[HDTV1080P]

12 VIZIO 1080P 120HZ flat panels have been added to the list

All 120HZ VIZIO displays have now made the list since they have a true 5:5 pulldown mode when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off.

Note: The pseudo 240HZ VIZIO displays will not be added to the list until more information is learned about how they handle 1080P/24 source material.


VIZIO VF550XVT1A (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO VF550M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV470XVT1A (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV420XVT1A (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV370XVT (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV320XVT (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV470M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO SV420M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO VL470M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO VL420M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO VT470M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO VT420M (1080P/24 correctly refreshed at 120HZ when Smooth Mode Effect is turned off)

VIZIO use to be known as a low end brand. In just over a year VIZIO has really improved the quality of their displays. VIZIO no longer makes 60HZ Plasma displays but before they stopped making the plasmas there was a professional review published that claimed the 60HZ VIZIO plasma screens had 80% of the picture quality of a Pioneer plasma screen (reference link to plasma comment). Now the latest face off between a $900 VIZIO 120HZ LCD model and a $1,300 Toshiba 120HZ LCD model has resulted in proof that VIZIO LCD screens can beat other companies not only on price but also on overall picture quality. VIZIO did not have as good as picture quality when compared to the 120HZ LG 42LH40 LCD and Sony BRAVIA 40V5100 LCD models.

The 42 inch VIZIO SV420M has a overall better picture quality compared to the 42 inch Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U according to the September 2009 Home Theater face off (pages 20-36). The VIZIO beat the Toshiba in Black level, Shadow detail, and resolution. The Toshiba REGZA 42XV650U costs $1,300. The VIZIO SV420M is a better value at $900.

VIZIO Home page Link to read specs and manuals: http://www.vizio.com

Here are a few select quotes from the September 2009 Home Theater review face off (pages 20-36)

"Coming from nowhere just a few years ago, this relatively new television manufacturer has managed to muscle its way into the ranks of the market leaders by selling its sets largely through major discount warehouse retailers like Costco."

"As with all the LCD sets here, the Vizio operates at a refresh rate of 120 Hz. And as such, it offers its own aptly named motion-smoothing feature: Smooth Motion. It has two separate adjustments: Smooth Mode Effect and Real Cinema. If the set receives a 1080p/24 input with the Smooth Mode Effect control off, it repeats each frame four times (5:5 pulldown) in order to reach the displayed 120-Hz refresh rate. With Smooth Motion Effect on (in any of its three active modes—Low, Middle, or High) and the Real Cinema control set to Smooth, the set also adds four new frames for each real one. In this case, the frames are interpolated. Oddly, if Smooth Motion is on and the Real Cinema control is set to Precision, the Vizio first converts 1080p/24 to 1080p/60 and interpolates a single added frame to reach 120 Hz."

"With a 1080p/60 input (or a lower-resolution input upconverted by the set to 1080p/60) and Smooth Motion turned off, the Vizio adds a single repeated frame to each real frame to reach 120 Hz. With Smooth Motion on, it interpolates a single added frame."

A few quotes from the review that are mostly negative

"When the Vizio plays back a 4:3 source in the 4:3 (Normal) aspect ratio setting or a letterboxed source that needs to be played in a zoom setting to fill the full width of the screen, the set can only produce a geometrically correct image when the input is 480i or 480p. When 720p, 1080i, and 1080p inputs are externally upconverted to these resolutions from standard-definition sources, they are squeezed or stretched, and no aspect ratio choice can put them right. (This is not a problem with sources that require a Full setting, such as native HD material and enhanced-for-widescreen DVDs.)"

"Three of the panelists saw deterioration in the set’s image quality when they moved off axis. But on the positive side, others noted that the set looked much better overall with the room lights on."

"Three of them thought the skintones looked a little unnatural, and one of those commented that the colors were too vibrant. Another rated the Vizio’s reds as the worst of the group and the greens as the second worst. While the set finished last in the composite scores for color, two of the panelists rated it highly, giving it a 9 out of 10, while others were much less enthusiastic. This shows just how personal the reaction to color can be. Even with careful calibrations, there can be underlying differences in sets that the available controls can’t completely dial out."

"While the Vizio didn’t turn in a great performance overall, remember that it is less than 75 percent of the cost of the next least expensive set in the group. I found it much more watchable than the group’s scores might suggest, and its HD video processing also handily beat out the other players in the group."

"You can do better if you’re willing to spend more, but this is a respectable set at an attractive price. And Vizio is on the cusp of interesting new models, some of which may well compete more aggressively with the other sets here in the $1,300-to-$1,500 range. It’s also about to join the parade of new local-dimming, LED-backlit sets, which should answer the black level and shadow detail issues, but at a price that might keep other manufacturers awake at night."

Click on link below to read the entire VIZIO review at the Home Theater magazine website:

http://hometheatermag.com/flat-panels/vizio_sv420m_lcd_hdtv/index.html