I've had the Vizio E280-B1 for almost a month now and have used it everyday extensively. I give it a solid 5 stars because it admirably performs way above it's price range. A 28 inch LED HDTV at the $200 price level is an amazing accomplishment all on its own. -- The TV has its quirks, some which would cause it to lose a star or two if it was twice the price or more as other brands are for the same thing. And so complaints about the TV in other reviews here are comparable to reviewing a $10K new car and complaining that the power window motor isn't as smooth or powerful as in their $70K Mercedes, and that the engine isn't as smooth and powerful as a car several times its price - or the stereo isn't as fancy, etc. --- This TV is a $200 28 inch LED HDTV - so keep that in context and you'll be amazed by it.
The picture is absolutely perfect - high-def sharp - the colors are all perfect with no video distortions anywhere across the entire screen. The complaints about this TVs audio is really strange, because the audio is quite good - much better than I would expect for such a low priced TV. -- I suppose if you put this TV in a large living room - viewing it from 14 to 16 feet away, then the audio may not be perfect for that application.
The overall aesthetics of the TV are also quite impressive - very sleek with a thin black border frame, sitting on a wide stable stand that is one of the best designs for a TV stand I've ever seen - placing the TV low to surface it is sitting on - making it very secure on its feet - instead of the way its done on almost all other TVs; stupidly stuck up in the air on some spindly center pole.
The inputs on this TV are indeed limited. It doesn't have three or four of every input imaginable. Instead, it has two HDMI inputs, one component input, one VGA (RGB-PC) input for your computer, and a 75 ohm cable input. That's it, but if you need more than that, then you should be prepared and willing to spend a lot more than $200. --- I use my E280-B1 for both a TV and a computer monitor and I am very impressed with its performance as a computer monitor. A 28 inch dedicated computer monitor costs twice as much as this TV, yet this TV outperforms all the dedicated hi-def digital computer monitors I've had - very impressive indeed.
There are some quirks. The earphone audio output comes from the factory at a unusably low audio level, which is unaffected by the volume control. To make the earphone jack useful, you need to go into the Menu - choose "Audio" and then "Analog Audio Out" and change that setting from "Fixed" to "Variable" -- back out of the menu and your earphone jack in now useful and controlled by the TVs volume control. - And the remote control is much smaller than other remotes, so it takes some getting used to before it feels comfortable to use. The RC being small takes away space that could have been used to include the four main input selections as dedicated buttons - instead of having to go into "Input" each time and scroll to choose the one you want. Other than these quirks, the TV is most definitely as good as it gets - and much more - for a $200 TV.
It deserves 4.9 stars, but since there is no such rating, rounding to the nearest whole number gives it 5 stars. I would highly recommend this TV to anyone needing a hi-def TV for a small room or their office to be used as a TV and monitor - because you get way more than what you paid for.....
| Brand Name | VIZIO |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 8.82 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 21.49 x 12 x 14.67 inches |
| Item model number | E231-B1 |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Specification Met | Energy Star |
| Special Features | Flat |
| Speaker Type | Built-In |
| Item Weight | 8.82 Pounds |
| Standing screen display size | 23 Inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Wattage | 4 watts |
