Sound bars are often thought of as replacements for full 5.1 home theater systems, but the Vizio VHT510 is a sound bar that is a 5.1 home theater system.

Its unique design includes two rear speakers that connect directly to the wireless sub, which means you can stash the sub in the back of your home theater along with the rear speaker--no need to run cables from the front of the room to the back. More importantly, it has outstanding sound quality for a sound bar in this price range.

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While we'd like to think that everyone who invests in a flat panel HDTV also spends a little extra for a decent sound system, the fact is that most HDTV owners simply rely on their TV's built-in speakers for their auditory enjoyment.  And while TV picture quality generally trends upwards every year, the same cannot be said for TV sound.  The thinner a TV gets, the less room it has for speakers, and speakers that lack the necessary cabinet volume tend to sound thin and anemic, with no bass and limited dynamic range.

But many prospective surround sound system buyers are put off, not only by the price of a surround system, but by its complexity.  People don't want to have to deal with the extra wires and complicated system set-up of a full-fledged surround system.  Oh sure, there are affordable integrated HTiB (home theater in a box) systems, but these still usually require that you run a bunch of wires around the room to get sound to all of the speakers.

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Before I describe the 3D performance of the XVT3D650SV, let's talk about 2D, which still is over 95% of the content available today.

This VIZIO employs edge-lit LED technology. Though it has progressed a long way in the last few years, I still prefer the quality of the direct-lit (full array) LED method (like in the VIZIO XVT473SV that I reviewed last year). And I'm still impressed with the PQ (Picture Quality) of top end plasma TVs.

I find that the direct-lit can produce deeper blacks and richer colors. But with the XVT3D650SV's Smart Dimming, the differences become less noticeable. And at this time, I don't find any manufacturers that are making 65" direct-lit TVs, though there are a few plasma models that gigantic size.

Another common advantage of a direct-lit TV, is that it tends to disperse light more evenly across the screen, resulting in no hot spots. Again, I find this edge-lit XVT3D650SV does a good job of spreading the light evenly. Is it perfect? No.

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The Vizio XVT3D650SV may not be the first 65-inch LCD HDTV or the first 3D HDTV to hit the PCMag Labs, but it is the first set that uses passive, rather than active shutter 3D technology. While at $3,699.99 (list) it isn't exactly budget-priced, it's actually quite reasonable for a set of this size, especially since you get four pairs of 3D glasses in the box. Overall image quality is very good on this set, but 3D isn't quite as good as on our current Editors' Choice, the Samsung PN58C8000 ($2,999.99, 4.5 stars).

Design
Vizio HDTVs have never been known for their good looks, and the plain-looking XVT3D650SV doesn't buck that trend. The 2.3-inch deep cabinet is a bit thicker than ultra-thin models like the LG 47LE5500 ($2,099.99, 3.5 stars) and Samsung's aforementioned PN58C8000. The 65-inch panel is framed by wide (2-inch) bezels done up in the usual glossy black finish. Below the bottom bezel is a matte black speaker enclosure with a backlit Vizio logo in the center. The panel has a glossy coating that acts as a large mirror when the TV is off.

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The VIZIO XVT3SV series comes in a handful of sizes—from 42 and to 55-inches. The 42 and 47-inch models can be found on Amazon for a little under $1100 and $1500 respectively. It's time to get over whatever reputational shortcomings VIZIO might evoke in your mind. To read more of this article, please click here. 

Whether you’re tailgating or you just live in a really small apartment, you might have plenty of reasons to want a 7-inch TV. Such small sets aren’t a common category for major TV manufacturers, however. As a result, Vizio stands out with its 7-inch LED LCD TV, the VIZIO VMB070 ($150 as of December 2, 2010). To read more of this article, please click here.