Official VIZIO M3D420SR/M3D460SR "Passive 3D" Owners Thread - Page 4

I purchased the 42" model from Sam's Club during the Black Friday sale for $699. So far I am very happy with the quality on both 2D and 3D programming (this is my first 3D). I am experiencing the annoying high pitched buzzing/ringing as mentioned by others in this forum. Just called Vizio support and they will be sending a technician to replace my power supply within the next week and I'll be sure to post the results here.

May I request for someone to do a professional or semi-pro calibration of the picture? I already have a pretty good custom setting, but I would love to know what is the optimal. The TV is wall mounted in a bedroom with minimal outside light and no glare.

Here are the picture settings I am currently using (note that these are in no way professional and were done without any calibration tools):

Picture Mode: Custom
Backlight: 75
Brightness: 55
Contrast: 48
Color: 60
Tint: +2
Sharpness: 5

Color Temperature: Cool
Smooth Motion Effect: Off
Real Cinema Mode: Off
Noise Reduction: Off
MPEG NR: Off
Color Enhancement: Normal
Adaptive Luma: Off
Film Mode: Auto
Smart Dimming: Off
Ambient Light Sensor: Off


IMHO, the Backlight and Brightness are very subjective to the environment the TV is located in, so they are most likely to need fiddling with. Feel free to try these out on your TV and please post any comments/suggestions.

Happy Holidays to everyone! Cheers!

If you havent had it replaced yet, can you check if the back of the TV gets warm after you leave it on for an hour or so? thanks.

I also posted my settings after going through a basic THX calibration in this post here.

For those that actually had an hd repair tech come to there house. Can you please give an update. Last I left off that a tech came out to me and replaced the power board and main board and the ringing was still there, while others have said that once replaced the ringing stopped. My next move is to have a replacement tv delieverd to me. I'm holding off until its closer to my 90 day return policy in the hopes of a solution. So if anyone has any updated info can you please share. Happy new year. Also Here are calibrations I found http://forums.cnet.com/7726-19410_102-5245836.html

Yes, the center back of the TV (right above the power supply) does get relatively warm after being on for a while. Not hot enough to be untouchable but still warm enough that I consulted with my uncle who is an electrical engineer with experience in TV repair. According to him the warmth is normal.

The Vizio technician has not yet come to replace my power supply so I can't confirm if that will fix the ringing or not. I will post once this has been done.

Thank you QuadraQ and Joeblazin1215 for the calibration settings!

Happy New Year everyone!

The E series only output stereo so it may be the same for the M series as well.

What do you guys think of the Smart Dimming on these sets? I have the 55" and find it pretty distracting at times...you can really see the effect of it in the dark parts of the screen, but with it off the blacks aren't great and the corner lighting is more visible.

I'm a long time lurker but a first time poster! I'm curious about these and the M3D550SR...

I've read that the new VIA Plus features are built upon Google TV/Android, and I'm pretty sure these sets use this technology. So it includes Chrome, etc.

In an interview I saw with one of Vizio's marketing people, he mentioned that the android marketplace would be available at launch; is this true? I'm mainly wondering if the wonderful google tv version of Plex is available along with full access to the app store? None of the reviews I've seen touch on this yet, so I'm hoping someone here with these sets can help!

Thank you very much!

The current sets use the same VIA apps as the E series from this summer. Other than the LED dimming and the higher refresh rate (which honestly doesn't look any different than the 120 Hz on on my 47" Series) they are pretty much the same feature wise.

There was a set announced that was supposed to feature Google TV early this year but it was vaporware and never shipped. There is talk of the next line of the XVT series having basically full tablet-like features but those should be at CES next month.

I had trouble with my initial out of the box settings.
I have since made some tweaks that helped satisfy my eye. Give it a try.
Picture Mode: Custom
Backlight: 40 can only be changed when Ambient light is off
Brightness: 80
Contrast: 60
Color: 55
Tint:-3
Sharpness: 6
Color Temperature: Custom
Red Gain: 43
Green Gain: 33
Blue Gain: 36
Red Offset: 27
Green Offset: 29
Blue Offset: 26
Advanced Picture: Slow Motion effect: Low
Real Cinema: Off
Noise Reduction: Off
MPEG NR: Low
Color Enhancement: Off
Adaptive Luma: Off
Film Mode: Auto
Smart Dimming: On
Ambient Light Sensor: Off
I hope this helps everyone. Greg

A few days ago I bought the Vizio M3D460SR at Costco, an after setting it up, noticed the buzzing right away. That alone was enough to drive me crazy, but then I also started to notice the blue ghosting in the dark areas during fast movement.

After checking online and discovering both of those problems seemed to be across the board and not fixable, we decided to return it and go for LG 47LW5700.
Oh and the next morning seeing how reflective the Vizio was in full light really clinched it.

So now we have the LG 47LW5700 and are very happy with it. The picture is gorgeous, and software is great and set-up seemed easier than on the Vizio.


I must say I thought the picture on the Vizio was brilliant and it was a great set, but the buzzing and the blue ghosting just was too much to take for us.
So thanks for putting the idea of the LG in our head!

You're more than welcome! That's part of what's so great about these forums - everyone gets to share their experiences.

I must reiterate my disappointment with Vizio concerning this set. My other Vizio's have been awesome, and I'm glad to have them - they made me a fan of the company and it's products, but this TV let me down. If you're listening Vizio, I hope you'll take your next line of TV to the next level! I know you can do better.

Hey guys, I'm going crazy trying to figure out how to get 3D from my computer to my M3D460SR and was hoping you guys could help. I started a thread in the 3D forum ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1383838 ) but didn't get too many replies because they're not familiar with Vizio.

I hooked my laptop with a 3D capable video card (Intel HD 3000) via a 3D capable 1.4 HDMI cable to the tv but it doesn't let me access the 3D menu. I loaded an SBS mkv file on my computer, which shows up on my TV with two images - one on the left, one on the right. When I press the 3D button on the remote, nothing happens. When I go to the HDTV settings menu, I can't select the 3D option.

Am I missing something? Have you guys been able to get it to stream SBS content (mkv files, youtube, etc) from your computer?

Thx in advance.

When I play some ripped DVD files via HDMI cable connected to NAS machine, sometimes the sound fluctuates. It's not happening frequently but it's definitely noticable and reproducable. It never happens in TV mode. Has anyone come up with issue?

I'm in same boat as you. Entertainment center and 42" is largest I can go.

If you've got an entertainment center, you'll hate the LG. I did. The sound gave me a headache because it echoed through the entertainment center. It was just awkward. I ended up taking the LG back. In my opinion, LG did a horrible job packaging the speakers on this unit. I'll never understand why so many manufacturers went to a downward/backward facing speaker.

If reflection is not a problem for you, then stick with the Vizio for sure. At this point, it is my only serious complaint about this TV. Mine sits beside a large window, and you have to find the right seating position not to be bothered by the reflection.

Hi guys. First time post here.

I bought the M3D460SR last week, and I am noticing that my wi-fi signal shows up on the TV at full strength.

When I try amazon vod, it shows all bars and "HD" for my connection, yet it keeps buffering every 2 minutes. I noticed that Netflix and Hulu Plus both also re-buffer every couple of minutes. Netflix sometimes streams a whole movie, but the picture quality is **** then.

I have a PS3 and a 360, and the Netflix and Hulu Plus stream perfectly without buffering on both of those.

Is there anything I can try? Thanks.

If that is the case, then I would prefer the LG by just a hair (assuming you'll never have to use the built-in speakers). To me, the picture was slightly better. Not as reflective either. I hated having to return the LG, but I only use the built-in speakers, so it had to go. Keep in mind that the LG doesn't have Wi-Fi. The blu-ray player that is packaged with the LG doesn't have Wi-Fi either.

Thanks so much for your help!!! I started playing around with my TV and was able to access the 3D menu after I set the TV as the primary display (previously, I was setting the laptop monitor as my primary display and duplicating it on the TV screen). The 3D is working better than I could ever have imagined! I've been watching the LG 3D demo with the giant fish that pops out 6ft from the TV.

You guys are the best and this forum is awesome.

i am still having this problem but I am running it from my video card DVI connection to RGB. Will that allow me to enable the 3D? I made it my main display and only display with no luck

Actually the LG does have Wi-Fi, it's just not built in. It comes with a USB WiFi adapter instead.

I purchased the Vizio m3d420sr at Sams in Valdosta,Ga. on Nov 2nd 2011,the price was reduced $60.00 from the original price of $848.00,prior to the purchase I checked at both local Walmarts and was told "we do not carry that model".Several days later as I looked at the BlackFriday Walmart ad on the internet I saw the price would be $598.00 at Walmart on BlackFriday, I printed a copy and visited the Sams manager,they were not aware of this but they replied Sams does not price match Walmart......The local Sams did change the price reduction date on the tv from the 30th to the 20th of Nov. I am aware of comments on other sites...including Sams....that states Sams did price match Walmart on this item...Were you one of the Lucky ones?? The TV is great..... especially the 3d,I am using a Vizio vrb133 blueray/3d player...5.1 audio is excellent,I am using an optic cable from the tv to my Technics amp...I do not have any noise or hum...a comment about the m3d421sr model....I have read on other sites that the 421 indicates some parts were made for Vizio by another manfacturer..Best wishes for the New Year...RadioRalph

I have the 421SR as well and here are my thoughts, after a month and a week of use.

First in regards to humming, mine did it as well, Noticable when near the T.V. (w/in 3 ft). After a few weeks of watching it for a few hours ever day. Now when I turn it on it only makes the slight hum for for 15 seconds and goes away. So really not a problem, and I feel it has to do with the power supply warming up. My house is warm but the corner the TV is located can get a bit chilly.

Secondly I too noticed the LED screen bleed in lower right corner and left upper mid areas. I only see this when the screen goes all black. I also managed to reduce this by lowering the backlight.

That being said these are the only gripes I have.

The TV has a spectacular picture. For Good Sources it knows when to switch to 3D (PS3 and XBox) But the cable companies equipment is sh-it and we all know it so they don't auto switch. But my cable guys have some quality free 3d ondemand via HBO and stars which is damn near as good as blu-ray.

It games spectacularly on the PS3. I can't reccomend Killzone 3 enough, the graphics are fuhking mind-blowingly cool.

As far as settings I am still fine tuning this myself. I will tell everyone to turn off the auto-dimming and smart dimming. Put the smoothing on low. I left film mode on.

What I am trying to make precise is the backlighting, mine is in a semi well lit upstairs livingroom. I am finding the backilighting comes way to high on all the settings. I am trying to reduce backlight for brightness and have been seeing some pretty good results. I have no real settings to give yet, but will toy with some of the suggestions and compare them to what I currently am running.

So to conclude pretty damn good tv for $600 bones. Plus I have like 20 pairs of theater glasses so everyone gets to rock the 2012 Winter Xgames in 3d with me.

I posted in another thread on the M3D460SR that I just bought, but wanted to report here on the owner's thread too.

This set has a great picture, but the ghosting could kill it for me. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion on this given Costco is selling them all over the country for $850-$899. Regardless, my set has both the faint hum and the blue ghosting on the outline of faster moving HD images. Very noticeable on Bluray, less so on TV and internet streaming.

I really love the IPS panel they used on this set - its beautiful, but if I can't find some settings that eliminate the ghosting, this set will go back to Costco. I'm going to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday and see how it looks - that will be the final test.

I have not tested any 3D content, but hear the ghosting can be worse in 3D.

I guess I'm trying to say "buyer beware" and go into a purchase of this unit knowing the potential problems and what to look for when you get it home.