Product Review: VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV

Many of the HDTVs that are on the market today seem very expensive. The HDTVs that support full 1080p resolution are especially expensive. The VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV is an exception to this rule. I purchased this television refurbished on Buy.com for $399 in November of 2009.

The VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV supports full 1080p resolution and 16.7 million colors, yet costs considerably less than comparable televisions. Part of VIZIO's Eco HD line of televisions, the VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV has been designed to exceed Energy Star 3.0 guidelines. It has three HDMI inputs, two in back of the television and one on the side. There are also two component video inputs, two composite video inputs and a coaxial input, as well as an S-video and a computer RGB connection. It has a viewable angle of 178 degrees. It has a 60Hz refresh rate and an enhanced dynamic contrast ratio of up to 6500:1. It also has two stereo speakers built into the java-colored bezel, and supports SRS TruSurround XT sound, which can produce the sound quality of a 5.1 channel speaker system with just two speakers. The screen of the VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV has a matte finish that diffuses reflections from light sources around the television.

The VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV plays a wide range of different video formats with excellent color, contrast and resolution. The setup was very quick and easy. I used to have Dish Network satellite service and Dish Games in standard definition, which the VIZIO HDTV displayed fairly well. I have hooked up a wide range of different devices to the HDTV. I connected a Pioneer DVD player with HD upconversion to the VIZIO HDTV using both component video and VIZIO HDMI cable. The result was so close to true HD that the difference wasn't worth mentioning. I have also hooked up my relatively new HP Pavilion dv7-1285dx laptop computer to the television using a VIZIO HDMI cable, also with excellent results. I used the computer to play computer games, watch Netflix videos and YouTube videos, as well as doing other tasks on the computer using the HDTV. I also recently connected a Nintendo Wii game console to the HDTV with a composite video cable, and a Roku digital video player with an HDMI cable. In each instance, the video and audio was good, and in some cases it was superb. It takes a few seconds to power on and reach full brightness when you turn it on, but once it's on, it functions beautifully. I could easily switch between devices by pressing the handy "Input" buttons at the top of the remote.

The remote control for the VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV is easy and intuitive to use. The method for changing the aspect ratio on the VIZIO VR3 remote is a little complex, but not at all difficult. The settings for the backlight, brightness, contrast, color, tint and sharpness are fully customizable. There are also several different pre-set picture modes, which you can change to your preferences. The VIZIO VOJ320F 32" LCD HDTV also has an advanced video menu where you can select video noise reduction, color enhancement, advanced adaptive luma and an enhanced contrast ratio, as well as change the color temperature of the screen. The audio menus include an equalizer, different audio modes, options for digital and analog audio output. There is also a lip sync feature which can adjust the audio of a program to match the movement of lips on the screen to make the words easier to understand. It also has multiple language support, a sleep timer, closed captioning, horizontal and vertical adjustment and parental controls.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this television. The 32" screen is more than adequate for my family's living room. The television is so useful for watching movies and television shows, gaming and listening to music that it's on almost all the time. The television was so cheap that I don't feel that I've overextended my family's financial resources. It is very energy efficient, which saves my family money each month on electricity. Though it was refurbished when I purchased it, it hasn't given me a moment of trouble. The lifespan of this television is about 50,000 hours. At the rate my family uses it, it'll be worn out within 10 years. When it does wear out, I'll probably replace it with another VIZIO that's even more energy efficient. I highly recommend this and other televisions in the VIZIO Eco HD line, especially to the consumer who is both cost-conscious and environment-conscious.

Sources:

VIZIO.com; "32" Class LCD HDTV"