Make an Educated Decision When Buying a Vizio 30-inch to 39-inch TV
First founded in 2002, Vizio made a name for itself by focusing on the production of flat-screen LED and LCD televisions. Their line of products run the gamut from traditional LED screens to fully featured smart televisions that allow viewers to view a wealth of original programming without having to subscribe to cable service.
What is the difference between LED and LCD TVs?LCD is short for "light crystal display." The technology relies on liquid crystals that regulate the passing of light through two layers of polarized glass, creating a crisp and vivid image. LEDs are technically a subsection of LCD TVs, but they used diodes rather than fluorescent lights, and there's more variation on where these diodes can be placed. LED TVs offer a higher quality picture, and they're usually thinner and more lightweight. Their unique design also means that they're less prone to reflecting glare from external light sources.
What are some common hardware features of these TVs?Most of the Vizio 30-inch to 39-inch TVs come with USB, HDMI, and composite ports. However, the number of ports available can vary by unit. Therefore, buyers may want to consider the number of external sources they want to hook up to their LED TV before making a purchase. Many come with double USB ports. These can be useful when connecting a streaming dongle like a Chromecast or Amazon Fire to your LED monitoring. You can also use these for viewing videos or photos directly through a USB flash drive. While all of Vizio's smart TVs are Wi-Fi enabled, this feature is also available in some of their other models. All of the Vizio models available offer HDTV level display resolutions.
What smart TV features can buyers expect to find?Vizio offers a selection of smart TV options, and all of these smart televisions come pre-loaded with Vizio Smartcast software. Built off the Chromecast architecture, Vizio Smartcast provides users with access to thousands of streaming services directly out of the box. Additional features include the ability to navigate the Smartcast interface with a mobile phone rather than a traditional remote control and voice control when synced to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa devices. Updates are handled automatically to any Vizio smart HDTVs connected to a wireless network. A more limited subsection of these smart TVs come with a version of the Chrome browser, allowing viewers to surf the web directly on their TV monitor. Typically, HDMI inputs are also available on LED and LCD TVs.
What are some of the more prominent TV apps available?Depending on your model of TV, you may have to download individual apps through the smart television interface.
- Subscription apps: Television and movies are available in the form of Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Amazon, and Plex.
- Music streaming apps: Music can be streamed through iHeart Radio, Pandora, and YouTube.
- News apps: News services are provided via the Yahoo! network with dedicated finance, general news, sports, and weather streams.