VIZIO always offers surprisingly good products at extraordinary prices, and this new 42-inch plasma is no exception. It is loaded with features and comes at a price that used to be far, far below the competition. It lists for $1,699.99 and was on sale in March (for the NCAA basketball tournament) at about $200 less.
The HDMI interface promises to deliver high-def video and surround through one wire. But this potential garden of electronic delights is more a desert of frustration for anyone whose DVD player won't talk to a newly purchased HDTV. How to protect yourself? One thing to look for is Simplay certification from Simplay Labs, a subsidiary of Silicon Image, a major player (though not the only one) in the development of HDMI. There is of course a Simplay website and the featured products page lists a dozen Mitsubishi LCD panels and DLP projectors, four Thomson DLP rears, and a lone Sanyo 32-inch CRT. Covering mainly the HDCP content security system, Simplay may not be the final word in HDMI compatibility—among other things, it doesn't cover all potential audio-related issues—but it's a good start.
