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VIZIO VO47LF
VIZIO VO47LF Review
47" 1080p LCD HDTV

Performance

For the first couple of hours that I put a TV through its paces, I am hypercritical, looking for nits to pick. It's not a comfortable way to watch TV and I would not suggest it for those of you sitting on the couch in the den enjoying CSI. Reserve your eagle-eyed perception for ferreting out clues in the plot and not for scanning for artifacts in the display.

VIZIO VO47LF

I will admit that I spied a tinge of green in the shadows of Sarah Connor's furrowed forehead. But since I haven't noticed that discoloration elsewhere, I'm much more concerned about whether she will ever unknit that brow and find a moment to enjoy herself before Judgement Day.

Actually, the VO47LF handled skin tones consistently well, which is one of the pillars of picture quality for me. Of course, I am talking about high definition programming. SD content is the bane of my occupation. And this VIZIO is not a stellar performer with standard definition fare. Then again, I have found few HDTVs that can transform SD dregs into a palatable picture.

After removing the VO47LF from under the microscope, I was able to sit back and appreciate what it had to offer, a bright, colorful, full HD image. Yes, on certain scenes that I use as reference, I have seen better. But many of those TVs sell for almost twice as much and the differences can be fleeting.

The Black Levels could be deeper, which is exacerbated by the slight dull reflection of ambient light on the LCD panel. This characteristic is nowhere near a deal breaker for me. Though if you are a tenacious videophile intent on finding the flawless HDTV for your home theater, then turn your merciless gaze elsewhere.

The most difficult part of hooking up my laptop to the TV was figuring out where to set the source to RGB. It does not have a dedicated input button on the remote. You have to punch the Input button and an OSD pops up that lists all the input sources including RGB.

Once connected, I was glad to discover that I could set the computer screen resolution to 1920 x 1080. Though when I opened up a web page with a white background, my eyes beat a hasty surrender behind my squinting lids. The screen was way too bright. After turning down the Backlight to below 50, my peepers decided it was safe to venture out in the sunlight again.

Since this TV does not have a USB port, the best way to view your photos stored on your computer is through this RGB connection. Or, if your computer's video card has an HDMI or DVI out, you could make a direct digital coupling with the VIZIO's HDMI input. If you enjoy seeing your images in high definition, you'll be a proud papa or mama with how they look on this VIZIO.

VIZIO VO47LF

I was also pleasantly surprised at the sound quality emanating from the pair of 10W speakers. The aural range of the Blu-ray DVD of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds performing Live at Radio City was credible, not incredible, but commendable for TV speakers. The quality even holds up well at high volume. Though any push above 50 and I would imagine that both the speakers and your neighbors would begin to complain.

As always, if you are serious about your audio, enlist a separate A/V receiver and speaker system. But for everyday TV watching, the internal speakers are just fine. They even will be able to be heard over a boisterous March Madness party.

Conclusion

VIZIO has gained a reputation - and a considerable chunk of the market - for producing solidly performing, well priced HDTVs. The 1080p VO47LF, with its beautiful 47" HD picture quality and quite respectable sound, upholds that tradition.

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