Vizio VF550XVT / Vizio VF470XVT / Vizio VF370XVT Review
For those who wish to purchase an HDTV that won’t completely break the bank, Vizio’s VF550XVT is a decent-enough television set for the price. Set to retail at $1,999.99, the VF551XT is one of the least expensive large LCDs available. As expected with any sort of cheaper model, this set has quite a few faults that make it somewhat inferior when compared to a higher-end brand. These shortcomings may not be enough to dissuade consumers on a budget from purchasing a Vizio VF550XVT, though they could present quite a turn-off for hardcore HDTV aficionados.
The design of the XVF550VT’s exterior is nothing special. It has a typical rectangular shape, with a shiny black frame around the viewing area. It’s a design that has been reproduced countless times, and the aesthetic value of this set would be nothing to write home about, if it were not for the speaker bar positioned beneath the bottom portion of the viewing screen. The Vizio VF550XVT’s speaker bar cannot be removed or detached without prying it off forcefully. It is large, silver, and reflects the set’s surroundings, so it could present quite a distraction for certain viewers who have their eyes drawn easily to environmental stimuli. It is unfortunate that Vizio decided to include this design decision within this set, as I doubt many people would find it to be anything but an eyesore.
The picture quality of the Vizio VF550XVT is very satisfying. The colors on the VF550XVT are satisfyingly accurate for its price range. My main complaint would stem from the display of shades of black being lighter than what you’d expect from an HDTV. Bright and medium colors are mostly fine, with the exception of bright colors approaching white. Unfortunately, extremely dark colors tend to be noticeably lighter than they would be on a higher-end display. The blacks displayed tend to resemble an extremely dark blue.
The set’s off-angled views are also quite bad, making this a poor set for use in a high-density viewing arrangement with people forced to watch from the set’s sides. Dark colors become highly distorted, and perception of colors in general is made difficult by viewing from an angle. When viewed from an angle, corners were also noticeably brighter than the rest of the set. These problems affect other, more expensive sets, but they are not nearly as noticeable as with the Vizio VF550XVT. Most consumers will have no problem with the colors, but some may be turned off by the lighter shades and angle issues.
- 55” (VF550XVT)
- 1080p
- 1920x1080 Resolution
- 240hz
- Energy Efficient EcoHD
- 5 HDMI
- 2 HD Component Terminals
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