VIZIO SV42OXVT

Cheap Yet High-Tech HDTV



It is now common knowledge in the HDTV world that LCDs with fast 120-Hz refresh rates produce a better picture than those with the standard 60. Problem is, you usually end up paying a lot more for that better picture. But Vizio is bringing 120 Hz to the masses with the 42-inch SV420XVT. one of the most affordable LCDs of its kind on the market. You also get stylish modern design and a bundled HDMI cable. Aside from one notable flaw in the 120-Hz technology this HDTV is otherwise a winner.

A glossy black bezel surrounds the set's impressively thin ant ireflective screen (1.3 inches). With the stand attached, the set measures 27.2 by 39.4 by 9.5 inches (FIWD) and weighs 46.3 pounds. The bundled remote, which has a narrow baton-style design, can control a wide variety of VCRs, DVRs, cable and satellite set-top boxes, audio amplifiers, and additional televisions. This LCD's selection of HD video connections is similar to those of other premium HDTVs. but the location of some of its ports is a bit inconvenient for some home-theater configurations.

The 42-inch screen provides full 1080p resolution (1,920-by-1,080),and I was pleased that the VGA, HDMI, and component video ports were compatible with 1080p60 video signals. The set's HDMI ports also support 1080p24 input from compatible Blu-ray players. Al its highest resolution settings. 1080 i/p for increased detail and clarity, the set had no problems with overscan. However, I found the TV's out-of-the-box picture quality to be slightly off. Manually calibrating the TV's color temperature and other video menu settings resolved these problems.

The120-Hz LCD technology enhanced the detail and clarity of the rest it i ng picture, but jagged edges and related interlaced video artifacts remained visible. Also, in the Blu-ray version of Iron Man, several scenes caused the TV's interpolation function to fail, resulting in some obvious. distracting image corruption. Finally, if you fast-forward on a DVR. you'll find that the set will occasionally hiccup as the DVR returns to normal playback speed.



The SV420 XVT represents a solid improvement in HD picture quality for Vizio, even though the TV's full potential is realized only after professional video calibration. Overall, this HDTV offers a definite bargain for cutting-edge LCD technology—Robert Heron

PC Media January 2009

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