Customer ServiceeRegister
The Gadgetress ~ TV, mobile and Internet: Covering technology's monthly bill

Archive for the 'Vizio' Tag

« Previous Entries

10 ways to watch TV cheaper

April 9th, 2010, 8:10 am by
Read more:

My prediction: This is going to be a big year for TV. But not because the last episode of “Lost”  airs next month. Or because yet another season of “American Idol” is one of this year’s highest rated shows.

What’s changing is how we watch TV. Hulu.com, which offers a ton of recently aired TV shows, is a mainstream hit. There are trials by Time Warner Cable offering subscribers access to some cable TV shows on the Web. Dish announced something similar (read: “Coming soon: Dish to let users watch TV online“).

Cable TV companies are losing subscribers. Online video sites, which allow users to pick and choose what they want to watch, are gaining viewers. And for the first time last fall, a major cable provider took its fight against the ever-increasing fees paid to networks to rebroadcast shows public. Something has got to give!

While the state of paid TV is undergoing a monumental change, several services are already available to help consumers pay for only what they want to watch. Now, there’s probably more than 10 suggestions on how to watch web TV on a TV, but you get the picture.

While you can hook up a computer to your PC (a la Windows Media Center or some other DIY software), I’ve tracked down some newer alternatives to pipe TV shows from the Web to your big screen TV.  I’ve listed some below, but I’m sure every reader has his or her own favorites. Please share with the rest of us in the comments and if I’m able, I’ll elevate them to the list below. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 26 Comments »

Vizio not so little anymore, takes No.1 spot for HDTV sales

February 22nd, 2010, 8:24 am by

It’s official: Vizio shipped more LCD HDTVs in the U.S. than any other TV company last year, according to iSuppli, a market research company that tracks TV sales. The Irvine HDTV company nearly doubled its sales, growing 92.1 percent last year from the prior year.

Vizio was  neck-and-neck with Samsung all year. During some quarters, Vizio led the game, in other quarters, it was Samsung, which heavily pushed the newer LED back-lit technology. But ultimately, Vizio took the lead, ending the year with 5.92 million HDTVs sold. Samsung sold 5.60 million.

Even without its much-anticipated Internet TV, Vizio dominated the Christmas season, selling about 135,000 more TVs then second-place Samsung. During the fourth quarter, Vizio sold 1.844 million LCD TVs, making Vizio the champ for 2009.

Interestingly, iSuppli’s research shows that Toshiba also had a stellar year, growing 81.7 percent from the prior year. The TV maker, which has its U.S. laptop and storage operations in Irvine, sold 2.394 million LCD TVs. The company also sells plasma TVs and other TV technologies.

HDTV company HDTVs sold 2009 (millions) Market share Growth
VIZIO 5.920 18.70% 92.10%
Samsung 5.608 17.70% 22.60%
Sony 3.681 11.60% -1.00%
Toshiba 2.394 7.60% 81.70%
LG Electronics 2.396 7.60% 8.90%
Total 31.622 100.00% 29.00%

Vizio has already made a splash in 2010 by announcing a 3D HDTV, expected in late summer, plus super skinny TVs, mobile TVs, TV headphones, Internet routers,  and other TV accessories (read earlier: “Vizio goes beyond TV with 6 new gadgets.”) It also signed Beyonce Knowles Carter as its latest celebrity spokesperson and invested in its second Super Bowl commercial.

iSuppli analyst Riddhi Patel said that Vizio took the lead because of increased brand recognition and, more importantly, “providing technology advancements at affordable prices,” Patel said.

But Samsung still was at the top in one case: The best selling LCD TV. Samsung’s 32-inch LN32B360, priced at $549, was the nation’s top selling TV during the fourth quarter, according to Quixel Research.

Recent stories about Vizio:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • | 24 Comments »

Ouch! Backlash for Vizio Super Bowl ad

February 8th, 2010, 11:31 am by
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.
Did you get Vizio’s Super Bowl 2010 ad? Comment

It was hard to avoid Vizio at the Super Bowl yesterday. The Irvine HDTV company was obviously a major sponsor of the football game with its sponsorship of the pre-game show, the field camera and several commercials.

But the big Super Bowl spot starring musician Beyonce failed to resonate with many critics, though it definitely wasn’t the worst of the bunch.

Vizio hired Wally Pfister, the cinematographer for “The Dark Knight” and “Batman Begins” to create a commercial for its new VIA TVs, short for Vizio Internet Apps TVs.

The spot shows a mechanical arm handpicking familiar Internet “content” — from the Twitter bird to the Flickr logo to the Internet celebrities like the overweight guy lip synching “Numa Numa,” Youtube Tay Zonday singing “Chocolate Rain” the Dramatic Beaver and others. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • | 32 Comments »

Watch O.C.’s Super Bowl 2010 TV commercials

February 7th, 2010, 10:12 am by

It’s a big year for Orange County’s tech-minded companies. Three are involved in Super Bowl ads, airing today. We got them ahead of time and have set them up to be available once they appear on TV. Until then, you’ll just see some blank spots below and will need to satisfy yourself with the extra filler.

Read the rest of this entry »

Vizio, HDTV company in Irvine
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

Posted in: news • • • • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

One peek at Vizio’s Super Bowl 2010 ad with Beyonce

February 5th, 2010, 3:16 pm by

I’ve seen Vizio’s Super Bowl 2010 ad with Beyonce but have promised not to reveal anything until after the ad airs during the fourth quarter of the game. But Vizio did share this with readers:

Beyonce is only one celebrity in Vizio's Super Bowl 2010 ad.

Beyonce is the Irvine HDTV company’s latest celebrity endorsee. It’s great that Vizio signed her but let me say this, she’s not the only celebrity showing up in Sunday’s TV commercial.

Vizio also shares this: Besides the Beyonce commercial, the company has the opening and closing bill boards and two 30-second spots during the pre-game show, which it’s sponsoring. Its Internet TVs will decorate the background of the anchor desk plus its name will be on the camera that hovers above the field — the Vizio Vision Cam.

How much is Vizio spending? No idea, but last year’s ad cost the company a minimum of $1 million in TVs it gave away to consumers.

Read the earlier story: “Beyoncé, Batman, the 2010 Super Bowl and Vizio“

I’ll have all the commercials posted on the blog Sunday after they air. Come back if you feel like giving me some more page views ;)

Check out the Register’s 2010 Super Bowl coverage HERE. More non-game Super Bowl coverage:

Posted in: news • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Should your next HDTV be 3D?

February 5th, 2010, 3:34 am by

Mitsubishi Digital 3D HDTVs3D movies today are far from the fuzzy 3D of the 20th century, where  blue-and-red cardboard goggles were more of a fashion statement then advancement in technology. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, it became very clear that 3D is heading to living rooms nationwide.

Pretty much everyone announced a 3D HDTV, including budget TV brand Vizio. But the even bigger news came from companies like DirecTV, ESPN and the Discovery Networks, which all announced major efforts to bring 3D videos to TV sets.

3D glasses from NvidiaBut are consumers ready for a 3D TV?

The simple answer: Not yet. Yes, many 3D TVs will begin hitting store shelves in late Spring. And DirecTV begins offering three 3D channels in June. But experts agree that the content is just not there yet. So, when should you buy a 3D TV?

“2013,” says Alfred Poor, an analyst who covers the TV industry and is known as the “HDTV professor.” “2013 is when we’ll start seeing 3D televisions shipping in quantity. Why? Because of content. Content is king, always has been, always will be. … Hollywood is now committed to producing 15 to 20 3D features this year. That averages to 2 to 3 hours each so that’s about 40 hours of new content. That’s not enough to fill a single week of primetime.”

DirecTV is working with Panasonic to offer the three channels beginning in June. They will include one pay-per-view channel, one special events channel (sports, music) and one video on demand channel. Subscribers who already have DirecTV’s HD box will get a free software update so they can access the 3D channels for free.  But viewers will need a 3D TV and 3D glasses to view the content. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • | 8 Comments »

Beyoncé, Batman, the 2010 Super Bowl and Vizio

January 28th, 2010, 8:16 am by

Beyonce starring in Vizio's 2010 Super Bowl commercialUpdate: New photo from Vizio on right…

Vizio’s latest super-celebrity endorser  Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will indeed star in the Irvine HDTV company’s Super Bowl 2010 commercial, the company said this morning.

The 60-second commercial was directed by  Wally Pfister, a 3-time Academy Award nominee for cinematography who worked on “The Dark Knight” and “Batman Begins.  It will air during the fourth quarter of the game. No sneak peeks were revealed.

This is the second year the Irvine company will advertise during the Super Bowl and with actress/singer Beyonce, it’s sure to be much more entertaining than last year’s basic spot. Last year, the company focused on value and giving away $1 million worth of HDTVs.

This year, who knows? When I visited the company’s suite at the Consumer Electronics Show, it showed off several new TV accessories like headphones, Internet radios, routers and universal remotes. One headphones line in particular was created by fashion designers. With a touch of color, these fashion-minded headphones look like a headband and come in textured finishes and hand-stitched leather.

Vizio adds ladies line of headband headphones.At the time, Vizio indicated hiring Beyoncé as its new face (see earlier story “Vizio hires Beyoncé as new spokesperson“) was part of its move into fashion. Guess we’ll see on February 7.

Vizio isn’t the only Orange County company advertising in this year’s game. Boost Mobile, also in Irvine, has gathered up members of 1985′s Chicago Bears who did the Super Bowl Shuffle. The recreation of the shuffle is sure to be oh so wrong, as part of its ongoing campaign against what wireless companies shouldn’t do (read earlier story, “Boost’s $2.5 million bet: Super Bowl ad to parody 1985’s ‘Shuffle’“).

Either way, both companies are spending big bucks for their spots. A research firm estimates that advertising in this year’s Super Bowl will cost  $2.5 million to $2.8 million for a 30-second spot since it is, after all, one of the most watched TV events each year. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Vizio goes beyond TV with 6 new gadgets

January 12th, 2010, 4:31 pm by

Vizio Universal RemoteVizio conquered the LCD HDTV market last year. Now it wants a piece of the TV accessory market.

While the Irvine TV company unveiled its first Blu-ray Disc player, sound bar and cables last year, this year’s show had many nice surprises as well. It not only showed its latest TVs, including a 3D model and a super skinny HDTV, but it offered up a bunch of interesting TV accessories. I’ve highlighted the following, with pictures of course:

Number 1 stock artUniversal remote control with built-in LCD – Two of them are coming but the more interesting one is the XRT100 touchscreen remote control has a 3.5-inch LCD display to control the home’s entertainment system. It will work with Vizio’s upcoming (and delayed) Internet TV, as well as older audio and video devices. Unlike the Samsung Wi-Fi remote with the built-in TV display, this one works over Bluetooth. Click photos to enlarge.

Vizio universal remote control with touchscreen Vizio universal remote control with touchscreen

Number 2 stock artHeadphones with built-in LCD — Why does one need an LCD screen on a set of headphones, I’m not quite sure. But it was cool to see. Vizio added a round LCD display to the outer part of each earpiece. Users will be able to see the album cover or personal images on the screens. These are future products with no price or availability date available. Watch the video I took inside Vizio’s dark CES suite: Read the rest of this entry »

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

« Previous Entries
SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline