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VIZIO VL420M

Television Review

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Introduction

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Blacks & Whites
August 28, 2009 By Richard Baguley
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VIZIO VL420M
Page 1

Tour & Design Summary



Editorial Note: This is a review of the Vizio VL420M. The other sizes of TVs in this series include the VL260M, VL320M, VL370M and VL470M. Test results are for this model, but should indicate the general performance of other models in the VL series. Read here for more details on series differences.

• Angled bezel avoids reflections
• Ports on the back are well placed
• Controls are deeply recessed

Front

The Vizio logo glows when the power is on.

The most striking feature about the front of the VL420M is deisgn of the bezel. Most displays have a simple, flat bezel, but the VL420M has this split into two sections at different angles. Vizio describes the dark brown color of the bezel as Java.

Back

The back of the VL420M is a bit less exciting than the front, but it is home to the ports and sockets that connect it with the rest of the universe.  For information about the ports on the back of the Vizio VL420M see our Connectivity section.

Ports

Sides

There isn't much to discuss on eh sides of the VL420M except the ports and controls on the left side. For information about the ports on the back of the Vizio VL420M see our Connectivity section.

Controls
Ports

Stand/Mount

The stadn comes already attached to the display in the box. It's a pretty standard stand that does a decent job of holding the display upright.

The stand of the VL420M is wide and broad

Controls

If you can't find the remote, you'll have to use the controls on the body of the display to change channel. These are rather awkward; they are deeply receseed on the left side of the body, above the ports. You can figure out which is the power button fairly easily (it's the top one), but finding the channel or volume controls by touch is impossible; all of the buttons are identically sized and distanced from each other. So, you will have to lean around the display and look at the labels to work out which is which.

Power buttons
Menu button
Channel up/down buttons
Volume up/down
Input button

Remote Control

The remote control is a rather small model with a relatively low number of buttons. It is compfrtable to use, but it cannot control other devices than the display.

The remote is small, but fits well into the hand

In The Box (7.0)

You don't get many goodies in the box: all you get is the remote, batteries, the quick start guide and manual plus a safety strap for attaching the display to a wall and a cleaning cloth.

Aesthetics (6.0)

Although the VL420M has got a few nice touches, it's not a particularly attractive display. The angled bezel is definitely nicer than the usual black boringness, but it is not as good looking as Samsing's clear acrylic design: it still looks like a big, blocky slab of a TV.

The angled bezel of the VL420M is an interesting design touch
Other Models in the VL Series
This is a review of the Vizio VL420M. The other sizes of HDTVs in this series should be similar in terms of performance and usability. For details about any differences, click on the image to jump to the Series Comparison page.
VL260M
26' 		VL320M
32'
 VL370M
37' 		VL470M
47'

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VIZIO VL420M
Television Review
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Introduction

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