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!

A Flurry of Newness: Vizio announces details on new TVs

Vizio hasn’t announced anything new in awhile now, but apparently they were saving up all their surprises for one bunch at once, because today they announced a whole bunch of new units, all in the XVT, M and E series. All include the new Energy Star 3.0 compliance many consumers (and lawmakers) are now demanding.

The XVT line is the big boys and will be getting a boost from their shiny new 240Hz dejudder tech, as well as a number of other units which will range from 32″ to 55″ in screen size.

The M series is the nicest looking of the group, with a full JAVA design, 1080p and 120Hz technology included. This will be the company’s midline unit of the release.

Finally, the E series (it stands for Eco) is the energy-conscious TV of the group, with screens spanning from 19″ to 42″.

Too many units to detail them all individually, but feel free to read the press junket right here.

The Battle Rages On: Vizio vs. Funai, Chapter 3 (or is it 4?)

Yes, it’s like watching two bruised prize fighters swinging away in a blood-soaked ring by now, but Vizio has struck back again against Funai, suing them for patent violations and trying to stop Funai from selling and importing their TVs.

They recently claimed the title of “#1 shipping HDTV panel company in the US”, and perhaps that has them thinking they’re the big boy on the playground.

Vizio’s co-founder Laynie Newsome even stated for the record that unlike Funai, Vizio’s patent line has not previously been rejected by the USPTO. We’re sure that made Funai’s boardroom a lively place to be that day.

Funai ships Sylvania, Philips, Magnavox and other big-brand name products (“declining market share” names, according to Vizio…ouch!), so odds are it’ll get settled somehow or another, and we can all get back to marveling at our HDTVs and leave the courtroom to other sectors of the consumer market.

More about the lawsuit in their press release here.

LCD Sales Stats Update: On the Upswing

Even the struggling economy can’t keep HDTV sales down for long, according to iSuppli, a national TV supply company. Many people are staying home, and what do some do when they stay home? Watch TV, and they want bigger and better TVs to do that with.

According to their stats, sales of flat panel TVs in the $600 – $999 price range are rising the quickest, while Wal-Mart is very close to catching Best Buy in sales share. With their prices, we expect this trend to continue. Sears (?!) is in third place for LCD sales, a little bit of a surprise given their struggles in recent years.

Samsung sustains the overall sales lead with their LCD/Plasma sets holding their ground, but upstart (and LCD sales leader) Vizio is giving them a run for their money, big time. No surprise on either front.

Special: The Wednesday HDTV Deals

Here’s a special delivery deals post for your reading enjoyment:

Walmart.com – How about his for an amazing package deal: Start with a Vizio VP422HDTV10A 42” Plasma HDTV, then add in an RCA Home Theater DVD Player and finish it with a Cables Unlimited 6ft HDMI V1.3b Audio/Video Cable – all for $799.00 + free Direct to Store Delivery too? Amazing!

Newegg.com – Nice deal here: a Honeywell MTHWJCT42B3AB Altura ML 42” 1080p LCD HDTV for $649.99 with free shipping too. Great price on a 1080p TV; a similar model sold out on HSN a month or so back in just a few days, and customer ratings have been decent so far overall.

Enjoy these bonus deals and the rest of your Wednesday.

Good News, Bad News: Flat-Panel TV sales surge (for some); Vizio the king of the hill

We’d previously reported that Vizio was the big shot among the LCD TV makers right now, but new statistics compiled by DisplaySearch tells us exactly how much the flat-panel TV market has expanded over the previous year. This is all good news for the future of HD TV.

The numbers: over 7.2 million flat-panels were sold during Q1 of 2009, which is a 23% jump over the units sold from the first quarter of 2008. That’s a HUGE jump.

DisplaySearch also reconfirms Vizio’s #1 position on the HDTV front, with 18.9% of the market share, far above the 8.5% earned by legal rival Funai (producer of HDTVs for Sylvania, Emerson and other “budget” names).

Higher end names like Sony weren’t able to steer clear of the rough economic waters, and ended up with their sales decreasing over last quarter.

Want a HDTV bargain? Check out Vizio, apparently

It seems if you want a bargain yet still want to get in on the HDTV revolution, Vizio is the way to go, according to iSuppli, a leading tracker of tech gear suppliers.

Vizio currently has a sizable 21.6% hunk of the US LCD market (in terms of units shipped) so far in the first quarter, previously 13.8% in the last quarter and they even beat out the popular Samsung to be kings of the LCD kingdom – mostly because they happen to be priced $150-$400 lower than the any competitors. Congrats to Vizio, a company that has shown its values their customer’s dollar and still provides decent quality products too.

We hope they enjoy their time in the limelight, as other companies are starting to slowly catch up, especially Samsung, who is breathing down their necks.

The Sunday Deal-O-Rama

Yet more fabulous deals at Screen Sleuth, coming up:

Dell Home – Yet another great Dell deal; they’ve been on a roll lately. They have the Vizio VOJ370 37” 1080p LCD HDTV for $749.00 – 15% off coupon code “65G7RQ11J?M2LH” (Expires 07/31/2009) = $636.65 with free shipping, which is a really nice deal for a 1080p set of decent size.

6ave.com – Plasma for a song! This place is offering a Samsung PN42A450 42” 720p Widescreen Plasma HDTV for $687.00 – with free shipping too! Amazing deals.

Stay tuned for more great deals in the coming days.

Extra: Friday Night Deals

Yet another edition of our deals on Screen Sleuth, so let’s just dive right in and get started:

Dell Home – How about a Vizio VOJ370 37” 1080p LCD HDTV for $749.00 – $50 instant discount = $699.00 with free shipping too. Once again, Dell comes through with another great HDTV deal.

Buy.com – I can tell you from personal experience that LG makes a great TV, and this is a better price than I got. Buy.com is offering the LG Electronics 42LH30 42”LCD Full HDTV for $999.99 with free shipping, which is a fine deal indeed. 50,000:1 contrast ratio and 5ms response time are the top-notch specs.

Take care, HDTV deal lovers and have a great weekend.

« Previous Page — Next Page »