1. Vizio Sound Bar Serial Number
2. Vizio Serial Numbers Date Code

VIZIO Inc. is a privately held company that designs and manufactures televisions, sound bars, speakers, and SmartCast Tablet Remote products. It offers products through retailers and online. VIZIO Inc. was formerly known as V Inc. and changed its name to VIZIO Inc. in April 2007. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Irvine, California, United States.^[2]

View and Download Vizio M190MV user manual online. Vizio Flat Panel Television User Manual. Follow the instructions below. Write down the serial number located on the back of your HDTV in the space provided on page 1 to have it handy if you need to call for support. Have your VlZIO model number, serial number, and date of purchase. To see if your device is up to date make sure it is connected to the internet and enter your serial number below. Example: LTM7PKAP2040195 Get Firmware Data * The Serial Number you entered is not valid. Please check again. Need help finding your serial number? On the back of the TV on a sticker that shows the bar code and serial number. This sticker may be on either the right or left side, depending on the model; but is normally located in the lower half of the back of the TV. (or search for Vizio in search window to use the Vizio Information app, which will indicate the model number) Notebook. The 'VIZIO' trademark, serial number 85186778, was filed on 29th of November 2010 with a mark drawing code of 4000 and its transaction date is 85186778. The attorney assigned is Tedd W. Van Buskirk, attorney docket number 08.

• 1History
• 2Products

History[edit]

The company was founded in 2002 as V Inc. by Taiwanese-American entrepreneur William Wang, Laynie Newsome, and Ken Lowe with $600,000 and three employees. In 2006 the revenue was estimated around $700 million, and in 2007 it was estimated to have exceeded $2 billion. Vizio is known for aggressively pricing their HDTVs against major competitors.^[2]

On October 19, 2010, Vizio signed a 4-year contract to sponsor U.S. college football's annual Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California, beginning with the 2011 Rose Bowl presented by Vizio and ending with the 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game.^[3] When the Rose Bowl contract ended, Vizio signed a contract to sponsor the Fiesta Bowl making the official name the Vizio Fiesta Bowl.

As of 2012, Vizio had over 400 employees.^[4] About half of its workforce is employed at the headquarters in Irvine, California, working in engineering, design, sales, and operations; while the other half is employed at a call center in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.^[4][5]

Vizio manufactures its products in Mexico and China under agreements with ODM assemblers in those countries.^[6]

On December 31, 2014, Vizio acquired Advanced Media Research Group, Inc., the parent of entertainment website BuddyTV, in order to expand content and service offerings from Vizio's Smart TV platform.^[7]

On July 24, 2015, Vizio filed with U.S. regulators to raise up to $172.5 million in an initial public offering of Class A common stock. Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank Securities and Citigroup are among the underwriters of the IPO, Vizio told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a preliminary prospectus. The filing did not reveal how many shares the company planned to sell or their expected price. The company has applied to list its Class A common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “VZIO.”.^[8] However, by late 2017 this offering had not taken place.

On August 10, 2015, Vizio acquired Cognitive Media Networks, Inc, a provider of automatic content recognition (ACR).^[9] The Cognitive Network business was subsequently renamed Inscape Data Services.^[10]

On July 26, 2016, Chinese electronics company LeEco announced that it would acquire Vizio for US$2 billion.^[11] However, in April 2017, LeEco announced that it had cancelled the acquisition, citing 'regulatory headwinds', but that it would 'continue to explore opportunities'.^[12][13]

2015 television spying case[edit]

In November 2015, it was revealed that Vizio was collecting information on its customers and selling it to advertisers.^[14] To settle the case, in which Vizio were accused of using 11 million televisions to spy on customers, the company agreed to pay out $2.2 million.^[15][16][17]

Products[edit]

Television sets[edit]

Television sets are Vizio's primary product category, and in 2007 the manufacturer became the largest LCD TV seller (by volume) in North America with 606,402 TVs sold, a 76% jump from the previous quarter while its market share increased from 9.4% to 14.5%.^[18] In September 2008, Vizio started selling LCD TVs to Costco in Japan. In February 2009, Vizio announced they would stop production of plasma televisions and would focus on the LED-backlit LCD displays instead.^[19]

Vizio unveiled a new range of televisions including Vizio's M line with 65-inch screens; ultra-wide televisions with 50-, 58-, and 71-inch screen sizes; two all-in-one desktop computers (24-inch and 27-inch); three notebooks (one 14-inch and two 15-inch); and a 10-inch tablet at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show.^[20][21]

Vizio 'Smart TV' sets track viewers' habits and share them with advertisers, a practice that cable TV companies are prohibited from doing but that Vizio says is legal for TV manufacturers.^[22] On February 6, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement^[23] with Vizio to pay $2.2 million to settle charges by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General that it installed software on its TVs to collect viewing data on 11 million consumer TVs without consumers’ knowledge or consent. The settlement required Vizio to delete the data it had captured and change its data collection practices.

Vizio also produces other audio/video equipment such as High Definition Surround Sound systems, LCD monitors and HDTV accessories. The company released its first Blu-ray Disc player in August 2009.^[24] In 2011 Vizio extended its portfolio of electronics devices to mobile phones, with the name Via Phone, and tablets, named Via Tablet. The new phones and tablets were shown at 2011 Consumer Electronics Show.^[25] See specifics below.

Tablets[edit]

• VTAB1008: 8.1' × 6.6' × 0.48' thick. 1024x768 resolution^[26]
• Vizio Tablet PC: 11.6', 1080p, dual-core AMD Z60, Windows 8^[27]

Ultrabook[edit]

In 2012 Vizio introduced its 14-inch ultrabook Vizio CT14 with the third generation Intel Core i7 processors and 128 GB SSD.^[28] On October 2012 Vizio updated this series with the then new Windows 8 operating system. This change was also applied to the Vizio notebook series.

Mobile phones[edit]

In 2012 Vizio also introduced several new full 1080p HD Androidsmartphones in Asian markets including China.^[29] The 5-inch VP800 featuring 2 GB RAM, Full HD Display, and 8MP camera. The more budget-oriented VP600 featured a dual-core processor, 4.7-inch 720p HD display, and Android Jelly Bean OS.^[30] Vizio announced these developments in a press release; however, past media releases show that this is not Vizio's first product in the mobile telephony sector.^[31]

Google TV[edit]

The company introduced the 'VIZIO Co-Star' a Google TVdigital media player, in 2012.^[32]

Sound bars[edit]

A Vizio sound bar (model: S3821w) was described by Consumer Reports as providing 'very good sound on a budget' in a comparison of competing sound bars dated January 2014.^[33]

Their current selection of sound bars ranges from low end bars offering 2.0 channel stereo sound to higher end models capable of producing Dolby Atmos surround sound.^[34]

References[edit]

1. ^On Marketing. 'VIZIO on the Forbes America's Largest Private Companies List'. Forbes.
2. ^ ^abLawton, Christopher, Iwatani Kane, Yukari and Dean, Jason.'U.S. Upstart Takes On TV Giants in Price War', The Wall Street Journal, 2008-04-15. Retrieved on April 15, 2008.
3. ^Chris Casacchia (2010-10-19). 'Vizio Nabs Four-Year Rose Bowl Presenting Sponsorship'. Orange County Business Journal.
4. ^ ^abNilay Patel (2012-06-15). 'Vizio reboots the PC: a quiet American success story takes on sleeping giants'. The Verge. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
5. ^Dave Dreeszen (2010-02-24). 'Vizio Direct leaves North Sioux for the Dunes'. Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
6. ^WSJ Staff. 'Vizio CEO Predicts Declining TV Prices, Possible IPO'. WSJ.
7. ^'VIZIO Holdings, Inc. Class A Common Stock prospectus'. Visio. 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
8. ^'EDGAR Search Results'.
9. ^'Cognitive Networks - Portfolio - DCM'.
10. ^'Inscape Data Services Vizio'.
11. ^'Chinese electronics firm LeEco will acquire TV maker Vizio for $2 billion [Update]'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
12. ^'LeEco deal to buy Vizio for $2 billion falls through'. CNET. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
13. ^'LeEco's abandoned Vizio acquisition is just the latest in a series of missteps'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
14. ^'Own a Vizio Smart TV? It's watching you'. Business Insider. 15 November 2015.
15. ^Visser, Nick (7 February 2017). 'Vizio To Pay Millions After Secretly Spying On Customers'. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
16. ^'Vizio agrees to pay $2.2 million to settle FTC's television-spying case'. Washington Post. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
17. ^Tsukayama, Hayley. 'Vizio TVs were spying on their owners, the government says'. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
18. ^'Vizio tops in LCD TV sales in second quarter'. CNET.
19. ^'Another Manufacturer Drops Plasma'. The New York Times.
20. ^Andrew Tarantola. 'Vizio Plans to Beat PC's 'Sleepy Giants' at Their Own Game'. Gizmodo. Gawker Media.
21. ^Jesus Diaz. 'The New Vizio PCs and Notebooks Are Worthy of Apple'. Gizmodo. Gawker Media.
22. ^'Own a Vizio Smart TV? It's watching you'. Business Insider. 15 November 2015.
23. ^Juliana Gruenwald Henderson (6 February 2017). 'VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories on 11 Million Smart Televisions without Users' Consent'. FTC.gov. Federal Trade Commission. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
24. ^Vizio's VBR100 Blu-ray player delayed until August
25. ^Yukari Iwatani Kane (2 January 2011). 'Vizio to Introduce Tablet, Cellphone - WSJ'. WSJ.
26. ^'Vizio Tablet VTAB1008 Review: A Pleasant Surprise at a Value Price'. PCWorld. 24 September 2011.
27. ^'Vizio debuts its first Windows 8 tablet, an 11.6-inch slate with a 1080p display, AMD processor'. Engadget. 6 January 2013.
28. ^Vizio Ultrabook
29. ^'Vizio shows off new HD smartphones for China'. Phone Arena.
30. ^Simon Hill (7 January 2013). 'Vizio unveils two HD Android smartphones - but only for China - Digital Trends'. Digital Trends.
31. ^'News and Press - VIZIO Unveils New Smartphone and Tablet Featuring VIA Plus for Even More Entertainment Freedom - VIZIO'. Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
32. ^Bishop, Bryan. 'Vizio introduces Google TV-powered VAP430 media streamer'. The Verge. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
33. ^'Easy ways to improve picture quality and sound on your TV'. Consumer Reports.
34. ^'All Sound Bars | VIZIO'. www.vizio.com. Retrieved 2019-02-07.

External links[edit]

Today the main question facing TV buyers is: should I spend more to get 4K? The answer is the same as it was late last year: only if you're worried about future-proofing and you're OK not getting the most bang for your buck.

TVs with 4K resolution are falling fast in price, but they're still significantly more expensive than good old 1080p TVs. Unfortunately TV makers often reserve their best picture-enhancing features, such as local dimming, for the 4K models. Local dimming is my favorite extra for LCD TVs because it improves all-important contrast by making dark areas in the picture darker. Vizio is still the only TV maker that sells TVs with local dimming for cheap, and the E series is the least-expensive of the bunch.

Vizio Sound Bar Serial Number

Vizio's E series is a tremendous value, and its picture quality, style and features are robust enough to please just about everybody. This TV doesn't have 4K resolution and the future-proofy feeling that goes along with it, but its price is so low, you'll probably be able to afford a larger size with the savings over a 4K model. The 50-inch M series, for example, currently costs as much as a 60-inch E series ($800), while the difference between a 4K M and a 1080p E at 65- and 70-inches is $700. In our book, assuming good picture quality, screen size is the best use of your TV dollar.

Whether it's the right TV for you depends largely on how much you prioritize value. If the idea of buying a new 1080p TV right when 4K content is beginning to appear makes you hesitate, or you want to sit close to a very large screen, then maybe E isn't for you. But if your main concern is getting as much TV as possible for as little money, the Vizio E series is probably the best TV of the year.

Series information: The Vizio E series encompasses more variation than is usual in a TV series, making it more difficult to apply our hands-on observations throughout the lineup. Different sizes have different features and even panel types, many of which potentially impact picture quality. For that reason we performed hands-on reviews of three different models in the series: the 40-inch E40-C2, the 55-inch E55-C2 and the 65-inch E65-C3.

According to Vizio our observations about the 40-inch size should also apply to the 43-inch and 48-inch models; our observations about the 55-inch size should also apply to the 50-inch, the 60-inch and 65-inch E65x-C3 (a Walmart exclusive); and our observations about the 65-inch E65-C3 (the mainstream version) should also apply to the 70-inch model. The smaller 24-, 28-, and 32-inch sets lack local dimming, so they're not included in this review.

See the Features section for more details.

Design

Minimalist to the extreme, the all-black E series is characterized by a pleasingly thin frame around the picture, a matte-black accent strip along the bottom and the trademark right-justified Vizio logo, flush against the bottom rather than dangling like a misplaced browser tab as it did last year. Seen from the side these sets are thicker than many LCD TVs, but still slim enough to wall-mount and still look good.

New for this year Vizio has implemented a two-footed stand design, with feet splayed out under either side, as opposed to a pedestal-style support in the middle. It certainly feels sturdier than last year's, where we complained about wobble, and Vizio even had to recall a couple hundred thousand models. The downside is that you can't set the TV atop furniture that's narrower than the screen itself. It would be nice if Vizio provided an option to install the feet in the center of the TV too, like Sony did , but no dice.

The E series remote is slightly better than last year and very similar to the M and P series clickers in layout, albeit sans QWERTY and all-black instead of silver-accented. Despite the convenient direct-access keys for Netflix, Amazon and I Heart Radio, it's still not very good. There's no illumination, little key differentiation, and the arrangement of buttons around the cursor always tripped me up. Worst is the main cursor control, which now has a cheap, loose feel and hollow sound.

I like Vizio's menu system. It's clean and easy to navigate, and I appreciate the helpful on-screen touches, including descriptions of various menu items and access to the full user manual.

Vizio Serial Numbers Date Code

Features

Vizio's lone non-4K series for 2015 so far, the main feature of the E is full-array local dimming, which allows the LED backlight to dim or brighten different areas (known as zones) of the screen. It's the same augmentation found on more-expensive Vizios like the M-series and P-series , as well as crazy-expensive sets like the Samsung JS9500 and Sony XBR-75X940C. Those models have even more LEDs behind the screen and so can achieve superior light output and contrast -- and should provide better picture quality -- but the concept is the same.

Vizio is still the only TV maker to divulge the number of dimming zones on its so-equipped TVs. It varies according to size between 5 and 16 zones. The M series has 32 dimmable zones, and the P series 64. More zones generally equates to more precise control of dimming, and again, superior picture quality.

Like most LCD TVs these days, the LEDs that comprise the backlight are located behind the screen on the E series, rather than along the edge. In our experience those so-called edge-lit LED TVs, while certainly thinner, generally exhibit worse screen uniformity -- among other issues, they tend to be brighter along the edges of the picture.

The E series' specifications for 'effective' refresh rate and Clear Motion Rate also vary for different sizes, and both numbers are basically fake. Like in past years, Vizio's 'effective' number is double that of the true panel refresh rate. In other words, only the E65-C3 and the E70-C3 have true 120Hz panels, while the rest use 60Hz panels. Higher Hz numbers generally equate to improved motion resolution (less blurring). Also, only the 120Hz sets offer optional smoothing, otherwise known as the Soap Opera Effect. See our video processing section below for details.

Here's a table summarizing the main specification differences between the various sizes in the E series:

*Indicates a model CNET tested hands-on

According to Vizio, the E65X-C2 is exclusive to Walmart. The E65-C3 is sold everywhere else aside from Walmart. The E40x-C2, meanwhile, is exclusive to Target, while the E40-C2 is sold everywhere else. I wasn't given a reason for the existence of two different 55-inch sizes. The only differences between the two 40-inch models and the two 55-inch models is slightly different bezel widths; they otherwise have the same features and picture quality, according to Vizio. The company's rep also said that the number after the C doesn't signify anything important.

VA or IPS: As you may have noticed in the chart above, Vizio is also mixing in two different types of LCD panels. Most of the E series, including all three we tested for this review, use VA (Vertical Alignment) panels, which in our experience deliver superior black level performance and overall picture quality compared to IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels.

In the 43-inch and 55-inch sizes, the TVs will start shipping with VA panels and then move to IPS panel technology later in the year. The reason for this unusual step, according to Vizio? 'Since our volume in E-Series is so large, panel suppliers cannot keep up with the demand for certain sizes.'

Vizio's rep added that it's difficult to say exactly when the IPS panels will cut in, but you can tell from the serial numbers. 'If the 4th digit of the serial number is a J or 7, that unit uses an IPS panel. For example, LWZJSEARxxxxxxx or LTM7SHARxxxxxxx. All other serial numbers for 2015 E-Series will be units using VA panels.'

In short, IPS panels will only be used in the 43- and 55-inch sizes, and the only way to tell one from another is via the serial number. Given past experience, I recommend avoiding buying a Vizio E series equipped with an IPS panel. See the P series review , where I performed hands-on reviews of both panel types, for details.

Smart TV: Pretty much identical to last year, the 2015 Vizio Internet Apps (VIA) Plus smart TV suite doesn't try to do too much--no fancy Tizen, WebOS or Android-powered voice commands, universal search or Web browsers here. That's fine with me, because I think the best Smart TV experience is provided by an external device like a Roku anyway.

If you decide to use Vizio for your apps instead of a streaming box or stick, you'll be greeted by a simple line of seven icons along the bottom when you hit the remote's central 'V' key. Scrolling to the right brings up more, or you can hit 'V' again for a full-screen interface. There you'll find all of the available apps neatly categorized, along with the ability to add, remove and reorder apps within the band.

Vizio's content selection is very good. HBO Go isn't available, and there are no major sports apps like MLB TV, NHL GameCenter, or NBA League Pass, but most of the other heavy-hitters for video are here, including Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu and Plex. Audio support is also solid, with iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Pandora and Spotify.

It's worth noting here that Vizio still uses the same involuntary software update system, and it's a drag. You can't simply check for updates manually -- you have to wait for them to be rolled out, and there's no way to opt out of receiving them (aside from disconnecting the TV from the network). I prefer the system used by most other TV makers, where you can manually check and opt out of automatic updates if you want.