# Vizio vf550xvt



## deacongreg (Jul 29, 2008)

Its amazing, that a few years prior, no one new who Vizio was, what they did, etc. Now, their second, and pushed passed Sony in the flat panel sales race. And once again, with quality still in tow, Vizio has come out with a 55 incher, at a price that is more than reasonable.
During these economic times, this should be a winner.


Vizio VF550XVT 55-inch 120Hz 1080p LCD TV Reviewed
By: HomeTheaterReview.com 
Category: Equipment Reviews, LCD HDTV Reviews, Video Reviews 
Resources & Links: HDMI , HDMI 1.3b , HDMI Handshake , LCD , LCD HDTV review , LCD Versus Plasma , View Andrew Robinson's Reviews , Vizio 


April 6, 2009 
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Email Marketing by VerticalResponse In recent weeks Vizio, makers of quality flat panel displays for the masses, announced that they had surpassed consumer electronics giant Sony and become the second largest flat panel manufacturer in the United States behind Samsung. While that might not be surprising to some given the proliferation of their brand and brand image in stores such as Costco and Walmart, it's a remarkable feat when you consider that just three years ago Vizio was all but unknown. One would suspect such a meteoric ride to come crashing to Earth soon, yet even as the economy continues to dive further into the abyss Vizio's sales are up. Why? Unlike other CE brands and manufacturers, Vizio has kept its premise and mission consistent and exceedingly simple: make a product people want, make it good and make it affordable. No product represents the Vizio credo more than the 55-inch VF550XVT LCD HDTV reviewed here, for it's Vizio's flagship product yet costs a mere $1,999. 

Boasting a sleek, black piano finish accentuated by the attached chrome/silver sound bar the VF550XVT is an attractive looking HDTV but one can't help but notice it bares a striking resemblance to a few Sony displays that are currently on the market. Ignoring the looks for a minute the VF550XVT has no visible front mounted controls/inputs, for those you'll have to look to the side of the screen where you'll find manual controls for power, channel, volume, input, etc. You'll also find the VF550XVT's fifth HDMI input along with a single component video input and composite audio and video input. Around back there are four HDMI inputs all of which are HDCP compliant, two component video inputs, two composite video inputs along with a single S-Video input as well as a RGB or computer monitor input. All video inputs, including one of the HDMI inputs are mated to RCA style stereo inputs for audio. The VF550XVT has an RF input for the TV's internal tuner as well as a pair of analog audio outs and a single digital optical audio out. There is a jack for headphone listening as well but it's placement makes using anything but wireless headphones kind of a pain. 

Under the hood the VF550XVT is the most technically advanced display Vizio has ever produced. Boasting a native resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p) the VF550XVT's technical specs in terms of contrast, brightness and colors are a bit normal, if not a little low, compared to other manufacturers claims, however, unlike the competition, the VF550XVT seem very accurate. What sets the VF550XVT apart from other HDTVs is its use of the new internal Silicon Optics HQV processor, which aids in scaling, deinterlacing and noise reduction in the image. While the HQV chip set may not be as widely used as say Faroudja or Anchor Bay chips rest assured it's every bit as good, if not better in some regards. Along with the HQV processor the VF550XVT also has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is a bit of a double-edged sword for some, including this reviewer. However, unlike other 120Hz sets out there the VF550XVT seems to have more control over its bag of tricks allowing the technology to be a wanted feature instead of what my friends call "RBN Technology" or Ruin Blu-ray Now Technology. I'll get into that more later. 

Aside from the VF550XVT video quality, it also features some pretty robust sound features as well. The VF550XVT has an integrated sound bar that takes advantage of the latest SRS audio technology; TruSurround HD and TruVolume. TruSurround HD helps bring a more three-dimensional virtual theater like surround sound performance to the VF550XVT's built in speakers where as TruVolume monitors and manages peaks and dips in the sound levels so you're not constantly reaching for the remote to adjust the volume. 

Speaking of remotes, no HDTV would be complete without one and the VF550XVT's remote is rather nice, in fact, it's great. The remote itself is a good size and shape that fits nicely in hand and minus the picture and input selection buttons (including the sleep timer) is intuitively laid out and features full back lighting which is essential if you're planning on using the VF550XVT in a darkened room like I did. Kudos to Vizio for making a remote that is not only useful but one I enjoyed using. 

The Hookup
Integrating and/or installing the VF550XVT into a system, like my bedroom system, was a breeze facilitated largely by the fact that it comes standard with an HDMI cable. The simple fact that it includes an HDMI cable almost made me weep for no other manufacturer in recent memory has bothered to include the requisite cables needed to get the most out of their products. Because of the supplied HDMI cable I didn't have to go trolling through my box of cables looking for a spare to connect all of my HDMI capable sources which included a Sherwood Blu-ray player (review pending), Apple TV and Dish Network DVR, all of which connected to the VF550XVT's HDMI inputs with ease. I went ahead and bypassed my Denon receiver for the duration of this review, using the VF550XVT's sound bar for all audio duties. Minus the wait I had to endure before my fiancée came home to help me lift the VF550XVT onto our bedroom TV stand the entire install took less than five minutes. 

Vizio was kind enough to send along a data sheet from ISF to calibrate the VF550XVT to ISF TV standards. I used this at first to save time, however I did perform my own calibration using the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials disc and achieved similar though not identical results. The ISF cheat sheet was superior to my own calibration and further proves that to get the absolute most out of your video investment, even with a set as affordable as the VF550XVT, a professional's touch is always a good idea. Needless to say, regardless of how you go about calibrating your set, the level of control provided by the VF550XVT's menu is superb for a display at this price point.

Performance
I kicked things off with a bit of standard definition viewing by way of my Apple TV and the Nicolas Cage film, National Treasure 2 Book of Secrets (Disney). I love the National Treasure franchise owning both films on a variety of different formats and despite this version's SD nature did not feel robbed of any enjoyment via the VF550XVT. While not razor sharp, the picture was surprisingly pleasing, possessing above average black levels, good saturation and natural skin tones coupled with nice edge fidelity and high light detail. Noise levels were kept to a minimum, which is something that has plagued past Vizio models. The HQV processor did a fine job of resolving many SD shortcomings like "jaggies" and other artifacts as well as proved to be a very capable scaler, that while not tricking me into thinking I was watching an HD or Blu-ray signal, did enhance the visual experience over regular standard definition quality. 

Next, I cued up Peter Jackson's King Kong on DVD (Universal). I went ahead and left the Sherwood Blu-ray player's scaling off allowing the VF550XVT to handle those duties and was very pleased with the results. I chaptered ahead to the scene where Kong battles the Tyrannosaurs and simply forgot to jot down any notes for I was engrossed in the image. On second viewing, I found the true DVD image (albeit upscaled) to be superior to my SD viewing via Apple TV as it possessed richer blacks, with more detail and separation between shades allowing for nearly every hair of Kong's coat to be seen clearly as apposed to a patchwork of splotchy clumps of black and grey as I've seen in lesser displays. Again, while not razor sharp the image was very good for SD. Skin tones and overall color balance was very good with the appropriate amount of detail and saturation, though even with the ISF settings engaged proved to lean ever so slightly warm in my room. Motion was smooth and mostly artifact free and noise levels were kept to a minimum though the natural film grain was still present. I went ahead and engaged Vizio's Smooth Motion settings and was rewarded with varying degrees of success and failure. 

For starters there are two different settings within the VF550XVT's menus that "smooth" motion the first being Smooth Motion and the second Real Cinema Mode. Smooth Motion, like most other smooth motion like settings, interpolates and inserts new frames between the existing ones creating a hyper real, almost cut out effect between objects living in the foreground and the background. There are three settings to the Smooth Motion feature with each one bringing about a greater degree of false smoothness and/or uber clarity that to my eyes never feels or appears natural. Though, if I had to chose one setting it would be the low setting, for on SD material. On HD material such as a Blu-ray this feature does more damage than good. On the flip side the VF550XVT's Real Cinema Mode does improve things a bit, so much so ISF TV includes it on its cheat sheet of features to leave on when calibrating the VF550XVT. With the RCM set to smooth the normal flickering associated with filmed media is lessened and the image feels more natural without feeling overtly or artificially enhanced. With the RCM engaged the rapid action of the Tyrannosaurus scene was rendered beautifully and added to the perceived quality and clarity of the image itself. 

I ended my time with the VF550XVT with the Warner Brothers flop Speed Racer on Blu-ray (Warner Brothers). While largely computer generated and edited by someone clearly on methamphetamines under a strobe light, Speed Racer proved to be a nice test for the VF550XVT to flex some of its 1080p muscle. For starters the color pallet was gorgeous and about as rich and detailed as anything I've seen from a display costing twice, if not three times as much as the VF550XVT. The primary color rendering and accuracy was nearly spot on with an ever so slight favoritism to the red end of the spectrum. In terms of rapid camera movements and chaotic action one cannot pick a better test for a internal video processor than Speed Racer. The VF550XVT passed the test with flying colors showcasing nary a glimpse of any artifacts or digital nastiness. Motion was smooth and at no time did I feel the HQV chip or the panel itself was having trouble keeping pace with Speed Racer. There was no streaking and/or ghosting of any kind in the fastest movements. Video noise was all but non-existent which helped maintain the image's superb edge fidelity and overall sharpness. There was a wonderful sense of dimension to the entire image that while largely artificial (this is a CG dominated film) felt appropriate and natural through the VF550XVT. The sheer level of clarity the VF550XVT provides at its sub-$2,000 asking price is rather remarkable. If I had to knock its performance it would have to be in its overall black levels, which were deep though not as rich or finely detailed as say a Pioneer KURO, but were talking about a low-priced LCD compared to an industry leading high-end plasma. While Speed Racer didn't float my boat as a movie the VF550XVT surely did. 

Low Points
For a sub-$2,000 HDTV measuring in at 55-inches its hard to fault the Vizio VF550XVT for its price alone allows you to forgive some of its short comings. While I consider it a huge value and perhaps a class leader there are some issues with it. For starters, the VF550XVT doesn't lock onto signals all that quickly. Changing between various HDMI sources on the fly resulted in a bright blue screen with the words "No Signal" screaming at me. After a moment to a few seconds later the set would eventually notice the change but in a darkened room the blue screen of death is jarring, especially when your fiancée is trying to sleep. 

Die-hard videophiles are bound to knock the VF550XVT's less than perfect black levels and slight tendency to gloss over micro detail, which is fine but I can't imagine most consumers, myself included, losing to much sleep over it when you consider the VF550XVT's asking price. 

Lastly, the included sound bar, which I feel is a misleading term, is pretty craptastic. The sound enhancements are a nice feature and I'm sure they help attract potential customers but don't be fooled, the speakers in no way simulated a home theater experience and even with all the bells and whistles turned off were prone to distortion and clipping at moderate volumes. If you're looking to watch TV or the news in your office or bedroom you'll most likely be okay with the VF550XVT's speakers, but if you want to truly experience the rich sound of a DVD or Blu-ray soundtrack buy separate speakers. Truthfully, I wish the "sound bar" could be detached from the VF550XVT for I found it to be a visual distraction from an otherwise flawless looking physical display. 

Conclusion
It's utterly amazing just how far your hard earned money can go in today's HDTV market. This time last year a set of the VF550XVT's size and technology would've run you three if not five times as much, and yet here it sits in front of me in all its glory with a sub-$2,000 price tag. While other CE companies around the world may be in a pinch during these uncertain economic times I can see clearly why Vizio has flourished for they've made a great display in the VF550XVT. While we all may be forced to tighten our belts a bit down the stretch Vizio is proving there's still a bit of room in the old budget for entertainment. If you're still in the market for a new HDTV I highly recommend checking out the VF550XVT, for unlike other costlier displays on the market today, you won't be looking at the box it comes in as an alternate form of housing. 



http://www.hometheaterreview.com/eq...55-inch_120hz_1080p_lcd_tv_reviewed003459.php


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## Strype (Feb 17, 2009)

greg, 


I was looking to see if this was written on April Fools Day .... I disappointed that it wasn't.
Vizio having such huge sales in recent years is only a testament to the facts that most of the consumers out there are foolish enough to go buy big ticket items with little research and their willingness to get their advise on what to buy from inexperienced sales people at stores like Costco and Bestbuy. The people at these stores are trained in the methods of the register ... NOT the details of what makes a quality display yet people still ask them what they should buy.

Discrete Codes - Greg, not one mention that Vizio has NOT ONE discrete Code available on ANY of their Displays. Discrete IR codes are a basic feature at this point, I'm not even talking about RS232, which it obviously doesn't have. Power, Inputs, Aspects (if the model has them), Video settings(if the model has them) ... all are toggle switch IR codes. ANYONE that has had experience with hundreds to thousands of models out there on the market should know how important full control of the 2 most important pieces of equipment (Display & receiver) in a basic theater are. Vizio gives you NONE, a giant goose egg. This is just One of the Huge Negative on their whole line up. This by itself would be a deal breaker but yet there is more.

HDMI- As you started to describe, the Vizio's HDBI handshaking capabilities are the pits. Signal drop out is common. Long delays between syncing is common. And This is just assuming very simple set ups like Vizio connected by 6ft HDMI to local Blu-Ray DVD .... this isn't even talking about the ability to handle more advanced setups like remote located sources that would require a passive or active ballun to pass HDMI 1080P to the Vizio from a source located more then 30ft away. In thses cases the Vizio's HDMI inputs become even more problematic. 

Calibration - The ISF sheet you received for for your demo from Vizio (as of March 09) Does NOT come included in the consumer packaging. This is only in to be demoed models.

Customer Service - As a consumer, If you have ever had anything that wasn't acting correctly and you needed help troubleshooting the situation then you know how important having a well educated and experienced customer service rep on the phone who actual knows his/her product is. There are some companies out there who's reps know their products inside and out. They know the various ways their products integrate with other companies products and they even understand any of the issues that may arise. Vizio is NOT that type of company and they don't have that kind of customer Service Rep. With Vizio you will get someone reading out of a manual to you(if you reach anyone with an hour of on phone hold time) and if the situation is not in their manual then they will have no idea how to help.

Video performance - as you basically stated above ... it's ok. I would not be testing TV with AppleTV nor Speed racer because both are not good source/video for test for different reasons but that is a whole different thread. Even with proper testing sources the video performance of this Display is basically the same.... OK, but decent for it's price. But I would not even think of putting it in the same league as say a Pioneer Kuro series.

Vizio has been following the Bose marketing plan. 
Low end to med end parts on the inside and add a attractive cover.... this keep production costs low. Then they just divert the money they should have spent building a quality product on their hugely funded marketing department to self-proclaim quality, Super Bowl commercials. ::cough:: ::cough:: They fully understand that if you repeat the message of quality over and over again that eventually people will start repeating it themselves as if it was actually true. This is common practice for companies like Monster Cable, Bose and Vizio in the A/V industry.

Overall The Vizio is basically decent priced wedding cake. Lots of happy and pretty frosting but we all know how blah the cake on the inside really is.


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## deacongreg (Jul 29, 2008)

strype said:


> greg,
> 
> 
> i was looking to see if this was written on april fools day .... I disappointed that it wasn't.
> ...


gotcha, alright then


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

So Greg, can you please explain what Home Theater Review is all about? I find the reviews to be rather light on any significant information and they seem to be more like press releases for the vendors. Are there any measurements done on any of the equipment? Is there any serious critique? The shortcomings mentioned in several of the articles that I read read like you are dancing around the issues to be sure not to be too critical of a product. The Vizio is a great example. While it might be the cheapest set in its size, you can easily get a better product in a set a few inches smaller for several hundred less from several vendors. There really is nothing special about the Vizio products, in general, and this one is no different. They are almost always behind the other vendors in performance and technology by a half-generation or so, as they have no R & D of their own and depend solely on OEMs for development and production. The article, as do others that I read on your site, seems to lack much context.


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## deacongreg (Jul 29, 2008)

lcaillo said:


> So Greg, can you please explain what Home Theater Review is all about? I find the reviews to be rather light on any significant information and they seem to be more like press releases for the vendors. Are there any measurements done on any of the equipment? Is there any serious critique? The shortcomings mentioned in several of the articles that I read read like you are dancing around the issues to be sure not to be too critical of a product. The Vizio is a great example. While it might be the cheapest set in its size, you can easily get a better product in a set a few inches smaller for several hundred less from several vendors. There really is nothing special about the Vizio products, in general, and this one is no different. They are almost always behind the other vendors in performance and technology by a half-generation or so, as they have no R & D of their own and depend solely on OEMs for development and production. The article, as do others that I read on your site, seems to lack much context.


Sure, not a problem. And let me first apologize for my late response. Business, family, and the holiday. So I am sorry. You have Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, and some others. Home Theater Review is an online mag, only. No print to buy at your local newstand or Bordres Books. Jerry Del Colliano is the publisher, and one of the most knowledgeable people I know in the A/V industry. He is well respected.
Home Theater Review does about 52 features a year. They can be seen on the "home page"and in archive, as well as 100`s of quick reviews. A quick review is one in which we are getting out to the reader, information of the product, in a concise, brief, and informative manner. Roughly about 800 words. a full feature review, encompasses just about everything you want to know about the product in question, short of course of you going to audition the product yourself. But you will have enough information to make a good educated decision. These reviews are typically 2000 words. 

I have not had the same experiences with Vizio that you have. Those that I know that have purchased their HDTVs, are happy with both the performance, and what they have paid.


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## deacongreg (Jul 29, 2008)

lcaillo said:


> So Greg, can you please explain what Home Theater Review is all about? I find the reviews to be rather light on any significant information and they seem to be more like press releases for the vendors. Are there any measurements done on any of the equipment? Is there any serious critique? The shortcomings mentioned in several of the articles that I read read like you are dancing around the issues to be sure not to be too critical of a product. The Vizio is a great example. While it might be the cheapest set in its size, you can easily get a better product in a set a few inches smaller for several hundred less from several vendors. There really is nothing special about the Vizio products, in general, and this one is no different. They are almost always behind the other vendors in performance and technology by a half-generation or so, as they have no R & D of their own and depend solely on OEMs for development and production. The article, as do others that I read on your site, seems to lack much context.


Also, just to give you an indication of our video staff, there is Kevin Miller (head calibrator at the ISF), Andrew Robinson, editor(director of the up coming film April Showers - first movie made in native 4K), Jeremy Kipnis (4K video calibrator and ISF Pro), Adrienne Maxwell (former managing editor of Home Theater Magazine), and many others.


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## carryon (Apr 13, 2009)

If you haven't heard already, Vizio is giving away a bunch of 550XVTs. Just go to the homepag eof Vizio and there is a link to sign up!

I have yet to win, but they post winners every week on a virtual map with stories about the winners.


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## deacongreg (Jul 29, 2008)

carryon said:


> If you haven't heard already, Vizio is giving away a bunch of 550XVTs. Just go to the homepag eof Vizio and there is a link to sign up!
> 
> I have yet to win, but they post winners every week on a virtual map with stories about the winners.




No, was not aware of that. I will check it out.


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## bosox21 (Jul 24, 2009)

I just purchased the Vizio 550xvt. I feel that it has a pretty good picture. How could I get a hold of the ISF Calibration sheet for this TV? I would also like to add that you can't beat the price on this TV. I got it at my local Sams Club for under $1500! I'm a big fan of plasma, but for an LCD, this has solid picture.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

bosox21 said:


> I just purchased the Vizio 550xvt. I feel that it has a pretty good picture. How could I get a hold of the ISF Calibration sheet for this TV? I would also like to add that you can't beat the price on this TV. I got it at my local Sams Club for under $1500! I'm a big fan of plasma, but for an LCD, this has solid picture.



There is no such thing as an ISF calibration sheet for your set.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bosox21 (Jul 24, 2009)

well if there is no calibration sheet, then what is a good calibration disk to get?


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Avia or DVE are the better diy disks. You can also look for the THX optimizer on one of your current dvds. Video-wise it will probably get you as close as either Avia or DVE. My uneducated opinion is that these disks are good for white and black levels only (contrast and brightness). :T


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## bosox21 (Jul 24, 2009)

Where can you get this disk. I was also wanting to know what is the Phillips a good blu-ray player for the money?


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## andy123 (Jul 23, 2009)

I don`t prefer brand like vizio i want to stick to the popular brands like sony, panasonic or sharp. I have heard that Vizio stuff are cheap but they are not reliable for long run.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

DVE

Avia

You can also check Amazon for these titles.


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## bosox21 (Jul 24, 2009)

I have several friends that own Vizios, and have owned them for over two years with no problems. I like my Vizio. I'm still a plasma fan, but my panasonic plasma didn't look good in the living room because of my windows. My plasma is now in the basement, and it looks great. Yes, the Vizio doesn't have the blacks of a plasma, but in my personal opinion no LCD does, whether it is LED or not. With that being said, for what I paid for the Vizio, I'm very happy with my purchase. I need to know if I need to get the blu-ray version of this calibration disk:


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

If you've ever done white and black levels before - know what you're doing - go and get the avs dvd for blu-ray. It's free and it has the patterns you need for white and black levels.


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