Vizio VS420LF Review – 42-inch LCD HDTV
Originally Reviewed on December 8th, 2008Vizio VS420LF Review: 42” 1080p LCD HDTV
Up for review: Vizio VS420LF. The introduction of this HDTV in the market is meant to bring serious competition. Though only about 2.5” thin, there are a lot of great features loaded into this HDTV.
A resolution of 1920 x 1080p is supported by the VS420LF. Clear, bright and vivid images are available with Full HD. The picture quality is natural and without any annoying motion blur. There are 3 HDMI inputs which can be plugged on to a set-top box, a video game console, a DVD player and many other such compatible electronic items.
The Vizio VS420LF HDTV can be viewed at a 178 degree horizontal viewing angle. So whatever angle you are sitting at, the picture will be crisp and clear. The VS420LF can be either wall-mounted or put on a stand. High definition programs are available because of the integrated ATSC/QAM/NTSC digital television tuner.
Vizio VS420LF Features and Specification Review:
Screen: 42” LCD TV
Aspect ratio: 16:9 widescreen
Dynamic contrast ratio: 5000:1
Native panel resolution: 1920 x 1080p
Tuner: ATSC/QAM/NTSC HDTV tuner
Response time: 5 ms
Viewable angle: 178 degrees (horizontal/vertical)
Sound enhancement: Yes
Audio: Built-in 10W X 2
Lamp(LCD)/Panel (PDP) Life: 50000 hours
Power consumption: 250 W average
Warranty: 1 year parts and labor, free lifetime technical support
The VS420LF comes with a power cord, a user manual, a remote control, a quick start guide and support and warranty documentation. This HDTV is priced at $829.99 MSRP which makes it very affordable. The price is a key factor in deciding for this HDTV. However, this HDTV lacks the PIP feature and an USB port. Uploading images is not a possibility. But otherwise, this HDTV gives good value for money.
HDTVUniverse.com gives Vizio VS420LF 8/10 stars!
TJ's reviewDecember 30, 2008
An outstanding TV for the money. Bought from Costco for $689. What a bargain! And Costco extends warranty to 2 years with the manufacturer which is a in-home warranty service…Wow! Picture is outstanding on SDTV(480i) as well as HDTV(720P or 1080i). We are getting analog and digital SDTV as well as digital HDTV directly from our Comcast cable wall connection. Vizio quickly found 100s of stations during the initial channel scan. Picture and color is outstanding. Did I mention this model was displayed next to a $1600 40″ Sony TV in Costco and pictured looked every bit as good after I tuned it(took about 5 minutes).
Only 2 negatives, but really minor in big scheme of things.
1). The remote is very simple which works for us since we bought this for my 84 year old father-in-law.
2). The audio out (red & black composite) connection will not work unless you turn off the audio to the TV speakers via the menu/audio setup. You can not push the audio signal through the audio out and TV speakers at the same time. We bought the TV Ears from Costco to allow listening through the TV speakers and a headset at the same time with different volume controls. You will not be able to do this with a Vizio unless you put a cable box, etc in front of the TV where it pushes the audio out of multiple output connections independent of each other. So if we hooked up a Comcast cable box from the wall and then into the Vizio, we would just hook the TV Ears to the cable box instead of the Vizio audio out and Viola…..all would work advertised by TV Ears.
Stackhouse's reviewJanuary 13, 2009
I recently bought this TV from Sam’s for $689.00. (Sam’s threw in those 2 extra years beyond factory warranty also.) We have it mounted over our fireplace and absolutely love it! It really does wonders to our family room and saves so much room by having it off the floor! The picture is great! I have Cox Cable HDVR which is a wonderful package. All HD listings show in 1080i, I rarely watch any of the standard channels. I would recommend this TV to anyone, Vizio is top notch!
Wonderbird's reviewFebruary 17, 2009
I just bought this model about a week ago from my local Costco. $599 after the $100 off coupon that is good from 2/9/09 through 3/1/09. I showed up right after work on 2/11 and a lady was buying the last box there. I ended up buying the display model so I would not have to drive an hour or so to a different CostCo. Some friends of mine were so impressed with the quality of the picture on mine that they bought one about a week later. When they walked in there were about 10 of them. When they were leaving CostCo there was one left and people were looking at it… (They had to check with a manager about buying one and setting it aside since they had a small car full of kids at the time) I have only used it with a 720p source signal so far but find the output quite good. (I will probably hook it to my computer just for the fun of it – and because it is the only device capable of driving it at maximum resolution) It has 3 HDMI inputs, two component video inputs, a “computer” input, antenna input, and a couple of “A/V” inputs… I just ordered some component cables so I can hook my PS/2 game console to it instead of using the s-video connector… (Hope it improves the quality of the picture from the older PS/2 a bit – a LOT of people claim hooking them up using component cables helps a LOT.)
I looked at the specs and seem to remember reading 148watts (not the 250 watt avg power usage listed above) I also like the “sleep timer” since it is hooked up in my bedroom even though you have to go through a couple of menu levels to get to it.
I STRONGLY recommend this model (at this price point) to anyone who wants a HDTV in this size range at this point in time. Very hard to find a better value.
DonMan's reviewMarch 01, 2009
We also bought this at Costco. Was 599.00 after the coupon, however we didn’t realize that until we got home. Great Surprise! This tv is awesome for the price, even at 799.00 or higher. Picture is great! We use the Digital Optical Audio output which simplifies our entire home theater system, so we don’t use the speakers at all.
The remote is a little cheasy, but with a universal remote, you can control everything with one, so that’s ok.
I HIGHLY recommend this TV, and wish Costco had more, because I’d buy another one at this deal!