Vizio LCD and Plasma HDTV: What's the Story?

What's the deal with Vizio, the nation's leading manufacturer of LCD TVs? Who are they and where did they come from?

The most successful manufacturer of flat-panel, high-definition TVs in North America isn't who you might expect. It's not Sony, or Samsung, or any other established, brand name manufacturer that might come to mind. It's a small upstart electronics company out of California that has discovered a potent and powerful formula that has their HDTVs flying off the shelves.

Vizio: Making Things Easier for Consumers

Vizio has only been making televisions for a few years, but they've created quite the stir in the industry. Their approach to selling HDTVs is simple: provide the absolute lowest price and make sure people see the TVs. With prominent placement in high-traffic retail outlets like Wal-Mart, Sears, K-Mart, and Circuit City, Vizio has provided consumers who are interested in an affordable, budget HDTV an attractive option, especially when they get to look at it side by side with the more expensive name brands. Once shoppers compare the image quality and the price tags, it's no wonder that they opt for the less expensive choice.

Consider the Whole Picture

Something for consumers to consider, however, is that while the price differences between Vizio sets and brand name televisions may be quite stark in a retail store, online, it's a whole different story. HDTVs from major manufacturers can often be found between 20 and 30% cheaper online, compared to in-store prices at big box stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, and Wal-Mart. Shipping is often free or quite affordable, as well. Vizio televisions, though an excellent affordable option in the store, isn't always the absolute lowest price if online merchants and prices are considered.

Vizio televisions are not widely available online. They've made in-store sales their primary focus, so unfortunately, their TVs do not benefit from the low overhead of online sales. Imagine how much cheaper their sets would be if they did!

Consumers should investigate Vizio further, compare the quality and cost of their HDTVs with those of more traditional manufacturers, but be sure to compare them not just against the in-store prices of competitors, but the online prices as well. You may find some surprising deals that are more attractive, more substantial, and more satisfying.

Moving Away From Their Roots

Despite the success that Vizio has had as a budget brand, they seem to be moving away from that market. Perhaps they wish to be taken seriously or considered in the same class as Sony and Samsung. Whatever the reason, it's a somewhat troubling development. If you look at Vizio's website, the prices on their available HDTVs are in line with what one would expect from bigger brands; finding a bargain there isn't easy. For years now, Vizio has been forcing big brands to come to their level, to slash prices in order to compete with the remarkable deals Vizio has been able to provide. Now that Syntax-Brillian and their Olevia line of HDTVs is long gone, Vizio is the only significant budget HDTV manufacturer out there. If they move away from the strategy that made them so popular, we may see stagnation in HDTV prices in general. That's not good for consumers.