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Vizio SV-470XVT

Vizio as a brand is known for selling flat-panel sets at prices that are well below the more famous brands. Usually you see Vizio large screen HDTV’s advertised on specials at bargain-club outlets where HDTVs are stacked several stories high in warehouse-friendly aisles. While you may need to find a forklift driver to get your Visio down for you, the fact is the Vizio line of HDTV’s deliver solid performance.

The 1080p SV-470XVT ($1,400) is Vizio’s first attempt at producing a 120-Hz LCD model for the discount market.  The Vizio 47-incher sells for almost half the cost of similar-size, similar-feature Samsung, Sony, or JVC, and in this economy, that’s nothing to sneeze at. The Vizio is not as sexy design wise as the pricier brands, but then it doesn’t have to be—this HDTV is meant to deliver a decent picture at a price that won’t induce a panic attack. That it does with flying colors.