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The well-equipped Vizio VF552XVT takes aim at the best HDTVs available when it launches in November.

(Credit: CNET)

The Via line of HDTVs from Vizio, due this January, promises the most comprehensive suite of interactive features yet seen on any HDTV, including a Bluetooth remote control with a keyboard. The two largest models will also pack LED backlighting with local dimming, the holy grail of LCD picture quality. These highly desirable features, combined with Vizio's customarily aggressive pricing, propel the flagship Vizio TVs past their counterparts from major brands like Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony--at least on paper.

Designed foremost to compete against current Internet-enabled HDTVs, the three "Via" (Vizio Interactive Apps) models are available in 42-inch, 47-inch, and 55-inch varieties. Here's a quick rundown:

Key features of the Vizio Via 2XVT series:

• LED backlight with local dimming (47- and 55-inch models only)
• 240Hz processing
• Bluetooth remote with full QWERTY keyboard
• Integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi
• Support for Adobe Flash for the Digital Home
• Yahoo widgets engine
• 42-inch SV422XVT: $1,199 MSRP | 47-inch SV472XVT: $1,699 | 55-inch XV552XVT: $2,199
• Available in January

As CNET noted earlier, the Bluetooth keyboard remote and built-in Wi-fi will be firsts among interactive TVs, which typically require cumbersome virtual keyboards for text entry and expensive extra dongles or third-party solutions for wireless connectivity. Since few people have an Ethernet cable next to their televisions, Wi-fi makes setup much more convenient, while the keyboard on the remote should make accessing and using the TV's "Apps" as easy as sending an e-mail on a BlackBerry.

(Credit: Vizio)

Vizio promises to have more such applications on the Via platform than any other current maker, and the list is impressive indeed. ... Read more

As Internet-connected TVs become more popular, set makers are looking for ways to stand out from each other. Vizio, which made its name by undercutting much larger names in electronics on LCD sets, is no longer just looking to attract buyers at Costco. It's now trying to compete directly on the number of bells and whistles with the likes of Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony.

Announced in late June, Vizio's Via HDTV has some things going for it that its competitors' sets do not: integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi--which means no separate dongle for connecting to the Web--2GB of flash memory, and a well thought-out remote control.

The remote design is almost a no-brainer in retrospect, and makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before. It looks like a standard model, but with this one, Vizio took into account what the user would be doing with it: interacting with Web applications like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Sports, and Flickr. The TV maker put a slideout QWERTY keyboard on the back of the Bluetooth remote, so users can type as they would on some smartphones, instead of keying in letters one at a time. And, it doesn't seem to add much to the price of the Via HDTV: the 42-inch version will begin at $999 when it starts selling in stores in November.

Vizio is also looking to differentiate itself with developers who will create more applications for the TV. Yahoo developed its TV widget engine last year, which brings a range of preselected applications like Twitter, eBay, Flickr, Yahoo Sports, Showtime, and many others right onto the TV screen. Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, and Vizio each offer it. But Vizio says it wants to appeal to application developers, so it integrated Adobe Flash directly into its Via HDTV. ... Read more

The LG LH50 series is the first LCD that can stream Netflix without an external box.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

If the Internet is the future of television, then LG's LH50 series hails from the day after tomorrow. This flat-panel LCD is the first to offer Netflix streaming, which allows instant, free-to-subscribers access to an all-you-can watch menu of thousands of movies and TV shows without having to connect another box. Sure, Sony has already announced the service for its own compatible TVs later this fall, and we expect Netflix to make its way to Yahoo widget-equipped TVs from Samsung (and perhaps others) sometime later this year, but for now the LH50 holds exclusive claim to Netflix. Speaking of Yahoo widgets, the LH50 delivers that feature too, and better than other TVs we've tested, and also includes its own YouTube client and network streaming to boot.

On the other hand, the LH50 costs a good couple hundred more than its non-web-enabled cousin in the company's line--easily enough to buy an external Netflix device and then some. Its performance wasn't as good as some of the better LCDs we've tested, albeit still decent enough to pass most viewers' muster, especially in terms of color accuracy. For fans of Internet video who don't want one more box, however, those issues might be worth the sacrifice for the LG LH50, which for now is the most well-featured Interactive HDTV available.

Read the full review of the LG LH50 series.

LG LH50 series--photos

Twitter widget for Yahoo TV Widgets

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

As Netflix and other broadband media content integration has become the new "it" thing for TVs, it was time to revisit Yahoo TV Widgets. Since we last reviewed the platform's offerings, Yahoo has rolled out a number of new widgets and promises even more to come, including widgets for Netflix, Showtime, and other video services. For now, however, the official Twitter client is one of the most compelling widgets, so it will be the first we review as part of an ongoing series.

Overall we found the Twitter widget well-designed and we appreciated that, unlike Verizon's upcoming Twitter application for Fios, it actually lets you post tweets from your TV. Next time your Twitter craving kicks in right in the middle of "30 Rock" and you're too glued to the TV to search for your phone or laptop, this widget can save you the trip. You can now proudly tap out those 140 characters that will display on your feed above a timestamp that reads "from Yahoo! TV Widgets."

Photos: Twitter on your TV

Anytime you load Yahoo Widgets with Twitter enabled, the Twitter "snippet" in the dock along the bottom of the screen displays the most recent tweet, whether it's from you or someone you follow. These are updated in nearly real time without having to hit a refresh button or take any other actions. It's unfortunate, though, that you're limited to just the most recent update in the snippet. The Samsung and LG TVs organize some other snippets, namely Yahoo Weather and Finance, into scrollable tabs that show multiple weather or finance updates right in the dock, without having to expand the widget.

When expanded, the clearly laid out and clean-looking main window presents three tabs that will take you to a stream of tweets, messages, or replies. There's also an option to post a new tweet.

Using the TV remote to tweet can be a frustrating experience since you have to use the directional pad to select letters on a virtual keyboard. ... Read more

The red coloration and V-shaped frame combine for a unique look in Samsung's LNB650 series.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Among Samsung's umpteen different model lines and feature variations for its 2009 HDTVs, the LNB650 series sits somewhere in the middle. It's significantly less-expensive than the LED-based LCDs, like the UNB7000 series, and costs a bit less than the LNB750 series of non-LED 240Hz models, yet still commands a premium over entry-level models. Aside from a couple hundred bucks, 120Hz of refresh rate separates the B650 and B750 models on paper.

In person, the B650s have significantly different styling and, it turns out, somewhat less impressive picture quality, although the difference in Hz has nothing to do with it. The LNB650 series still produces a very good picture, however, and as usual we liked Samsung's implementation of dejudder processing. Sure you'll pay a bit extra for the numerous features, but you've always wanted a TV that can suggest recipes or keep tabs on your Twitter feeds, right? All told the LNB650 series makes a solid choice for an upper-midrange LCD, as long as you can handle its unusual looks and glossy screen.

Read the full review of the Samsung LNB650 series.

Samsung LNB650 series--photos

(Credit: Vizio)

First announced at CES, the list of Web widgets packed into forthcoming Vizio high-definition TVs is growing.

On Tuesday, Vizio announced that some of the most popular services on the Web will be directly accessible from the TV screen, including eBay, Facebook, Twitter, and Rallypoint Sports. Showtime, Web video channel Revision3, Internet radio site Radiotime, and video-on-demand service Vudu, will also be accessible on the Via Connected HDTV feature, which is powered by the Yahoo TV Widgets engine.

That adds to an already impressive lineup of Internet content from Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster On Demand, Flickr, Netflix, Pandora, and Rhapsody. The Via Connected service will come preinstalled in Vizio XVT series TVs, which will be available this fall. The XVT sets have built-in 802.11(n) Wi-Fi, which allows the TV to connect to the owner's wireless Internet service.

Web-connected TVs are a growing trend thanks to the growing availability of broadband Internet. At CES in January, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony each showcased similarly capable sets, and recent consumer survey data shows that buyers are certainly interested in the concept.

However, it's not just TVs. Microsoft's Xbox 360 already features Netflix Watch Instantly, and later this fall will also offer Facebook and Twitter.

Panasonic's VieraCast with Amazon Video on Demand is one slice of the Internet on TV.

(Credit: Panasonic)

A new study by the Consumer Electronics Association, the industry group representing electronics manufacturers, finds that nearly half of prospective TV buyers say they want to buy an Internet-connected TV.

The study, conducted in December 2008, asked respondents to say how they'd use their connected sets, and the most popular answers included accessing information about current TV shows or identifying a song played on a show (48 percent) and finding out more about the actors (44 percent). Asked whether they currently surf the Web while watching TV, 30 percent of "online adults" responded "always or usually" while 32 percent answered "sometimes."

Activities likely to be moved from the PC to the living room TV include watching online video (62 percent), getting weather updates (59 percent), and playing online games (57 percent).... Read more

Yahoo Widgets: a dark day for ADD sufferers or a new dawn for Internet-on-TV?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Update 08-11-09: Check out our in-depth looks at the Twitter, YouTube, Yahoo Video, Yahoo Sports, USA Today Sports and games widget reviews.

The variation of Yahoo Widgets designed specifically for TVs debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show last January. Not to be confused with its PC-centric incarnation, the TV-only widget feature will be available on certain HDTVs from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio shipping this year. The first widget-equipped sets to hit store shelves are members of Samsung's UNB7000 series, and this hands-on review was performed on a UN46B7000--although we expect the widget experience to be similar across brands.

What is a widget? It's basically a gateway on your TV screen to Internet-supplied content in a certain subject area. All TVs with Yahoo Widgets can connect to the Internet, and via that connection can populate the widgets with real-time information and updates. At the time of this review there are only four widgets, all of them available as soon as we turned on the TV, connected the Ethernet cable, and hit a button to activate the feature. The four, namely News, Weather, Finance, and Flickr, were all created by Yahoo.

In the coming weeks and months, more TV widgets will become available. According to Yahoo, more than 300 publishers "are interested in developing" widgets, from individuals to large content publishers, and the company expects TV widgets from Accedo Games, Twitter, Yahoo! Video, eBay, USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, Showtime, CBS Entertainment (CNET Reviews is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS), The New York Times, YouTube, CinemaNow and others. Publishers that have announced plans to develop TV Widgets include Disney/ABC, MySpace, Viacom/MTV, Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, Associated Press, and Joost. Yahoo estimates at least 100 widgets will be available by the end of the year, and its TV widgets website teases with some of the big names, like Netflix, whose description reads: "Browse, find and enjoy great movies with the Netflix widget--a personalized, convenient way to rent and watch movies on your TV."

We also expect advertising to appear on the system eventually, which could make the user experience less consumer-friendly. Yahoo says that "some publishers may choose to monetize their content by the end of 2009," and that the widget engine works with Web-compliant advertising system to enable Yahoo and third parties to advertise. For now, however, the widgets are blessedly ad-free.

The KDL-W5100 series gets Yahoo widgets at a lower, but as-yet-undisclosed, price than other Sony models.

(Credit: Sony)

At Sony's line show today in Las Vegas, the company announced another new line of HDTVs with Yahoo widgets, the company's least-expensive HDTVs yet to feature the interactive doo-dads.

The KDL-W5100 series will consist of three screen sizes: the 52-inch KDL-52W5100, 46-inch KDL-46W5100, and 40-inch KDL-40W5100. Sony did not announce pricing or availability beyond "spring," and that information was not leaked along with other Sony HDTVs' price and availability.

Successor to last year's KDL-W4100 series, which performed relatively well in our review, the W5100 models' big improvement is Yahoo widgets. According to Sony, the widgets "expand and personalize the experience by allowing you to interact with your favorite Internet content like Yahoo News, Video, Finance, and Flickr while watching TV shows. Track your favorite sports team, check your stocks, and share photos with friends and family as you watch television."

Sony is also quick to tout the new sets' compatibility with the Bravia Internet Video Link. Our review of that device was anything but ambivalent.