VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a review junkie. Sue me. So when I know I want something like a new HDTV I research high and low to not only find the best price, but I also want pretty darn close to the best product out there on the market. From professional reviews to consumer reviews here on Amazon, I do my best to soak it all in. With that being said, in my experience I've never been disappointed with something I've bought that I've done extensive research on...
And that holds true with the Vizio VF550M.
I bought my set at Costco during the Thanksgiving Weekend Sale. One of the first things I noticed right out of the box was how big it really was. I upgraded from a 46" LCD and the size was noticeably (and awesomely) huger. Yes... huger. When I saw the VF550M display at Costco it just didn't look that big because it was set next to other 50-60 inch sets and in the middle of a huge warehouse. However, while setting it up I realized it was the perfect size for the further viewing distance in our family room. The set-up was easy enough. I mounted the tv with the VideoSecu Adjustable Tilt TV Wall Mount (bought on Amazon) which I was very pleased with. We ran the cables through the wall to my devices to hide them... and I must say, it looks beautiful mounted to a wall. I would definitely recommend mounting this set. I didn't care too much for the remote that came with the TV so I opted to upgrade to the Logitech Harmony 670 remote (also got on amazon).
The picture on this TV was just as good or better than any other HDTV I have ever seen. The black levels are great with the DCR feature. Blu-Ray looks amazing on the big screen. I will admit I jumped on the 120hz bandwagon and as of right now I couldn't be happier with it when it comes to watching sports- but thats all I use 120hz (or "Smooth Motion Effect") for.
PROS
-BIG
-Great 120hz feature for Sports
-Good out of the box sound
-5 HDMI ports!
-Stunning picture
CONS
-Don't care for the remote


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Taking your home theater to the next level, VIZIO brings you the stylish VF550M. This full high definition, 55-inch LCD HDTV combines the latest technology--full high-definition 1080P resolution for crystal clear images and 120Hz Smooth Motion technology provides a fluid, blur-free, lifelike picture. The innovative design and cutting edge sound technologies complete the HD experience.

1080P Full HD Full 1080P High Definition resolution gives you over 2 million pixels, making the clarity and detail of your picture razor sharp.
120Hz Refresh Rate A 120Hz refresh rate limits motion judder, creating smooth transitions between frames, for crisp, clear images.
ECO HD ECO HD exceeds the current Energy Star Guidelines by 15% below Energy Star 3.0, saving you money on your utility bills while limiting the impact on our planet.
Built-In Speakers Four built-in 10-Watt speakers provide room-filling sound.
SRS Audio Technologies SRS TruVolume evens out dynamics to limit volume inconsistencies between programming. SRS TruSurround HD delivers immersive virtual high-definition surround sound out of the unit's two speakers.
178-Degree Horizontal Viewing Angle The VF550M features a viewing angle of up to 178-degrees, resulting in a crisp and clear picture that is easily visible from just about anywhere in the room.
Ultimate Connectivity The VF550M has a whopping nine high-definition inputs, five of which are HDMI. No matter how big your entertainment system is, you should be covered.
VIZIO VF550M Inputs
HDMI with HDCP: 5 (1 side)
RF Connector for Internal Tuner: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 2 (1 side)
S-Video: 1
Computer RGB: 1
Composite Video: 2 (1 side)
USB Port: 1 (service only)

VIZIO VF550M Outputs
SPDIF Digital Optical: 1
Headphones: 1 (side)

One-Year Warranty VIZIO provides a one-year warranty on its products for extra peace of mind in your purchase.
What's in the Box VIZIO VF550M, VIZIO Remote Control VR2P, Power Cord, Safety Strap, Screen Cleaning Cloth, User Manual, Quick Setup Guide, Registration Card, 2 AA Batteries for the Remote Control

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AudioSource Amp 200 High-Current Stereo Amplifier (80 Watts x 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)My first impression on unpacking the AMP200 was its weight for an amplifier of this size, 11 kgs (just over 24 pounds) !
The front panel is black brushed metal, and has three sets of push buttons on the left hand side (power on/off, speakers A on/off, and speakers B on/off). On the right hand side there are two controls, one for adjusting the left/right balance, and one for adjusting the volume trim (-12 dB/+6 dB). Each of these controls clicks into the center (unadjusted) position. In the center of the front panel is an indicator light which glows a bright blue when the amplifier is operational or red when the amplifier is in standby mode.
On the back of the amplifier are various connectors, switches, and small adjustment knobs, as well as the connector for the detachable power cord. The speaker binding posts accept either bare wire cable or banana plugs (not spades).
I would highly recommend reading the five page Owner's Manual before setting up the unit, as the controls on the back of the amplifier are not readily accessible once it has been installed into a rack !
For my purposes, I'm using a single stereo source into RCA inputs (when using only one signal source you need to use the Line 2 inputs rather than Line 1). The power mode of the unit is also configurable via a three position switch for either normal power operation using the front panel on/off button, to be remotely controlled by a DC trigger, or by means of automatically sensing the input signal. I opted for the latter, and the amplifier comes out of standby mode within a few seconds of sensing a signal and goes back into standby mode if no signal is received for approximately three and a half minutes.
At less than $ 250, I'd rate this as a nice quality amplifier with good sound.

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A terrific choice for a remarkably affordable system upgrade or building block, the AudioSource Amp 200 high-current stereo power amplifier offers 80 watts RMS per channel x 2 or, in bridged mono mode, up to 250 watts x 1 (into 8-ohm speakers in both cases). Now you can scale your listening to match your budget: use either 1 amplifier or 2 for stereo sound or 5 or more in concert for full-blown home-theater excitement--perfect for your DVDs, multichannel DTV broadcasts, or high-resolution audio formats like DVD-Audio and SACD.Keep in mind that this is an amplifier only, with no volume control or onboard surround processing (though it does offer independent adjustable output controls for each channel). It's designed for use with a stereo preamplifier or a surround receiver offering preamplifier outputs.Making the move from 5.1- to 6.1- or 7.1-channel surround sound? If your receiver has preamp outputs for all channels, there's no need to replace your 5.1 surround receiver. Just feed the additional center or surround signals to a strategically positioned Amp 200.Connections consist of a choice of RCA (line-level) or clip-type (speaker-level) inputs and banana-plug-friendly binding-post speaker terminals for outputs. There's also set of stereo (left/right) RCA passthrough jacks for use in a daisy-chain setup.The amp works with 12-volt power-on/-off circuitry and also features a signal-sensing circuit for automatic power-on/-off, making it as ideal for custom installers as for end users. Its A and B speaker outputs let you power speakers in your main room, a second room, or both rooms simultaneously. The amplifier's toroidal power supply keeps distortion extremely low (less than 0.04 percent).

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Yamaha RX-V3800BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I confess, I am a electronic consumer nut. After "getting by" on SVHS and component hookups for my electronic equipment, I bit the bullet and started looking for a receiver that had enough HDMI inputs, enough SVHS inputs, an input for my iPod and RCA-phono/USB-phono, LAN and computer. Previously, I had a Pioneer VSX-9500, then a Yamaha model with about 5 SVHS inputs, and a Denon AVR 4802R with 7 SVHS inputs. After a couple of months of searching through the usual suspects, including the other brands I have had, I settled on the Yamaha RX-V3800 in black because it allowed me to do enough of what I wanted to do from my shopping list I mentiond earlier.
First of all, I was surprised to find that all the receivers I looked at had downsized their number of connections from four years ago when I bought my Denon receiver. I was having to look at receivers costing 2 to 3 times as much as the RX-V3800 before I could find one with as many inputs, and I found even Yamaha's RX-Z11 had the same number as the RX-V3800, and it ran almost $5,000.00. Then, I thought about it... what were the inputs I really used most of all: SVHS, BluRay, HD-DVD, DVR, DVR-VHS combo, CD player, cassette, and phono. There was one input remaining that I was able to use with a junction box for ED-Beta,Laser Disc, XM radio, and an DVR-R recorder, so the Yamaha RX-V3800 would do without me having to compromise too much.
But, let's get to the machine and all of it's pluses:
The sound... It is terrific! With my previous system, I had to gerry-rig the side speakers using a quadraphonic synthesizer, but the RX-V3800 has the following speaker connections: left-front, right-front, center, left-side, right-side, left-rear, right-rear and sub-woofer. My previous set-up had a rear-center, and after reading a little, I found you could hook-up a rear center by using the RCA connection labeled "Single (SB)." (There's a "SURBACK PRESENCE" that can be used, also, but it was designed for when you only wanted one rear channel). When you set-up the speakers, Yamaha has a special optimizer microphone you plug into the front of the unit and it balances your speakers based on where you have the microphone placed.
The four HDMI inputs are great, too, because it allows me to have the best picture and sound from my BluRay, HD-DVD, Satellite Receiver, and DVR-VHS unit.
The Internet radio is easy to use, and it is programmed with plenty of stations. The selection of stations with the Yamaha remote is easy and the sound is wonderful.
The iPod Yamaha YDS-10 dock option is a must if you have an iPod. Quite frankly, I probably won't use my phono, now, except to make digital recordings of out-of-date vinyl recordings because of the ease of operation of the iPod through the docking station, especially if you have the 80 or 160 GB model of iPod with all the music they can hold.
The XM set-up with the XM Extreme is nice and integrates smoothly. I, actually, use an older XM radio through two RCA inputs, but with the XM Extreme directly connected, it is easier to use.
The computer set-up is not as easy as the manual would make you believe, but it is easier if you do the following: Make sure your PC has XP Service Pack Two or Vista on it AND you have Windows Media Player 11 installed, have your 232 Serial Ports between the computer and the Yamaha RX-V-3800 connected, and have a networking guide for your operating system. Once you have those done, you go into Windows Media Player, select "Library" at the top, and then select "Media Sharing" to allow the tunes on your PC to be shared with your receiver. For other PC's on your LAN, it would be best for you to already have those tunes shared, but if you connect an iPod, that might not be necessary. While I am at it, I will say this about Media Player ll: once you've checked the right boxes, it does a good job.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Yamaha RX-V3800. I did think that they could have done a better job with the manual... for example, in setting-up the PC, you start reading the instructions and it refers you to two other sections of the manual, and when things just didn't seem to jell, one finds that later in the manual, they show you how to do the set-up more thoroughly and manually, if needed. That said and done, though, I would buy this receiver again. I do wish it had more inputs, but then again, most people don't have as much to hook-up as I do. If there were a four-and-a-half stars rating, I would give it, but I'm stuck giving it only four.

UPDATE: It is two months after first doing this review, and I still love this receiver. I bought a great pair of outside speakers that look like rocks, HiFi Works 30020 HFW 6.5-Inch Rock Speakers (Pair), and use the "Room 2" with the X-10 Powermid remote extender, X10 POWERMID Remote Control Extender Kit PM5900. This set-up is wonderful! I sometimes have the iPod play outside, while inside they are watching TV on the HDTV. One caution, when setting-up the "Room 2," it will ask you what is the initial volume you want the "room" to have. I had not paid that much attention to those dB settings on the volume you get across the screen of the TV, and the first time I used Room 2, you could hear the music over a block away... Those speakers didn't flinch and their tone was terrific! (Unfortunately, our house was so sound proof, I didn't know I was blowing-out the neighbors.) Using the X-10 remote control extenders really is a blessing. If you use the extenders in other areas of the house, be sure to have your remote receiver up close to the Yamaha.

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The Yamaha RX-V3800 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver offers high-end sound and video quality to take your home theater experience to the next level.It provides 980 Watts of total power, pushing 140 Watts to each of its 7 channels.This advanced home theater receiver introduces new technologies and features including 3D CINEMA DSP, the latest HDMI 1.3a specification support, upscaling to 1080p, full support for high definition audio formats signals, Adaptive DRC and Adaptive DSP Level, YPAO Auto Setup with Quick Start, and multi-zone custom installation support and Network Receiver functions.High quality components, crystal clear sound and video clarity, and cutting edge technologies will make the Yamaha RX-V3800 the cornerstone of your home theater experience.

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SANUS SYSTEMS BF-24B Wood Speaker Stands Review

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(More customer reviews)The stands are pretty nice given its price. Although it's not made from solid wood, the stands are very sturdy and can hold surround speakers that are quite large. I'm using them to hold up Klipsch RS-7 speakers, which are 22" wide, and the stands do not wobble or tilt. I only dislike the design of the gap between the two vertical panels which does not adequately hide speaker wire very well. Thicker speaker wire likes to push against the front of the unit where the gap is. I ended up taping the wire to the back panel. For those that are interested, each box contains TWO stands (one pair). I made the mistake of buying two boxes since I couldn't find any information on how many each box contained.

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Sony STR-DG500 6.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)This 6.1 reciever offers 110 w/channel with subwoofer output. Sony has clearly worked to make the receiver smarter to provide the best audio experience with minimal intervention from the user: a microphone input (mic provided) automatically locates each speaker attached and balances all outputs.
If you're interested in simply having great home theater experience, without excessive tweaking, this is the reciever for you.
Pros - multiple a/v inputs, with support for component video and and optical connections for dvd audio.
Cons - no upsampling video sources (component output from component input only), no optical connection for cd players.

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