VIZIO has been one of the top 3 TV and Home Theatre brands in the US since 2007. They are currently #2 overall in the US and #1 in Smart TVs and in Soundbars. VIZIO have been known for aggressively pricing their TVs while not sacrificing quality or innovation, so it is nice to see that they are now showing up in Canada. Not only is more choice a good thing, but they are also bringing an excellent well-proven full product suite. You can now find a selection of VIZIO products at Best Buy.
Who is VIZIO ?
VIZIO is an American company that is headquartered in Irvine, California. They have been in business since 2002 and rocketed to great success in just a few years by delivering high performance, smarter products at very good price points. Having won many awards along the way for a variety of products as well as their customer service, they are well recognized in the industry. VIZIO believes “everyone deserves access to best-in-class technologies at a great value” and they seem to live by that mantra.
VIZIO’s main product lines are TVs and Soundbars. They have also dabbled in tablets, Ultrabooks, and Smartphones but their focus now is clearly on the TV and Home Theatre market. They are bringing their home entertainment products to Canada officially on Sept. 12th. However, Best Buy already has a number of VIZIO products available for purchase to either reserve in the store or schedule a delivery. Here is a video of Best Buy preparing for the launch of these televisions in Canada:
VIZIO TVs
VIZIO has tried to keep things relatively simple, which I really like, as the electronics world can quickly get complicated. They have 4 different series of TVs: the E, M, P, and a Reference series. Out of the gate, the E and M series are available now, with the others likely following later. Both the E and M series TVs are their 1080p LED HDTVs and the P and Reference series are their 4K Ultra HDTVs.
The main difference between the E and M series HDTVs is the picture quality. The M series is slightly better due to higher number of active zones of LED backlighting, which provides improved contrast and black levels. The M series also has “Active Pixel Tuning,” which intelligently adjusts pixel luminance for a cleaner more vibrant picture. Some M series also come in a faster refresh rate for less motion blur.
The E series picture is already very good, but the M series is just that much better. Both come in a wide range of sizes, with the E series ranging from 24” to 70,” and the M series ranging from 42” to 70.”
The P series and Reference series aren’t available in Canada yet, but given that 4K UHD is where the TV market is going, I am sure it won’t be far behind.
VIZIO Audio
Because great sound is hard to deliver from any skinny TV, VIZIO has augmented their TV lineup with an audio lineup specifically designed to compliment the TV viewing experience. They have a line of Soundbars that are either 2.1 or 5.1 surround sound systems as well as a line of “Sound Stands,” which are ideal for smaller spaces where a Soundbar might not make sense.
Their audio products are also available at Best Buy, with three Soundbars to choose from ranging from 42” to 54” wide and either 2.1 or 5.1 surround sound. They all come with a wireless subwoofer and Bluetooth so you can play music from your other devices wirelessly. Their Sound Stand is smaller and built to either put the TV on top or have it by itself on a nearby shelf. It is powerful, easy to setup, and has Bluetooth for playing music as well.
It is nice to see VIZIO enter the Canadian market. They are a dominant player in the US and I expect that will happen here as well because they deliver excellent quality products that consumers want, all at very good price points. For instance, I couldn’t help but notice that they are the only brand to provide a giant 70” LED Smart HDTV for under $2,000.
VIZIO is definitely worth a good look now that they have arrived in Canada at Best Buy.
