Vizio E3D470VX

One of the biggest obstacles to mass adoption of 3D is the high price of sets with that feature, but Vizio looks to ease those concerns with its sub-$900 (at retail) 47-inch E3D470VX 3D LCD TV. There are trade-offs to getting 3D at this price point, but experts and users thus far say that while videophiles may not be impressed, it will do just fine for most typical users.

These sets, including the 42-inch E3D420VX (*Est. $630) and 32-inch E3D320VX (*Est. $450) , are driven by a conventional (CCFL) backlight. Better sets use LED backlights and local dimming to produce much deeper blacks. Some, such as the 46-inch Samsung UN46D8000 (*Est. $2,100) , can produce blacks that compare favorably to those on plasma TVs. Uniformity on the Vizio E3D470VX could be better, but that's an issue with many LCD TVs. Most reviewers that have seen the set say that blacks are deep enough to satisfy all but the most critical viewers and that colors are excellent.

The E3D470VX uses passive rather than active-shutter technology to deliver its 3D effect. Brighter pictures and the ability to use cheap, lightweight glasses are the big advantages. Reduced resolution (half the resolution of the source if it were 2D) is the big trade-off. While purists might turn up their noses, we've seen expert and user reviews that say that the reduced resolution is acceptable, and that subjective 3D picture quality is in many ways better than other 3D sets, whether they use passive or active-shutter technology.