Vizio GV47LF

Pros: Nice style/appearance, low-cost

Cons: Mediocre audio, slow channel response, terrible menu system

Summary: I was excited when I purchased the 47" vizio LCD. I reviewed cnet and many other sites prior to my purchase, and ultimately felt that it would be a good one for me. Well, I was mistaken - some of the "quirks" I could live with, some I just couldnt.

First off, I have a regular cable system which also has digital in (1080i) for 65 channels. I wasn't expecting the best of picture quality on most channels - as I did not have full HD. The Vizio did OK on the display in general... but I could just never get the contrast right. The greens were glaring or flat, same with the reds. Blacks were'nt true black all the time and if someone wearing black stood infront of a brown cabinet or something, you'd have to struggle to see the line. So Contrast issues were something I was living with, knowing that the TV wasn't priced like a Sharp or Sony - but not excited about.
One item I noticed quickly was the slow response time to the remote.. which just grew more annoying - to be fair this was my first LCD, but I think a 1/2 second pause between the time you press the button and the channel does (or doesnt) change is too long.
The "Surround sound" just very much failed to impress. I left it off, just because the quality was all over the place. Disappointing, because at times it was nice sounding - too bad it was only some of the time.
Finally... the final straw that made me give it up, pack it up, and haul it away... the TV does not allow you to ADD a channel. I am serious... if you want to add a channel, you must do a full rescan, which by the way resets ALL of the skipped channels you have preset. Something happened to where I lost one of my digital channels and the TV presets automatically removed it - I had to do a full rescan to get it back. This sounds minor, but since it takes 6 or 7 remote presses just to skip one channel (set aside 20-30 minutes for this activity) it is far from minor. oh and as I was becoming tired from all the menu items I had to go through to just skip each channel... I accidentally pushed "Auto rescan" which is right next to skip channel - resetting all of them back to default. I had enough, poor design and usability, Vizio - such a simple item you made so complex.
Doing it all over again, for similar money I'd take a 40" Sony or a 42" Sharp, over this 47" disappointment. Now I am following my own advice. I returned it.