vizio

Grab a Vizio 70-inch TV for $1,699

If you're looking for a TV with a big screen and most of the bells and whistles, then you might be interested in Vizio's E-Series 70-inch Razor Smart TV, which is on sale for Cyber Monday at $1,699. Its usual price is $1,999; it is the larger version of the 60-inch E601i-A3, which itself got a solid 3.5 stars from David Katzmaier. Vizio says the 70-inch version is quite different with an even better picture, so we were unable to review the TV as part of a series as we usually do.

The E701i-A3 unit … Read more

Best TVs for picture quality at every size

I recently posted a list of the best TVs at every screen size. By "best" I also considered value, so some expensive models didn't make the cut.

The list below only considers picture quality and ignores value. It represents the best TVs regardless of cost, and incidentally, regardless of design and features, that we've reviewed this year. I already listed the best TV series for picture quality, but the list below goes through the field at key size points, too.

TV makers are reluctant to put the best quality into their smallest, cheapest TVs, but the field really opens up once you hit 46 inches or so. I also threw in a runner-up -- the second-best-performing TV available in each size range -- for people who don't like door No. 1.

I omitted TVs larger than 65 inches this time because the 70-inch-plus 2012 models we have reviewed aren't quite worthy. If you're unsatisfied with 65 inches, however, the 70-inch Sharp Elite is my price-no-object, mammoth-screen pick.

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Top 5 big TVs under $1,000

I can think of few things more American than getting a giant honkin' TV for a rock-bottom price. Complete the setup with an overstuffed recliner and a cup holder, and you are living the dream.

But finding a great deal on a great big TV can be tough, especially if you actually want the thing to be halfway decent. Luckily, David Katzmaier has been keeping track of the best deals in TVs priced under $1,000 -- but measuring 50 inches and up. In fact, he already wrote about his top picks a few weeks ago.

But don't let … Read more

Best TVs at every size

You know how big a TV you want, but you just can't decide which one. Here are a few suggestions.

The list below collects the highest-rated TVs we've reviewed so far this year, starting at 32 inches and going up to 70. CNET's TV ratings incorporate Value, so these aren't necessarily the hands-down best in picture quality--click here if you want those. I intentionally kept Sharp's 80-inch behemoth off the list since we didn't really like it much. The smallest TV we've rated this year, the 26-inch Samsung UN26EH4000, doesn't deserve a spot either since our hands-on review was of its 32-inch series mate, and we never compared other 26-inchers.

The rest of these sets fall between that range, and appear in ascending order of screen size. We also threw in a runner-up--the second-highest rated TV available for sale in each size range--for people who don't like door number one. Speaking of door number one, it's the Panasonic ST50 for anyone who wants a TV from 50 to 65 inches.

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Vizio updates its PCs for Windows 8, touch

TV manufacturer Vizio made a splash earlier this year with the launch of a line of laptop and desktop PCs, showcasing designs that felt high-end and unique compared with the competition. Its latest updated lineup of PCs timed for the Windows 8 launch doesn't change the equation much, but the desktop systems finally get touch-screen displays that they lacked before.

Vizio's new 24- and 27-inch All-In-One Touch PCs add 10-finger capacitive multitouch to their 1080p displays, whereas previously these desktop PCs relied on wireless touch pads and remotes. These new desktop systems start at $998, although deeper specs … Read more

Best big-screen TV values under $1,000

One undeniable trend in TVs is bigger screens for less money, and this year's crop of LCD and plasma models goes bigger than ever.

I recently reviewed a 60-inch Smart LED TV from Vizio that clocked in right beneath the magic $1,000 barrier, and its picture was better than that of many spendier LED sets. Even better is the same-size, same-price U50 plasma from Panasonic that trades smarts for improved picture quality. Meanwhile, one of the most popular TVs around is LG's own 60-inch, $999 PA6500 plasma, and while it can't beat either of those in a picture quality race, it's still a pretty good deal.

Below you'll find in-depth reviews of all three of these TVs, as well as two other sub-$1,000 sets that also qualify as "very good" values in my book (a 7 or higher in the Value subcategory) and still make the "big screen" cut -- larger than 50 inches in this case. I've arranged them in descending order of overall CNET rating.

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Vizio's new big-screen line includes 60-inch LED TV for $999

Is it too early to think about holiday shopping? Not if you're a TV maker like Vizio.

We recently reviewed two impressive, high-value Vizio TVs, the 32-inch E320i-A0 and the 47- and 55-inch M3D0KD series, but the company is just getting warmed up. Today it announced a slew of new big-screen TVs, highlighted by the 60-inch E601i-A3, which is available now for $999.

That's just about the lowest price I've seen for a 60-inch LED TV with smart TV. The E601i-A3 offers Vizio's VIA apps suite, which has one of the most comprehensive content lineups around, … Read more

Get a Vizio 14-inch ultrabook for $598

Ultrabooks -- often regarded as the Windows camp's answer to the MacBook Air, but really just a marketing term to describe thin, lightweight laptops. (In my day they were called ultraportables, but whatever.)

Most ultrabooks start at $799, a hard price to swallow given that non-"ultra" laptops packing just as much power often sell for half as much.

So on paper, at least, today's deal is looking mighty sweet: While supplies last, Wal-Mart has the Vizio Thin+Light CT14-A0 ultraportable for $598, with free store pickup. Obviously you'll be on the hook for sales … Read more

Five best LED TVs for picture quality

This year the gap between the picture quality of the best LED/LCD TVs and the best plasma TVs has grown wider than ever. Unless you're interested in overspending for buying a Sharp Elite, there's no 2012 LED TV that can come close to the picture quality of even midlevel plasmas like the Panasonic TC-PST50 and Samsung PNE6500.

But maybe you're simply not interested in plasma. If that's the case, then check out the following list of 2012 TVs that (A) employ an LCD panel illuminated by LEDs and (B) perform better than most such TVs. The list doesn't include the Elite and the Sony XBR-HX929 simply because they debuted in 2011; both are excellent performers, still current and exceedingly expensive. It also considers picture quality only, so if you're interested in seeing the best LED TVs overall, including some that scored well according to our other TV reviews criteria, here ya go.

The list appears in descending order of picture quality.… Read more

Beware the allure of Apple's Retina Displays

Apple's Retina Displays are drop-dead gorgeous. But be careful what you wish for.

Like many, I got the third-generation iPad because of the 2,048-by-1,536-pixel-density Retina Display. And, like many, I didn't see a huge difference at first.

That was then. Now it's painful to pick up my Dell laptop with its 1,366x768-pixel 13.3-inch display and Windows 7 fonts (note: font-smoothing utilities go just so far).

And while my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fares better than the Dell (it packs the same number of pixels but into a smaller area giving it a higher PPIRead more