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Vizio Unveils 2012 TV Line, Including 21:9, Google TV SKUs

LAS VEGAS —

Vizio introduced at International CES
its 2012 TV line, highlighted by three CinemaWide 21:9
ultra-widescreen FullHD sets and a range of Google TVenabled
products.

The 21:9 sets, which present CinemaScope 2.35:1
movies from Blu-ray Discs and DVDs without the black
bars at the top and bottom of the frame, will all include
Vizio’s passive-glasses-based Theater 3D technology.

The widescreen sets will also use the company’s V.I.A.
functionality to present apps and Internet content sideby-
side with a full-size, FullHD 16:9 programming image.

Vizio also unveiled its VIA Plus system that integrates
Google TV technology in select TVs, Blu-ray players, tablets
and set-top boxes. The enhanced IP platform brings a
unified user experience to a wide range of devices.

VIA Plus products include 65-inch, 55-inch and 47-
inch Theater 3DTVs, the VBR430 Blu-ray player and the
VAP430 set-top Stream Player.

Pricing and availability dates on all models will be announced
later.

The Stream Player will fill a void in the market following
Logitech’s decision to discontinue its Revue Google TV
box, which failed to live up to expectations. Logitech said
the Revue launched with what amounted to a beta version
of the Google TV platform after it spent multiple millions
on a product launch campaign.

The platform has since been updated and has an easierto-
navigate interface and a wider range of apps and services
than the Revue unit originally offered.

In Blu-ray, Vizio will offer a VIA Plus-enabled model in
VBR430 with Google TV and a touchpad universal remote
with a QWERTY keypad. The VBR430 also adds DLNA
support to access audio, video and photo files stored on
any DLNA-compatible computer, network-connected hard
drive or cellphone connected to a home network. It also
adds built-in Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth capability for
streaming media from cellphones and computers.

Vizio showed two VIA Plus-enabled tablets
— the current VTAB1008 and the new 10-inch
VTAB3010.

Meanwhile, the three CinemaWide XVT-series
models include the 50-inch XVT3D500CM,
the 58-inch XVT3D580CM and the 71-inch
XVT3D710CM. Pricing will be announced later.

The VIA ecosystem includes such services
as Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Facebook,
Flickr, Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter,
Vudu, Yahoo! TV Widgets and Fandango.

Also Vizio adds the Yahoo! Connected TV
store, providing access to more than 180 free
and paid TV apps from CBS, Showtime, Pandora,
USA Today, Wall Street Journal, AT&T,
iHeart-Radio, Fandago and QVC.

New addition iHeart is Clear Channel’s digital
radio service with customizable listening
to more than 800 popular live broadcast and
digital-only radio stations from 150 cities, and
user-created Custom Stations.

The WSJ Live app from The Wall Street Journal
offers up to four total hours of live video programming
each business day from across the
Wall Street Journal Digital Network, including
the Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Barron’s,
MarketWatch, SmartMoney and

AllThingsD.com

.

M-GO, offered on Vizio TVs and Blu-ray Disc
players is an on-demand service from Technicolor
that combines movies, music, apps, live
TV and more. The app will help consumers find
the content they’re looking for through an extensive
content library and discovery engine, while
also providing second-screen functionality for
searching additional content.

To navigate the VIA platform Vizio includes a
Bluetooth universal remote control with its integrated
QWERTY keypad. The sets also include
built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi access.

For 3D, the CinemaWide HDTVs ship with
four pairs of battery-free passive 3D eyewear.

The 50- and 58-inch LCD models offer 120Hz
refresh rates and Edge Lit Razor LED backlighting
with Smart Dimming technology that produces
a contrast ratio of up to 1,000,000:1.

The 71-inch XVT3D710CM offers a 240Hz
refresh rate and full-array TruLED backlighting
with Smart Dimming technology, providing
more uniform brightness levels across the
screen from 120 LED zones.

The dynamic contrast ratio is said to be
20,000,000:1.

Vizio is also showing a number of 16:9 models
ranging in screen sizes from 32 to 71 inches
in the E, M and R series. All offer the VIA system
and come with either two or four pairs of
passive-glasses 3D, depending on the model.

The new E-series lineup includes the 32-inch
E3D320VX ($550 suggested retail), the 42-
inch E3D420VX ($750) and the 47-inch E3D-
470VX ($900). M-series models include the
47-inch M3D470KD, the 55-inch M3D550KD
and the 65-inch M3D650SV. Prices on those
will be announced later.

The R series offers the 42-inch R3D420VS,
47-inch R3D470VS, 55-inch R3D550VS and
65-inch R3D650VS.

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