Customer Reviews

VIZIO XVT473SV 47-inch Class Full Array TruLED LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Be sure to see our UPDATE BELOW on this review:
5 stars when we bought it. (Nov 2010)
1 or 0 stars now, 4 months later. (late March 2011)
4 stars now only because of the updating that causes the screen to go black in the first 3-4 months. (July 2011)
4.8 Stars (Nov 2011 review edit)
5+ stars (Jan 2012 -see revised edit below)

We have been looking for a new TV for quite some time, thinking we would go with a 47" LCD. But then we happened to see some of the new LED TV's which took us on a whole new quest. And this is where we ended up. With the Vizio xvt473sv. The picture is just fabulous. I can't begin to stress that. We are not young folks by any stretch of the imagination. 3D didn't interest us. (It's fun at the theater but I don't want to watch it at home.) But this TV has true LED, with true back-lighting (not just edge lighting) and it's beyond terrific for viewing.

The pictures are sharp and crisp. Like when you're at the eye doctor and he says, "Which is better, A or B?" And B jumps out at you because it is like the best you've ever seen? Well folks, that's this television. Not kidding.

We have only had it for one week so I can't yet comment on the internet apps. Everything else is hooked up now - sorry, we work and only have limited time in the evenings - but so far it all works flawlessly. Our bonanza was discovering that we get HD channels for free because this TV has an integrated quam tuner. I'm no tech geek and I have no idea what that is but that's what the nice cable lady told me. (And because it's so new we've had to make our own list of HD channels because we live in the boonies and our cable folks don't have the list for our area yet.) AM I complaining??? No way!

My one and only criticism of this TV is that when you enter a channel in the bluetooth remote, it takes about 4-5 seconds for the TV to go to that channel. That is annoying. Surely Vizio will be coming out with a fix for this soon. (Are you listening Vizio?)

But I tell you, once you get to the channel, you forget that annoyance because the picture is so incredible. It's like that person in the box is in the room with you. It looks that real. Colors are gorgeous. Bright and vibrant!

The TV doesn't swivel on it's base but given that it's so large, I can't imagine needing it to swivel. Tonight we watched the CMA Awards on a non-HD channel. And the picture was still awesome. I can't wait to watch some college football this weekend.

When we get the internet part up and running, I'll be back with an update on this review. In the meantime, go for it. You won't be sorry. This is the LED-TV to which all others will be compared. Seriously. It is fabulous!!!

2 weeks later: I want to add a few more comments. My DH has downloaded several "apps" and they are easy, intuitive to use. BTW, this is not like a computer screen. VIZIO has it set up to download "apps" to prevent viruses from getting on your nice new TV. And they were really helpful when I called their customer service number to ask some questions before we purchased this TV. We still love it. The picture is just beyond belief. Literally, the detail you can see with it is just amazing.

4 MONTHS LATER: We are having problems with the TV just shutting off in the middle of a show. Literally. We'll be watching a show and then zap, black screen. This has been ongoing for the last 3 months. We've called customer support, gone through the reboot process, time and time again. By the time we get the picture back up, the show is over and we've missed it. Now get this: Vizio tells me that this is a KNOWN PROBLEM on this TV model. They say the TV is recalculating for optimal performance. That's a joke. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY DON'T HAVE A FIX FOR IT. NO FIX. AND YET THEY ARE STILL SELLING THE TV????

It's a huge disappointment. The picture is gorgeous. Everything I said above is true about the TV's features and viewing. It's wonderful - when it works. We spent a lot of money on this TV only to be stuck with a lemon? And absolutely awful customer service policies at VIZIO. Oh their reps are nice but they can't do a thing.

MAY 29, 2011 UPDATE: In the last 2 months the TV has not "blacked out" anymore. Maybe Vizio stopped sending the computer chip updates that caused the blackouts? (maybe they read my review?)...at any rate this particular "blackout" problem has ceased...for now. That said, I will continue the updates here so readers will know. Honestly, we still love the picture on this TV - the picture is bright, crisp, and clear. The TV doesn't suck energy. The apps are easy to use. So time will tell how this unfolds.

July 2, 2011 UPDATE: To be fair, since March 2011, the TV has not blacked out anymore. And honestly we haven't had any more problems with it. So if you are willing to be patient and get through the first few months knowing that it may occasionally "black out", it's a fabulous TV for the money. One thing to know, when it does black out, just let it be. The Vizio sign below will blink. Wait until it's done. I think that's when it's doing the update thing. It might take a min or two for it to finish blinking. The screen will be black during this time. Then the TV will shut off by itself. (The Vizio sign will stop blinking.) Now you can turn it back on and all should be okay. If you fiddle with it while it's blinking, you may have to call Vizio customer support and have them walk you through the re-booting process. Good luck - I hope this has been helpful.

Nov 2011 - Update:
Just wanted to let folks know that we have NOT had anymore problems with this TV blacking out (updating). I think it did it one time maybe back in late Sept but I knew what was going on - it only takes about 30 seconds - and when it was finished all was well and functioning as before.

The picture on this tv is truly remarkable...especially if you have HD. I mean if you are watching football, it's like being down on the field with the cameraman, in High Def. No regrets getting this one anymore.

January 2012 - Last Update:
Still not having any problems with this TV. However, we do understand the updating part now a little better. When it is connected to your wireless (as ours is) there are occasional updates just as you get with your apps on your phone or whatever. That's what is happening when the screen goes black and the "VIZIO" label blinks. The difference is that you can control when you update your phone. This updating process seems to be random according to whenever Vizio sends out the updates.

That said, we continue to NOT have any problems with this TV and everyone who comes in marvels at the truly excellent picture. In HD it is spectacular. I mean if you are watching a football game in HD, you'd think you were down on the field standing next to the players. The picture is that good.

We have numerous apps on our TV now. Amazon prime, YouTube, Netflix, Yahoo, the list goes on. In short, I'm not going to do anymore updates now. We would buy this TV again now that we fully "understand" it. :) Good luck all!
Happy Holidays!

Was worth the wait! Nice deep blacks and bright whites for a super clear picture. Rich colors, but most impressed by the life like motion. 240hz makes a difference. I really wanted true LED back lit because the edge lit versions from the other brands at the same price appeared a little washed out. To get the same quality on a more well known brand like sony or samsung you'll need to spend about $600 more. Internet apps are cool, but not sure how much I'll use
them since my panasonic blu-ray has this too and seems to handle video more smoothly from the web.
I pre-ordered for $1399. All in all a great deal for high end non-3D LED tv.

If you're sitting within a -30 degree to +30 degree angle perpendicular to the TV, it is amazing. The picture is clear, the contrast is great, and this is where LED performs best. Even though the tech specs say this TV has a viewing angle of -178 to +178 degrees, it doesn't say that the image would be consistent throughout. Straight on, it looks perfect; but from an angle, the blacks become brighter and turn grayish. At a wide angle, the color remains the same, but blacks do not. Also, straight on you have a matte screen; at an angle, it turns into a glossy screen. I find this very strange, and have not experienced this anywhere else. I've also noticed if you have white text on black background, viewing from a wide angle will create a "halo" effect around the text; of course, moving to the center will eliminate this halo. I don't know if this is a side effect of LED backlit screens, but I just find these to be slightly annoying. It really doesn't deter me much, and not noticeable to most viewers. I can live with it because it performs better in other areas. Avatar on Blu-ray looks incredible on this TV. 240hz make it looks more surreal than real-life, so I turn that down a bit.

The in-menu interface is not as pretty or fluid as other counterparts, but it works good enough. The remote with slide-out keyboard is pretty useful if you use a lot of internet apps. I use Netflix and Pandora the most, but Twitter and Facebook are also available, as well as many more in the future... I'm still waiting on Hulu to release an app. The remote also connects via Bluetooth, so it does not need a line of sight, and can be operated up to 30 feet away (very useful to changing to the next song on Netflix if listening from another room). I don't use the built-in speakers; I connect to my audio system so I can't comment on that. The tuner is a bit slow, but I use over-the-air antenna so that may be why.

It's still a great buy compared to the higher end models. A few drawbacks doesn't make me regret my purchase because of the other features that I take advantage of.

I pre-ordered this item in July and I knew the wait was going to be long, but it was WELL worth it! Amazing deal for the quality of this TV, which has eliminated lots of the inputs that are quite old now, leaving only HDMI / USB / Composite inputs. The video quality is TRULY amazing. I simply loved it. Also, since I didn't want to get a Home Theather, I made sure I would get a TV with a decent sound system and this one definitely has it! Most of the complaints for other TVs is on the audio (unless you have a home theather) and this one is quite good. The only small drawback is that some of the Internet Applications do not respond well to the remote control, and you can't choose some of the options from the menus. Other than that, this is a great quality TV for a SUPERB price! Highly recommended..

With our old Westinghouse going out we knew it was time for a new TV. Thank god I thought of Vizio. After a lot of research I found out that this TV gives you some of the best blacks for an affordable price. Before you pull the trigger on the 2010 Samsung's know that this TV has the better picture quality. Now the 2010 Samsung's are great but this is a little better. As far as features its packed. From 240 HZ, 1080, built in dual band wifi (n,g,?,?), 5 HDMI 1.4 ports, insane contrast this is as good as it gets. As far as cons theres not that much. Its awesome how you set up devices the remote works for my HD satalite box, 360 and blu-ray HTIB. The only downside is that theres not a lot of buttons on the remote and when using the inferred it lags a little bit. Another con is that the 240hz isn't as good as others. If you want the best 240hz then I would recommend the Samsungs. Last of all, the aesthetics aren't as nice as other LED's. While IMO it looks great the stand is really round and is not as thin as others.

Overall I couldn't be happier with this TV. After a little tuning (ok a lot) its the best picture I've ever seen.

This is really the best TV in the price range.

I bought the Vizio after looking at several reviews and therefore thinking that I knew the pros and cons. Overall the experience has been good with very easy set-up, a good User Manual and a very good picture quality. I easily synched the remote to my Cable Box and all was going well until I deleted a recorded program. The final delete step is to press the "A" button on the remote to confirm deletion. When I pressed the yellow bar on the Vizio Remote, nothing happened and, after experimenting, I found none of the bars perform the functions of the cable remote. The Vizio tech rep, while very understanding, informed me that the remote functions are limited and the bars are there primarily to operate the VIA function. In other words, the manual is incorrect and misleading. I had hoped to be able to put the cable remote in a drawer but, it appears, I will just have to deal with another remote which is highly disappointing. Otherwise the Vizio is great and I would recommend it to anyone.

I got one of these at Costco before Christmas with their $200 off promo. So it was 1099.99 but throw in tax and the recycle fee you're looking at $1238.00 This is a an awesome TV for the money.

Amazing color, contrast and brightness... With a feature list that contains everything new technology out there, its impossible to come up with a better TV for the money.

A few features you will not see on lesser priced (and some higher priced) TVs:

Full LED Back-lighting -
Simply put this tv can really be watched in direct sunlight. I was noticing the other day when the sun came in the living room window, that half the screen had the sun shining on it. I couldn't tell the difference with the picture. The SUN cannot wash out this picture, amazing!

Internet Apps -
Pandora Internet Radio, Netflix, etc. Work great with the built in dual-band WI-FI. Smooth!

240 Hz Smooth Motion -
So fast I sometimes turn it off because it almost looks too "crisp."

I own a PS3, Xbox 360 and PC and have connected them all to this TV with awesome results. If you are a gamer or looking for a HDTV to connect your PC to, take the jump!!!

I agree with what everyone is saying about the TV. It's a nice one. The problem is that I chose this one SPECIFICALLY for the PIP. Many manufacturers are not providing this feature anymore, and during my research I found that those who do only allow in specific combinations. I read the manual online before buying, and even spoke to Vizio, and based on their assurances, I bought this TV.

It arrived yesterday and I set everything up, but the PIP didn't work. After three calls to Vizio, the last one finally unapologetically told me that the manual is wrong and it will not work with the component input as sub-source. That's a significant thing to have wrong. What else did I base my decision on that I will find out is wrong? I have not yet been able to get an answer about the RGB input as a sub-source--I also planned to integrate my PC into my TV system. The manual says yes... obviously, the manual cannot be relied on.

I'm sending it back. If TVs were only about how a picture looks under optimal conditions this is a great buy. But the features are either misrepresented or really funky/quirky and not very well engineered. The lack of both dedicated "source" and "picture size" buttons found on better brands is pretty annoying, along with no back lighting on the remote (making using the keyboard *very* difficult in dim light), etc. No, I probably won't get a TV that will work with my stand-alone DVR that has both a hard drive and burner (which is why I won't give it up), but I won't keep the Vizio as a matter of principle. (Also worth mentioning is they have not permitted a critical review on their web site.)

11/15/10 - FINAL UPDATE as I bid this piece of junk hasta la vista--there isn't a soul in all of Vizio who can tell you what is involved in the updates automatically downloaded to your TV. Throughout the history of computers and programming, every update has come with an explanation of fixes and enhancements. These people automatically access your TV, but they can't tell you what they're doing to it. I checked the site, called, emailed... no one knew. And negative reviews still are not permitted on their site. I've stuck to the facts as they are clear and indisputable, left the emotion out of it, but after several attempts my panning of this product has not been permitted, but the kudos from various electronics organizations that clearly did not test the "features" and welcomed. Luckily, I know more people who consult Amazon before a manufacturer's web site.

I love the TV when using the built-in TV tuner. It is spectacular when watching a HD broadcast. Things have not been so pleasant trying to connect a notebook PC to utilize Windows 7 Windows Media Center or other PC applications. I am using the TV's RGB (VGA) port. Win7 uses its Plug and Play (PnP) driver. However, PnP depends on the DDC signal (Display Data Channel) to determine native resolution - and here is the problem. Unlike almost any computer LCD monitor, this set does not support DDC. Further, it has a limited set of supported input resolutions - basically old 4:3 resolutions or full 1080p, with nothing in between. My notebook has to guess at a resolution and it picks something a bit more current. The result is the TV displays "Invalid Format" - and with no image, there is no way to guide Windows to change the resolution.

There is a work around, but it is less than satisfactory-
I set the notebook built-in display to 1024X768, then enable screen cloning. The same image then shows on the TV. Next I EXTEND the desktop across both screens, and make the TV my primary monitor. I can then independently set the resolution for each screen - my notebook to its native 1280X800, and the TV to its native 1920X1080. The downside is I can't use JUST the TV (who could see a 12.1 screen across the room?), so the notebook must remain open, and I have to be careful to not slide the pointer off the TV and on to the notebook display.

This is something Vizio needs to fix; most likely by supplying a Windows driver that overrides PnP.

I love this TV. I just bought it to replace a Samsung UN46C6300 that was edge-lit, and had terrible flashlighting and ghosting on the screen. (I returned it to Best Buy.) I received this Vizio from Amazon yesterday, and it is what I was expecting an HDTV to look like. The picture is beautiful, and consistent across the panel. The colors are great and the blacks are amazing. I used CNET's calibration settings with a few adjustments since we have a big window that brightens the room. While the Samsung had terrible glare, this TV has a great matte finish that does great. I can't comment on sound because I use it with my Sony 7.1 receiver via HDMI. (That works great too.) And with the firmware update, it works with ARC so internet apps send sound back through HDMI to the receiver.

The complaints I read from reviewers were viewing angles and halo effect because of the LED local dimming. No way. The viewing angle is 1000% better than the Samsung, and last night I tested the halo effect. On an all black screen with only words in the middle, I could only see halo when I took an extreme angle close up. Otherwise, it looked great.

The internet apps work great. (I do wish they'd add youtube, but don't know how much I'd use it anyway.) I can't speak to wireless, cause my router sits right on the TV stand and I just wired with ethernet. I love the remote, but wish I could customize the settings for my Dish Network receiver and AV receiver more. It will control them, but I'd like to be able to switch inputs, etc. on my receiver. I haven't figured out a way to make that happen. But I love the keyboard and the bluetooth connection.

I'm a total tech nerd, but have been waiting years to buy an HDTV. I read reviews and went with one of the so-called best brands in Samsung only to be really disappointed in the experience and picture. This Vizio is what I was hoping for, and it's an amazing price. Most full array LED's are more than $2000. It is definitely thicker than the edge-lit LED, but it's worth it for the picture and features. Buy it.

(Also, shipping from Amazon took exactly 1 week and the box was undamaged. Not bad at all.)