I'm going to be less verbose here than normal and let the pictures speak for themselves. Suffice it to say, the Vizio produced excellent color and I was pleased overall with the black levels for an inexpensive florescent-lit LCD panel. I've definitely seen worse, and of course there is better. This model is priced well, but it does face some competition. Looking at the images below, however, it would be hard to imagine anyone not enjoying the picture it produces.

DVD: Forbidden Kingdom
This film is rather dark, and it also has lots of detail and beautiful moments where you could really peer into dark crevices and areas that on lesser displays would absolutely be crushed to bits. I noted the many opportunities Forbidden Kingdom afforded us to notice shadow detail and really take in the Vizio's performance.

DVD: Golden Compass
Golden Compass had as mystical a color palette as it did a mystical tale. We really enjoyed seeing this movie glorified by the color reproduction ability of the Vizio.

Not too colorful, but note the hair and clothing detail. This spirit cat also did a great job showing off the SV470XVT for our readers.

DVD: Hairspray

I really liked this movie and it was certainly giving the Vizio's pastellarometer a good workout!

I watched a ton more programming on this TV - all of it impressive. From HD news shows to shoot 'em up movies, the Vizio performed very well and presented a clean, clear, and consistent picture.

That's not banding in the background, the image actually looks like that

Conclusion

The Vizio SV470XVT is a mixed bag that does most of the important things right. I always say, even if the user interface is a bit clunky, if a display can render a decent picture then it's got a market. The 47-inch Vizio SV470XVT is a display that will make many consumers ecstatic. Where it drops some points is in the user interface and setup, which does appear to cut some corners. Because of its decent color capability and ability to look good out of the box, I wouldn't steer users away from picking this up in their local big box store. I would, however, point out that there are a ton of name-brand models that compete with this one, though they may not have 120Hz technology at this price - something I'm not sure is all that important at this stage in development. Vizio is a serious competitor in the marketplace, but if you don't care about 120Hz you'll find there are a lot of brands competing for your hard-earned money.

Vizio SV470XVT

$1699

Vizio Inc
39 Tesla
Irvine, CA 92618
http://www.vizio.com
877.698.4946

About Vizio Inc
VIZIO, Inc. "Where Vision Meets Value," headquartered in Irvine, California, is America’s fastest-growing HDTV and consumer electronics company. In only a few short years, VIZIO quickly skyrocketed to the top by becoming the #1 selling brand of flat panel HDTV’s in North America and became the first American brand in over a decade to lead major categories in 2007 U.S. TV sales. VIZIO has sold more than 5-Million flat panel televisions in the U.S. alone. By listening intently to our customers and reacting to the ever-growing needs of flat panel television enthusiasts, VIZIO continues to offer feature-rich flat panel televisions and consumer electronics solutions to market at a value through practical innovation.