Vizio VO32L LCD isn't the cheapest, but it's solid

When most buyers hear the name Vizio, they think of cheap HDTVs, but if you look at recent prices for LCDs, that's no longer the case. More established brands like Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung have all slashed their prices to meet Vizio. Luckily for the Vizio VO32L, that's not much of an issue, because it's a solid performer even without the price advantage.

The gritty details are all in the review, but the bottom line is that the VO32L has perfectly good image quality with relatively deep blacks and accurate primary colors, along with a nice connectivity suite, with three HDMI inputs and a VGA-style PC input. Our major gripe is that the blacks tended to look greenish in darker areas, but it's not a dealbreaker.

Read the full review of the Vizio VO32L.

Note: Longtime readers of CNET reviews have come to expect the pieces to be accompanied by picture settings that enable viewers to set up their TVs as we did for the review. Unfortunately, we're unable to publish those settings to the review itself at the moment, so you'll find them reproduced below instead.

---

Below you'll find the settings we found best for viewing the Vizio VO32L in a completely dark room via the HDMI input with a 1080p, film-based source. Your settings may vary depending on source, room conditions, and personal preference. Check out the picture settings and calibration FAQ for more information.

Picture menu
Picture mode: Movie
Backlight: 25
Brightness: 51
Contrast: 52
Color: 45
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0

Advanced Video menu
Noise reduction: Off
Color enhancement: Off
Advanced adaptive luma: Off
Enhanced contrast ratio: Off
Color temperature: Normal
-- Red: 116
-- Green: 110
-- Blue: 114

[bob1xxxx]

Ive the predcessor to this set the vx32l and love it . I got it at costco in late febuary for 560.00 and it a great deal. picture looks great and its the prefect size for a average bed room or small living room. Ive had zero problems and I think it looks better than the Sony 32" lcd my parrents got at target for 140.00 more and the menu system on the sony is very limited and not as tweakable as my vizio vx32l . If the VO32l is improvement over the vx32l it a even a better insane deal.

[johnrdsox73]

I just bought the VO32L LCD and I can't get enough of it! My girlfriend and I watch lots of movies and a ton of football, so the picture was really important. I did a lot of research and it was definitely worth it! The quality of picture is amazing and way better than my brother's Sony or my parent's Samsung and I paid almost HALF the price.

[amerist78]

I bought a VO32L (10A) at Costco about a week ago and I'm thrilled with my decision! I was originally looking at Samsung's LN32A550 which is also a 32" 1080p set but I saw this one for more than $200 less.

I am completely satisfied with the set except for 3 things:

1. the difference in volume between commercials and regular programming seems to be much greater than I ever remember it being on my SD tube that was replaced by this new Vizio panel.

2. In the menus there is a PIP option and on the remote there are PIP buttons but I can't figure out from reading the manual or navigating the menus how to turn it on.

3. When switching HDMI inputs you see a 2-4 second message "Retrieving data..." while the HDCP handshake takes place. I have never owned an HDTV before and I don't know if this is normal. but it seemed like something that is worth mentioning

I also bought a Samsung BDP-1500C and playback with this TV is breathtaking.

[breakdancefight]

I know on the forums that most people frown upon entry level electronics, but Vizio is the only brand that I have had that can keep up with my needs. With the exception of plasmas they have the best gaming performance of any brand I have tried Samsung, Sony etc.....With an 8ms response it smokes the LCD that I started with which had a 5ms response time. Vizio takes only what is necessary for a great performing product without the fancy tech terms need to sell to the public. I bought that V0320E which is the model with energy conservation feature it is blowing my mind.