Vizio P50HDTV10A 50 in. HDTV TV

Planning/Purchase:
I purchased this monitor from a Sam's Club after several months of considering various flat panel technologies, models and manufacturers, and searching at local stores. The P50HDTV10A replaced last year's model, the P50HDM, and all of my local stores were out of stock on the newer model, which boasts new features and upgrades. I took this as a good sign for the product. Other panels that I considered included Panasonic plasmas, JVC HD-ILA, and Westinghouse 1080p LCD monitors.

The Vizio replaced a 32" Westinghouse LCD (LTV-32w1) in my still-growing home theater set-up and while I was extremely happy with the Westy, I was itching to increase screen size, go with plasma for improved contrast, and create a more immersive viewing experience. Also, after reading many reviews and researching the technologies, 50" of plasma was identified as an ideal solution for my ~9' viewing distance and in a room with varying lighting conditions. Finally, at the Vizio's price point, it seemed that there was simply no competition left. After several weeks of playing with my new toy, I am satisfied with my decision.

Set-up:
Transporting and setting up the 50" plasma was not without challenges. Packaged in a rather large box (17"W x 56"L x 40"H ) and weighing roughly 130 lbs., this TV requires assistance from at least one additional person as it makes its way to and from a pick-up truck, or similar transport, and with mounting on a wall or placing on a stand. I highly recommend the delivery option, if it's within one's budget. On the other hand, cable selection and start-up were very simple processes. The P50 provides a variety of connection options (discussed in Features/Reliability) and I chose Component (YPbPr) for connecting a Dish Network ViP622 HD/DVR (with OTA from an RS 15-1870 antenna) and Xbox 360 with HD DVD add-on, and HDMI for a Samsung HD850 DVD player. I run all sound through a Yamaha HTR5750 driving Yamaha NS-BP4500 Home Theater Speakers.

Picture Quality:
I'm well past the 100 hour break-in period on this unit and my impressions of picture quality, so far, are based on some simple input calibrations using a THX DVD (HDMI) and HDNET test patterns (YPbPr), and with DNR technologies either disabled or on very low settings. I'm very happy with the overall picture quality from the P50 but, I do have a few concerns. The LG panel's 1366x768 native resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,000 cd/m2 brightness, and Faroudja DCDi de-interlacing/scaling solution combine to produce accurate, detailed, and immersive HD images that are free from artifacts, for the most part, on all inputs. SD quality, like any signal, is dependent upon source material and encoding but, even there I have been pleased with the results. With 50" of screen real estate, I was initially concerned that garbage signals would ruin the enjoyment of my new set. I am happy to report that this is not turning out to be the case. Some PQ concerns/issues that I have with the Vizio include "posterization" (AKA clayface) and something CNET refers to as "false-contouring" artifacts. Both artifacts are most noticeable on poorly rendered material or in limited extremes of dark and bright images. Using "Sin City" as a reference, I found the difficult to describe splotches of false-contouring artifacts to be near deal-breaking territory for me. Source material like "Sin City," where these artifacts appear very frequently, becomes unwatchable due to the emergence of this annoying picture noise. To further support the idea that the source material matters, I recently DVR'd Sin City from StarzHD, and not only were there no artifacts but, the PQ was absolutely stunning. The only other picture quality concern I have is related to the slight over scan present on Component inputs. In the final analysis, I've decided that I can live with the artifacts as they are only present in a very small percentage of the images I've thrown at the panel.

Sound:
I can't comment on sound quality because I'm running all sound through an A/V receiver. I rated the sound as average to try and reflect this.

Features/Reliability:
There are an ample number of inputs for most applications including:
2xHDMI (HDCP compliant),
1xVGA (RGB),
2xComponent (both are YPbPr/YCbCr),
2xS-Video,
2xComposite (RCA),
1xRF,
2xRS-232 (for service).
My only complaint here is the lack of DVI, as I'd like to have this option available for when I add an HTPC to my set-up. Of course, VGA is a capable analog alternative. The OSD provides a variety of picture adjustment controls that are memorized to each input (for the most part) including; Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Sharpness, and advanced settings for adjusting RGB and DNR. RGB and DNR settings appear to be applied universally, however, and are not memorized to each input. Also, there are a variety of features that I won't use because they are already built into my satellite receiver, such as an ATSC and NTSC tuner, PIP, POP, and parental controls. I also won't be using the included universal remote, as I have a Harmony 676, but it appears to be a well designed mid-quality remote.

My impressions on build quality and appearance of the Vizio are that this is a solid and classy looking set. With a glossy black bezel and silver finish speakers, it compliments all of my other components and looks like a high quality piece of equipment. One concern that I'll be keeping a close eye, actually an ear, on is a very low level buzzing emitted from the back of the panel. The Vizio has no fans, and I can only hear this faint buzzing, presumably from the power supply/board, when my ear is three inches away from the set. Since I'm rarely in this position while enjoying the Vizio, it doesn't appear to be too problematic.

I've tried contacting technical support at V Incorporated, parent company of the Vizio, to discuss my concerns regarding the Vizio. After several weeks, they have failed to appropriately respond to an e-mail and telephone call, and have not followed up on a "request for support case" that I opened via their web site. Additionally, their phone system is routed on an electronic loop, making it impossible to speak to a human being. For these reasons, I strongly discourage anyone from doing business with this company if they are expecting product support of any kind. It would appear that the company has not matured to the point where they are prepared to support their customers and provide timely assistance.

Summary:
The Vizio is a great deal at its price point, and is capable of rivaling other technologies and pricier competitors in the plasma market but, Caveat Emptor applies. I am currently of the opinion that the issues I have with the P50 and parent company are worth the dollars saved on its' purchase price.