Customer Reviews

VIZIO VA220E 22-Inch ECO 720p LCD HDTV

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased this televion once my old standard definition CRT television died right in time for the digital transition. After doing some comparison shopping I happened upon this TV and chose it to replace my old 19" CRT. The first thing you'll notice about this television is its relative weightlessness, while common for flat screens is a nice change from cumbersome CRT's. Also setup is very easy and once hooked up to an HD digital cable box through one of the two HDMI ports the picture quality difference is immediate.

Initially the television was connected to my HD cable box via the coaxial port on the back of the TV. Surmised from many a HDTV review I expected standard definition shows to look worse once connected via HDMI but I guess going from coaxial (the bottom of the barrel) to HDMI (top of the line) provides an increase rather then decline, even in the visual integrity of standard definition shows and HD shows are on whole new level. Vibrant colors, nice crisp images and great line quality are the qualities sorely lacking from standard definition programing and televisions. Also I had no problems with the viewing angle what so ever. If I had to down this television for anything, it would be that the audio quality is lacking (an apparent hallmark of smaller flat screens) but i'd recomend an external speaker setup to remedy this. Besides that small nitpick this set has my stamp of approval.

If you're searching for an HD-TV television that provides great value without sacrificing quality i'd fully recomend this set.

I have been looking for a small TV to put in my bedroom and to double as a computer monitor. I put this in my Amazon cart when it was only $200, but it went up to $250, so I kept looking. Then I missed the Gold Box Deal of a Panasonic Viera 26" for only $250. (VERY disappointed) Later at Wal-Mart I stumbled upon this one again for $248 and decided to buy it and finally end my hunt. I'm a pretty generous rater on Amazon, but if I wasn't I'd probably give it a 3-star.

What I like:
- Works great as a computer monitor and automatically adjusts to the differing aspect ratio of my computer games
- Two HDMI ports is nice for a small TV (I don't use them yet but I'm sure I will in the future)
- Buttons are located on the side of the front panel within easy reach--you don't have to wrap your hand around.
- Inputs and outputs located in the side are pretty deep--enough that the cords are easily concealed

What I dislike:
- The VIZIO logo glows white when on and can't be turned off (though it's pretty dim, not distracting), worse yet it glows orange when the TV's off. IT'S A TV, NOT A MICROWAVE. That can't be turned off either.
- There is no letterbox zoom. So if you're wantching a widescreen program on a standard definition connection, the picture is stretched horizontally AND has horizontal bars.
- Speakers are horrible. I don't care much because I have been plugging speakers in to the headphone jack.
- No RCA audio out. You have to use the headphone and get a 3.5mm to RCA if you have a stereo or something similar. There is however an optical out for a home theater.
- Remote is kind of cheap looking and is not universal (but this isn't expected on a small set).
- Only one composite video--I know it's outdated, but it's still pretty common.
- The only reason it's called an ECO TV is because it exceeds Energy Star guidelines by 15%. Woohoo. Big deal. For all I know, all LCD TVs do. I thought maybe it was made from recycled material or maybe NOT IN CHINA. (But that won't happen until pigs fly).

List of inputs and outputs for those who are curious (It's so impossible to find online)
HDMI in X2
HDMI RCA audio in
VGA in (RGB PC)
PC audio in (3.5mm)
Component + audio in
Coaxial in
Composite video/S-Video + RCA audio (all on side)

Optical/SPDIF out
Headphone out (on side)

There is also a 3-prong (looks like DC power kinda) connection that says SERVICE as well as one that is USB.

Overall--great buy for the price.

We were looking for a relatively inexpensive HD television to replace a small 13" RCA CRT in the bedroom. Since we already own other Vizio equipment that we are quite happy with, we decided on this model. It has a good assortment of inputs: 2 HDMI, VGA, Component, Composite, SVideo, and coax. We've found the picture quality from both our HD cable box and our Blu-Ray player to be very nice via HDMI. We haven't experienced any viewing angle issues. SD signals are generally good as well. There is some fuzziness, but that's normal when viewing SD content on an HD set. Most of the time it's barely noticable. The sound, however, is not as good. It sounds a bit hollow and tinny, no matter how we adjust the bass and treble. I think our old RCA actually had better sound, and that's the only thing that stops me from being able to give the Vizio 5 stars.

In short, if you can get around the slightly dissappointing sound, the VA220E is a very good choice if you're looking for a smaller HD set with a lower price tag and an excellent picture.

I purchased this TV for my 13 year old after repainting his room and kicking out his younger brother. The picture is clear and very vibrant. Side and angle viewing is also good. The audio has an SRS surround mode which sounds great at higher levels. At low levels it can be a bit empty with little bass but if you turn it up great spatial sound comes through. Remember, when you are looking at these TV's at your local WalMart what you are seeing is a direct feed digital signal, DO NOT expect this kind of quality unless you have high def reception or are watching a DVD. Also, depending on how your cable provider sends it's signal you may still see black bars on the top and bottom of the pictue. I spoke with Vizio Support about this and they were very helpful and explained. To be honest, my old 19inch CRT still has a bigger and better picture for normal television viewing!

This is an excellent TV for the price. Good Picture. Easy to set up. My only complaint is that it only has 1 RCA input. I have to disconnect and reconnect my son's different game systems. It also has 1 component, 1 serial, and 2 HDMI inputs.

Has a very nice picture and the tuner, on rabbit ears, does a better job than the 13" analog TV it replaces. I see reviewer said it has poor off angle viewing but that is definitely not true on the unit I have. Also read a review elsewhere that thought off angle viewing was good. Sound is not as good as my 42" panasonic but its a fraction of the cost and size, its good for what it is. Much more viewable picture size than a 19" would be in the office where I have it. Would like to see an output for a recorder.

This Set replaced a 13" Samsung flat tube that was great in its day. So far, great trouble free set. DVD's look solid and I'm not using HDMI. Plan on adding blu-ray and will consider Vizio in the mix when I do. Only viewing angle problems experienced when looking up from floor. From the bed or a chair no problems at all. Sound is a little lacking but fine for the bedroom. An outstanding buy for the money. Found my set at Walmart and the price has dropped since purchase. Amazon pricing is pretty close. Recommend where HD is desired, but you don't have the room for a 37" or 42".

This is my first bedroom TV, previously all I'd watched was an older Tube TV. I was a little hesitant to buy Vizio at first because I hadn't heard about it before. I bought new and all my fears are allayed. I haven't had any technical problems at all. Simplest setup in the world, you just put on the stand, connect a few cables, and you're good to go.

Even though this TV is only 720p, Blu-ray still looks incredibly crisp and it's an obvious upgrade from DVD. Many people told me I wouldn't see the difference on a small screen like this, but if your vision is good enough (mine's about average), you will. The black levels are pretty good, you might want to turn on the Black Level Extender in any case. A few people complained about the remote, but I really like it, it's got an ergonomic shape and fits nicely in your hand. In the back there is a headphone jack, but because of the way the TV is molded, my Sennheiser plug doesn't fit. That bothered me, but I found a way around it by just connecting straight to the BD player.

I can't say much for the sound because I have my Logitech speakers hooked up from my Blu-ray. I'd imagine not many people are going to be using the default speakers, anyway.

The only thing I wish it had is more options for aspect ratio. I believe anamorphic widescreen is not one of the options, I had to set that up on my BD player.

Overall: highly recommended! This TV is a joy to use and a great bargain. If you have any questions, let me know.

This is an excellant tv for a small apartment or a bedroom. Picture is great and it is very easy to work with. We bought this for my fathers bedroom after he had a brain injury and he finds it very easy to figure out.

inexpensive TV with below to average picture quality must sit directly in front to enjoy good picture...on the other hand has very good sound quality for a TV in this price range..remote is cumbersome volume and channel control seem backwards,