Skip to main content

Vizio Offers 47-Inch 1080p LCD Under $2,000

The Vizio brand of big flat-screen TVs might be most associated with big-box membership chain Costco rather than high-falutin’ home theater installation professionals, but you’ve ot to give them points for successfully generating buzz for low price points for big-budget home entertainment gear. For “Black Friday” the company dropped 32- and 37-inch displays under $1,000, and now its rolling out its GV47LF 47-inch LCD display for $1,899.99—with support for 1080p resolution.

“Vizio is becoming known for combining industry-leading features, visually striking exteriors, unbeatable value and industry-leading costumer support—our latest television is a great example,” states Jeff Schindler, V, Inc. VP of Marketing and Business Operations. “This 47-inch LCD features the latest in Vizio’s Gallevia “picture-frame” industrial design and comes with our unique “zero bright-pixel” defect guarantee and free 1-year onsite service.”

The GV47LF features a 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, 500 cd/m2 brightness, an 800:1 contrast ratio, 178° viewing angle, and an 8 ms response time—all tucked inside a translucent silver and black cabinet with touch-sensitive control keys. Also on board: an ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, and a decent selection of inputs: two each for HDMI, component, and composite inputs, and coax RF and S-Video inputs. The unit also sports 5.1 audio output via S/PDIF, standard analog audio output, along with removable speakers and stand. Vizio also offers flush, tilting, and swing-out wall mounts and swing-out wall mounts.

Vizio says it’s jumped from the 18th slot in flat panel TV sales in the third quarter of 2005 to the #10 brand in the third quarter of 2006; offering big 1080p displays under $2,000 may help make 2007 a banner year for the company.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
A cheaper 1080p Chromecast with Google TV just makes sense
Chromecast with Google TV remote.

Over the past few days, rumors have begun to swirl that Google intends to launch a new version of its Chromecast with Google TV streaming media dongle. And according to a report from Protocol, which cites "a source with close knowledge of the company’s plans," this new model will be aimed at folks who don't need or want 4K resolution, which would make it a more affordable, 1080p (Full HD) device.

Given that Google's main competitors in the streaming device space -- Amazon and Roku -- both sell inexpensive 1080p models, it makes a lot of sense that Google would want to make a product for these same buyers. As Protocol notes, a cheaper Chromecast with Google TV would also help the company penetrate emerging markets where people simply don't have as much money to spend on gadgets, like India.
Specifications
Google still sells a 1080p version of its original Chromecast dongle for $30, but that device isn't based on the newer Google TV software and doesn't ship with its own remote. Given that this Chromecast is now more than three years old, it would make sense to retire it in favor of a similarly-priced Google TV-powered unit.

Read more
TCL’s giant 98-inch 4K TV hits CES — and stores — for under $8,000
TCL 2022 XL Collection 98-inch 4K QLED TV.

How much should you expect to pay for a staggeringly huge 98-inch TV? If you're Samsung, the answer is $15,000 for its 98-inch QN90A Neo QLED 4K. If you're Sony, the answer is $20,000 -- but hey, you're actually getting two more diagonal inches because that's how big its Bravia XR X92 is. On the other hand, if you're TCL, the answer is "under $8,000" for its 98-inch XL Series 98R754, a massive 4K QLED Google TV that you can pre-order on Amazon today, for $7,732.

The 98R754 joins TCL's existing XL Collection, a set of TVs that are all 80 inches or larger in size, including the company's flagship 85-inch 8K QLED X925pro (X9), which uses TCL's latest generation mini-LED backlight system, called OD Zero. Originally, TCL said that the X9 would be available for $10,000 before the end of 2021. But that clearly didn't happen, and no new timeframe has been announced.

Read more
LG prices its QNED mini-LED TVs starting at $2,000
LG's 2021 8K QNED mini-LED TV seen on a wall.

At CES 2021, we learned that LG planned to upgrade its LCD TV lineup with mini-LED backlight technology under the label "QNED TV," but now we finally have more details, including pricing and availability. LG's first QNED TVs will hit retail outlets in July, with an entry price of $2,000 for a 4K 65-inch model. There will also be 8K models available.

LG has always touted the picture quality benefits of its OLED TVs, and for good reason. On an OLED TV, each pixel generates its own brightness, resulting in the best black levels and contrast you can get in a TV. But with the advent of mini-LED backlighting, it's possible for LED and QLED TVs to get much closer to OLED's advantages in this area because they allow for much finer-grained control over brightness than regular LED backlights.
2021 LG QNED Mini-LED TVs

Read more