Review: Vizio VF551XVT LED TV

The Vizio VF551XVT is one of the best LCD televisions of its size available for its price. The picture quality is excellent and although there are some features that would be nice that aren't there none of them are critical. The real issue with this television is that Vizio has released its successor that does contain most of these features, and is being sold for the same price. It seems likely that the VF551XVT will probably not be available for much longer since the new version is a significant upgrade.

In order to understand the Vizio VF551XVT you need to know what an LED TV is. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion about this but and LED television is simply an LCD TV that uses LEDs rather than a fluorescent tube for back lighting. The advantage of this is that you can turn the LEDs on or off individually. This provides what is known as local dimming, and it improves both the black levels and the accuracy of the color.

The picture quality of the Vizio VF551XVT is very good, certainly amongst the best of any television in its price range. The black levels are outstanding, better than a lot of more expensive televisions. The color is fairly accurate but it's not as good as on some of its competitors. The real issue is that the backlight fluctuates which does affect picture quality. That being said for a television at this price the picture quality is very good.

One issue that people may have with this TV is that it is not the most stylish option available. It is more functional than attractive. It also isn't a thin television, many of its competitors are quite a bit thinner. If your primary concern with a television is watching it the Vizio is a great option. If you are looking for a stylish television you may want to look elsewhere.

There are lots of options for adjusting the picture on this television and there are lots of ports for connectivity. The real issue is that the Vizio VF551XVT has no interactive features. This in itself isn't a major issue since the same is true of a lot of its competitors. The problem is that Vizio has introduced its successor the VF552XVT that has one of the best interactive packages on the market. This wouldn't be a problem except that it is being sold for the same price as the VF551XVT.

The Vizio VF551XVT was one of the best televisions on the market at its price. Of course now that Vizio have introduced a better model at the same price there is little reason to buy the VF551XVT, and it probably won't be available for much longer.