Big Picture Big Sound

CES 2011 is off to a flying start in Las Vegas, and VIZIO has brought a lot of interesting products to the party. While many in the tech world are buzzing about tablets and eReaders, Vizio has decided to up the ante in the 3D category by offering 3 ultra-widescreen 3D LED LCD HDTVs (which will be available later in 2011) which will allow you to display native 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) movies without any black bars for a true cinematic experience.

The 50" and 58" models (XVT3D500CM and XVT3D580CM) are Edge Lit Razor LED HDTVs with smart dimming. The smart dimming controls the arrays of LEDs which are organized into 32 zones. The sets adjust the brightness in very precise steps down to pure black (where the LED is completely off). Vizio claims that the dynamic contrast ratio on these sets is 10,000,000 to 1 resulting in some of the blackest blacks on any set.

The flagship model, the XVT3D710CM, offers a staggering 71" screen and uses VIZIO's TruLED Full Array LED backlighting with smart dimming technology that is able to dim specific areas of the image, depending on what's on the screen, resulting in images that "pop" off the screen.

The 3D part is where these models really get interesting. All three models utilize VIZIO's Theater 3D technology that is twice as bright and which significantly reduces dreaded crosstalk compared to active shutter LCD TVs. As a result, one does not require the cumbersome and expensive active shutter 3D glasses that have been the bane of 3D TV so far.

VIZIO's Theater 3D technology utilizes circular polarization, which is similar to what is available in most 3D theaters. The technology offers a brighter image and has a wider horizontal viewing angle compared to active shutter technology.

4 pairs of these glasses will be included with each set; which are lightweight and do not require batteries.

The CinemaWide HDTV line-up supports the widest selection of 3D formats to ensure compatibility with Blu-ray, broadcast, cable, satellite, and gaming. All of the various formats including RealD are supported.

The icing on the cake with these three models is VIZIO's support for internet apps (VIA). All of these sets will offer Amazon Video on Demand, NetFlix, Facebook, Flickr, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, VUDU, and many more. Navigating these apps will be simple as all three models are equipped with built-in dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. The sets will also come with a Bluetooth universal remote with a QWERTY keypad (hopefully as easy to use as the one with the Boxee Box).

All three sets have a lot to offer, especially with 2.35:1 ratio films, but the proof with these will be with the rice pudding. How they handle 16:9 ratio films and television broadcasts will sway a lot of potential customers. We love the idea of brighter looking 3D with passive glasses that don't cost a bundle.

Pricing has not yet been announced.

For more information:

• www.vizio.com