Widget Or Not To Widget?: A Perspective

Internet/Widget connected HDTV – are they worth the time? CES ’09 definitely displayed these type of TVs, but demand and buzz around these kind of TVs had cooled a bit this time around, as performance of currently released models were a bit disappointing according to our report.

The Vizio XVT 55-inch model, which was to have extensive internet connected features was delayed as well, so we figured the enthusiasm for these type of TVs had dampened somewhat. We’re not predicting death for this kind of tech (it’s the future in some form, no doubt) but is technology at a point NOW where it can be supported seamlessly? We’re not too sure, and from various reports we’ve read on the web, many others aren’t either.

What do you think? Anyone out there using this kind of TV has anything good to say about it? Comments welcomed.

Monday’s HDTV Deals Madness

We love our deals, as evidenced by posts we’ve made like this HDTV deals post, but here we’re really looking for great offers. See below:

Walmart.com and Vizio have a very good thing going, and it continues with this great deal: The Vizio VO420E 42” Class Eco (energy savings is always good!) 1080p LCD HDTV for $648 – with free shipping too? Indeed. A year ago this type of TV was $900+ easily, so you can appreciate the recent advances in technology that have made it affordable on nearly any budget.

Crutchfield.com has a pretty amazing Sony deal (and these are among the most expensive of all 40″ class HDTVs): How about a Sony KDL-46S5100 46” Bravia Series LCD HDTV for $779.99 – $20 off coupon we have supplied for you “3A825″ (Exp 01/31/10) = $759.99 with free shipping as well. Deals and more deals, how do we do it?

Watch for more deals in the weeks to come, and thanks for reading!

HDTV Deals: Weekend Edition

Here’s our famous HDTV deals, something to watch a smartly-priced Blu-Ray movie on this season. Here we go:

Newegg has shattered the price barrier for 40+” TVs it seems: How about a Sceptre 40″ 4.5ms 1080p LCD X400BV-FHD for the amazing price of $500 – with free shipping too? Say it isn’t so! It goes to show you the direction prices on sets are moving.

Dell Business has some great deals on HDTVs at times, and this one is pretty good: The Vizio VT470M 47” 1080p LCD HDTV for $1099.00 – $200 instant discount via our link = $899.00, and free shipping as well. Tough to beat!

Feel free to check these deals out, as they expire at some point, needless to say.

The HDTV Sales Champion Crowned: Vizio

In a not-too-surprising announcement, Vizio had a pretty good time of it on Black Friday and the period afterwards. They aren’t referred to as “America’s#1 LCD HDTV Company” for no reason. The units moved shocked us a tad bit, but not overly much.

Vizio stated that it had sold over 280,000 televisions over the entire Black Friday week. That’s up an astounding 40%  jump over this period last year, with that includes a really surprising 20,000 50-inch+ models. It seems their pitch to move upmarket a tad bit has paid off, as their label as “Wal-Mart bargain model” has slowly eroded away, and more upscale consumers are becoming Vizio followers.

We’ll keep an eye on them through the remainder of the 4th quarter to see if they can keep it up, and if any other companies can overtake them in sales.

Holiday Savings: Vizio first company to fire in holiday HDTV price wars

Vizio is already known for pretty low prices, but they’ve put out an announcement that confirms what we already knew: they’re lowering their prices even more for the holiday shopping season, mainly at big box retailers.

Among the highlights: How about its VBR-110 Blu-Ray player for $99 at the mega-store Costco (and probably other places too), November 27-November 29 while supplies last. That’s $40 off the regular price, and is among the cheapest out there at this price. A cheap easy way to join the 1080p revolution.

Or how about the Vizio LV32M 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV for $399 from November 27-29, $50 off the normal price?

Wal-Mart is getting in on the savings too: a 19″ LCD HDTV for $178? Amazing!

There should be a company press release coming soon regarding these offers, but you’re hearing them first here at Screen Sleuth.

The Latest Vizio Legal Scuffle: A settlement with Sony

Boy, Vizio seems to attract the legal battles like few others companies in recent memory (besides Apple). The very latest involves Sony and has a happy ending: they’ve settled for who knows how much money and promises made, but a settlement is a good thing for both companies in this case. Usually its Vizio doing the suing as we reported a few months back regarding their feud with Funai.

Vizio was sued by Sony in October 2008 for using patented Sony technologies, and the two went back and forth for awhile until reaching this latest settlement.

Press release from Vizio: Link

A spokesman for Sony contacted several blogs regarding this issue, and was quoted as saying:

In October 2008, Sony filed a litigation against Vizio in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California for infringement of fourteen of Sony’s patents related to color televisions and PC monitors. The parties have now settled all current patent litigation between them, with Vizio becoming a paying licensee under Sony’s patents for color televisions and PC monitors. Additionally, under the settlement, during its term, Sony will be licensed under any patents that Vizio purchased this year related to color televisions, as well as any they may own in the future that are related to color televisions or PC monitors.

Hopefully, Vizio can stay out of court for awhile and continue making solid TVs at affordable prices.

Razor’s Edge: Vizio releases LED-backlit 19″ and 23″ models

LED backlit LCD HDTVs have been the hot thing the last few months, but they’ve been restricted to the bigger models for the most part. Vizio has changed all of that with their new line of LED-backlit wonders, with a 19″ and 23″ model being released.

The 23-inch is 1080p, but both have slick, thin styling and all the color and sharpness only the smaller models can feature. Both can also function as a digital picture frame as well, making this unique gadget do double-duty, which we can always appreciate.

The 19-incher sells for $349, and the 23-inch will cost an extra $50 (not much of a jump really) out of your wallet. No exact release dates have been set as of yet, but expect these quite soon.

Thrilling Thursday HDTV Deals

Two more exciting HDTV deals for you to consider:

Buy.com – How about a Samsung LN22B460 22” LCD TV for $311.00 with free shipping. Great offer for any side room and well-reviewed to boot.

Walmart.com – Purveyors of fine, low-priced HDTVs, and they usually feature Vizio models at great prices, such as the SV470XVT 47” 1080p LCD HDTV for $928.00 with free in-store delivery. For that size and specs, its pretty tough to beat.

Thanks for reading and see all of you tomorrow!

Sighting: Vizio VF551XVT LED Backlit HDTV seen in stores

The recent CEDIA gathering promised that VIZIO’s very first baby steps towards an LED backlit LCD would be in stores for sale in days came true, according to recent sightings and sources. Vizio had previously avoided the technology up until now, but it’s good to see they’re jumping on the bandwagon.

The picture here was taken at a Costco recently with a $1,999 price on it, so odds are its available where you are by the time the ink dries on this post.

The only thing to consider: should you grab this, or wait a bit longer and grab its web widget & WiFi included VF552XVT HDTV due out in November or so? Tough call, we know.

Frightening Friday HDTV Deals

Yes, its here once again; the ultimate catalog of quickie HDTV deals for your consideration:

BuyDig.com has a great offer on the LG 22” 720p LCD HDTV for $329.00 – $74.05 Discount = $254.95 with free shipping as well. Nice deal and perfect for a good sized side room TV.

Walmart.com often has amazing deals on 1080p models, and this one is a prime example: The Vizio 42” 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV for $847.00 with free in-store pickup available. Tough to beat!

Feel free to dig into our feast of deals, and make sure to stop by this weekend for more HDTV offers and news.

Freaky Friday HDTV Deals

It’s Friday, and time for more tantalizing HDTV deals to peruse:

6ave.com – Very nice deal on the Curtis LCD3202A 32in LCD HDTV for only $359 – $18 off via coupon code we provide: AFL5 + free  shipping = $341, which is pretty nice for a TV this size.

Dell Home – Dell sometimes has some very nice sales, including this one: the Vizio XVT 42in SV421XVT 240Hz 1080p LCD HDTV for only $999 – 15% off coupon code we’ve kindly provided you with: 6FWJ247J1P44CK = $849 w/ free shipping too. Hard to beat that!

Thanks for joining us, and have a happy tomorrow, where we’ll (hopefully) see you here!

The Crown Ever Shifting: Vizio still tops in HDTV sales, but Samsung closing in

No matter the legal rigamarole, lawsuits, etc, Vizio kept shipping out LCD HDTVs in huge amounts during the second quarter, making up 21.7% of the overall market, according to manufacturers reporting company iSuppli. But their HDTV crown is worn on an uneasy head these days, as competition is slowly closing in on them.

Samsung is now hot on their heels, with a jump from 17.8% in the 1st quarter to 21.3% in Q2, mainly because of their new LED backlighting sets they released, accounting for 2.2% of all LCD sales.

They also note many more customers buying new models to replace older models, something companies always salivate about, as a growing trend. Let’s hope this trend continues.

Sunday’s Scandalous HDTV Deals

The title: It’s the only word we could think of that started with S at that moment. Anyhow, here’s more great deals:

Dell Home – Vizio has really risen to the be one of the better companies out there for HDTV goodness, and the Vizio 32in VA320M 1080p LCD HDTV for only $529 – $110 off sale deal = $419 w/ free shipping is as good a deal as any. Grab it up, as it expires on the 19th.

Best Buy – New tech ain’t cheap, and BB has the Samsung UN46B6000 46in Class 1080p 120Hz LCD-LED HDTV for only $1700 w/ free shipping (in-store pickup). Not bad for the very latest and greatest in LCD tech. Expires the 22nd of August.

Take care and see you again soon for more tantalizing HDTV deals and steals.

Saturday’s HDTV Deals

Yet another post with great weekend HDTV deals:

Dell Home – How about the Vizio 55″ VF550M 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV (it’s a monster) for only $1,499 – $140 off via coupon code we supply for you: 6FWJ247J1P44CK = $1359 w/ free shipping as well. Pretty good deal, indeed.

PC Connection – A neat little offer that will save you on your electric bill: the Sony 46in VE5 Eco-Friendly 1080p LCD HDTV for only $1,400 w/ free shipping. These are the newest ES3 compatible models. Nice deal and save the planet? We’re there!

More to come later on, so come on back, HD lovers!

Saturday’s Sensational HDTV Deals

More great HDTV deals to spice up your weekend:

Walmart - Your friendly neighborhood bargain emporium Wal-Mart has the monstrous Sanyo DP52449 52in 1080p/120 Hz LCD HDTV with Digital Tuner for only $1298 with free to-store shipping. Good price on a very nice TV with solid specs.

Dell Home – Dell is usually good for some amazing deals, like this one: $90 off on Vizio 32in VO320E 720p LCD HDTV for only $429 normally + coupon code: F6CBP1F3XTHBWG (expires 8/14) = $339 w/ free shipping, making it a really good bargain, indeed.

Join us again later for even more deals!

Wednesday’s Wonderful HDTV Deals

Yet another installment of our now infamous HDTV deals:

Newegg.com – How about a monster for a small price? The LG 50” Widescreen Plasma HDTV for $799.99 with free shipping too? Yes, its an amazing deal, indeed.

TigerDirect.com – Another great deal for a well-reviewed unit: the Vizio VO37LFHDTV20A 37” LCD Full HDTV for $569.99 + shipping = $605.69 Shipped. It’s amazing how far prices have fallen.

Join us tomorrow for more great deals!

Friday’s Freaky HDTV Deals

We haven’t done any deals in a while, so let’s make up for that right now:

Dell Home – What a deal on a huge quality TV set: the Vizio 55” 1080p LCD HDTV for $1699.00 – $100 instant discount using our link = $1599.00 with free shipping. Hard to beat this for HD goodness in a big package!

CircuitCity.com – (Yes, they’re still around – online anyway): A nice price on a perfect TV for a side bedroom: The Westinghouse 16” 720p LCD HDTV for $149.99 with free shipping as well. Smaller TVs have definitely declined in price dramatically.

Two great deals for you to peruse, and more to come later on. Come on back!

Lawsuit Lament: Round 1 of Vizio vs. Funai drawing to a close

Round one of the legal battle between Vizio and Funai is rounding down now, and it appears to be a huge victory for Vizio.

U.S. Customs has ruled that all VIZIO TVs do not infringe on Funai’s Patent 6,115,074 — which was actually rejected by the Patent Office a few months ago, so the point may have been moot anyway.

With the USPTO and US Customs now agreeing with Vizio (for now), all the bureaucratic stuff is in place and Vizio TV units can enter the US on their journey to homes all across the country. This is huge news for Vizio and all of their stockholders (and us, who as HDTV lovers will benefit from the lower prices and more competition).

Next up is actually Vizio’s countersuit against Funai for filing the first lawsuit – don’t you just love legal drama? Makes TNT look positively tame.

Planning the Future: Vizio readying internet-connected line of HDTVs

VIZIO recently showed off new updates in its high end XVT series, but it’s already planning out the next generation of their now famous LCDs with VIZIO Internet Apps included on the next series. Widgets, here they come.

These units will feature 802.11n wireless networking and slider Bluetooth remote, the SV422XVT, SV472XVT and VF552XVT HDTVs are coming home in November, October and December, respectively. And they look to be really set the bar for widget-connected HDTVs both in features and price. Vizio has really come up in the world.

Partners lined up already are enough to make anyone excited: Vudu, Revision3, Facebook, Twitter, Rhapsody, Blockbuster OnDemand, Showtime, Flickr and more as yet unannounced.

The biggest shock? Very little to no price increase with these new models, with the 55-inch selling for the same $2,199 price as the previous model, the only jump being the 47-inch, which will move up $200 over the previous model to $1,699, while adding the LED backlit technology previously only on the 55-inch for good measure.

The 42-inch will be the first model released and checks in at a pretty frugal $1,199 — how that sells may determine the future of net-connected HDTVs (at least as far as the mass market potential goes).

Wednesday’s HDTV Deals of the Day

Once again we grace the pages of the web with more great HDTV deals to tempt you with. On we go:

Newegg.com – Here’s a monster for your consideration: The LG 60” 1080p Plasma HDTV – Black for $1889.99 with free shipping too. What a deal – these were $2,500-$3,000 not all that long ago.

Walmart.com – A very nice deal on a great TV: The Vizio 42” Class Eco 1080p LCD HDTV for $697.00 + free In-Store delivery too. Can’t beat this one, and this one will save on your electric bill too.

Thanks for reading, and see you mañana!

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