Hasta La Gadget!

One of the things I never like when I’m watching Blu-ray movies on my TV in the living room is the annoying black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Hollywood movies are filmed in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, meaning you have black bars above and below the picture. Some TVs let you zoom in and eliminate those bars, but that can mess with your image quality. Vizio has a solution that has just launched.

Vizio has announced the launch of its new XVT Series Cinemawide LED Smart TV with Theater 3D. That is a long product name, but this is a very interesting TV with a 21:9 ultra-widescreen aspect ratio that is the first available in the United States. The wider aspect ratio means when you watch those Blu-ray movies, there are no black bars filling up the screen.

The resolution of the new TV is 2560 x 1080, and the TV uses Vizio’s Edge Lit Razor LED technology and smart dimming. The TV supports all the smart TV functionality you expect with apps for Netflix, Hulu Plus and lots more. The first model in the series be available is the XVT3D580CM 58-inch TV that will carry an MSRP of $2799. For a limited time, the TV is being offered for $2499 as an introductory price.

Vizio launches 58-inch Cinemawide 21:9 HDTV is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s been a long, long wait for Vizio’s ultrawidescreen LCD TV to show its face: the company was promising such sets starting around this time last year that ultimately missed the October and subsequent March targets. Vizio is one to eventually make good on a promise, though, and has just started shipping the first XVT series CinemaWide set. The lone 58-inch model’s focus remains on that 2560 x 1080p screen, whose stretchy 21:9 aspect ratio fits what you often see at the movie theater without having to crop or adjust like you would with a typical 16:9 set. Whether or not you have a chronic aversion to black bars, the CinemaWide is still a respectable set in its own right, with edge-based LED backlighting, a 120Hz refresh rate, a Bluetooth remote and the common host of Vizio internet apps. The TV maker must be doing a form of penance for taking its time on the 21:9 display: the $2,800 regular price is a lot lower than the originally quoted $3,500, and you can pick up the CinemaWide TV for $2,500 if you act quickly.

Vizio XVT CinemaWide TV goes on sale, 21:9 movie purists celebrate the end of black bars originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio has just announced the launch of the Co-Star Stream Player which will rely on the most recent version of Google TV in order to turn any HDTV into a smart TV that you would want to make the effort to come home to at the end of each day, where live and streaming entertainment is merged into a singular intuitive and easy experience. With the Vizio Co-Star Stream Player, you are able to instantly access thousands of apps, and to experience full screen web browsing capabilities thanks to Google Chrome with Adobe Flash Player and HTML 5 support. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google TV Hardware Delayed Due To Software Upgrades, Toshiba And Vizio Planning To Offer Google TV Products,

Back at CES 2012, Vizio revealed that it wouldn’t just be pumping out affordable televisions but also Google TV set top boxes. One of the devices at the time held the uninspired VAP430 moniker, but the company has today announced that the box has officially launched, and is now called the Vizio Co-Star. The box uses the latest version of Google TV, features support for the full Chrome web browser as well as apps, and has brought OnLive along for the ride too.

Vizio say that the Co-Star has support for Flash and HTML5 in the web browser, allowing users to make full use of the internet without encountering any problems. The box can be plugged in to exisiting satellite or cable boxes via HDMI as well, allowing customers to use Google TV while keeping an eye on live television. If you’re trying to cut the cord, then all the relevant streaming services as onboard, such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube.

On top of all of that, Vizio has partnered with OnLive to bring streaming games to the box. You’ll be able to control everything using the provided Bluetooth remote, or by using a separate QWERTY keyboard. Connectivity for the box includes 802.11n WiFi and a USB port for hard drives and other accessories. DLNA support has also made the grade, allowing you to wireless pipe media to the box from DLNA enabled devices.

Pre-orders for the Vizio Co-Star begin in July from Vizio’s website. The box will cost $99.99, and the company will throw in free shipping for a limited time.

Vizio Co-Star offers Google TV and OnLive for $99.99 is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.