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

Today Vizio announced pricing and immediate availability of its new lineup of big-screen HDTVs in advance of the holiday shopping season.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
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David Katzmaier
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Vizio's 60-inch E601i-A3 sells 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, albeit nested in a ho-hum interface. Vizio also includes its "flipper" remote with the backside QWERTY keyboard to ease searches within apps, although unlike some smart TV suites VIA omits a Web browser. The edge-lit LED panel has a matte finish and refreshes at 120Hz.

A remote with a QWERTY keyboard makes Vizio's Smart TV apps easier to use.

Vizio also offers the same TV in 70 inches for another grand, model E701i-A3. Again, that's one of the lowest prices anywhere for a 70-inch TV. Both of these sets compete directly against Sharp's value-priced LC-LE640U series.

In addition, Vizio launched three new models in its step-up M series, one at 55 inches and two at 65. Aside from screen size their specifications seem similar to the 60- and 70-inch E models, so at first blush the E models seem like the superior bargain. One of the two new M-series 65-inchers, model M3D651SV, has passive 3D Vizio calls "Theater 3D".

Here's the full rundown in order of screen size.

  • M550VSE (55-inch, $949)
  • E601i-A3 (60-inch, $999)
  • M650VSE (65-inch, $1,499)
  • M3D651SV (65-inch, 3D, $1,699)
  • E701i-A3 (70-inch, $1,999)

I have the 60-inch, $999 E601i-A3 in the lab now, so expect a full review soon. It lacks the edge-lit local dimming of the M3D0KD I reviewed earlier so I don't expect it to reach that level of picture quality, but it could rival that of our reigning favorite 60-inch LED value, the Sharp LC-LE640U. In the 60-inch range both also have to compete against the likes of the excellent Panasonic TC-P60U50 plasma -- although that last is a "dumb" TV.

Vizio will also send us the M3D651SV for review in the next few weeks.