Vizio welcomes YouTube as part of its Internet Apps arsenal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were told at CES last month to expect Vizio's ultrawidescreen LCDs would hit the market sooner rather than later, now we know how it will fit into our budgets, even if we're not sure how the aspect ratio will fit in our living rooms. Similar to the way its first Theater 3D TVs popped up last year, the XVT 3D CinemaWide product page reveals a 58-inch model (50- and 71-inchers are also planned) sporting its trademark 21:9 aspect ratio (compared to a traditional HDTV's 16:9) and 2560x1080 resolution will start at $3,499. It also has an array of specs, measuring the 120Hz Edge LED lit screen at 56.7-inches wide by 29-inches high and 1.8-inches deep. Just as we saw when they were first announced at CES 2011, Vizio upscales Blu-ray and other wider-than-widescreen sources to fill the screen without those black bars we've become accustomed to. If you're watching standard HD programming, the extra space alongside can accommodate tiles for Yahoo! Widgets pulling information from the internet without blocking the picture at all. Check our gallery below for a better look and a demo video after the break, we'll keep an ear to the ground to find out when and where these displays might hit the market first.

[Thanks, chilipalm]

Continue reading Vizio reveals $3,499 price for its 58-inch ultrawidescreen HDTV

Vizio reveals $3,499 price for its 58-inch ultrawidescreen HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV continues to make a decent impact at the Consumer Electronics Show. On Wednesday, Google and OnLive announced that the company’s streaming game service was coming to Google TV devices. OnLive delivers console-quality games that are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and then are streamed over the Internet. The service launched in 2010 and is available on Windows, OS X, Android and iOS operating systems. “With OnLive, the latest high-performance video games stream just as instantly as videos or movies,â€� said OnLive’s chief executive Steve Perlman. As the company does with most new platforms, the service will launch as a “Viewer” on Google TV, allowing users to watch and use OnLive social features. However, OnLive is working closely with Google to enable full gameplay with gamers from around the world. Vizio will be the first manufacturer to incorporate the service into its Google TV devices.

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Just when it seems like everyone is running away from the PC business, well known HDTV company Vizio has apparently decided that after dabbling in lightbulbs, it's a great time to get in. Chief Technology Officer Matt McRae revealed in an interview with Bloomberg that it will introduce two desktop all-in-ones and three notebooks at CES next week, the former which probably explain that sleek display it flashed during its 2012 Rose Bowl advertisement. As usual, the focus is on value pricing, as he promised they would arrive by June (we're still waiting on the phone from last year, we'll chalk up the missing high end TVs to Google TV delays for now) at prices that "don't seem possible". The desktops are expected to be 24- and 27-inch models, while the laptops are a standard 15-incher, along with 14- and 15-inch ultralight models. We'll get our hands on the new PCs as quickly as possible to see if they match up to the ultrabook competition, and if Vizio can finally provide a PC AIO we're truly interested in.

Vizio's next market? Desktop and laptop PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the second year in a row, it looks like Vizio has taken advantage of its sponsorship of the Rose Bowl to tease a new product -- last year it was an Android tablet, and the 2012 game brought this new display design. It flashes around :25 into the ad (embedded after the break), and while there's no details on exactly what it might be, we know Vizio had plenty of Google TV tech to show off last year, and after a year of development plus the release of Google TV 2.0, it may have decided to match Sony's funky TV setup with an interesting stand of its own. Whether there's Android, OLED or any other new tech to be found in the flat-panel we'll surely find out more in just a few days once CES 2012 gets underway.

Continue reading Vizio flashes a sleek new HDTV design in Rose Bowl ad, we'll see more at CES (video)

Vizio flashes a sleek new HDTV design in Rose Bowl ad, we'll see more at CES (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Kinect motion and voice control system, currently available for the Xbox 360 and soon for Windows PCs, may soon be built into televisions. Microsoft is working on deals to license Kinect to TV makers Sony and Vizio, The Daily reported, noting that such technology could allow couch surfers to control their TVs with motion and voice. Currently, Xbox 360 Kinect owners are able to browse their Netflix queues and more by making gestures with their arms or using a number of voice commands. The Daily said Microsoft may be working to enable the system to recognize specific users, too, which would allow a TV to adjust various settings automatically in line with a user’s viewing habits. The technology could put TV vendors in a position where they are more prepared to combat the rumored Siri-controlled television Apple is said to be working on, but it is unclear when Microsoft’s partners might begin to release Kinect-enabled televisions. 

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Looking to make a rebound in the ailing TV business, Sony has announced that it will split its television division into three. According to Reuters, the company is looking to keep operations in check with separate departments for LCD TVs, outsourcing and next-gen TVs. The company is wasting no time, as the move will take place on November 1st. The announcement also comes in advance of Sony's quarterly earnings report this Wednesday which is predicted to be a quite a few eggs short of the full basket that was hoped for -- due in part to its inability to compete against Vizio and Samsung. There are also rumblings that the company could be looking to sell off its almost 50-percent share of a liquid-crystal display collaboration with the aforementioned Sammy. It appears moves are being made to stay in the TV game, but the real question is will Sony be able to stop the bleeding (or, perhaps more appropriately, melting)?

Sony to divide TV division into three-headed monster, looks to bounce back originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Vizio Tablet, which impressed us in June with its keen video focus and dirt cheap price tag, is now available in stores for an easily swallowed $300. More »

It's a busy week for Vizio. The budget TV manufacturer flaunted its flashy new tablet in front of our cameras yesterday, and had us hopping across town this afternoon for a chance to go hands-on with its latest entrant into a mysterious brand-new product category (for Vizio, at least). Reps were mum on details, so we had no choice but to return to the CEA LineShows in NYC to see what was up. We walked around the booth, looking for signs of that Vizio Android phone we saw at CES, only to find co-founder Ken Lowe cradling the new goods: a line of light bulbs. We laughed. Then asked to see the real product that Vizio insisted would be worth the trip. Nope, that was it: a LED light bulb -- four of them, in fact, arranged in height-order on a chrome bathroom vanity fixture. Lowe then proceeded to introduce his product as he has any other, so we hit record. They're bright, round, and standards-compliant, and will be coming to a screw-in fixture near you in Q3. How much? "A Vizio price."

Continue reading Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video)

Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already took a fresh look at the Vizio Tablet due this summer, but the company's main business is HDTVs and there it's on top of US LCD sales again, with more than 20 percent of the market in Q1. Of the top five selling TVs in Q1, four are Vizios priced at $698 or less, while the other is a $1,699 MSRP Samsung LCD. Vizio launched its lower end E3D line earlier this year, the next series on the way are edge-lit M3D models due in August and September that up the refresh rate to 240Hz, come with four pairs of passive 3D glasses instead of two and have a Bluetooth remote. Up next, the 21:9 ultrawidescreen sets we saw at CES are real and will ship in October as the Cinemawide series in 2560x1080 58- and 50-inch models. Finally, the top of of the line XVT 6 series will feature the new VIA Plus Google TV platform and are going to be available in 47- and 55-inch sizes, but won't ship until December There's still no prices for any of these yet, but we're going to guess they'll go low as they usually do. Check the press release for all the details after the break including a glancing mention of the Vizio Phone.

Continue reading Vizio extends its LCD HDTV sales lead; new 3D, VIA Plus and ultrawidescreen TVs are on the way

Vizio extends its LCD HDTV sales lead; new 3D, VIA Plus and ultrawidescreen TVs are on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio hasn't had much to say about its tablet plans since it entered the fray at CES in January, but it looks like things are now starting to pick up again, and fast. We just got wind of a listing for a Vizio VTAB1008 tablet priced at just $349 in Walmart's system earlier this week, and now that same device has passed through the FCC -- which, if you place the two together, could well indicate that a launch may finally be imminent. Unfortunately, the FCC listing doesn't provide much in the way of details beyond the crude outline above and some expected specs (WiFi, Bluetooth and HDMI), but the agency has only been asked to hold back the confidential parts of the filing until August 30th, so we should at least know more by then at the latest.

Vizio's VTAB1008 tablet hits the FCC: your $349 slate now one step closer to shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wait, Vizio's concocting a tablet? For those with chronic short-term memory loss, you may have forgotten that America's so-called low-cost TV leader branched out a bit during this year's Super Bowl, but it's been dead quiet on the tablet front ever since dropping the Via and sticking with Tablet. Looks like that's about to change, though -- a courteous tipster handed off the screenshot you see above, highlighting the appearance of a 'VTAB1008' within Walmart's inventory system. The device was just added a couple of weeks ago, and while we're still no closer to knowing if Vizio's done the right thing and settled on Honeycomb, we do know that it'll be pricing this thing competitively. How competitively? $349... competitively. We'll keep you abreast of any release dates we see, but for now, catch up by having a gander at our preview video from a few months back.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Vizio Tablet (VTAB1008) priced at $349 within Walmart's system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While strolling around Shenzhen earlier today, we decided to stop by at the China Optoelectronics Display Expo to feast our eyes on AUO's "world's largest" 71-inch 21:9 3D LCD panel. Phew, what a mouthful, but this 240Hz ultrawidescreen is indeed larger than the sub-60-inch offerings from Vizio, JVC, and Philips. But is it any good? We put on our passive 3D glasses and found the experience to be surprisingly comfortable and effective (even at about 40 degrees from the center before we hit the wall), though the glossy screen's reflection of the neighboring booth was slightly off-putting. This would probably be less of a problem at your humble abode, anyhow.

In terms of availability, AUO told us that China-based TCL will be the first to pick up this beast of a panel, and the final product should be out in August. Apart from that, we couldn't squeeze out further info about other brands, so you best be writing to your nearest dealership to import this exotic cinema TV. More eyes-on pics in the gallery below.

AUO's 71-inch ultra-wide 3D LCD panel eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 May 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the battle between active and passive 3D glasses display technology heats up, Samsung has responded by announcing its cheapest pair of active shutter 3D glasses will cost $50 (previously $130) beginning May 1st. Additionally, all of its 3D-capable 2011 HDTVs will come with two pairs of glasses packed in, unless the purchase is eligible for the Megamind/Shrek starter kit that already comes with them. This move comes just as FPR-based displays from LG, Vizio, Toshiba and Philips hit the marketplace. LG specifically focused on the cost of glasses as a selling point over Samsung in recent ads that ran heavily throughout the NCAA Tournament (embedded after the break.) LG is charging $10 per pair for its RealD-compatible Theater 3D glasses while Vizio has pairs on its website for $29.99 or two for $44.99.

The cheap pair of Samsung glasses is the SSG-3100GB model with replaceable battery pictured above and while it promises the new, lighter Silhouette-designed SSG-3700GR glasses will also get cheaper, no new price has yet been announced. A 62% price reduction is nothing to sneeze at, but it looks like customers will still need to buy into 3D -- and that active glasses beat passive on picture quality and viewing angle like it says in the press release (after the break) -- to spur sales of the new TVs.

Continue reading Samsung's 3D TV experience is getting cheaper: two pairs of glasses packed in, $50 for extras

Samsung's 3D TV experience is getting cheaper: two pairs of glasses packed in, $50 for extras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 32- and 42-inch versions of Vizio's E3D series HDTVs are now listed for preorder on Amazon at $499 and $699 just as our tipster indicated. The E3D320VX and E3D420VX are currently expected to ship in 3-5 weeks, which should also allow buyers interested in the new FPR-based Theater 3D technology to be among the first pick one up without heading to Walmart. Of course you still can if you want to, a 48-pack of paper towels should go well with your new 3DTV and its dual-sided QWERTY remote.

[Thanks, Phil Z.]

Vizio Theater 3D HDTVs show up on Amazon, confirm rumored pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

This January, Vizio became the second major TV manufacturer to announce its support for Google TV at CES 2011. Samsung and LG also rallied behind the idea of "smart TV," with the former announcing results of a "Free the TV" competition designed to encourage television app development. After years of serving mostly as a display for other development platforms such as video game consoles and TiVo, it seems the TV is ready to serve as a connected platform of its own, not wholly unlike the PC and smartphone.

However, there are two things standing in the way of the television as a platform to lead interactivity in the home -- a lack of access to the core video assets, and the separation of user interface from display.

Continue reading Switched On: A screen too far

Switched On: A screen too far originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Rdio wants to stake its claim to your desktop, MOG is directly integrating itself in TVs (Samsung, Vizio, LG) and cars now (BMW Mini). Oh, and Sonos too. [NYTimes] More »