Vizio

Hands-on with the Vizio VIA Tablet

LAS VEGAS--Admittedly, Vizio's Android tablet is one I didn't see coming. After spending some time with it this afternoon, I'm declaring it a happy surprise. Granted, there's no pricing, and no firm ship date, but my vaporware detectors weren't ringing on this one.

Even in its fragile state as a hand-tooled engineering sample, it's clear that this 8-inch tablet has been approached thoughtfully. The capacitive touch screen is very responsive, and the custom UI running over an unidentified version of Android behaved fluidly. Unlike most Android tablets I've tested, Vizio's tablet dispenses … Read more

Vizio details its Google TVs' sizes, LEDs

Editors' Note Jan 8, 2011: The Vizio XVT3D6SP series was selected as the winner of CNET's Best of CES award in the TVs category.

Yesterday, Vizio announced that it would ship TVs equipped with the Google TV platform and today it followed up with more specifics on the models, which will form the XVT3D6SP series.

That series, designated by the VIA (Vizio Internet Apps) Plus moniker, will come in two screen sizes: 47-inch and 55-inch. Both are larger than any of Sony's NSX-GT1 models, which are the only other Google TVs officially announced so far.

VIA Plus adds … Read more

Vizio XVT TVs proffer passive 3D, full LED

Today Vizio announced a slew of HDTVs that feature passive 3D technology, which the company is calling "Theater 3D." The best-featured of the bunch fall under the company's XVT line of LED-based LCD TVs.

The XVT models include a pair with the Google-TV-equipped Via Plus Internet suite and the already-shipping 65-inch XVT3D650SV. Vizio also announced five other XVT sets, the XVT3D5 models described here.

Passive 3D, which is used in most U.S. theaters, is said by proponents like Vizio to reduce crosstalk (an artifact that appears as a double image) and be more comfortable than active … Read more

OnLive cloud-gaming service coming to Vizio HDTVs and mobile devices

OnLive CEO Steve Perlman hinted this summer about his company's interest in integrating its cloud-gaming service directly into television. It seems OnLive has achieved that goal after this morning's announcement of a partnership with Vizio.

Previously confined to Macs and Windows systems through downloadable software, as well as its own dedicated MicroConsole set-top box, OnLive debuted last year as the first major cloud-gaming service. With its partnership with Vizio, the OnLive service will now extend to Vizio HDTVs, as well as Vizio's newly announced line of Via tablets, smartphones, and Blu-ray players.

Details in OnLive and Vizio'… Read more

Vizio announces ultrawide 21:9 LED LCDs

LAS VEGAS--Today Vizio announced it would be shipping a pair of TVs shaped a bit wider than usual.

The new displays, sized at 50 and 58 inches, will be known as Cinema HDTV, and their LED-backlit LCD screens will have an aspect ratio of 21:9. That's visibly wider than the 16:9 shape used by nearly all other plasma and LCD TVs shipping today in the United States.

The advantage of the shape, according to Vizio, is that it allows the sets to "display 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) movies without any black bars." As the company … Read more

Vizio launching Android smartphone, tablet

TV maker Vizio is entering the smartphone and tablet business.

The company said today it will launch the Via Phone and Via Tablet, both of which will feature Google's Android operating system, Vizio's Via Plus technology to offer a unified interface across different devices, and an infrared blaster with a universal remote control app that can control Vizio TVs and other devices.

With a 1GHz processor and a 4-inch high-resolution touch screen, the Via Phone will offer 801.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, a MicroSD card slot, and HDMI output to play video on an TV. The phone … Read more

Vizio to launch smartphone, tablet

Flat-screen TV maker Vizio is making the jump into the smartphone and tablet computer markets, tapping Google to take on the likes of Apple and Research In Motion.

The company, which teased the move in an ad that ran before the Rose Bowl game yesterday (see below), is expected to reveal its wireless products tomorrow during a news conference before the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas later this week, according to reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.

Vizio's Via Phone will have a 4-inch screen and front- and rear-facing cameras, while the Via Tablet … Read more

Quick Take: Vizio XVT3D4SV series

Vizio's XVT3SV series earned an Editors' Choice Award for its excellent picture quality at an affordable price, and now the company is following that success by adding 3D. The new XVT3D4SV series appears to be almost identical to the XVT3SV, plus 3D capability. Here's a quick glance at the highlights.

Key features of the XVT3D4SV series:

3D-compatible (active glasses not included) 480Hz refresh rate Local-dimming LED backlight on two larger sizes (42-inch is edge-lit) 160 dimming zones on 47-inch model; 120 on the 55-inch model Vizio Apps platform, which supports Netflix, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Rhapsody, and Pandora 5 … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1364: It's not funny, it's art (podcast)

We're stealing lines from "Love, Actually" today, because Natali can quote it by heart when it's super a propos to a guy very disturbingly embedding a camera in the back of his own head. Ew. But hey, it's art! Also, Twitter says it's not suppressing Wikileaks as a trending topic--although it's a trending topic in our show. And AT&T is the worst carrier in America, says Consumer Reports. Hey, at least we didn't say it this time. --Molly

Vizio, OnLive may be prepping video-streaming services

Netflix might soon have more company in the video-streaming space.

According to The Wall Street Journal, HDTV maker Vizio and video game delivery company OnLive are planning their own streaming services to compete with Netflix's offering.

The publication is reporting that Vizio has "expressed interest" in providing consumers with video content via a subscription service like Netflix's option. The publication cited "people familiar with the talks," but was unable to get Vizio to confirm the report.

OnLive is planning to allow users to access movies starting "next year through a subscription service and … Read more