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Archive for the 'Vizio' Tag

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Vizio confirms Black Friday prices: $99 Blu-ray player, more

November 18th, 2009, 3:33 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Black Friday 2009Most consumers will agree that Vizio Inc. makes a decent HDTV that usually cost less than the competition. While the quality is debatable (let me reword this) not everyone is gaga for the brand, Vizio’s big pricing extravaganza begins right … around… NOW!

Just got a list of Vizio’s Black Friday 2009 prices starting with a $99 BLU-RAY PLAYER! But we all knew Blu-ray was going to hit $99 this Christmas, right?

Noticeably absent: Vizio’s VIA TV, the Internet TV I’ve been waiting for. Ah well. I hate shopping on Black Friday anyway.

But for everyone else who needs a new TV, here is Vizio holiday price lineup: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • | 9 Comments »

Sales of big energy-guzzling TVs banned in California

November 18th, 2009, 12:13 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

California TV EnergyUPDATE, 11/20: Added details about Sharp Electronic TVs. See below.

The California Energy Commission today unanimously voted to force TV manufacturers to build more energy-efficient big TVs by 2011, reports the Associated Press.

The move affects new TVs up to 58 inches. The change would reduce TV energy consumption by around 33 percent by Jan. 1, 2011, and then 49 percent by 2013. Currently, only a quarter of the TVs on the market today meet this standard, reports AP.

Here is a chart of the new standards: CLICK HERE.

TVs larger than 58 inches will be allowed to use more power.

“This is a really big deal, because once standards are in effect it will cut California’s power bill by $1 billion a year and avoid the need to build a large, 500 megawatt power plant,” said Noah Horowitz, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council in the AP story. “We hope in the long term, every TV sold in America will be just as efficient as those sold in California.”

UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: Here’s an image Associated Press just released to graphically describe the new energy savings mandate: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • | 73 Comments »

Vizio knocked to second by Samsung for top HDTV sales

November 18th, 2009, 9:04 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio Inc., an Irvine HDTV sellerVizio and Samsung continue to compete neck and neck in vying for consumer love when it comes to LCD TVs. This quarter, Samsung sold more TVs in the U.S. than the Irvine HDTV firm.

According to market research firm iSuppli Corp, the battle for first was a close one. Samsung was just 1.1 percent ahead of Vizio based on market share percentage points (added 3:01 p.m.). See the chart below. Samsung had 1.3  million vs. 1.2 million HDTVs sold. Vizio’s second-place finish also meant a drop in market share, the biggest decline of the TV companies in the top 5.

Vizio, otherwise, has been in the lead all year (see earlier report on 2nd quarter and 1st quarter results). Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • | 19 Comments »

In a twist, Vizio licenses patents to Sony

October 30th, 2009, 8:28 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio Inc., an Irvine HDTV sellerCATCHING UP: When it comes to patents, Irvine HDTV company Vizio tends to be on the losing end. Let me clarify this: Patents have made Vizio’s life extremely complicated [Added 9:50 a.m.] .

This is because the company specializes in selling TVs, not developing the next technology. It’s gotten them into legal disputes with companies that own the TV patents. At one point, there was talk of cutting off Vizio’s TV supply because Vizio wasn’t paying licensing fees.

And then late Wednesday, the company announced it was licensing its patents to Sony Corp. What? Vizio owns patents?

“No comment,” the company replied to my question on how many patents Vizio owns [added 9:50 a.m.].

A quick search under “Vizio” at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveals that indeed, the company owns some patents. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • | 11 Comments »

Contest: Win an HDTV, speakers that soften loud TV commercials

October 22nd, 2009, 4:47 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

SRS Labs giving away HDTVs, speakers.If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on a gadget that softens overly loud commercials, now’s your chance to get one for free — just tell your annoyingly loud TV commercial story in 500 words or less.

The contest is sponsored by Santa Ana-based SRS Labs, which I wrote about earlier this month. Its TruVolume technology has popped up in a few TVs and sound systems. It automatically lowers the volume of TV commercials. Read about my experience and watch the video at “SRS Labs’ gadget could end annoyingly loud TV commercials.”

YouTube Preview Image

For long-time readers, you may remember that I used to offer a round-up of contests that awarded geeky prizes. This is definitely one of them. Plus, since it takes some effort, there could be few entries. Hmm… should I bring this feature back?

Ian Hamilton, who writes for the Irvine Business blog has the  contest scoop in his recent post, “Hate loud commercials? Write a story about it and win.” The prize is Vizio’s new sound bar, a $199 $350 speaker with TruVolume built in. SRS has three of them up for grabs.

For even less time and effort, you could win a Samsung HDTV with TruVolume. Just watch a silly commercial and vote at www.srslabs.com/truvolume. SRS is giving away a 22-inch, 32-inch and 40-inch Samsung HDTV to the lucky voters.

Good luck!

Posted in: Audio • Video & TV • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Is that Broadcom in your new TV?

October 12th, 2009, 2:00 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

LG's Broadband HDTV is powered by Broadcom.If you’ve kept up with the latest in TV technology, you know that many TV manufacturers have either released their first Internet TV or are about to.

But what you may not know is that Irvine’s Broadcom Corp. is providing its ‘connected’ chip to enable Internet in many of these TVs. And it’s overseeing what content gets included.

Features like watching YouTube videos or checking stocks and local weather are activities that TV watchers will get access to in these new TVs.

But integrating Yahoo Widgets into the TV, for example, is not a simple task, said Stuart Thomson, Broadcom’s senior director of product marketing for Digital TV. TVs don’t have as much memory as computers so engineers must work more efficiently, for one thing.

Yahoo Widget, Netflix and other features are now available on some Internet TVs. Pictured is LG's Broadband TV, powered by Broadcom.“We worked very hard on the responsiveness to make sure Yahoo Widgets worked well in an embedded environment,” Thomson said. ”We worked a lot with Yahoo to make this work.”

And Netflix, apparently. The only TV offering Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” streaming service are the LG Broadband TVs, which have Broadcom’s chip inside. The LG TVs went on sale in early summer.

Besides LG TVs, upcoming TVs with Broadcom’s “connected” chip include Sharp, Humax (in Europe) and Zinwell (in Taiwan). The company is also working with Irvine-based Vizio not just on TVs but on Vizio’s noteworthy QWERTY remote control. (Other TV manufacturers with Internet TVs include Sony, Samsung and Panasonic.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

How Vizio got to produce and co-own Fox Sports’ new TV show

October 2nd, 2009, 8:25 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio Pro-Files, a new Fox Sports TV showThis is a follow up to “New Fox Sports TV show produced by … Irvine HDTV maker?” which is about ”Vizio Pro-Files,” a new Fox Sports TV show  produced in part by Irvine-based Vizio.

Obviously, it’s a change in strategy for the company, which has done a few TV commercials (featuring San Diego Charger LaDanian Tomlinson), but mostly relied on retailers, like Costco, and the cardboard box the TV comes in to spread the world about its products.

“Vizio Pro-Files,” which debuts at 11 p.m. Friday night, mentions the company at the beginning and end and that appears to be it.

In between, host Laura Okmin hangs out with today’s football’s stars, exploring their lives off the field. While I thought this would just be a 30-minute TV commercial for Vizio, the first episode has less product placement than a Hollywood movie.  The Vizio logo and its TVs are used in the show’s introduction and ending.

Jason Maciel, Vizio’s director of marketing, said this wasn’t a new show Fox Sports created and then shopped around for a sponsor. It started with Vizio. Actually, Okmin approached Vizio and the two worked on it together to pitch it to Fox.

“We were initially approached by Laura Okmin and LO Productions (co-producers of the show), who presented us with the concept for the program. Laura helped us to reach out to FSN; she has a long -standing relationship with Fox and is a sideline reporter for several NFL games for them,” he said.

Here’s my Q&A with Maciel:
Read the rest of this entry »

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New Fox Sports TV show produced by … Irvine HDTV maker?

September 30th, 2009, 3:20 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio Pro-Files TV show, now on Fox Sports Net.Vizio, best known for selling big HDTVs for less than the competition, is jumping into TV show production.

The Irvine company is executive producer for ”VIZIO PRO-FILES,” a  new show on Fox Sports Net hosted by Fox Sports broadcaster Laura Okmin.

The 30-minute show debuts Friday at 11 p.m. on all Fox Sports Network stations. The first episode features Green Bay starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who replaced Brett Favre. Each episode will re-air at 6 and 11 p.m. Tuesdays,  9:30 p.m. Thursdays and at 3:30 p.m. Fridays.

Upcoming profiles will include Brian Urlacher, LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Chris Henry and Tony Dungy.

But is this just a big commercial for Vizio? Read the rest of this entry »

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Buying an HDTV? Why you’ll likely end up with a Samsung

September 8th, 2009, 4:53 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Samsung is far more recommended than Sony TVs, says J.D. Power.Samsung TVs have been having a HUGE sales year, nearly besting Irvine’s Vizio as the top seller of LCD TVs nationwide last quarter. Back then, analysts said Samsung’s growth is because the company integrated the brighter, newer LED technology into TVs faster than the competition.

But another reason surfaced today: More salespeople at major electronics stores recommend Samsung LCD TVs.

J.D. Power and Associates, which rates companies based on consumer surveys, sent 1,500 mystery shoppers to major electronics stores like Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics and Ken Crane’s. Store salespeople recommended a Samsung LCD TV nearly 2-to-1 over second-place Sony (see chart on right).

Most recommended 2Q 2009 2Q 2008
Samsung 58% 35%
Sony 21% 28%
Vizio n/a 7%

The report, from the J.D. Power and Associates and Market Force Information 2009 Television Retail Insights Report, said the gap between first and second place widened this year as Samsung pumped up its LCD TV marketing campaign.

“In the last six months, Samsung made a remarkable shift to the point where they’re being recommended as a premium brand based on quality and features. Samsung is being portrayed as a Sony,” said Chris Denove,  J.D. Power’s vice president of operational research.

Denove doesn’t suspect that Samsung is covertly paying salespeople to promote the brand even as 58 percent recommend a Samsung compared to 21 percent for Sony. Rather, he believes Samsung’s new status is rightly deserved. Samsung, previously considered a value brand by salespeople, has done a great job marketing its LCD TVs, he said. And its LCD TVs were not only among some of the first available, but they have won awards.

That’s good news for Samsung, but terrible news for Sony, which has relied on its aging credentials as a premium brand.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • | 25 Comments »

Vizio’s Internet TV delayed till December

August 25th, 2009, 1:57 am by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio's Internet TV, the VIA, works just fine months before its November 2009 launch.

If you’ve put off the purchase of an HDTV this long, here’s one reason to wait until December: The VIA Internet TV from Vizio, the Irvine TV company that became the nation’s biggest seller of LCD TVs this year.

The Vizio Internet Apps TV will let people watch TV and check Facebook status, tweet on Twitter or order a Netflix movie. It was supposed to go on sale this summer but Vizio wanted to add more content so it delayed the launch till just before Christmas.

Watch the Vizio slide showRisky? Yes. Retailers like to get the goods in stores well before shoppers start thinking about the holiday. But Vizio says it wanted to make sure there was enough content to entice the consumer.

“We want to make sure that we bring features to market that are important to the consumer,” said John Schindler, vice president of product planning.

Vizio has announced several partners including Accedo Broadband, Amazon Video On Demand, Blockbuster On Demand, Flickr, Netflix, Pandora and Rhapsody. More recently, Vizio added eBay, Facebook, Radiotime, Revision 3, Rallypoint Sports, Showtime TV, Twitter and Vudu.

The 55-inch VIA will be an LED TV with Web access (Wi-Fi and Ethernet), a USB port, 240 hertz and a Bluetooth remote with slide-out QWERTY keyboard for $2,199. Price and launch date are moving targets. When I first heard of this set at January’s Consumer Electronics Show, Vizio priced the TV at $1,999.

But don’t expect to be able to surf all of your favorite Web sites. The TV doesn’t offer full browsing — something Vizio felt was better left to a computer.

“This is a garden environment,” Schindler said. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • | 6 Comments »

Is Vizio No. 1 LCD TV seller or not?

August 19th, 2009, 1:51 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio Inc., an Irvine HDTV sellerAnother quarter, another victory for the Irvine TV company Vizio Inc., which continued to sell more TVs than everybody else. Or was it?

Two market research firms just announced the top companies for second quarter 2009 LCD TV sales. Vizio is number one in one report, and number two in another report.

iSuppli has Vizio less than a half percent ahead of Samsung. But DisplaySearch has Samsung ahead.

DisplaySearch says Vizio fell to second place when judged on units. However, DisplaySearch added that Vizio continues to see “strong growth” thanks to relationships with retailers like Walmart.

Vizio is leader in LCD TV sales, during 2Q 2009, according to iSuppli.iSuppli, meanwhile, noted that Vizio didn’t grow as much as second-place rival Samsung. Still, Vizio was ahead of Samsung in market share by 0.4 percentage points, or 21.7 percent vs. 21.3 percent, as shown in the chart on the right.

Samsung’s appeal? Back-lit TVs, also called LED TVs, allowing for a brighter picture. Vizio’s first LED TVs are on the verge of hitting stores later this month.

“Samsung in the second quarter was very aggressive in introducing and marketing its LED-backlit LCD-TVs, allowing it to boost sales of these sets,” Riddhi Patel, iSuppli principal analyst, television systems, said in a statement.

Vizio spokesman Jim Noyd cleared up the confusion: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • | 13 Comments »

Vizio Blu-ray player shows up in Walmart for $178

August 10th, 2009, 4:19 pm by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

Vizio's first Blu-ray DVD player shows up in Walmart stores.Vizio’s long-awaited sub-$200 Blu-ray player is beginning to show up at Walmart stores nationwide — the Huntington Beach store added the high-definition DVD player to shelves last night, according to a sales clerk.

Irvine’s Vizio first announced its entry into Blu-ray players in January during the Consumer Electronics Show. The timing in stores is well off the initial April 2009 launch date, but hey, at least the price is $22 cheaper. 

The VBR100 Blu-ray player, which is listed as “coming soon” for $199.99 on Vizio’s Web site, has HDMI output and plays BD-Live content (so you can chat with friends watching the same movie). It also plays DVDs, CDs, MP3s and JPEG images. There’s no built-in memory card reader but on the back, there’s a USB port, which can read JPEGs, MP3s and BD Live storage. Nothing fancy, but it is thinner than some of the competitor boxes on the same shelves.

Vizio's first Blu-ray disc player shows up in Walmart stores.

Vizio's straightforward Blu-ray disc player is nothing fancy, but it's smaller, thinner than some competitor's.Now, I didn’t rush to the store to buy one, but I did stop by a local store to verify Walmart had them in stock (two left, by the way).  Photos are from my hunt.

The guys over at FormatWarCentral.com did. Here’s the link to their unboxing of the VBR100 (as spotted on EngadgetHD.com): LINK.

The new Vizio Blu-ray player isn’t the only one Walmart offers in the sub-$200 market. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing $100 Blu-ray players at Christmas. Here’s a list from Walmart’s Web site:

Blu-ray player Price Store
Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player, NB530MGX $129 Walmart
Sylvania Blu-ray Disc Player (NB500SL9) $177 Walmart
Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Player, BD-1500/XAA $198 Walmart
Sharp AQUOS 1080p HD Blu-ray Disc Player, BD-HP21U $199 Walmart

Earlier Vizio news:


Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local TV services

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

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