VIZIO Attempts to Take Leadership Role in Large-Format LED-lit LCD TVs

With their launch at CES of both a 58” and a 72”, Vizio is going after the largest of large direct-view displays.  Using LED-backlit, LCD displays, both TVs are specified to offer localized dimming (what they are calling SmartDimming), have five HDMI inputs, are Wi-Fi enabled for wireless networking, and are native 1080p – with the 58” actually being a 21×9 aspect ratio at 2560×1080, making it capable of showing 2.35:1 movies natively.

Believe it or not, this literally makes them the only display manufacturer with an entire line (size and resolution-wise) top to bottom.  However, at the same time, the shocking part of this is that they are offering these at $3499 for the 72” and $2499 for the 58”!  Who cares?  Well, although they launched them at CES this month, they actually won’t ship until August 2010 so this could present an interesting scenario for companies like Sharp, Sony and Mitsubishi as consumers could hold off buying one of their higher-end sets awaiting the VIZIO line at a major cost reduction (Vizio’s marketing mantra for years).

Dubbed the XVTPRO720SV for the 72” and the XVTPRO580CD for the 58”, the two HDTVs are now Vizio’s flagship products.  They’re not on Vizio’s site yet, but when they are, they will be here:  http://www.vizio.com/products/