomorrow. They said they could not sell me one until Friday. Hope it meats my expectations. If not, back to Costco. The Sharp 32 is my back-up choice. (same price). Hope to read some reviews here soon.

Mike

Lol I just posted in that Sharp thread... Quoting you.

Anyways, the price of that Vizio 37" is regular price, but it's only there while quantities last... I hope I can get one after I work there tomorrow.

Btw... I saw them for sale yesterday, so whoever said that lied.

Anyone has any opinions on those in genral? :confused:

Anyone has any opinions on those in genral? :confused:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572194

That's the 32" version of the Vizio LCD, and it has a fairly positive rep so far. The 37" version here has better specs except contrast.

I bought the 32 inch model a few weeks ago at sams club! Let me tell you that the picture is really nice on these units. I compared it to the philips right next to it as well as the sony and the colors on the vizio were more indepth and the other units looked washed out. I played with the settings on the philips and still could not get it to look as nice as the vizio! I see that sams club has it cheaper then what I paid for it a week and half ago, does sams offer a price protection? If they were to offer it cheaper within a given time, I could get refunded the difference?

I would also want to say that my father has a pioneer 50 inch plasma and he even likes the picture on my tv! Heck, he is the one that told me about this tv in the first place!

Garrett

Is the Sceptre X37SV-Naga LCD monitor for a hundred more better than this 37" Vizio LCD?

Is the Sceptre X37SV-Naga LCD monitor for a hundred more better than this 37" Vizio LCD?

I have not seen the Sceptre, I do not believe it was a stocked item. That unit is 1080p so it certainly has higher resolution. But resolution alone does not mean it has a better picture. It also does NOT have an ATSC tuner. That is a nice added bonus for the Vizio.

The Sceptre 37 is available online at costco and according to the website it DOES have an ATSC tuner. I am also very curious as to how these two monitors (Sceptre 37 and Vizio 37) compare. My view is that the Sceptre's resolution is only a boon when using it with a computer. And even then the resolution may be too high for practical use when sitting 8-10 feet away.

The Sceptre 37 is available online at costco and according to the website it DOES have an ATSC tuner. I am also very curious as to how these two monitors (Sceptre 37 and Vizio 37) compare. My view is that the Sceptre's resolution is only a boon when using it with a computer. And even then the resolution may be too high for practical use when sitting 8-10 feet away.

You are correct. It does include the built in HD tuner. My mistake.

I just went and looked at the Vizio at Costco. Not very impressed. Of course splitting the signal a gazillion times and not having a remote to adjust the picture didn't help. I am still somewhat impressed with the Olevia 37". However I noticed a purplish color in the blacks that I could not tweak out.

I just picked one up at the opening bell. They had 18 in stock and sold 6 by the time I got in the door. Great price for a 37. It's a gift, so I won't be able to post a review until after Christmas. :( Looking forward to other reviews from anyone lucky enough to play with their's now.

Mike

I just bought this set from Costco and really like the picture and full compliment of inputs. HOWEVER, I spent an hour on hold for their support and gave up. Thought someone here may know.....

While watching ASTC OTA, I can't get a 16x9 image on an HD broadcast (CBS Arkansas LSU game right now). All the WIDE button offers me is Normal and Wide which shows a squeezed 4x3 image or a full 4x3 image respectively. This is nuts!!!! I've been through ALL the menus, and I even read the instructions.

HELP!!!!!

Rakstr,

Relax, the game is not record in HD 16X9 format. It's show with 2 black bars on both side of the screen.

THANKS! It's listed as HD on TitanTV for my area and the HD indicator is shown on the info screen. I'll now do what I should have in the first place, go turn on the 65 inch Toshiba and the DST3000 STB and see what it shows. It's just strange that NO station is broadcasting a 16x9 format :)

[music from jeopardy]

OK, all stations on that receiver are 4x3 and I also checked my Accurian in the bedroom. Sorry for the false alarm. I guess I was too tired from going to Sam's @ 5AM for the 32" Vizio and then Costco @ 9 for the 37". Both are great sets for the money. Wished I had read the Vizio site before rushing.... The "sales" prices respectively are the new normal prices. The only real tease today was the limited supply. Oh well..........

I'll post a better review after I get some seat time with these sets.

garretwp - yes, Sam's Club does have price protection - go and collect.

Well after work I stopped at Sams and exchanged a few words with customer service! At first they did not want to give me the difference and was trying to tell me that they have a limit of 7 days. I then told them that I would just go home and package the tv and return it and then go pick up the same thing with the new price. They made a call to the office to double check the price protection and it was 30 days. So I collected and now even more happy that I got a great tv for a great price!

Garrett

Hey everyone...

New to the boards here and Thanks for everyones help!

My dad picked up a new Vizio L37 today for his Bedroom set at Costco as it had one of the best and brightest pictures next to all other LCDs. We brought it home and hooked it up to a new HDMI upconverting DVD Player and its a great set!

I bought the Philips 32 that was on sale for my bedroom, buit then noticed the Sceptre 37" so I went for that.

ANyways... with Costcos return polocy you cant go wrong with the Vizio... Great set!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

{mod note: no pricing}

EDIT

What I want to know most about this Vizio 37" LCD is how are the black levels in a dark room... Are they black or grayish black?

By having it adjusted properly, is there any big loss of detail in dark scenes in a bright lighted room?

Any info on these matters would greatly help my decision on purchasing this L37.... Thanks.

Could somebody PM me this most important info about this set...that cannot be posted.

Anyone?

What information do you want pm'ed to you that can not be posted?

Garrett

What information do you want pm'ed to you that can not be posted?

Garrett

The Price!

I just bought two - one for my bedroom, one as a gift. Great picture / size / value. However, I would NOT use this as the star piece in any home theater setup. IMHO, the LCD is not respnosive enough to fast movement - certainly not when compared to DLP. Just my take. But for the price, having something with such a small profile for a bedroom is perfect.

BTW - a couple of downsides:

- the RCA audio output on the back of the unit is ONLY variable. you cannot set it for fixed values.
- if you plug in a pair of earphones, the main speakers shut off.
- CC is either on or off - you cannot have it come on only when mute is on.
- PIP size is limited to three sizes (L,M,S), and the window cannot be manually moved with the cursors.
- tech support to 85 min to answer, and while pleasant to talk to, they had no clue.

Other than that, I'm thrilled w/my purchase.

Picked up an L37 yesterday at Costco (for a secondary theater setup in basement) - IQ seemed very good in store, and it's set up really nicely here at home. Yeah I was initially concerned about the contrast ratio, but in person there's no problem at all IMO. Very nice screen.

On a side note, the package is pretty well thought out, so I was up and running in 10 minutes, all set up (wall-mounted) within 1.5 hrs or so. Screen looks great. I'm using the internal speakers - they're decent enough for the job. So overall thumbs-up on the L37.

abakshi, where did you get the wall mount. and what is it.

Picked up an L37 yesterday at Costco (for a secondary theater setup in basement) - IQ seemed very good in store, and it's set up really nicely here at home. Yeah I was initially concerned about the contrast ratio, but in person there's no problem at all IMO. Very nice screen.


How are the black levels in a dark room... are they black or grayish black?

Response time really 8-ms?

Any detail loss in dark movie scenes or dark games like DooM III?

abakshi, where did you get the wall mount. and what is it.
It's a standard VESA mount. You can get it from Vizio -- either fixed or tilt mount ($100-130ish I think) -- or elsewhere. I picked up a generic LCD/plasma 30-50" tilt wall-mount kit from Walmart for about the same price (but instant instead of shipping from CA).

For the love of God, can someone who owns this set answer my questions?

Thank you. :D

How are the black levels in a dark room... are they black or grayish black?
Well, it's decent enough for an LCD (for which black levels aren't typically a strong point). Large areas of black can be dark-grayish, but it's fine for the most part IMO. Actually I think the rest of the image makes up for any such issue -- funny thing is that after I set this unit up last night, I realized that in some ways, the output looks better than that of my new $4k 50" Pioneer plasma (which I also got yesterday) lol... It also has more inputs (like the VGA in) and a better SD tuner (a lot faster to change channels), though the HD tuner lacks CableCARD support (only ATSC off the air) and the menu options are a bit limited. For the price, it's a great unit.

Response time really 8-ms?

Any detail loss in dark movie scenes or dark games like DooM III?
For the most part, dark movie scenes seemed fine I think, but I haven't really used it enough to notice anything with the response time or performance as a gaming display. I think I'll try hooking up a PC to the VGA in to see how it goes.

For the price, it's a great unit.

Have you looked at SD broadcasts in 4:3 and stretch modes yet? That was a major disappointment with the Panasonic 37* plasma which I returned.

Thank you very much abakshi

Yes I did notice how great the whites were on the L37 compared to all the Plasmas/RP-HDTVs. I was about a foot away and was amazed by the clarity of this Vizio.

That's it... I need this set for movies & gaming. All I need to find now is an Xbox 360. :(

I'm about to buy a 37 inch LCD. My question is, what advantages does this one have over the Sceptre? The Sceptre looks better on paper but I want to make sure I make an informed purchase.

Or is the Vizio just substantially cheaper than the Sceptre? I haven't seen any pricing info on it.

Edit: I should add that the primary purpose for my purchase is Xbox360/PS3 gaming, so I'm looking for a LCD that performs well in that area.

I'm about to buy a 37 inch LCD. My question is, what advantages does this one have over the Sceptre? The Sceptre looks better on paper but I want to make sure I make an informed purchase.

The Sceptre is cheap looking and lacks the quality of Vizio. I've heard much more negative towards Sceptre than Vizio LCDs. I also believe the L37 Vizio has more inputs in the back and it comes with two tuners.

I think I'll try hooking up a PC to the VGA in to see how it goes.



I picked up this TV as a XMAS present for my in-laws yesterday, and tested it (dead pixel test) through a VGA hookup to my PC. The VGA performance was quite good - I wished I had a DVI/HMDI cable to test a digital signal. The colors were sharp, and the black, as mentioned before, are pretty good for a LCD screen.

One more thing, I had to unbox this to fit it in my Highlander - it is a big box. But the Vizio boxes have a nice "clip" feature to remove the bottom of the box.

"Offering 1366 x 768 native resolution, and 8 ms response time, the 37" widescreen VIZIO L37 HDTV is great for home theaters and for fast-moving games. Built-in HD ATSC and NTSC tuners, 3:2 pulldown, 3D -comb filter, motion-adaptive deinterlacer, 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 VGA-type PC input and a 176 degree all angle viewing, this product is a perfect fit for the home, office or boardroom. Standing up to the VIZIO's high quality picture and service reputation, the L37 HDTV will offer a unique "Zero Bright-pixel" defect guarantee along with a one year on-site warranty. The VIZIO L37 will be in Costco this week and at Sam's Club stores in December with an everyday price"

The Sceptre is cheap looking and lacks the quality of Vizio. I've heard much more negative towards Sceptre than Vizio LCDs. I also believe the L37 Vizio has more inputs in the back and it comes with two tuners.


By "cheap looking", are you referring to picture quality, or just the aesthetics of the TV design? I don't care how the TV itself looks, I'm just going for maximum picture quality.

Do you think the Vizio would perform better with games even though it has less resolution?

By "cheap looking", are you referring to picture quality, or just the aesthetics of the TV design? I don't care how the TV itself looks, I'm just going for maximum picture quality.

I was referring to the aesthetics, however it's LCD screen is a lower class than the Vizio so you are going to get more defects in the Sceptre.

Do you think the Vizio would perform better with games even though it has less resolution?

For 360 gaming? Yes, every 360 game has to be at least 720p. That’s the standard Microsoft has set for developers.

For PS3 gaming? Who in the hell knows. I do know that the PS3 will not be able to run at max settings at 1080p resolutions. It’s more of a marketing ploy because High Def gaming isn't even a standard for PS3, so you may get many 480p games as well.

Mikewarrior - Have your seen both the Sceptre yourself? From a previous post it seems you haven't seen a Vizio in person.

Can you back up your assertion that "however it's LCD screen is a lower class than the Vizio"?
The Sceptre is true HDTV res, the Vizio is not. I didn't get to see a Sceptre in person but I did see a Westy. Before I saw the Westy I wasn't sure myself if the additional res was going to be visible but WOW! the Westy just blew away all the 1366x768 displays. SDE? not with the Westy.
I did see the Vizio at Costco and was not impressed after seeing the Westy at BB. Unforunately I was a bit rushed so I didn't get to check the settings or check out dark scences - work to do this week.

I've had this L37 and it's little brother the L32 for a couple days now and am mostly pleased. I'm using the RS STB on the L32 for ATSC reception.

In general, the sets are responsive and provide good color and depth. The wealth of inputs is a plus (especially the HDMI!). The optical out on the L37 was a sales point as I will be adding a receiver and speakers in the Den for my 3rd HT setup. My wife is rolling her eyes as she is more about basic TV!

For those of you wanting pricing and performance, go to the Vizio site, it's CLEARLY stated :)

There are some annoyances in the L37 I either haven't figured out or .... :) Some of these are very basic functions that have become expected, at least to me, and I'm baffled that they were overlooked in what is otherwise a decent set. If anyone has figured out other solutions, please chime in!!!

1 - Took tech support 90+ minutes to answer! It is a new set (retail) as of Friday and the tech had to "fumble" a bit. He did confirm the channel stuff below and, unfortunately, told me there would NOT be a firmware upgrade to correct things.

2 - The inability to easily add/delete stations to the scan. It does have a "skip channel" list that removes a station from the up/down channel traversal but the channel remains in the system for menus, guides, ... The only way to get ONLY the channels you want is to clear the list and do a number of individual channel scans with limited ranges (i.e. range 3-5 to get only 4, ...) This is VERY time consuming

3 - Limited control over picture size. The only way to stretch a 4:3 digital pic is with the zoom and then the X2 remains on the screen.

4 - The internal speakers are OK but if you add just a little more Bass (setting 7 and above) you get a distortion in the sound.

5 - Limited "direct" access to inputs. I like to have macros on my remote to switch inputs and set up the receiver, tv, dvd, stb, ... (my wife is technology challenged). While the set does at least have predictable and repeatable steps to get to an input (and thus programmable) you have to at times step through inputs in a "non-elegant" fashion.

Limited control over picture size. The only way to stretch a 4:3 digital pic is with the zoom and then the X2 remains on the screen.

Whoa! That's a potential show stopper. Are you sure? I'm looking at the set's manual on Vizio's site and there's a Panaoramic mode for 4:3 broadcasts that typically leaves the center alone and stretches the sides. How is the 4:3 PQ? I was in Costco yesterday and saw the Vizio 37 in comparison to a Phillips and a Sony 32" LCD. Using component jacks and the same source material, the Vizio did not fare well against the other two. I did down tune it's video settings but the others still had more vibrant, colorful pictures. There may a bunch of reasons for that, having nothing to do with the Vizio's actual quality though.

Mine was the opposite, the philips tv right next to the Vizio was washed out and not as vibrant in color as the Vizio. It is tough to look at TV's like that when they are split into many components! If the return policy is good and you are interested in the TV set, it can not hurt to buy it and try it out. If you do not like it return it!

Garrett

Cal1981,

The panoramic is for SD NTSC and probably other inputs (haven't tested AV). I was referring to the modes for the ATSC input. Tech support confirmed. In Analog HD (tested component NON progressive DVD) you get Normal, Wide and Zoom.

The panoramic is for SD NTSC and probably other inputs (haven't tested AV). I was referring to the modes for the ATSC input. Tech support confirmed. In Analog HD (tested component NON progressive DVD) you get Normal, Wide and Zoom.

That's similar to the Panasonics which don't allow aspect changes for HD broadcasts coming in on either the component or HDMI lines. Again, how is your SD picture in native 4:3 and in panoramic mode? Thanks.

I only use the NTSC for my DirecTV feed (this is in the back room). All stations in DFW broadcast digital now and I watch on ATSC tuner. The NTSC picture is acceptable. I watch in Zoom as Panoramic and Wide both seem stretched. I'd rather lose top and bottom (perhaps more grainy) and maintain proportion.

I just stepped through the NTSC tuner and all pictures are acceptable (again Zoom was my preference). The tuner sensitivity must be pretty good as I don't see any noise on some stations that used to always have some snow!!!! My previous TV was a 32" Toshiba CRT (~$1K in 1994). In normal mode, the 4:3 picture size is slightly smaller than the Toshiba (18.25" tall V 20" tall)

This is something you need to view and decide for yourself!

I also just got this tv. So far, so good. I came from a Sony 36xbr400 and the picture was beautiful, but I wanted a flat panel. Anybody know the specs I need to find which mount I need? I'm looking for an articulating one. Thanks.

Look in the info packet in the box with the TV. I can't locate mine right now. My wife "put it away". I believe there's a 10% off coupon at a Vizio site through today with free shipping. Also, Costco has mounts online, and Walmart in store. Do a search and there's a number of threads. I believe this is a standard mount. See page 8 of the manual for the website and the mount info.

By "cheap looking", are you referring to picture quality, or just the aesthetics of the TV design? I don't care how the TV itself looks, I'm just going for maximum picture quality.

Do you think the Vizio would perform better with games even though it has less resolution?

I'm with you on that one 150%, who cares how the TV looks, I'm not buying it to stare at the frame and there are about 100 different ways to hide it so only screen is visible. For all I know you can glue the wood look alike plastic thingy on top of the frame if you want. How is the PQ that counts.

I was referring to the aesthetics, however it's LCD screen is a lower class than the Vizio so you are going to get more defects in the Sceptre.



For 360 gaming? Yes, every 360 game has to be at least 720p. That’s the standard Microsoft has set for developers.

For PS3 gaming? Who in the hell knows. I do know that the PS3 will not be able to run at max settings at 1080p resolutions. It’s more of a marketing ploy because High Def gaming isn't even a standard for PS3, so you may get many 480p games as well.
Mike,
Your posts are too much of a cheerleader effort for the Vizio. I"ve seen this unit at Sams and Costco and was not impressed. The Sony, Sharp and Mintek and others were far superior.
Are you financially connected at all, in any way to these Vizio products?

Thanks!

I just bought this set on sort of a whim and don't really know how to set up. The picture seems unclear, fuzzy, especially when movement or from far away. I am connected through HDTV cable box and HDMI cable. How can I learn more about how to get my set running properly? The instructions seem to be lacking on troubleshooting.

Thanks

I purchased one of these over the weekend and would like to share my experiences with this set.

The first thing I noticed after unpacking and setting up is that on the default blue screen that initially fires up there was one dead pixel - I later found out that it was only dead on the color blue (on other colors the LCD would light). This was strike one. I started putting the set through various test to check SD and HD sources. I was impressed with the PQ on both SD and HD sources - The image had great depth with colors that "popped". Very smooth movement on action scenes.

After being "wowed" by my initial impressions I started to really look and noticed some image imperfections. The first thing that was quite obvious was the lack of smooth color graduation - Everything sort of looked as if the video feed was over compressed resulting in bands of color changes. This was very noticable on sky scenes. I also noticed that areas that should be grey had a green tint to them - At first I though it was perhaps just the scene so I checked several scenes that had various shades of gray, and all of them had the same issue. After a while this started to really bug me. I tried every setting I could find in the limited menu list and nothing resolved the problem. I ended placing my Sharp LC-32GD4U on the coffee table next to it just to make sure that there was not a source issue involved - This comparison really brought out green tint and banding.

On top of these issues I noticed that the HD tuner would only pick up one channel, where the Sharp would pick up 8 using the same antenna feed.

I really wanted to like this TV - Has anyone else noticed these issues? Did I perhaps get a lemon? I plan on returning this, but I'm not sure if it is worth the time to exchange it for another if they all have these issues (perhaps I an expecting too much from a tv at this price).

musictoyz...as far as the banding or false contouring, all flat panels have some of this...to varying degrees...many times it is the source material, and many times it is the set...and many times its both...you just have no way of knowing without having a CRT to compare it too.

It's a standard VESA mount.


Abakshi, how sure are you of this? I wanted to get one of those articulating brackets that allow you to pull the set away from the wall, and pivot left/right up/down. I've found several kinds on eBay (new) for about $60-130. They look good in print, and are all VESA 75, 100, and 200 compliant.

I sent an email to one of the sellers with the L37 link, and they responded that this set IS NOT VESA compliant. I know the bracket that VIZIO sells is the kind that has long slots to fit the screw holes in the back - but what I'm looking at looks more like an X (or square) with holes in the corners that line up with VESA standards.

Please let me know where you learned that the VIZIO is VESA compatible - and specifically, whether it is 100 or 200.

Thanks!

Sorry 'bout that... Didn't realize that was too specific... :(

After going to see this set in person today, I definately think there is some shilling going on. It doesn't even compare favorably with the other budget priced 37 inch LCDs, and looks much worse than the market leaders. The price didn't even seem that great for what you get. This TV looks no better than the 37 inch Syntax that hit triple digit pricing during black friday.

Side by side, it looked very bad next to the Phillips 37 inch.

I fell in love with my Vizio at first sight. She was the most beautiful, vibrant display at CostCo, with an engaging personality that shamed her pale overhyped neighbors: the Panny 42 EDTV and Phillips 42 HDTV. And the Syntax at MicroCenter was exceptionally dull and lifeless in comparison, too.

I waited for about a year before finally getting her, and I think I spent far too much time reading the horror stories here in this forum about the endless problems that seem to plague each and every single display on the market. I realized that I didn't need perfection, I just needed something I could be really happy with.

With time I'll surely learn to identify her flaws and start looking for something better. She's certainly not the sleekest girl on the dancefloor, as she can hardly fit into a Range Rover. Yes, it would be nice if she could learn a few new Zooming moves, and perhaps stop being so stubborn when dealing with new channels. She doesn't seem to get along as well as I'd like with my Toshiba upconverting DVD player, but I think the Toshiba is more to blame for this conflict. Finally, it's a literal pain in the ass trying to screw my OTA antenna into her bottom. It's such a tight fit--you can't even get a finger between the Digital input coax and her plastic case.

But for now I'm going to relish her vibrant colors, her imperceptible motion blur, and her blemish-free skin (no dead pixels). She even looks great without her makeup--offering up surprisingly good SD image quality from my analog CATV feed.

xoxo my dear Vizio :D

:)

I tend to agree with the perhaps over flourished review by Jack!

All new TVs, Cars, Technology will have their "issues". To me, these issues aggravate me at first until I learn if there's an acceptable way to work with them and get what I want. I'm not talking daily crashes like the XBOX or sound that drops on some DirecTV receivers, those would elevate from aggravate and the technology would have to go on the black list.

There's nothing I've found in either the L32 nor the L37 that I've had since Friday AM that would lead me to tell someone to NOT buy them.

Again, with healthy scepticism, people should read all these threads, view the product, and make a personal choice. I'm happy with mine as a whole.

I'd have to agree overall that I'm pretty pleased with my Vizio 37. No, the color rendition isn't as accurate as my 50 inch 6UY Panasonic plasma (one of the better quality plasmas of its generation) and there's definite ghosting that can be seen in fast motion but the blacks are decent for a flat panel and overall, does lend to a very pleasing image overall. Can't seem to pick up DTV channels for beans with the built-in ATSC tuner but that may be a fault with my house construction and trying to use an indoor antenna than anything else (don't have any other TV in the house with an ATSC tuner so can't compare). The panoramic stretch mode is pretty decent and the tuner renders SD TV as good as can be expected. The false contouring with this set is actually much better than my plasma - it does still exist though.

Disclaimer - don't work for Vizio and have no financial interest in them. ;)

Spleen

Hi.

I'm new to the forum and wanted to know what the Vizio L32 looks like on standard definition cable or DirecTV. I don't plan on going to HD DirecTV until next year when local channels are offered.

I saw the unit at Costco, next to Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Philips and others. All of the sets, either LCD or plasma, were showing the same images, I guess from a DVD. What impressed me was that the Vizio looked good compared to the other brands but it also had the widest viewing angle.

Thanks for a response.

The SD picture from the Vizio L32 or L37 is fair, nothing to write home about. The picture you viewed at Costco was HD. If you're not goint to upgrade to HD until next year, I'd wait and see what's available then.

As far as Directv goes, they do offer the local channels via an over the air antenna.

Has anyone been able to draw a valid comparison between the Westinghouse 1080p 37" and the Vizio? Having seen the Westy at BB a month ago and the Vizio at Costco this week, as I have, doesn't really qualify as "valid". But based on my limited viewings, the Westinghouse has a big advantage in image quality.

In theory, the advantages of a 1080 panel are significant--especially if you have a cable/sat/upconverting DVD that outputs 1080. Clearly the 1366 x 768 spec, which doesn't directly map to ANY home video format, is not ideal for anything but computer use (and it's a bit "low res" for even that at larger screen sizes). 480, 720 and 1080 all have to be scaled, with the resulting artificacts, to 768. The advantage of a 1080 panel will be even more significant when HD DVD and/or BluRay are finally a reality in this country.

I agree there *seems* to either be some shilling going on in this thread or there are just some who have bought the Vizio and like to (perhaps irrationally) defend their recent Vizio purchase? I haven't bought the Westinghouse in part because all the local BBs sold out of them during their sale pricing. And partly because it has some significant limitations including no built-in tuner(s), the uneven backlight problem, weak blacks, some firmware glitches and spotty reliability. It's not something I want to mail order only to have to ship back the huge heavy (and likely beat-up) box. There are also rumors Westinghouse already has a replacement model due out soon. That said, however, the Westinghouse picture at BB appeared to be significantly more detailed and artifact-free compared to far more expensive 1366 x 768 models right next to it. So I suspect it would easily blow away the Vizio in these same areas? And it's about the same price.

I'm going to CES in January and expect it's going to be all about 1080P this year. Last year there was just a taste of it with Samsung's wobulated 1080P RP sets drawing the most attention. IMHO, 1366 x 768 is going to be found in the next crop of models in only small or low-end LCDs. I think we're seeing the last of 37" 768 LCDs with models like this Vizio (same with 32" models for that matter)?

Guys, I'm just a spectator here, someone who likes the look (and the price) of the 32" Vizio at Sams and has been trying to hold out for the 37" to arrive (no Costco here).

But is it me, or are some people a little cynical in their accusations of "shilling"? Not calling anyone in particular out, but my gosh, these are lower-end panels and naturally are going to have some limitations compared to more expensive products. But they still look pretty darn good IMO, especially for what is a fairly new technology at this price point. It seems to me that just because someone is happy with their purchase and wants to tell people about, it doesn't mean that there is anything dishonest going on. Isn't the rule that YMMV?

Just my .02.

I've seen both and IMO the Vizio can't hold a candle to the Westy.

One to One pixel - no video processor articfacts (except from the broadcaster themselves).

I've seen both and IMO the Vizio can't hold a candle to the Westy.

Yes, because we all know that they were adjusted to the top of their abilities... Right?

Or is it that because the Westy has a 1080p digital source running through it... Like is there any in media form?

IMO... What a joke. :p

Or is it that because the Westy has a 1080p digital source running through it... Like is there any in media form?

IMO... What a joke. :p
Well there are many 1080i sources out there with digital outputs (and even more with component). My cable box puts out native 1080i HD. And yes, I think such 1080 sources look great on the Westinghouse versus having to scale 1080 outputs to fit into 768 lines where a big chunk of the image data is lost and new artifacts created.

As for 1080P, those sources are without a doubt going to be here in a big way long before most people are comfortable dumping their still relatively new 37" LCD for one that supports 1080P.

As a reminder to those who may not know any better, it's generally best to do scaling at the source (where the scaler usually has more and cleaner image data to work from), rather than at the display device. The worst case is when the content has to be scaled multiple times along the way. Having a display device that can accept native 1080 eliminates another round of scaling in many instances. How is that a "joke"?

Having a 768 line device assures that ALL video content will have to be scaled with at least some level of negative side effects. Even if your content isn't 1080, it's almost always better to let the source device do the scaling to 1080 for the reasons mentioned above rather than having the display device try to do it down stream. You can run a high-end outboard scaler that can output at 768, but it will aproach or exceed the cost of the LCDs we're talking about here and you'll still have inferior results with 1080 content.

For those who think scaling is no big deal, try comparing a computer LCD running at its native resolution versus running it above or below its native resolution. The difference is night and day even on a static screen with no motion. When you throw motion into the mix, the problems with scaling are even more significant.

Having a display device that can accept native 1080 eliminates another round of scaling in many instances. How is that a "joke"?

Because a 720p native image from 720p native Xbox 360 games will still need to be scaled onto a 1080i/1080p native TV.... That's why.

Because a 720p native image from 720p native Xbox 360 games will still need to be scaled onto a 1080i/1080p native TV.... That's why.
If you only care about 720p on the Xbox, I'd agree with you. But I suspect that's a tiny minority of the people interested in this thread and the Vizio L37?

If you only care about 720p on the Xbox, I'd agree with you. But I suspect that's a tiny minority of the people interested in this thread and the Vizio L37?

But that's the reason I posted this thread in the first place. :D

But that's the reason I posted this thread in the first place. :D
Ah, well you should have said so then. Your first post doesn't mention anything about the xBox or gaming let alone that being the only thing you're going to ever do with the display. It just asks for opinions on the L37.

Ah, well you should have said so then. Your first post doesn't mention anything about the xBox or gaming let alone that being the only thing you're going to ever do with the display. It just asks for opinions on the L37.

Yeah, that's why I later asked about the black levels for games like DooM III.

And then posted this thread... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=611625

"But that's the reason I posted this thread in the first place." - Mikewarrior

Well if you say so. However that's not mentioned in the title of the thread.

Oh and by the way I do watch a lot of 1080i.

nwavguy stated it simply and elegantly that advantages of minimizing video scaling. I'd rather buy equipment that doesn't have to scale.

As someone else pointed out earlier on this thread or another you must have a financial interest in Vizio or why are you so bias? May I suggest it's because you bought one and are defensive about not having true full HDTV?

Well if you say so. However that's not mentioned in the title of the thread.

Yes, but your "IMO" on these two LCDs at two different places at far from top quality settings for one and/or the other is ignorant on a buyers impressions. What you say has ZERO professionalism when it comes to what one is better looking than the other.

Oh and by the way I do watch a lot of 1080i.

nwavguy stated it simply and elegantly that advantages of minimizing video scaling. I'd rather buy equipment that doesn't have to scale.

1080i is not native 1080p... The Westy is native 1080p

Btw... Your 480p DVDs have to get scaled to the native resolution of that 1080p Westy... 720p is much closer to the native resolution of DVD movies. :p

As someone else pointed out earlier on this thread or another you must have a financial interest in Vizio or why are you so bias? May I suggest it's because you bought one and are defensive about not having true full HDTV?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=611625

1080i is not native 1080p... The Westy is native 1080p

Btw... Your 480p DVDs have to get scaled to the native resolution of that 1080p Westy... 720p is much closer to the native resolution of DVD movies. :p

It's relatively trivial to convert 1080i to 1080p as you're not having to throw out or do any complex data mapping. So this is not a valid point. What matters most with respect to scaling is the total number of lines that can be displayed.

There's no reason to believe 480p will scale up to 768 any better than it will to 1080. More significant, if you have a DVD player that can output 1080i (as many can) you can bet it will do a far better job of scaling than the L37 scaler can do downstream to 768. The DVD player has the luxury of being able to delay the video and audio data so it can "look ahead" without creating an audio sync problem. It also has the perfect raw data to work with from the DVD. The L37 can't delay the video without causing an audio sync problem so its scaler is more limited in how "smart" it can be at predicting motion, etc. Also, with an analog connection, the L37's scaler has to work with data that's been subjected to two sets of analog/digital conversion and the cable run--all of which degrade the data and make the scaler's job more difficult and artifact prone.

And don't forget 1080 DVDs are already a reality in other countries and soon will be here.

As an FYI, you're not going to win a lot of friends here by asking for everyone's opinion and then attacking or disagreeing with anyone who has anything negative to say about the product in question. If you only want to believe the L37 is great, why bother asking?

As a reminder to those who may not know any better, it's generally best to do scaling at the source (where the scaler usually has more and cleaner image data to work from), rather than at the display device. The worst case is when the content has to be scaled multiple times along the way. Having a display device that can accept native 1080 eliminates another round of scaling in many instances. How is that a "joke"?


i totally absolutely disagree...the scaling should be done by whichever device does the best SCALING...if youre using HDMI, there is NO signal loss, so who cares how many hops the signal has...i have the 50 inch vizio, and an sa8300hd cable box...and the cable box is a PIECE OF CRAP as a scaler...the vizio does a much better job of scaling...and i also have my progressive scan dvd player set to output 480i because the vizio does a better scaling, deinterlacing job than the player.

i totally absolutely disagree...the scaling should be done by whichever device does the best SCALING...if youre using HDMI, there is NO signal loss, so who cares how many hops the signal has...i have the 50 inch vizio, and an sa8300hd cable box...and the cable box is a PIECE OF CRAP as a scaler...the vizio does a much better job of scaling...and i also have my progressive scan dvd player set to output 480i because the vizio does a better scaling, deinterlacing job than the player.
Is your Vizio a native 1080 or 720 display? If not, it has to scale everything you send it regardless. So you're never bypassing the display's scaler which is the whole point of what I was suggesting. If your display isn't 1080 or 720 native, all bets are off as to what will look the best.

Even if your display is native 1080 or 720, there are exceptions to just about everything, so it's possible it works better to let it do the scaling. As I said, in GENERAL the source device has the advantage even with a DVI/HDMI connection. The main reason is the source scaler can delay the audio and video which allows it the luxury of looking ahead to determine what's happening line-to-line and frame-to-frame in the video (i.e. predict motion, etc.). That's not to say there aren't some source devices that cut corners and don't take advantage of the look ahead ability, but many do. There are also some source devices with just really bad scaling implementations.

The display device scaler cannot significantly delay the video without causing audio sync problems, so it can't have much visibility into the future incoming data--it has to process everything pretty much in real-time. Obviously if things really look better doing it backwards, then go with that.

I somehow doubt that the high end scalers that have "look-ahead" ability would be used to drive this panel - after all, this is the lower end of the market, anyway, is it not? Anybody who's spending the money on a good scaler would probably be spending more money for a top tier name-brand LCD/plasma (or a FP system). I'm with dtrell in that I doubt that the scaler in my SA 3250HD cable box is any better than the scaler in the Vizio (and I suspect that it's a lot worse).

I acknowledge that a 1080p panel has inherent advantages in displaying a 1080i image compared to a 1366x768 panel. As to which would be better in displaying a 720p image, who knows?

For me, the appeal of purchasing my unit at Costco was the big pull - I didn't even bother looking at other retailers. But even if the Westinghouse had been available at Costco, the reported reliability issues would have been enough to steer me clear of the unit. The appeal of having a 1080p panel was not enough to offset the negatives in my mind regarding the Westinghouse and the lack of any actual 1080p sources at this time. I liked the picture of the Vizio better than most of the other 37 inch units and certainly liked the price. Thus, for my purposes, I made the right decision for me. Not to say that others might not pick differently with different priorities - as always, YMMV. To go from people saying that they like their purchase to accusing people of "shilling" seems a pretty big jump in logic to me.

Spleen

Does anyone have any idea when this might actually appear at Sam's? I thought the target date was originally Black Friday, but now they just say "December". :confused:

I recently purchased the L37 from Costco, and btw, I love it! This isn't my primary HDTV system, but driving it with an HDMI connection from D* HD TiVO from Hughes works great. SD is terrible, so don't expect much if you drive it from a tradational analog source. Anyway, my question is around the TiVo code selection for the L37. You can program the TiVo remote to control Volume, Mute, On/Off and Source for your monitor/TV. Problem is that Vizio isn't listed on the code lookup menu.

So, does anybody know what code to use? Does Vizio use the same codes as some other well known brand?

^ Seems like many like this LCD Vizio, So I may just get this one for my gaming/Movie watching.

Actually, the only person here who doesn’t like this LCD is MikeA, and he’s basing his assumptions off a single unit at a Costco somewhere.

Considering that there are just a handful of LCDs that can display 1080 lines native, and no plasmas in the sub $2,500 price range, so the industry either doesn't think people care, or won't spend the money.

From what I have read, the Westy's are quite troublesome - I wouldn't buy one without the Costco "guarentee." But that's just me. The Sceptre might be worth a look, but unless you are using it as a computer monitor, I think 1366x768 will be satisfactory for 99% of the people out there.

Of course, the other 1% are on this forum!

"Actually, the only person here who doesn’t like this LCD is MikeA, and he’s basing his assumptions off a single unit at a Costco somewhere." = Mikewarrior

I have seen 3 Vizios. I did get a chance to adjust one of them with the Avia dvd and was not impressed, don't get me wrong it was OK. Other people on the flat screen forum have expressed the same.

You assume a lot in your statements that just aren't true.

There are much better displays out there, but 37" for < $1500 with the feature set of the Vizio it's hard to go wrong today. I'm sure you'll be able to get this kind of unit for <$1000 in a year, prices on displays are always coming down. But for today it's a good choice for general use.

Yes, there is some motion blur, no, it doesn't look like a plasma, no it doesn't do 1080i or 1080p native, but it is a very, very acceptable display when driven by a typical 720p source.

There are much better displays out there, but 37" for < $1500 with the feature set of the Vizio it's hard to go wrong today. I'm sure you'll be able to get this kind of unit for <$1000 in a year, prices on displays are always coming down. But for today it's a good choice for general use.

Yes, there is some motion blur, no, it doesn't look like a plasma, no it doesn't do 1080i or 1080p native, but it is a very, very acceptable display when driven by a typical 720p source.

Gruber said it better than I did. :D

Spleen

no it doesn't do 1080i or 1080p native

Please explain what the difference is if any between 1080i and 1080i native? It was my understanding that both the Vizio L32 and L37 were capable of 1080i?

Anyway, my question is around the TiVo code selection for the L37. You can program the TiVo remote to control Volume, Mute, On/Off and Source for your monitor/TV. Problem is that Vizio isn't listed on the code lookup menu.

So, does anybody know what code to use? Does Vizio use the same codes as some other well known brand?

The following worked with my L32 and SD Directv Tivo. If you do a manual search (hold down the TiVo and TV Power buttons until the send light flashes, then enter the code 0999), press the Channel Up button once and the TV should turn off. Press the Enter button to save the code. If not, you can repeat the procedure and keep pressing the channel up button until it finds a code that works.

Let us know if this works for your HD Directv Tivo as that will be my next purchase.

Please explain what the difference is if any between 1080i and 1080i native? It was my understanding that both the Vizio L32 and L37 were capable of 1080i?


I am certainly no expert, but I believe that native (as in native resolution) means that the display can handle the signal without up or down scaling. LCDs look best when displaying input that matches their native resolution. Only a display with 1080 rows (such as the Westy or Sceptre at 1920x1080) can display 1080i (or 1080p) native. All other LCD displays (such as Vizio's 1366x768) have to downscale any 1080 source to make the image fit in its 768 pixel height.

Why most LCDs have 768 lines instead of 720 (which would make 720p content "native") is still a mystery to me (and the subject of another thread here).

Mo'olani, thanks for the explanation. Everything you said makes sense.

Has anyone played any games like First Person Shooters on this Vizio yet?

If you did... How did the 8-ms response time perform with a game running 60 FPS?

I have the l37 and like it so far. However I don't have much experience other LCds or Plasmas.

One thing that irritates me is that it does not allow Panoramic mode on the component or HDMI inputs. This means I need to run my standard broadcasts via s-video (side connector only on L37) or composite. While I can't really tell a difference between standard definition through component vs. composite it is a paint to have to run additional video and audio cables and to have to always be changing the inputs.

Can anyone recommend a good 37" LCD or Plasma that will do a Panoramic type stretch on the component inputs or hdmi when feeding standard definition.

My 32" Toshiba does a wonderful job at this and calls it Theater Wide Mode 1. When a high definition siganal is fed it senses it automatically and locks out the aspect ratio change option.

I will spend an little extra for a panel that has better aspect ration controls.

Thanks.

Abakshi, how sure are you of this? I wanted to get one of those articulating brackets that allow you to pull the set away from the wall, and pivot left/right up/down. I've found several kinds on eBay (new) for about $60-130. They look good in print, and are all VESA 75, 100, and 200 compliant.

I sent an email to one of the sellers with the L37 link, and they responded that this set IS NOT VESA compliant. I know the bracket that VIZIO sells is the kind that has long slots to fit the screw holes in the back - but what I'm looking at looks more like an X (or square) with holes in the corners that line up with VESA standards.

Please let me know where you learned that the VIZIO is VESA compatible - and specifically, whether it is 100 or 200.

Thanks!


I measured and researched and the L37 is vesa 100 (four holes each four inches apart that make a square in the center). There are also other mounting holes so it probably complies with other standards as well.

I ordered a Sanus VM400b from buy.com for $157. This mount appears to do it all which is what I need.

Will the mount come with the screws or do I need to get these from a hardware store or from Vizio?

After contacting Vizio's tech support, they confirmed that the set is VESA 200 compliant. Based on that, I purchased an articulating mount rated up to 80 lbs. from a seller on eBay. Actually just finished mounting it tonight.

The bracket mounted on the back of the set just fine, using the hardware that came with the kit. It was about $120 + shipping (hope I can post that). The kit had about 8 different sets of screws (one for every possible mount on any given TV. I had it up in about 20 minutes, and what a difference. I've got it up in the corner (14' ceilings) of my master BR, and tilted it down so it faces the bed. Wow... it is nice!

I attached a pic - now off to work on the cables :)

After contacting Vizio's tech support, they confirmed that the set is VESA 200 compliant. Based on that, I purchased an articulating mount rated up to 80 lbs. from a seller on eBay. Actually just finished mounting it tonight.

The bracket mounted on the back of the set just fine, using the hardware that came with the kit. It was about $120 + shipping (hope I can post that). The kit had about 8 different sets of screws (one for every possible mount on any given TV. I had it up in about 20 minutes, and what a difference. I've got it up in the corner (14' ceilings) of my master BR, and tilted it down so it faces the bed. Wow... it is nice!

I attached a pic - now off to work on the cables :)



This is the mount I purchased. The specs and cut sheet show it it both Vesa 100 and 200. It is rated to 80lbs and only requires one stud for mounting. Looks pretty straightforward.

https://www.sanus.com/cgi-bin/web_store.cgi?page=products/wallmount/visionmount/VM400.html&cart_id=7188105_27361

Does anybody know if the Vizio stickers on the front are easily removed without marring the bezel?

I can already see my buddy that has a high dollar Pioneer Elite Plasma give me crap for buying a cheap tv even though he doesn't know anything about home theater and doesn't even run HD signals into his tv.

Why be ashamed of what you bought? I am happy that I got a decent unit for a great buy. My father spent over 10k for his pioneer 50in a few years back and look at what prices have come down to! Be proud of what you own and not what matters to what others think! Enjoy the tv. That is what it is ment for. :)

Garrett

Why be ashamed of what you bought? I am happy that I got a decent unit for a great buy. My father spent over 10k for his pioneer 50in a few years back and look at what prices have come down to! Be proud of what you own and not what matters to what others think! Enjoy the tv. That is what it is ment for. :)

Garrett

Thanks Garrett. I was really just kind of poking fun at my buddy. No real intention of removing the stickers.

I'd have to agree overall that I'm pretty pleased with my Vizio 37. ... Can't seem to pick up DTV channels for beans with the built-in ATSC tuner but that may be a fault with my house construction and trying to use an indoor antenna than anything else (don't have any other TV in the house with an ATSC tuner so can't compare). ...

I too recently got one from Costco and am quite pleased so far, but I've had just the opposite experience with the OTA tuner. I would recommend it as an excellent value. Can't say I've directly compared it to the competing 37" brands at the same price point, but next to the 32" Philips, it's nearly as good. The only noticeable difference is probably from lower contrast ratio, but the overall picture quality is quite acceptable, unless you're in a very bright room. Under normal viewing situations, I'd actually have to tone down the brightness/contrast settings no the higher performance sets.

As far as the OTA receiver, I'd say it's worth a hundred or two (cost of an external receiver) and about the same for the "costco warranty" what I hope not to have to use. I was able to connect a short cable to the DTV RF input and hold the middle conductor wire on the open end with my finger. Using myself as an antenna, I was able to receive about a dozen channels. I'm looking for a couple of old antennas I've got somewhere in the garage, but in the meantime, I found a 75-300 ohm converter, and I kid you not, used a coat hanger bent in a quasi-circle connected to the 300 ohm connectors. It's able to pick up about 2 dozen stations, including ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC/PBS/KCET all in very nice HD quality. I credit the technology more than the quality of the receiver for this, as all that really means that the receiver meets specs.

I'm debating cable versus satellite, but I'm not sure it's worth the added expense at this time. It's not only the service charge, set top box rental, but also premium channels. After all is done, it's about $50/month for a couple of extra channels (HDNET, TBS, ESPN, Discovery) and $80 if you want a couple of movie channels (HBO and SHOWTIME). I'll probably sign up down the road sometime, but for now, just enjoying incredible HD OTA for free.

The second set I purchased was for my father. He is in a more densely populated area, so I would have expected his OTA at least as good (if not better) than mine. Unfortunately, using everything from bare wire to an amplified indoor (cheapy) antenna, he was unable to pick up a single channel. I attribute that the construction of his home. It's wire-lath and plaster - where my house is only 2 years old (made of the cheapest 1/2" drywall). So my guess is, his home is a virtual RF bunker. Antennaweb. org says we're both equally distant from the majority of the transmitters...

The second set I purchased was for my father. He is in a more densely populated area, so I would have expected his OTA at least as good (if not better) than mine. Unfortunately, using everything from bare wire to an amplified indoor (cheapy) antenna, he was unable to pick up a single channel. I attribute that the construction of his home. It's wire-lath and plaster - where my house is only 2 years old (made of the cheapest 1/2" drywall). So my guess is, his home is a virtual RF bunker. Antennaweb. org says we're both equally distant from the majority of the transmitters...

Did you try running a wire outside? Best if you can get something that's line of sight to the antenna source. Inside a window should work as well. If this works, then you know it's the house and you need something outside or in the attic. If it doesn't work, something else may be the problem.

I just purchased the Vizio L32 from Sams Club and i absolutely love this television. I bought the Akai from them but i returned it because whenever there were dark scenes everything looked animated. It had a shadow over it and i just couldn't tolerate it anymore. I was originally going to purchase the Syntax Olevia but when i read the customer reviews from one of the shop at home networks everyone did not give it a good review so that was definately out of the running. I researched these LCD televisions and what i found was that Sharp had alot of fantastic reviews but i did not want to spend that kind of money for a television that was just for use in my bedroom. This Vizio L32 picture quality is absolutely beautiful. The color is very nice and there is no shadowing over the black. I must say that I am very pleased with this television. It was displayed next to a sony and i must say the sony looked alot darker next to this Vizio and was twice as much. I give Vizio the thumbs up on this television and i must say i am a very picky woman.

Did you try running a wire outside? Best if you can get something that's line of sight to the antenna source. Inside a window should work as well. If this works, then you know it's the house and you need something outside or in the attic. If it doesn't work, something else may be the problem.

Didn't run a wire outside but I did try placing one of the amplified antennas in the window to see if it made a difference. Nope. :) Like I said, it may be a factor of my house construction and our particular OTA HD environment.

Spleen

Didn't run a wire outside but I did try placing one of the amplified antennas in the window to see if it made a difference. Nope. :) Like I said, it may be a factor of my house construction and our particular OTA HD environment.

Spleen

Was the window facing the transmitter? If so, I'd check something else, as this new digital technology only needs a weak signal. At the very least, you should hope a signal or two is near threshold (pick up a broken signal). One other test would be to take on old TV (ntsc) and see how you fare with UHF channels. If you can get a couple to just come thru (not have to be very clear), I would expect you'd have enough signal for HD. Of course, if you had the setup, you could try another ATSC receiver/TV to eliminate the HD tuner as the problem. Just thought I'd mention basic troubleshooting, which sometimes gets skipped over, but good to go back to in problem cases (eliminates silly things as plugging in the wrong RF input which is possible if there is more than one, or settings if only one).

I have dialed in my L37 using Digital Video Essentials and it looks great. Here are my settings for anyone that wants to try them.

Backlight: 90
Brightness: 49
Contrast: 57
Color: 36
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50

The only thing that is lacking in this set is the ability to use Panoramic mode on the component or HDMI inputs but I can live with that. I will just run a set of composite cables for standard def TV.

If anyone figures out how to get to the service menu please see if there is an option to enable panoramic mode on the component and HDMI inputs.

How are the blacks with games/movies in-home with a dark room?

Is the 8-ms real deal when playing games?

Yes, because we all know that they were adjusted to the top of their abilities... Right?

Or is it that because the Westy has a 1080p digital source running through it... Like is there any in media form?

IMO... What a joke. :p

Like all floor models both were in torch mode, so no one panel had a advantage.. & I never seen a HDTV in a store being fed a HD feed via a DVI connection (which would be needed for the Westy to display an image at 1080p).. It doesn't happen..All models are using components, splitting the same signal many times over..

Because a 720p native image from 720p native Xbox 360 games will still need to be scaled onto a 1080i/1080p native TV.... That's why.

Not a big deal.. I read many post from Xbox360 gamers that they cannot tell the difference playing games in 720p or 1080i.. Some even say 1080i is sharper.. & a lot of these gamers have LCD displays.. I know my Sony looks better when fed a 1080i signal..

If you're already saving $100 with the rebate, why not play it save and buy the warranty? On the other hand, you could've bought it from Costco or Sam's Club and had the best warranty in the business!

For the difference in the sales tax, you COULD have boght it at Sam's/Costco and not needed the warranty (you would have also kept that money local!). Don't get me wrong, I buy ALL kinds of stuff online but when it comes to biger ticket items that can suffer from infant mortality, I buy local all the time from a reputable place without the warranty. Just my 2 cents!

I have dialed in my L37 using Digital Video Essentials and it looks great. Here are my settings for anyone that wants to try them.

Backlight: 90
Brightness: 49
Contrast: 57
Color: 36
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50

The only thing that is lacking in this set is the ability to use Panoramic mode on the component or HDMI inputs but I can live with that. I will just run a set of composite cables for standard def TV.

If anyone figures out how to get to the service menu please see if there is an option to enable panoramic mode on the component and HDMI inputs.


Thanks for the settings. It made a slight improvement over what I had previously (I don't recall exactly, but I manually tweaked it while watching to around 80/50/80/50/50/50 to very good results). Turning up the backlight and down the contrast did make a noticeable difference in contrast range by making the overall brightness a bit lower, but improved contrast. The contrast range/ratio is fair, but little weakness in the set compared to some of the competition, otherwise, with a good adjustment in settings, quite acceptable. The reduced color will take a little getting used to, and I might raise that a bit to see if I like that. Anyway, thanks for a better starting point (or end point if I don't get around to it) for the settings.

... I was able to connect a short cable to the DTV RF input and hold the middle conductor wire on the open end with my finger. Using myself as an antenna, I was able to receive about a dozen channels. I'm looking for a couple of old antennas I've got somewhere in the garage, but in the meantime, I found a 75-300 ohm converter, and I kid you not, used a coat hanger bent in a quasi-circle connected to the 300 ohm connectors. It's able to pick up about 2 dozen stations, including ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC/PBS/KCET all in very nice HD quality. I credit the technology more than the quality of the receiver for this, as all that really means that the receiver meets specs.

Just a quick update, I did dig up an old VHF/UHF antenna in the basement, and replaced the ad-hoc antenna. To my surprise, I LOST signal reception in about 5 channels that I used to get with my coat hanger gizmo. After some tuning, I would gain a station, but lose another. I'm surprised that a real antenna didn't perform as well (it's a passive one). Still, I have/had both plugged in thru a signal splitter (for making connections easier so I don't have to go fumbling behind the set), which loses a few dB, so I hope that when I get final placement and directly plug it in, it will perform adequately. I'd hate to have to go back to the wire hanger, but if it can be hidden behind the set, might consider that over buying some sort of amplified antenna or hooking up something outside. For now, as long as the major stations pick up, I'll be satisfied.

Can someone give a quick post on the good features of the warranty from Costco or Sams? Are they the same as what you paid a big chunk to get at Bestbuy?

It's not an actual warranty in the sense that you buy extended warranties from BB or CC or any of the big electronic stores. Rather, it's an extremely liberal return policy - essentially, if you have any problem with the TV at generally any point in its lifetime, you can return it for full credit. Heck, you can return it even if it's just for the reason that you don't like it any more. As a consumer, I'm very appreciative of this policy in case I have problems but also nervous that if a lot of people abuse the policy, they may get more restrictive in the future. Costco was getting burned by this with computers (people buying them and returning them in a year or so to trade up the newest and the best) so they've put in restrictions now for computers saying that it needs to be returned within 6 months of purchase.

Spleen

I couldn't tell from the responses listed above, but has anyone used this monitor with the xbox 360 with success. Let's say compared to a smaller plasma.

Thanks,
Gleek

Thank you for the post. Amazon's L32 is in back order so I cancelled my order. Costco does not have the L32 in the store anymore but have plenty of the L37. I am considering the L37 now but seem like a lot more money ($600) to pay for 5 inches. It goes from a low cost model to a medium price model. Are the additional features worth the extra money?

The difference in 5 inches is surprisingly substantial. The difference between the 42 inch plasmas and the 50 inch plasms is also only 8 inches but also a big difference. I'd go to a local store that has 32 inch LCDs and 37 inch LCDs side by side and see if the difference is big enough to pay the difference for you. There really is no substitute for screen size though, assuming you don't live in a shoe box where the size would be a hindrance to proper viewing.

Spleen

Thank you for the post. Amazon's L32 is in back order so I cancelled my order. Costco does not have the L32 in the store anymore but have plenty of the L37. I am considering the L37 now but seem like a lot more money ($600) to pay for 5 inches. It goes from a low cost model to a medium price model. Are the additional features worth the extra money?

The difference in 5 inches is surprisingly substantial. The difference between the 42 inch plasmas and the 50 inch plasms is also only 8 inches but also a big difference. I'd go to a local store that has 32 inch LCDs and 37 inch LCDs side by side and see if the difference is big enough to pay the difference for you. There really is no substitute for screen size though, assuming you don't live in a shoe box where the size would be a hindrance to proper viewing.

Spleen

I'll double that. The 32-37 upgrade seems much bigger than the 37-42 step, though both are just 5" in diagonal. It's a 15.6% vs. 13.5% linear increase (the 42-50 is 19% increase). Some people have 42" (or larger) sets in their bedroom, but to me, 32" seems to be the biggest I'd consider. The 37" seems just too big for my bedroom. I considered the L32, but it lacks an OTA tuner, so the price difference isn't so large, especially if you value that. I do believe the L32 has a higher contrast level, so it might be a bit better in picture quality. If 42" was only $600 more, I would go there, but not this year, maybe next.

The L37 has the ATSC tuner built in

and it is so stupid that they put an ATSC tuner in and no QAM tuner or cablecard slot...that might have pushed me to get one, but i dont want an STB in my bedroom.

and it is so stupid that they put an ATSC tuner in and no QAM tuner or cablecard slot...that might have pushed me to get one, but i dont want an STB in my bedroom.

I'm in the same boat about no STB in the bedroom. Heck, it would be great in the living room or family room as well, but cost considerations probably played some part. In any case, my cable company is so screwed up that it wouldn't matter anyway, since they make it impossible to do anything without their STB, essentially rendering QAM tuner and cablecard useless.

I only have one thing to say about our new VIZIO 37 Inch. :) Do you know anyone who wants to purchase a SONY WEGA XBR 40 Inch Trinitron CRT that we paid $2400 for, and watched as the delivery guys get a hernia setting up? I think I want to throw the Sony out in the street after setting up the Vizio in the bedroom.

I used a JUNK rabbit ear set and the HD broadcast in our area came in perfect. I don't know if a better antenna would do any more to improve the reception, but may give it a try. If you know it would let us know.

Spoiled now. If there are any better sets out there for the money, I don't want to know. For the price at Costco and their return policy, we gave it a shot, why not!

I will admit that just out of the box I was not impressed, but once it warmed to room temperature and had it on for a few hours, the set adjusted just fine to suit our tastes. I am sure we will mess with it several more times.

Hope this is helpful to anyone considering the purchase.

I used a JUNK rabbit ear set and the HD broadcast in our area came in perfect. I don't know if a better antenna would do any more to improve the reception, but may give it a try. If you know it would let us know.


As long as your reception isn't mired with digital effects (patchy blocks, skipped sections, pops in the sound, etc.), a better antenna will NOT improve your picture quality. What you might be able to get with a better antenna is MORE channels. As far as OTA channels, I've figured that many of the ones we do pick up don't broadcast anything worth watching. Either the programming is limited on not in HD quality. Here in SoCal, there are 2 HD channels, one PBS, the other KCET that have frequent HD programming, though not the most interesting. HDnet seems to offer some better new shows, but even then, mostly eyecandy, and requires cable or satellite. The major networks, FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC are doing fine at prime time, but it's dull watching their usually programming the rest of the time. We're getting there, but slowly...


BTW, someone earlier in this thread provided some excellent settings. I think they attained it using some calibration software. It's at least a great place to start, and in my case, I haven't bothered to try to improve it. It was better than what I was able to do by some tweaking when I initially got the set. Now if there are service menus available to much with...

MACOSX
Thanks for responding. From what I have read here either they come in or they don't. So far ours are doing well. We picked up 17 so far and we agree, unless they are broadcasting something in HD there is not too much too look at. We are going to try Medium tonight and see how that is. The PBS channels we located are like snapshots. Hooked up our Phillips HD DVD recorder/player and the set plays back HD movies perfectly.
I hope that everyone else who puchases one of these finds their way here. The more info the better.

Does anyone know the remote control code that works with this TV for the Comcast Motorola DCT6412-III HD box?

Thanks.

OK... got a question. I have the VIZIO 37... love it!!! But(ya knew that was coming) I have two issues that I would like to get some input on.

First... Is it me or is there a faint high pitched noise coming from the unit. Is that normal to LCD's?

Second... My FOX 13-2 should be in HD, downstairs on a diff HD it is. The shows look great, however on the VIZIO for some reason the same channel only comes in at 480i. I have tried rescanning and resetting. Any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Noticed the noise also, but figured that if there was a problem the warranty would cover it or I would just take it back. Would like to know if others hear it also.

Don't know what area you live in, but our 13-1 is HD and 13-2 is SD.

No faint high pitched sound heard from my TV while the TV is on.

Spleen

Yes, there's a faint high pitched buzz, that I'm guessing is from the backlighting. It's usually covered by any sound on the program, and I forget about it when I'm not thinking about it. There's also a poping sound, especially when the set it turned on or off. It sounds like a large metal sheet that's slightly bent being poped the other way, if you you know what I mean. I figure it's something warming up or cooling down, but haven't pin pointed it yet. I'll think about calling Vizio or checking their web site for updates someday, but maybe some else already has the answer and would let us know.

I've got an L37 and an L32 wo/any unwanted sound!

I got the L37 a few weeks ago and love it. Also got it at costco so if that feeling ever goes away, I'll trade her in for something else. I also hear the popping noises when I turn off the set, what's up with that? It only goes for a few seconds so its not annoying or anything, just wanna make sure its normal. Anyhow, I have another problem. I have the L37 hooked up to my Direct HD Tivo box via component and HDMI. The thing is, when the hdmi is plugged in, component wont work. If I unplug the HDMI, component will work. Is there something basic I'm missing here?

I saw the Vizio L37 at Costco today and was impressed with it after I played around with the settings. A few people even approached the set saying how nice it was. I really liked the skin tones and the colors. One thing that surprised me was the set looked good from the side. The picture didn't fade like usual LCD's do. I'm really thinking of getting it.

I got the L37 a few weeks ago and love it. Also got it at costco so if that feeling ever goes away, I'll trade her in for something else. I also hear the popping noises when I turn off the set, what's up with that? It only goes for a few seconds so its not annoying or anything, just wanna make sure its normal. Anyhow, I have another problem. I have the L37 hooked up to my Direct HD Tivo box via component and HDMI. The thing is, when the hdmi is plugged in, component wont work. If I unplug the HDMI, component will work. Is there something basic I'm missing here?

Okay, so dumb question

Why do you have both HDMI and component hooked up to the L37? I can't imagine a situation where you would need both, but am interested to hear your reply.

Okay, so dumb question

Why do you have both HDMI and component hooked up to the L37? I can't imagine a situation where you would need both, but am interested to hear your reply.

I was wondering about that myself! Unless you're doing A/B comparisons between component and HDMI?

Spleen

I got the L37 a few weeks ago and love it. Also got it at costco so if that feeling ever goes away, I'll trade her in for something else. I also hear the popping noises when I turn off the set, what's up with that? It only goes for a few seconds so its not annoying or anything, just wanna make sure its normal. Anyhow, I have another problem. I have the L37 hooked up to my Direct HD Tivo box via component and HDMI. The thing is, when the hdmi is plugged in, component wont work. If I unplug the HDMI, component will work. Is there something basic I'm missing here?

I'm just guessing, but it's probably not related to the Vizio L37. It's likely that the Tivo outputs to only one output, either component or HDMI. If both are connected, it probably defaults to HDMI, so when the HDMI is disconnected, it then outputs to component. But, I'll ask the same question that's been asked by others, and that is, why bother with component when you've got HDMI?

If SD looks bad on this set then I'll probably get the 32 inch LG.

I use both the L37 and L32 to view DirecTV SD distributed on channel 3 via RG6. The signal is clean and the picture is fine, even in Zoom. NOW, I am at least 12 feet from the TV and am not expecting a High Def picture. The picture is a bit soft but acceptable. I'm not sure you can blame the TV :)

Okay, so dumb question

Why do you have both HDMI and component hooked up to the L37? I can't imagine a situation where you would need both, but am interested to hear your reply.


I'm still a novice so please excuse my ignorance. I was told that to use the pip I would need to use 2 inputs, so I figured I would use the HDMI and component. How else would I use pip for this tv and the hr10-250 receiver? Any info appreciated.

I'm still a novice so please excuse my ignorance. I was told that to use the pip I would need to use 2 inputs, so I figured I would use the HDMI and component. How else would I use pip for this tv and the hr10-250 receiver? Any info appreciated.

Yes and no. I can see that there is a valid reason for wanting to connect both HDMI and components to the same source. With the quirks the Vizio L37 has about which PIP input pairs are compatible, you'd have to check if using both HDMI and components provides you additional combinations. The PIP options is a bit quirky, but the complexity of having so many sources and output possibilities doesn't make it easy, especially without expanding on the remote control button, which would add to the complexity. Overall it's an average compromise for a minor feature in my view. You're likely going to run into problems on both ends with this. The tivo will usually only output to one connector, and the Vizio has weird pairs of PIP options. I'm sure there is a simple technological explanation why it's not easy to make it universally symmetric. Unfortunately, I doubt you'll be able to practically overcome the limitations on both the devices.

Ok.... I want to go out and buy the Vizio L37 at Costco. Am I making a mistake or is this a good deal. I am a novice when it comes to HDTV and the new screens. I have a great surround sound system, now I want a good picture to go with it.

Thank in advance for your advice.

I've also noticed the color balance is greenish on the L37, especially in the lower grays. Has anyone seen or know of service codes for these units?

I just set up my in-law's new L37 today and my first impression is WOW! Here is my first impression. Just take the following with a grain of salt, because this is the first HDTV in the family:

Pros:
1) Price - very nice for a 37" LCD
2) Costco - need I say more?
3) Dual tuners
4) Very good Picture Quality (at least to my eyes)


Cons:
1) Remote is a little flimsy
2) Having to explain who Vizio is


In general, I was quite impressed. The set-up was easy, and the picture looked good right out of the box. No dead pixels that I could see. Just some minor tweaks (I used some of the settings mentioned previously), and it looked great. Broke it in watching the "yellow forest fight" scene from "Hero." Those familiar with the movie know that there is a lot of color and motion in that scene and the L37 showed no ghosting or blotchness of color. SD cable looked decent, but it will soon receive a HD Cable Box feed. The in-laws are quite pleased; the step up from a 27" CRT is definitely dramatic.

Now, if I can find an old antenna to try some OTA stations ...

2) Having to explain who Vizio...

Now, if I can find an old antenna to try some OTA stations ...

Just a couple of things...it's not hard having to explain who Philips, Sony or Sharp. Many have heard of Panasonic and Toshiba is solid brand, better than Panasonic in my view, that some many have not heard of, and Samsung is an big player these days, but many still aren't aware of their quality and presense (not only in whole units, but as a major supplier of parts - semiconductors and LCD panels). As far as Vizio, the competition they're really up against include names like Syntax, Spectre, Westinghouse (didn't they use to make refrigerators?), Polaroid (didn't the go bankrupt?) and Sylvania (don't the make lightbulbs). The interesting thing is that many of the same manufacturers that the big names contract are the same one building the no name ones. Perhaps the specifications and quality control are a bit tighter, and slightly better parts are used, but these days, the overall quality of the no name brand televisions is fairly impressive. (I've read the Amazon reviews of Coby portable DVD players, and that's seems one to stay away from).

Just like Alkaline batteries generally outperform Heavy-Duy batteries, these days the benefits of any HD LCD TV are better than most SD tubes. I know, and agree with those that pure PQ is still debateable. But on most of the other considerations, LCD is in the sweet spot.

As far as the OTA antenna, remember it's mostly UHF channels/frequencies you'll need to tune in. Works surprisingly well, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could pull in some stations with a bare wire if you're in a major city without major obstructions.

A couple of questions, am prepared to buy this weekend....Late Christmas present for my folks. Mostly SD and DVD watching and OTA HD.

1) i read the entire post and it seems that this LCD set is decent for wataching TV, from my understanding most LCD sets are more for computers and gaming. Did I read correctly?

2) any rumors on who makes the LCD panels that Vizio is packaging.

3) compared to a 27" CRT, how much more surface area is on the VIzio 37" LCD? Yup I was bad in math at school.

4) any recommendations on a DVD player to go with this set? I think the Oppo might be out of my range, anyone use the Sony NS70 on this LCD yet?

5) anyone calibrate thier LCD with Avia or DVE willing to share their settings?

Thanks.

A couple of questions, am prepared to buy this weekend....Late Christmas present for my folks. Mostly SD and DVD watching and OTA HD.

1) i read the entire post and it seems that this LCD set is decent for wataching TV, from my understanding most LCD sets are more for computers and gaming. Did I read correctly?


From my experience, SD looked OK, DVD better. Will hook up an antenna for OTA HD comparison. SD was from a composite cable (not coaxial), but was better than I was expecting.



3) compared to a 27" CRT, how much more surface area is on the VIzio 37" LCD? Yup I was bad in math at school.

From an online calculator:

37" 16x9: 583 square inches (about 32.2" x 18.1")
27" 4:3: 350 square inches (about 21.6" x 16.2")

This is the same step-up my in-laws had and it is quite dramatic!

I am looking for either LCD or Plasma for my bedroom. Viewing distance would be about 12 to 13 feet. Is 37" VIZIO LCD good size TV? I do not have a cabinet limitation. It is going on a TV stand about 27 inches in height.
Does Sams club have good return policy like Costco? Because I saw 37" VIZIO LCD on their website too.

I just gave my son a Vizio L37 for Christmas and so far it is working fine. We don't have HD hooked up yet, but Sd is looking good. DVDs look great. PS2 and XBOX are great, too. At that viewing distance I would not go smaller than a 37. You might want to consider a Panny 42 ED also. Prices are close. Costco has both.

Mike

I am looking for either LCD or Plasma for my bedroom. Viewing distance would be about 12 to 13 feet. Is 37" VIZIO LCD good size TV? I do not have a cabinet limitation. It is going on a TV stand about 27 inches in height.
Does Sams club have good return policy like Costco? Because I saw 37" VIZIO LCD on their website too.

I agree that 37" would be the minimum size at that distance. Even from 8', it could be bigger.

As for Sam's Club, I heard that their return policy has become more liberal to try to compete against Costco. But Costco has a much longer track record for their return policy. Something to think about.

My settings using HDMI with an upscaling DVD player (LG) and DVE:
Backlight: 50
Brightness: 48
Contrast: 91
Color: 54
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 0

As always, YMMV.

Spleen

Does anyone have access to a SERVICE MANUAL for the Vizio LCD or plasma. I need to get into the service menu to properly calibrate a L37. The user menu is worthless in this regard. So far tech support from Vizio is saying they will not provide one . This really sucks. All other manufactures I have contacted have no problem providing a manual. I may return the set if I can't get this resolved.

Mike :mad:

I'm about to buy a 37 inch LCD. My question is, what advantages does this one have over the Sceptre? The Sceptre looks better on paper but I want to make sure I make an informed purchase.

Or is the Vizio just substantially cheaper than the Sceptre? I haven't seen any pricing info on it.

Edit: I should add that the primary purpose for my purchase is Xbox360/PS3 gaming, so I'm looking for a LCD that performs well in that area.

I bought the L37 from Costco a week ago. I am extremely happy with this unit. I bought this TV mostly to compliment my Xbox 360 (which I won from the Everytenminutes sweepstakes sponsored by Mt.Dew and Yahoo! :)

It looks amazing!!! HDTV most deffinetley makes a huge difference for the 360. 37" seems to be just the right size for gaming too. DVDs look great as well. Now I just need to get Dish Network for HDTV. I have digital cable, and the channels look pretty good. This is my first HDTV, so I was expecting some degradation in the image, as the LCD shows any imperfections that are broadcast , especially when over analog channels. My wife thought everything looked great. I was affraid she was gonna freak out over the quality of standard television, especially after forking over $1500.00, but she loved it.

With Costco's excellent return policy, Vizio's warranty, and "zero bright pixel" deffective gurranty, I was sold. A week later, and I am still convincecd that I made the right choice.

Late last evening, my ATSC tuner began to heavily pixelate on all digital stations. I've hooked up a spare STB and all is well with it. I've also tried running a direct line from the antenna and no change. Has anyone else had the tuner go out on this thing? I did watch it all day yesterday and the set was on foir about 12 hours when the symptoms first started :)

Does anyone know the remote control code that works with this TV for the Comcast Motorola DCT6412-III HD box?

Thanks.

I am wondering the same thing. I beleive the Motorola DCT-3412 uses the same codes as the DCT6412.

UPDATEd 1/2/06 . Try code 0178

-KJ

I too just purchased the LCD37HD from Costco and so far I am happy with it. I chose this TV since it would actually fit nicely in a new armoire that only has 39.5 inches of interior width. This LCD fills the space nicely. The alternative was the Sony 40" but that was about twice as much money ... so this was a smart choice in IMHO. I look at it this way---for the bargain price I paid for the TV it is worth it. Someway when it's time to get a bigger/better TV I can always use this in another room.

I'm a Comcast HD customer north of Boston and I have the Motorola DCT3412 DVR. It took Comcast 3 visits in the past 18 hours to get a working 3412! I had the problem with it resetting itself every 1-2 minutes. Wow! On the third visit they also installed something he called a "blocker" which goes before the 3-way splitter in my basement on cable feed from the street. The tech said this is now recommended.

So far I've made some of the recommended picture adjustments and I'm happy with the image for the HD and for DVDs. This is big improvement from our Toshiba CRT and SD.

I have a splitter in use so I can get PIP/POP and that seems to work fine except that I have to use both the Visio and the Comcast (silver) remote. I guess for the times I will actually use this feature two remote will be okay. Right now I use component cables from the DVR to the LCD and out of the splitter comes a plain Coax which is fed into LCD.

If anyone knows how to get the Comcast remotes to work with the Visio TV please share ... the tech said he's seen Visio before and they don't work with the remotes.

I've also noticed a jitter on this TV when watching HD channels after the first two 3412's were installed. I don't know if this is happening with the third DVR yet. I'll describe the jitter as a slight hesitation or jump in the display during motion. It is noticable and a little annoying to me.

What causes this jitter and is there anything that can be done to minimize or otherwise eliminate it??

-KJ

Late last evening, my ATSC tuner began to heavily pixelate on all digital stations. I've hooked up a spare STB and all is well with it. I've also tried running a direct line from the antenna and no change. Has anyone else had the tuner go out on this thing? I did watch it all day yesterday and the set was on foir about 12 hours when the symptoms first started :)

Strange that you mention that. I too noticed some increased pixelation recently, but wouldn't call it heavy. It didn't last long, and I discounted it due to signal noise, but I'll have to watch out for that. Don't have another OTA tuner to compare to.

I have noticed occasionally (about 5 times in a month I've had the thing) that there are glitches. Sometimes, the remote seems to send the wrong signal and the set gets into a strange mode (odd zoom, garbage on the captioning, loss of picture), and sometimes (on one or two occasions) it happens without the remote being used. It hasn't happened frequently enough to call it a major problem and a quick off/on cycle seems to fix it.

Still, I'll keep an eye on these types of problems, and there's always taking it back to Costco, but I hope that's not necessary.

I am asking this question for a friend as I have the Vizio 50in PDP.
He would like to use the L37 in his bedroon and mount it on the wall. He is a Comcast Digital cable subscriber. He wants to know if he can just connect the coax cable [without the STB] and get HD channels, since the L37 has a built in ATSC, or will the tuner only work OTA? He seems to not want to use a cable box as he wants it wall mounted without anything under it.

Again, the question is can he get HD signals using the coax feed from Comcast, without the use of a cable box.
If not, I guess that his best option would be find a TV that supports a cable card.

Thanks

MACOSX - I called tech support and they say they haven't had tuner issues but admit it's a new set. No new firmware and they would not confirm nor deny if the firmware is even user updatable. They told me to take it back to Costco. That's why they did the limited initial intro of this set with them.

Here's the kicker, I got the box down from the attic and the set started functioning. I did unplug it while I was in the attic (about 20 minutes) to let the set cool completely before repackaging.

I do not suspect signal loss as the root cause per the "debug" steps listed above. I do suspect the tuner may have issues with heat or something but the only data point is that it was on for 12 hours before it exhibited the problem and unplugged before it cleared. Since Costco is so accomodating, I'm going to wait and watch to see what happens.

I am asking this question for a friend as I have the Vizio 50in PDP.
He would like to use the L37 in his bedroon and mount it on the wall. He is a Comcast Digital cable subscriber. He wants to know if he can just connect the coax cable [without the STB] and get HD channels, since the L37 has a built in ATSC, or will the tuner only work OTA? He seems to not want to use a cable box as he wants it wall mounted without anything under it.

Again, the question is can he get HD signals using the coax feed from Comcast, without the use of a cable box.
If not, I guess that his best option would be find a TV that supports a cable card.

Thanks

No in my opinion. Here's what I believe. The set has 2 coax inputs, one for NTSC the other for ATSC (OTA), no QAM as far as I can tell. He could connect an antenna to pick up the OTA HD channels. Does anyone know if cable card is actually capable of converting to HDTV? I thought it was limited to digital cable quality. From what I can tell, I think you have to go HDMI/component to input another HD signal. Even the S-Video I think is below HD quality.

No in my opinion. Here's what I believe. The set has 2 coax inputs, one for NTSC the other for ATSC (OTA), no QAM as far as I can tell. He could connect an antenna to pick up the OTA HD channels. Does anyone know if cable card is actually capable of converting to HDTV? I thought it was limited to digital cable quality. From what I can tell, I think you have to go HDMI/component to input another HD signal. Even the S-Video I think is below HD quality.


You are correct. Component will give you analog HD, and HDMI will give you digital HD. He was hoping not to need a STB but I guess that he is out of luck. I just was not familiar enough about the ATSC tuner to give him advice. Thanks.

CableCard is capable of passing HDTV resolutions.

Spleen

CableCard is capable of passing HDTV resolutions.

Spleen

Thanks for providing the correct theoretical answer. It's too bad that in practice, it's not always the case. See "4. It's kinky." in http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-8900_7-5581176-1.html. Also, http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/CableCARDprimer.php is a year old article, but doesn't seem much has changed.

It's good to know that there is some attempt being made at removing the STB, especially from the bedroom, but unfortunately, to receive all the desired channels, it looks like it will be a while before they (broadcasters, cable and satellite companies) get everything going.

I never said that it was working as intended ... just that theoretically it's supposed to be able to pass HDTV. As a matter of fact, I know people that use CableCard to receive their HDTV off of cable. The problem is that it's not entirely reliable and the experience of one person doesn't necessarily translate to another person's since it seems to be cable operator/TV dependent. The CableCard standard is loose enough that it seems to have caused some compatability problems. Hopefully, this will get worked out in the 2.0 standard. Besides, you're the one who asked the question - "Is it capable?" The short answer is "yes".

But this really has nothing to do with this thread anyway since the Vizio has no CableCard slot.

Spleen

Well the tuner began acting up again so the TV went back to Costco. Brought the new one home and the reception is clear. Original was a September Mfg date and this one is November. I do notice that the controls for color are not as effective. In fact, I had to bump the Tint to 80+ to take the UCLA helmets to Gold this afternoon (ATSC). Same on the SVid input. Anyone else seeing this?

Has anyone been able to hook this set up to a PC (over the VGA port) and get 1360 (1366) x 768 dot-by-dot...

If I set the tv to "normal" stretch I can run 1024x768 dot by dot. Using powerstrip to get 1360 or 1368x768 and setting the tv to "wide" I can get a somewhat decent image, but it is not 1-1 pixel mapping. 1280x768 seems to be a bit closer but still not 1-t0-1. I'm using an ATI Radeon 9800 (mobility) on a Dell 9100. Anyone have any tips?
Thanks

I just returned my 37inch vizio, due to poor sound quality, and few extra features (higher resolution and three color system - Ntsc, Pal and Secam) available with sceptre 37inch model.

I never said that it was working as intended ... just that theoretically it's supposed to be able to pass HDTV. As a matter of fact, I know people that use CableCard to receive their HDTV off of cable. The problem is that it's not entirely reliable and the experience of one person doesn't necessarily translate to another person's since it seems to be cable operator/TV dependent. The CableCard standard is loose enough that it seems to have caused some compatability problems. Hopefully, this will get worked out in the 2.0 standard. Besides, you're the one who asked the question - "Is it capable?" The short answer is "yes".

But this really has nothing to do with this thread anyway since the Vizio has no CableCard slot.

Spleen

Never said you did, and didn't mean to imply anything by my response. And thanks again for providing the answer that inspired me to look at the issue a little further. The comments that followed the first sentense were not directed at you as much as the others who may be following the topic. The problems with CableCard seem to be significant, so the short answer really should be "yes, but...". So I'd thought I'd share some of the "but..." that I found that may get those about to try this to ask some more questions, and not just accept the simple answer, then only to have to deal with lots of frustrating issues.

Oh, and yes this is a bit OT, but why did we get onto this? Oh, yeah, for those deciding on this set, is NOT having CableCard a major decision factor? Especially those of us who would like to get rid of the STB. No in my opinion given the problems, and the dream of getting rid of the STB seems quite far, though currently I'm living without one, and just tuning into the OTA HD channels, mainly network prime time programs. Let's see what HD channel or package is the one that tips me over to paying for the service, plus having to deal with the STB. This set is in the living room, but might be heading to the bedroom when a bigger set is here (say 50-55" LCD for less than $2000 in a year or two? likely? impossible? maybe?). BTW, I'm not a sports fan, so ESPN-HD isn't significant.

I'm replacing another tv with this one but using the same mount. Does anyone happen to know what screw sizes this thing takes. I've tried M4-.7 x 30mm and they seem just a tad looser than I think they should.

Appreciate your help.

-C

What mounting holes did you folks use? The outer four don't appear to really attach to the chassis (if you pull on the mount when it's attached to them, the back plastic pulls away and looks like it would break in an instant if really hung there). Are we only supposed to use the center four screw holes? What the heck are the ones on the outside for?

-C

Anyone getting dot-to-dot 1366 over VGA?

eclipxe,

Not sure about the vga input, but I'm unable to find an X modeline for linux for the native resolution on the HDMI input. It seems it only expects standard HD resolutions on that input.

Anyone else manage to get the native resolution on the HDMI input (with a DVI->HDMI adaptor)?

-C

Interesting indeed. All the 136X resolutions combined with several timing settings could not get me a 1-to-1 maping. 1280x720 however works nicely and although it isn't 1-to-1, it is very close. It seems that the panel does 1366x768 but some internal component is scaling no matter what. It would be nice if the TV had a valid EDID :-(

I emailed Vizio tech support about it, but doubt I will get anything useful out of it. For watching HD content and working as a HTPC, 1280x720 is not bad and looks crystal clear from 3-4 feet away, I'm happy. I guess I could spend a few hundred more and get a better model that does 1-1 at 1366, but the HTPC use isn't my main concern. The xbox360 and my Cox hd cable looks EXCELLENT on the TV, so I'll be keeping this one... (until Costco releases the next great $1500 LCD tv 37 inches or greater.

I'm surprised you can't get 1366 on the VGA input. The marketing literature just says WXGA, but that could be almost anything, and sadly 1280x720 qualifies. Oh well. I like how the picture looks at 720p just fine, so me and my mythtv box will stick with it.

-C

Has anyone figured out how to get into service mode for this TV?

Did any one had problem with receiving stereo reception on this set too? On 32 inch board people complained about manually switching from mono to stereo.
Thanks.

Can anyone tell me if this unit is still available at Costco? I am finding out about this deal late now and will look to pick one up here in the next few weeks. If anyone can tell me more about XBOX 360 experience on this I would appreciate it as well.

My Costco (so cal) had about 7 or 8 in stock. Great TV, XBOX 360 looks great using both VGA and component input, better than my 32 in Sharp I returned to get the Vizio. I am itching to see the Sceptre 42in LCD in March though...mmm Costco return policy!

Can anyone tell me if this unit is still available at Costco? I am finding out about this deal late now and will look to pick one up here in the next few weeks.

These should be widely available. Costco just started carrying them as a regular item.

Great thanks guys. How about the box size? Everyone mentions that it is enormous, but really can it be THAT big? I'm asking because I'm unsure of how to get this unit back home. I have an Acura Integra hatchback which with the seats down gives quite a large amount of space. I know that sounds ridiculous to try and put the box in that car, but really the amount of room is quite large. Can anyone give any estimates of dimensions? Thanks.

Great thanks guys. How about the box size? Everyone mentions that it is enormous, but really can it be THAT big? I'm asking because I'm unsure of how to get this unit back home. I have an Acura Integra hatchback which with the seats down gives quite a large amount of space. I know that sounds ridiculous to try and put the box in that car, but really the amount of room is quite large. Can anyone give any estimates of dimensions? Thanks.

I'll try to measure the box tonight. For a rough estimate add 6 inches to the height and width. Keep in mind you should transport this box upright and not on its side.

-KJ

I just bought one. The box is 45 long-15 wide-34 height

I have a Scion TC with fold-down seats and a hatch - there was no way the box would fit. It has the nice unclip feature where you can remove the top part of the box - I was able to fit the tv nicely with just the bottom part (laying flat on it's back - is this bad?).

Costco takes it back without a box (just keep the accessories).

I also, like everyone else, spotted this baby at Costco the other day. When comparing the various TVs at Costco one should be careful though as I noticed that while the Visio and some of the others were hooked up via Component cables there were a few LCDs that were only displaying off of Coax and they looked noticeably worse.

There is no S-Video jack on this this TV, at least on the back. Right?

There is no S-Video jack on this this TV, at least on the back. Right?

There is no S-Video jack in the back of the TV. There is a S-Video jack on the right side of the TV (Video 3?). I am using it temporarily to hook up my in-law's cable box (which has composite and S-Video output) until they get the HD box with component input.

Happy New Year.
I tried to search on 37 Vizio LCD settings. Could not find anything. Anyone could share their settings ?

My Vizio gives a clicking noise every few seconds for first few minutes ( say 2-3) and also when your power it off. Its like that something is heating up / cooling down. Typically you can hear this type of noise when you turn off the engine of your car after driving it for few miles.
You can hear this if the volume is very very low or mute. I figured out when I my TV was on and receiver was off. Normally, it is barely audible, because tv volume overcomes it.
Is it normal with all Vizio's or mine is defective. I talked to tech support and they said it might be a fault. Otherwise TV is fine and happy with the purchase. I would appreciate if some one could verify.

Jithtproject, see page 3-5, prob it was page 4, on this forum where you can find some lcd setting for this tv provided by other members

My Vizio gives a clicking noise every few seconds for first few minutes ( say 2-3) and also when your power it off. Its like that something is heating up / cooling down. Typically you can hear this type of noise when you turn off the engine of your car after driving it for few miles.
You can hear this if the volume is very very low or mute. I figured out when I my TV was on and receiver was off. Normally, it is barely audible, because tv volume overcomes it.
Is it normal with all Vizio's or mine is defective. I talked to tech support and they said it might be a fault. Otherwise TV is fine and happy with the purchase. I would appreciate if some one could verify.

Jithtproject, see page 3-5, prob it was page 4, on this forum where you can find some lcd setting for this tv provided by other members

I would not worry about it. My guess is you bought the set at Costco and with their return policy you can take it back at ANY time if it goes bad. Enjoy your set.

Mike :D

{Jithtproject, see page 3-5, prob it was page 4, on this forum where you can find some lcd setting for this tv provided by other members }

Thanks sfuad .

My Vizio gives a clicking noise every few seconds for first few minutes ( say 2-3) and also when your power it off. Its like that something is heating up / cooling down. Typically you can hear this type of noise when you turn off the engine of your car after driving it for few miles.
You can hear this if the volume is very very low or mute. I figured out when I my TV was on and receiver was off. Normally, it is barely audible, because tv volume overcomes it.
Is it normal with all Vizio's or mine is defective. I talked to tech support and they said it might be a fault. Otherwise TV is fine and happy with the purchase. I would appreciate if some one could verify.

Jithtproject, see page 3-5, prob it was page 4, on this forum where you can find some lcd setting for this tv provided by other members

I have similar sound, but I'm not too worried. Still, what did tech support say? What do they mean by "fault"? What did they do? You've just verified that you're not alone with these sounds, but that doesn't mean there isn't something wrong. you've probably gotten farther on this matter than anyone so far, so you're the expert on this!

I have similar sound, but I'm not too worried. Still, what did tech support say? What do they mean by "fault"? What did they do? You've just verified that you're not alone with these sounds, but that doesn't mean there isn't something wrong. you've probably gotten farther on this matter than anyone so far, so you're the expert on this!

I also hear some clicking sounds when turning off the display. I do not think it is worrisome. I still could not find any settings.

I just bought one of the Vizio L37 from Costco. So far I am very happy. I am not to hip on all of the bells and whistles on this kind of stuff, so I am asking for a little advice from all of you.

I have dish hooked up to the cable input plug. Works great. But, there is a DTV input there also. Is this for DIGITAL TV? Is the dish suppose to go there?? What is this for?? I do not have HDTV from dish yet.

Thanks :)

I also hear some clicking sounds when turning off the display. I do not think it is worrisome. I still could not find any settings.

It's there on page 4 for me, but here it is again.

I have dialed in my L37 using Digital Video Essentials and it looks great. Here are my settings for anyone that wants to try them.

Backlight: 90
Brightness: 49
Contrast: 57
Color: 36
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50

The only thing that is lacking in this set is the ability to use Panoramic mode on the component or HDMI inputs but I can live with that. I will just run a set of composite cables for standard def TV.

If anyone figures out how to get to the service menu please see if there is an option to enable panoramic mode on the component and HDMI inputs.

Thanks again hammick!

I just bought one of the Vizio L37 from Costco. So far I am very happy. I am not to hip on all of the bells and whistles on this kind of stuff, so I am asking for a little advice from all of you.

I have dish hooked up to the cable input plug. Works great. But, there is a DTV input there also. Is this for DIGITAL TV? Is the dish suppose to go there?? What is this for?? I do not have HDTV from dish yet.

Thanks :)

It's for the OTA (over the air) antenna. If you have an antenna on your roof or one of those rabbit ears, they will do. Your dish will probably not work unless your local broadcasts are comming from the south in your city, and then you might get a little signal.

I got unacceptable edge enhancement when I tried turning up sharpness while testing with DVE. The max I could take was 25 ... I found 0 preferable though. FWIW.

Spleen

I also hear some clicking sounds when turning off the display. I do not think it is worrisome. I still could not find any settings.

Do you also hear those clicking noises which you switch on your TV. The tech support told me once the picture appears on screen, there should not be any clicking noise. But I hear them every few sec for couple of minutes after switching on the TV. They told me that it is not normal and system need repairs. They offered to get this set repaired at my home. I declined, because if this a defect, I would rather return it back to costco. I would appreciate if other memebrs plz verify, whether there is a clicking sound every few seconds for the first couple of minutes of swtiching it on.

I have decided its either this set or a 42 Samsung DLP.

Now I just need to decide. :confused:

I hear the clicking/popping sound every time I turn it off. When I turn it on I get a blue screen before the picture comes on for about a second. I was a bit concerned when I first got the set, but after a month, it doesnt really bother me any more. Everything else on the tv seems fine, picture quality, functions, etc. I bought it at costco so I'm not worried. Unless it's discovered that something is really wrong with the set and I start seeing other problems, I'm happy with it and dont plan on returning it.

Do you also hear those clicking noises which you switch on your TV. The tech support told me once the picture appears on screen, there should not be any clicking noise. But I hear them every few sec for couple of minutes after switching on the TV. They told me that it is not normal and system need repairs. They offered to get this set repaired at my home. I declined, because if this a defect, I would rather return it back to costco. I would appreciate if other memebrs plz verify, whether there is a clicking sound every few seconds for the first couple of minutes of swtiching it on.


I do not hear clicking sounds when I turn on the TV though.

I hear no clicks or pops when turning on/off TV or switching channels.

Spleen

I do not hear clicking sounds when I turn on the TV though.

You might want to have your hearing cheched :-)

I hear no clicks or pops when turning on/off TV or switching channels.

Spleen

Whether sounds are there or not, as long as they don't cause a problem, no worries. In fact, it's better if you don't hear them and then they won't bother you. There are times when I wish I didn't notice little things that irk me whenever I pay attention to them. You know what they say, sometimes "Ignorance is Bliss"!

Girlfriend bought one at Costco yesterday; no clicks. Looks very good so far. Have to see how it handles the composite signal when I hook up my X-10 wireless video sender for the HD Tivo and DirecTV signal from my townhouse next door. (Yes, she's the girl next door you've all heard about).

Want to know if anyone has messed around with the audio reverb settings. The Concert, Living Room, Hall, and Arena all have really bad echos, and are unlistenable. I had to leave it set to Off. Does it sound good to anyone and on what type of show? So far we only have the antenna hooked up.

Also, it appears the Channel Guide only functions on HD channels, and only for one channel at a time. Anyone find different results? It would be great if it showed up on both tuners, and did all the channels at once. Kinda dopey this way.

Lastly, the channel info on HD stays up a long time when changing channels, is there any way to shorten it without hitting exit?

Just picked up one of these at Costco for our bedroom. So far so good. No popping. I can see one dark pixel on a blue screen...but can't see it at all any other time. Reason for concern?

Am going to wall mount it (Costco has a tilting Peerless mount online that is a "very good" price) -I'm new...is it okay with the forum rules to say that?-

A few questions other than the pixel....

No panoramic mode in component? I will be connecting to Comcast DVR HDTV via HDMI when my cable order arrives, but for now I'm using component cables.

No signal info when hooked from a STB?

When watching "old 4:3" in "normal" mode, and then switching to an HDTV 6:9 picture, it compacts the new picture and I have to manually select "wide" to show the proper 6:9 mode? Seems the set should be able to do that automatically.

Any input/help/ideas are appreciated. I have enjoyed reading this forum and learning from all of you...I hope to be able to contribute in some fashion. Thanks!

I would exchange it if it had a stuck pixel. Why pay for a panel and it not be as good as it could be? And panoramic mode in component is available, I believe ... as long as your component connection isn't passing anything higher than 480i (i.e. standard TV). Once you go anything higher, I believe panoramic is disabled.

Spleen

You might want to have your hearing cheched :-)

You always hear a click when you turn on a tv. I meant you don't hear multiple clicking sounds as somebody in post mentioned. Even regular crt tv made initial clicking sound.

I would exchange it if it had a stuck pixel. Why pay for a panel and it not be as good as it could be? And panoramic mode in component is available, I believe ... as long as your component connection isn't passing anything higher than 480i (i.e. standard TV). Once you go anything higher, I believe panoramic is disabled.

Spleen

Spleen - maybe on yours, but not on mine.

I'm using a 480i SD FTA sat box with a scart component level input on HD2 analog input. I cannot turn on panoramic mode. Another downside is that any of the component inputs cannot be shown simultaneously with either RGB, DTV or OTA HD. In otherwords, if your watching a HD OTA football game, you can't to PIP/POP with whatever you've got connected to either of the HD anlog (component) inputs. That alone made me move my FTA box back to composit (AV1).

Just returned my Sharp 32" and got the Vizio L37...picture not as clear and sharp as the 32" Sharp but the size makes up for it...I am quite happy and so far no noises. :D


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9111/vizio16qp.jpg

Just returned my Sharp 32" and got the Vizio L37...picture not as clear and sharp as the 32" Sharp but the size makes up for it...I am quite happy and so far no noises. :D


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9111/vizio16qp.jpgNice, it's a lot bigger too and seems to suit the space well.

Nice clean install. Let us know if you ever figure out how to get into the service menu.

Mike

Nice clean install. Let us know if you ever figure out how to get into the service menu.

Mike


What is service menu for?

What is service menu for?

It is a "hidden' menu that will give a calibrator or service tech options to make adjustments that will improve picture quality. Generally not a place to mess around with if you don't know what you are doing. A mistake there can make your set useless. Rewards can be great in the right hands. I believe the L37 could benefit from some work in this area.

Mike :)

Oh...ok..thanks for the input :)

If anyone has the time, could you please give me the exact measurements of the Vizio 37" LCD screen only. I already have the outer measurements of the unit, via the Vizio website. I trying to create a exact template of the Vizio 37" LCD TV to see how it fits into our current living room theater setup.

One question to ask the experts on this forum. Is there less of a chance for burn-in with a LCD screen?

Thanks so much,
Randy
Millbrae, Ca

Spleen - maybe on yours, but not on mine.

I'm using a 480i SD FTA sat box with a scart component level input on HD2 analog input. I cannot turn on panoramic mode. Another downside is that any of the component inputs cannot be shown simultaneously with either RGB, DTV or OTA HD. In otherwords, if your watching a HD OTA football game, you can't to PIP/POP with whatever you've got connected to either of the HD anlog (component) inputs. That alone made me move my FTA box back to composit (AV1).

You're absolutely correct. I just tested it out and confirmed that on 480i, it doesn't allow panoramic. It appears to be locked out completely on the Analog HD1 input (and probably the HD2 input as well). I apologize for passing bad info. The behavior that I described is how my Panasonic plasma works and I (incorrectly) assumed that it would be the same for the Vizio.

Spleen

37 inch Vizio LCD measurements: This is just the actual picture....32 inches long and 18 inches wide. [U]

Ok, so I bought this tv for 2 days now...well the popping and cracking noise has appear when I turn off the tv. I guess this is a widespread problem with these unit. Is this normal? anyone gotten a straight answer from tech support on this matter?

You're absolutely correct. I just tested it out and confirmed that on 480i, it doesn't allow panoramic. It appears to be locked out completely on the Analog HD1 input (and probably the HD2 input as well). I apologize for passing bad info. The behavior that I described is how my Panasonic plasma works and I (incorrectly) assumed that it would be the same for the Vizio.

Spleen

Wait - you were right before spleen -

I hooked up an upconvert DVD player via component to Analog HD1 - when playing a DVD it doesn't allow panoramic, HOWEVER when piping my SAT (Dish Network) 480i signal through the upconvert DVD player (using S-VIDEO from Sat box to DVD player), the TV DOES allow Panoramic over the HD1 input.

Wait - you were right before spleen -

I hooked up an upconvert DVD player via component to Analog HD1 - when playing a DVD it doesn't allow panoramic, HOWEVER when piping my SAT (Dish Network) 480i signal through the upconvert DVD player (using S-VIDEO from Sat box to DVD player), the TV DOES allow Panoramic over the HD1 input.

Hmmm...then I wonder why mine does not allow panoramic. I have Comcast digital cable (DVR-HD) feeding the Analog HD1 via component. Could it be that the STB is sending a better picture than 480i....even for standard 4:3 TV? And why should it matter?

<very confused...but I would really like the option of panoramic>

The most likely cause is that the STB is sending the signal as 480p to the TV (by default).

I have Cox cable with a Motorola STB - in the options I have the choice of sending 480i, 480p, 720p or 1080i over component. When I send 480i I can go panoramic, when I send EDTV or HDTV resolutions I'm stuck without panoramic. It appears the upconvert DVD player will send a 480i signal when set to the sat box input and a 720p signal when upconverting the DVD.

Okay...I'm frustrated now...

Just received my HDMI cables and replaced the component cables and the "wide" function now seems hosed. I still don't have "panoramic"... but the bigger issue is the other three formats don't work right. Nothing else has been changed except replacing the component cable with HDMI.

On "wide" standard programming (4:3) now looks "normal". No distortion and bars on the sides. On "normal", the picture is scrunched to the center. heavy distortion and larger bars on the sides. On "zoom", still have bars, picture is zoomed and distorted. No setting fills the screen. These modes all worked fine with component. Problem is I am wall mounting this thing and I was counting on the HDMI to allow me to run a small track up the wall. If I have to use component, I am going to need a BIG track. Ugly.

Anybody else using an HDMI cable getting these issues?

eclipxe - I'm equally as confused (frustrated) as David - when I set my SA HD box to 480i output, I'm still not getting the option for panoramic on component. Admittedly, I haven't tried connecting another 480i source to the component inputs to see if it then becomes available. Possible that the SA box is actually passing 480p instead of 480i even though the menu says 480i?? Given SA, anything is possible I suppose ... (sigh)

Spleen

If the menu is saying 480i it should allow you to go Panoramic - hmm, this probably doesn't make a difference but I'm also running composite cables from my up-convert dvd player and Cox STB to the TV - when I get a chance I'll try disconnecting them and see if I still get Panoramic in Analog HD1 or 2... I know it shouldn't matter..but who knows...

Okay...I'm frustrated now...

Just received my HDMI cables and replaced the component cables and the "wide" function now seems hosed. I still don't have "panoramic"... but the bigger issue is the other three formats don't work right. Nothing else has been changed except replacing the component cable with HDMI.

On "wide" standard programming (4:3) now looks "normal". No distortion and bars on the sides. On "normal", the picture is scrunched to the center. heavy distortion and larger bars on the sides. On "zoom", still have bars, picture is zoomed and distorted. No setting fills the screen. These modes all worked fine with component. Problem is I am wall mounting this thing and I was counting on the HDMI to allow me to run a small track up the wall. If I have to use component, I am going to need a BIG track. Ugly.

Anybody else using an HDMI cable getting these issues?Check the sources you are using with HDMI to make sure they are set to output 16:9 material.

My output has not changed. With component connection to the Comcast HDTV box, it diplays correctly...with HDMI connection it does not. There is also a noticable drop in picture quality on non-HD pictures. I'm stumped.

Is anybody using HDMI from a cable box without issues?

Also, I just now finally received an email response from Vizio in answer to my "panoramic" questions. I wll copy/paste it here...

Mr. Parker,



1) The Panoramic Mode is not an available option on the L37 when using the Component input. You can use the Panoramic Mode when using devices connected to the Composite input.
2) No. You must select the Wide mode in order to enlarge the image when switching from a 4:3 image to a 16:9 image.
3) No.


Thank you,



Kelly D. Kranz

Technical Support

V Inc.

320A Kalmus Drive

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Office: 877-668-8462

Fax: 714-668-9099

Email: techsupp@vinc.com



-----Original Message-----
From: David Parker
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 12:24 AM
To: techsupport@vinc.com
Subject: L37 HDTV Questions



Just a couple of question regarding our new L37:



HDTV Digital cable (Comcast) box is hooked into Analog One via five pin component cable.



1) I do not have "Panoramic" mode available on any channel, yet the manual repeatedly refers to it. I only have "wide, zoom, normal". Where is "Panoramic" mode and how to I use it?



2) Does the L37 not automatically discern between HDTV 6:9 input and standard 4:3 input? If I am watching 4:3 standard in "normal" mode and switch to an HDTV channel broadcasting in 6:9, the picture is compacted in the center of the screen unless I select "wide" with the remote. Is this by design? Any way around it?



3) And will these issues differ at all for me when I connect via HDMI cable?



Thank you for your response.

Here is an email I have just sent to Vizio tech support detailing my problem. Am very interested if any of you have this same problem.


Thank you for your response. Am disappointed to not have "panoramic" available with component/HDMI connections, but at least I now know it is not a problem with my unit. However, I now have a larger problem.

I just connected the set with a new HDMI cable (in order to wall mount it) and the picture formats differ substantially from what is displayed with the component cables.

With HDMI, none of the "wide, normal, zoom" formats display correctly. Output has not changed. Is connected to a Comcast DCT 6412 III DVR-HD box.

In "wide" mode, 4:3 pictures are displayed as "normal". No stretching, no compaction, usual bars on the sides. Should be stretched to fill the screen as was with component connection.

In "zoom" mode, 4:3 pictures are displayed in the same format as above, same size black bars, but zoomed, resulting in compaction of the picture.

In "normal" mode, 4:3 pictures are compacted with extra black bars on the side. Heavily distorted. Should be a non-distorted picture with the usual black bars as was displayed with component connection.

6:9 in each of these modes display correctly, but any other aspect displays poorly and in contradiction to the component results. In addition, the picture quality of standard (non HD) programming is noticeably poorer with digital HDMI vs analog component. I have connected this Comcast box via HDMI to our other set (Sony SXRD) with none of these issues.

Questions:

1) Are there reported issues with HDMI connection to these sets, or is my unit defective?

2) Are there work-arounds or solutions for this problem?

3) With "X2" zoom enabled, anyway to remove the white "X2" from the upper right corner of the screen?

Thank you for your response.

Having a custom mount made for the Vizio 37".

What size screws does do the mounting holes take on the TV?

and how long should the screws go into the inserts?

Update on my "wide, normal, zoom" issue with HDMI.

I fixed it by changing an output setting in the "hidden" Comcast STB menu. So if anyone else has this issue...check your STB settings.

It still mystifies me why it worked fine with component, but not HDMI.

hey guys,

this might help out with those that are having issues with the wide/panoramic modes. i have a component output on my cablebox so initially i just hooked it up that way. hd looks great, regular cable as we all know, not so good.

i had an extra composite cable laying around and hooked that up as well so see what kind of difference it would make, and let me tell you, regular cable is now much better. plus i have all the options for picture adjustments (wide/regular/zoom/panoramic). i have component hooked up to analog 1 and composite to av 2 and when i have the same channel on (non hd) and switch from component to composite the picture quality improvement is very noticeable.

i would recommend trying that so see how you guys like it. the picture quality over composite is as good if not better than my old 27 inch crt.

hey guys,

this might help out with those that are having issues with the wide/panoramic modes. i have a component output on my cablebox so initially i just hooked it up that way. hd looks great, regular cable as we all know, not so good.

i had an extra composite cable laying around and hooked that up as well so see what kind of difference it would make, and let me tell you, regular cable is now much better. plus i have all the options for picture adjustments (wide/regular/zoom/panoramic). i have component hooked up to analog 1 and composite to av 2 and when i have the same channel on (non hd) and switch from component to composite the picture quality improvement is very noticeable.

i would recommend trying that so see how you guys like it. the picture quality over composite is as good if not better than my old 27 inch crt.

I am actually very happy with my regular signal PQ now that I've adjusted the cable output settings. Question though....are we able to have both hooked up simultaneously or do you have to switch the cables? Will composite coexist with HDMI?

Anyone have any experience with these?


Want to know if anyone has messed around with the audio reverb settings. The Concert, Living Room, Hall, and Arena all have really bad echos, and are unlistenable. I had to leave it set to Off. Does it sound good to anyone and on what type of show?

Also, it appears the Channel Guide only functions on HD channels, and only for one channel at a time. Anyone find different results? It would be great if it showed up on both tuners, and did all the channels at once. Kinda dopey this way.

Lastly, the channel info on HD stays up a long time when changing channels, is there any way to shorten it without hitting exit?

Thanks.

Regarding having both composite and component hooked up for Panoramic - yes, I apologize for the confusion above but after taking the time to check all my connections and settings it is the composite input that is only giving me pano, I can switch between the component input and av input and get the same image, but one with pano, the other without.

David - how do you get into the hidden STB menu? I have the same model but on Cox

Regarding having both composite and component hooked up for Panoramic - yes, I apologize for the confusion above but after taking the time to check all my connections and settings it is the composite input that is only giving me pano, I can switch between the component input and av input and get the same image, but one with pano, the other without.

David - how do you get into the hidden STB menu? I have the same model but on Cox

Hit the power off button and then push "menu" on the remote within a couple of seconds. You will get a menu on screen that allows several changes in STB output. When finished, just push "menu" again, then power back on.

There is an excellent thread here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=464986) that discusses this box in detail. Lots to learn there.

Well after a week of owning this tv, i came to a decission and will be returning this unit. The popping and clicking noise tends to last longer and longer as time progress. Also a slight humming noise arise once I turned down the backlight. I even talked to tech-support and was told that they dont know why the tv is making noise and that I shouldnt worry cause i have a 1 year warranty with them. Is it me or are they on crack? they expect me to put up with this for a year and hope and pray that it wont break down after the warranty is up. I usually watch dvd late at night till 12 to 1 am then off to bed i go, keep in mind the tv is in my bedroom. So when the tv goes off, that clicking and popping goes on for at least 5 to 10 minutes on and off. I just checked CompUSA add today and they have a Zenith 37" z37lz5d for a few hundred dollars more and the specs are alot better too. Any body knows anything about this model z37lz5d?

After three weeks of flawless performance, my in-laws' L37 has been acting up the past few days. While watching SD Cable, the picture will black out randomly (but the sound is still there). Trying to change the input doesn't help. Turning the TV off and then back on does seem to fix it. But then it could black out 2 minutes or 2 hours later. There seems to be no pattern, and the TV isn't on long enough to overheat.

I checked the cable box (hooked in through AV3 (the S-Video jack on the side of the TV), and first thought it was the cable that was at fault, but after hooking the box to their old CRT, no problems. Hooked it back to the L37 and bam, 15 minutes later no picture again. Any ideas? Otherwise, it's back to Costco for another one.

P.S. This TV was bought on Black Friday, so it is definitely an early build. Maybe some of the bugs had yet to be worked out?

Have had the Vizio 37 for less than 24hrs , no quality issues yet (fingers crossed). The picture is very good for HD thru component but the SD is pretty much unacceptable . For the time being I am using the side inputs (Svid) , the pictue seems reasonable all around and it appears all stretch modes are working .

Havent figured out what will be the final connections , I am thinking of splitting the coax and running one to directly to TV and the other to 6412 then HDMI to Vizio.

Overall I think this TV falls into the "good tv" category. I am not overly impressed with the picture , but I knew what I was getting and for the price I would rate it as it atleast a good value. We'll see maybe the picture will " break in " a little more.

After three weeks of flawless performance, my in-laws' L37 has been acting up the past few days. While watching SD Cable, the picture will black out randomly (but the sound is still there). Trying to change the input doesn't help. Turning the TV off and then back on does seem to fix it. But then it could black out 2 minutes or 2 hours later. There seems to be no pattern, and the TV isn't on long enough to overheat.

I checked the cable box (hooked in through AV3 (the S-Video jack on the side of the TV), and first thought it was the cable that was at fault, but after hooking the box to their old CRT, no problems. Hooked it back to the L37 and bam, 15 minutes later no picture again. Any ideas? Otherwise, it's back to Costco for another one.

P.S. This TV was bought on Black Friday, so it is definitely an early build. Maybe some of the bugs had yet to be worked out?

Given the situation, I'd return and exchange. Mine is also from Black Friday and has had no quality issues to date but it's also the secondary TV in the household so it doesn't get used as much as the primary.

On a separate note, the NTSC tuner in the TV is decent - I get much better PQ from having a coax in and using the internal tuner to watch SD cable versus having a signal fed through component from a cable box. 'Course, this could also be because of the difference between analog vs. digital cable.

Spleen

Well, I returned the first one, let's see how the second does. As for cable, my in-laws' cable box can output as either composite or S-video. Could the problem be with the S-video input on the L37? I hadn't thought of putting the coaxial straight into the TV. Would that work with Digital Cable (Oceanic Time Warner)?

Hey guys, I have a question.
When i connected my laptop to L37 and switched to RGB mode, there was a blue screen and in red letters it said that my laptop input is not supported. Is this a L37 problem or my laptop need to be tweaked?
thank you.

P.S. I used a VGA HDB15 cable to connect my laptop to tv.

If you've got digital cable, you can't plug a coax into the Vizio and expect it to tune the digital channels. Tigershark - you're in Hawaii?? :) I've got Oceanic's coax plugged directly into the TV to tune the analog channels and I've also got a 3250HD hooked up by component into the Analog HD 1 input. I watch the standard channels using the coax (better PQ) and for HD and the higher digital channels, switch over to the Analog HD input.

tnt009 - sorry, dunno. I've never plugged in anything into the RGB input. :(

Spleen

Well I have decided to return my TV and get some plasma. Apart from popping & clicking noise (at start and at power off), there is ghosting. When I bought it, I thought with 8 ms response time, probably they have overcome this.

Yesterday, I was watching Australian Open on ESPN. The ghosting was so prominent that prompted me to go with plasma. You can see the trail of ball, thats really annoying. Do all of you had the same ghosting problem or there are some settings which needs tweaking

Well I have decided to return my TV and get some plasma. Apart from popping & clicking noise (at start and at power off), there is ghosting. When I bought it, I thought with 8 ms response time, probably they have overcome this.

If it is not too late, can you tell me the month/year of manufacturer? I have a November 2005 date of manufacturer, and I do not have any of the popping/cracking noise issues. I wonder if the problems are with a run of units in a given month?

It has the manufacturing date of Nov'2005. serial no is -----F46---------

I went to Costco yesterday to check out this TV and was pleased. I'm going to research a little more (LG, Sceptre, BENQ) before diving in however.

Question: Is there a way to tell the build date from the outside of the box?

Thanks,
Dave

Please take all CostCo Inquiries, etc to the Master CostCo Thread!

Thanks

Dave

Well I have decided to return my TV and get some plasma. Apart from popping & clicking noise (at start and at power off), there is ghosting. When I bought it, I thought with 8 ms response time, probably they have overcome this.

Yesterday, I was watching Australian Open on ESPN. The ghosting was so prominent that prompted me to go with plasma. You can see the trail of ball, thats really annoying. Do all of you had the same ghosting problem or there are some settings which needs tweakingAre you sure this isn't PAL to NTSC conversion artifacts? The older "temporal" conversion had alot of that, and even modern PHC conversions get blurry on fast motion.

To be honest, I know nothing regarding conversion from Pal to NTSC. That can be the reason. However, yesterday, I was browsing different channels and saw soccer for few min on fox sports and again there was ghosting / blurring of ball. However, the transmission might have been recorded in Pal and then converted to NTSC. I would try this by making sure I am watching some US braodcast, which i assume woud be in NTSC. I would let you know what I found?

i haven't caught tennis on mine yet, but i've been watching hockey pretty regularly and can't say that i see any blurring or ghosting. im pretty sure the puck goes at least as fast as a tennis ball during slapshots.

I have watched Tennis and Hockey in HD and it looked great no ghosting , refresh rate seems good. After using the settings that someone posted I was able to get a very good picture . Sports on this tv are awesome , movies I say just slightly lacking detail in the shadows of black. I would recommend this tv at the present price , although I have one strange issue when watching non HD material I consistently get blank square blocks on the screen which will even blank out the channel guide , it is always the same size and moves around blanking a 1 inch square to a black hole if you will. If I switch back to an HD channel it goes away , I have tried switching inputs while it is happening but it happens across different inputs. Anyone else see this ? I bought this for 80% HD so it does not bother me too much , but would def be a show stopper for someone who watches SD.
I have confirmed the bit error rate , the signal is flawless for the downstream no errors at all . Bizarre.

Never seen that. How strange.

Spleen

After three weeks with this TV, I can say I am very very pleased.

I have my Cox HD running over HDMI, a cheap Samsung p-scan dvd player over component and an xbox 360 over component. I keep my Cox DVR (6412) set to 1080i (better overall PQ) and run the XBox 360 in 1080i (can't notice a difference in the motion). Everything looks great to me, with no ghosting, pops or clicks.

The refresh rate is just fine and the colors are awesome from head-on. When sitting 15-30 degrees off center there is obviously a lack of color depth, but I assume this is a shortcoming of LCD's in general.

The SD pq