High Definition Deal

This ain’t your father’s HDTV. Among those of us old enough to remember the Oldsmobile ad campaign that inspired that slogan, there are likely to be many of us who will appreciate the exceptional innovation and quality that the VIZIO XVT series delivers.

At only 2.2 inches thick, this set’s exterior design will be as pleasing to the eye as the 1080p, 120Hz Smooth Motion picture that appears on its 37-inch screen. The SV370XVT also boasts a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and SRS sound technology for above-average onboard sound quality.

Even if you’re not into the whole green thing, saving money on your electric bill is something most of us appreciate and the SV370XVT does its part with an Energy Star rating that exceeds the current guidelines by 15 percent.

A generous number of input/output connections offer up excellent versatility when you want to start hooking up new toys. Three HDMI inputs are available, as well as a component video input, a composite input, an S-video input, an RGB input to connect your PC, and a standard F-connector input for coaxial cable. Audio inputs include a PC input and three analog inputs.

An SDIF digital optical audio output and analog audio output allow use with a home theater system.

For those that aren’t happy with the typical out-of-the-box performance, there are numerous advanced controls which allow the viewer to adjust the picture to their heart’s content. A number of pre-sets are also included for those that care to watch more and tinker less. Settings are specific to each input, which is quite handy when you want different settings for a Blu-ray DVD player and your satellite receiver, DVR or game console.

Although some may believe that the set’s front-facing speakers detract from the “monitor” styling that we’ve grown accustomed to, the superior sound quality more than makes up for any deviation from what might be considered “the standard.”

The SV370XVT features a number of pre-set audio configurations, which includes settings for “classic,” “rock,” “pop,” “jazz,” and “flat.” A 5-band equalizer allows for more precision tweaking for those that are inclined.

With USB connections showing up on more and more devices these days, it’s not a surprise to find one on the SV370XVT, which can be used for playing your favorite MP3 tunes or watching videos and checking out snapshots from your digital camera.