Loading ...Vizio SV420M Review: 42” LCD HDTV
Up for Review: Vizio SV420M LCD TV. This is indeed a good-looking product from Vizio. It is a slim black bezel with the Vizio name inscribed at the bottom of the set. A review suggests that the Vizio SV420M has 1080p resolution. This will allow for excellent picture quality and sharp pictures. The images will seem to be very natural. To add tom it is the 120Hz SmoothMotion technology which will display the images without any judder. The images will be very smooth and crisp.
The Vizio SV420M has 50,000:1 contrast ratio which means sharp pictures and greater black levels. The black levels portray the blackest of colors and in doing so bring out the natural clarity of the images. This efficient contrast ratio does not interfere with the low power consumption. This HDTV sports energy levels much lower than the specified Energy Star ratings. You can safely save a few dollars here. This also has a healthy impact on our environment.
Vizio SV420M Features and Specifications Review:
- 42” display
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- Integrated ATSC/Clear QAM tuner
- 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 5 ms response time
- 1.06 billion colors
- 50,000:1 contrast ratio
- 178 degrees viewing angle
- SRS TruSurround HD™
- SRS TruVolume™
- 4 HDMI
- Warranty 1 year parts and labor
With the SRS TruSurround HD™, the audio is just outstanding. The bass performance is very good and so is the clarity of dialogues. You can hear what your favorite stars are saying with distinct clarity. The Vizio SV420M also has SRS TruVolume which controls the variations in the sound levels. The advertisements will not sound too loud or there will not be a sudden rise of sound level while changing channels. This is very annoying to the ears and Vizio has done a good job by improving it.
There are 8 times more high definition inputs which also includes 4 HDMI connections. This is quite a number of inputs which will make your Vizio SV420M the most “connected”. There is also an integrated tuner which will grasp the incoming free signals from the air. The 178 degree viewing angle will ensure that you can sit in any part of the room. The color and image quality will be almost the same everywhere. You can close your eyes and purchase the Vizio SV420M. It will certainly give you value for money.
YouReviewElectronics.com gives Vizio SV420M 8/10 stars!
User Reviews
We like the video part of the Vizio SV420M, but we’ve had some issues with the audio. I disagree with the review’s assertion about SRS TruVolume “which controls the variations in the sound levels. The advertisements will not sound too loud or there will not be a sudden rise of sound level while changing channels.” We haven’t found this to be true at all. With the SRS TruVolume factory setting, the sound levels are all over the place. Not only that, we’ve found that in playing an occasional DVD that we can’t enough volume to comfortably hear the movie, even with the audio pegged. It may just be the DVD, but it sounded fine on another TV. So, we’re considering whether to put the TV back in the box and haul it back to Costco to exchange it for another SV420M.
Has anyone else had problems with audio levels on the SV420M?
Doug
I have the SV420M and the Samsung LN40B530 at home right now and have been swapping them back and forth to compare. The sound and picture straight from the box is better with the Samsung (picture a little bit, sound way better) You need to tweak the Vizio audio equalizer to get decent sound. After fine tuning both I would say the picture quality is equal, except when it comes to motion. The 120hz of the Vizio makes sports (hockey especially) a better watch. Paid $849 on sale for the Vizio the cheapest Samsung 120hz / LN40B610 is $1199 on sale. I am a Samsung fan but its not worth $350 more.
just purchased a new 37″ with the Tru Volume. worked ok for a couple of days, but now sound is all over the place up and down.
I have the Vizio SV320XVT with TruVolume and agree that it doesn’t work–annoying fluctuations within program you want to watch–often speaking voices are too low. Commercials actually still sound louder. I leave TruVolume off. SRS needs to rework this product.
I just purchased a 47 in. Vizio with the TruVolume about a month ago and I am experiencing the same problems. We are constantly having to change the volume, because in a matter of seconds it can go from barely audible to blaring. It is really frustrating! Any hints on how to reconfigure the audio settings to minimize this?
I am glad I found this post. Now I know I am not imagining the volume fluctuations. I actually just purchased a sound bar (not the vizio one) online because we weren’t able to hear dialogue in a movie on television, even with it pumped up to the 100 level, but the commercials were out of control. Now I know it is the SRS tru-volume mainly blame. Jessica, I know there is a setting to turn it off, if you go to the TV menu to turn the SRS tru-volume off. I have seen it previously, but I didn’t know what it was. Now I know. Oh well, the sound bar will give it better sound anyway..
Just bought a 47′ Tru-Led tru volume. Everytime I watched a movie I would have wild volume flucuations. Thanks for all the posts. Just went to menu and turned tru sound off and it did the trick!
I have just purchased my first HD TV, and after doing some research online along with some comparison viewing at stores and at friends’ houses, I decided to purchase the referenced Vizio SV320XVT
For the most part, I have been very satisfied with my new HD system, the picture is incredible.
My only concern being as others have stated, with the ineffective SRS tru-volume, which so far seems to be a marketing myth; the volume fluctuates with commercials.
I haven’t tried to “tweak” the sound using the controls, yet, and perhaps that will help, but it’s nice to know that I’m not alone with this concern and it’s not my hearing.
I’m a little hard of hearing, and with my old analog Sony flat-screen, I used Closed Caption so others wouldn’t have to hear what I was watching two rooms away. To my dismay, I discovered that CC is not available with this TV in HD, and the option can only be found in the “normal” TV Setup Menu. I assume that this must be true of all HD TV’s but it’s a shame since I find that I’m having to watch most of my programs in the TV rather than the HD mode, so I can use CC. This is not explained in the manual, and I discovered it after a couple of days when I switched to the TV mode, and found the CC option only available within that menu. So for any other oldsters, who are hard of hearing out there, and thinking about going HD, be aware of this fact prior to purchasing.
One other minor item, is that I now have to use two remotes, my Cable Provided remote controls everything but the Modes, which is no problem, but in addition, I must now use the Vizio remote to control the volume as well.
Overall, I’m happy that I purchased the Vizio, and my friends who have had HD TV’s for some time, have without exception been wowed by the picture clarity and quality…….
Less than 3 days “out of the box”, I don’t have the volume issues….but I do have a BEEF in a different aspect. After only 45 min. – 1 hr. of watch time, and also utilizing both DVD and Uverse sources, static begins-followed by a “doubling” or “jittering” of the audio. TECH Support has been useless and the VIZIO Corp. is creating a maniac out of me. Should have bought the SONY!!!
TRUEVOLUME DOESNT WORK!!!
Wish I saw this review before I bought The VIzIO SV420M. The Vizio SV420M has a great picture, but my absolute main requirement for a new tv is that it has some way to stabilize volume during commercials. The SRS TRUVOLUME in the Vizio SV420M actually makes commercials LOUDER!!, and fluctuates very randomly during the program you are trying to watch. Way more than my old CRT. Hope Tech support has an answer, otherwise going to return the VIZIO SV420M and go back to my old CRT untill someone can produce a viable volume stabilizer. Other features on the TV work GREAT!!, but the volume stabilizer is just simply a Must Have, and I’m not willing to shove out $700+ for a TV that does not control the volume spikes, yet claims that it does. If tech support has a fix, I’ll post it here…I hope they do. Anyone know of a tv with volume stabilizer that works? Please post, as it seems many on this board are looking for the same thing. (direcy connection to HD antenna, no cable)
I purchase my Vizio SV420M 10 days ago and I have had none of the above issues with my tv. The volume has been perfect and I have TruSound turned on. My commercials have not spiked yet and I hear everything just fine. In fact, my volume level is set 1/2 the level that I had to on my old tvs… lower than I have ever had the volume on a tv set!!! I am so pleased with my tv so far and was smart to get the extended pertection plan in case this stuff above does start to happen! Hope you all can figure out what to do to fix your problems with your sets!!
PURCHASED A 42 IN VIZIO THRU DELL IN NOV 09. WORKED GREAT TILL FEB 10. VOLUME LEVEL STARTED CHANGING, PLAYED ALL THE TECH SUPPORT GAMES, NOTHING CHANGED, FINALLY GOT A TECH REPAIRMAN OUT, CHANGED A BOARD, WORKED GREAT FOR 4 MO.,SAME VOLUME PROBLEMS AGAIN, ANOTHER TECH CAME OUT, MORE PARTS, WORKED 1 DAY, SAME PROBLEM. TALKED TO A LADY NAMED SIGNORIE AT VIZIO. SHE SAYS TURN OFF TRUVOLUME, AS THERE TRUVOLUME SETS WILL NOT WORK WITH SATELLITE OR CABLE. SENDING A RECONDITIONED SET OUT THIS WEEK. SHE SAYS IT PROBABLY WONT WORK EITHER???????
I wish to express my appreciation to those who took the time to post regarding the TruSound spiking problem. I purchased my first TV (Vizio SV420M) in 17 years. At 61 years old, I really thought that a hearing exam was in order or that I was going crazy because of the wild fluxuations. Turning off the TruSound appears to have solved the problem. My question is, why does Vizio have a function that clearly does not work and is a main aspect of their advertising? Really annoying. Otherwise, an excellent TV.
Page 41 of the manual tells you how to turn off the SRS TruVolume (it is not listed in either the table of contents or the index for some reason). Ditto to all above posts on the audio randomly readjusting downward during certain programing and movies. Thanks for all these posts. As a result, the fix came down to hitting a button vice packing the tv up and shipping it back under its one year warranty.
thanks guys, this page really helped out. i love that we are all having the same problem.
We bought our SV421XVT flat panel from Sam’s Club in January and have had two issues with it.
First, like posted by others, the sound has been driving us nuts with fading out to where we can not here the TV until a commercial comes on and then we get blasted out. One thing we noticed is that if it does fade away it can be brought back by changing channels momentarily.
Tonight, as reccomended above I turned off both SRS functions with a very noticable increase in sound volume. We’ll have to see if this helps.
If not, we are going to try to take it back for exchange to a different brand under the extended warrenty.
The other issue, although it now seems to have gone away is that for the longest time the set smelled like it was on fire. Several times we searched the house for the fire but finally realised it was the TV. We almost took it back for that also.
Otherwise we like the TV. We bought this model specifically for the PIP, and did not have much choice of brands becuase of that.
But with the loss of the SRS I may take it back and upgrade to a Mitsubishi to get a TV that works as advertised. I don’t like being sold equipment with faulty features and the sound system, as shipped, is deffinately faulty.
Has anybody tried this TV with a hardware console (XBOX 360 or PS3)? I am thinking about getting this TV and im wondering if the volume problems happen with a video game, and I also want to know how the picture is with an XBOX 360.
Great work with the posts! Had the same problem and thought i had to return the sv420m until i saw this. I agree that it does’nt make sense to advertise a particular feature that cleary makes it worse to watch. Thanks again to those who figured this out.
The audio on the t.v isnt working, any ideas on how to fix it?