thought you guys should know about these

[Rymel]

imo, these are the single best thing to come out for portable systems designers for...well, ever, if you don't count 'slim' system rereleases

http://www.vizio.com/news/cat/press/pos ... zorLEDSets
i realize the news came out last month, but i'm willing to bet almost everyone here doesn't know about it.

the 7" is already out, and you can find it at Walmart or Amazon for about $130. unfortunately it's only composite so current gen guys will have to wait for the 9" and 10" models, which have HDMI 1.4. i'm ordering a 7" today to finally scratch my itch to play persona 4 (haven't been able to use a PS2 since i moved), and once it comes in i'm going shopping for an appropriate briefcase to mount it in. as it stands it's less than 1" thick so i don't REALLY have to rip it apart, and it's considerably lighter and less power hungry than an lcd (supposedly 40% less) so i'm just gonna run with it for a bit before i decide how i want to go about turning this combo into a combined unit. i'd love to use the 10" unit and convert the components to HDMI, but i don't know if i really want to deal with a converter in the design. so i'm just gonna buy a 10" led tv when it's out and tear apart my 360 or PS3

let me know what you guys think and what you're planning with these! i'm aiming to turn my 4 currently used consoles into portables, and these screens are perfect for the ps2 and the wii

[jdmlight]

imo, these are the single best thing to come out for portable systems designers for...well, ever, if you don't count 'slim' system rereleases

http://www.vizio.com/news/cat/press/pos ... zorLEDSets
i realize the news came out last month, but i'm willing to bet almost everyone here doesn't know about it.

the 7" is already out, and you can find it at Walmart or Amazon for about $130. unfortunately it's only composite so current gen guys will have to wait for the 9" and 10" models, which have HDMI 1.4. i'm ordering a 7" today to finally scratch my itch to play persona 4 (haven't been able to use a PS2 since i moved), and once it comes in i'm going shopping for an appropriate briefcase to mount it in. as it stands it's less than 1" thick so i don't REALLY have to rip it apart, and it's considerably lighter and less power hungry than an lcd (supposedly 40% less) so i'm just gonna run with it for a bit before i decide how i want to go about turning this combo into a combined unit. i'd love to use the 10" unit and convert the components to HDMI, but i don't know if i really want to deal with a converter in the design. so i'm just gonna buy a 10" led tv when it's out and tear apart my 360 or PS3

let me know what you guys think and what you're planning with these! i'm aiming to turn my 4 currently used consoles into portables, and these screens are perfect for the ps2 and the wii

Makes me think of getting a component-capable system (or an RGB capable system and that DIY RGB-Component adapter) plus one of these:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2
That plus either the 9" or 10" would make for some really awesome picture quality, if the quality on these portable TVs is anything like the larger Vizio LED-backlit sets.

[Rymel]

that's exactly the box i'm trying to avoid using. component is nice and all, but it's pricey for questionable value of upscale. plus it's a PS2, i'm sure i won't miss the slight different component made on that system. but i guess i'll make that call when they actually release the larger size tvs. i do have high hopes for these though, i hope it's not misplaced. i'm personally a samsung lcd tv person, so i don't know what to think about vizio or their led tvs.

also, look at how thin the bezel is! so much more room for cramming other stuff around it

[jdmlight]

that's exactly the box i'm trying to avoid using. component is nice and all, but it's pricey for questionable value of upscale. plus it's a PS2, i'm sure i won't miss the slight different component made on that system. but i guess i'll make that call when they actually release the larger size tvs. i do have high hopes for these though, i hope it's not misplaced. i'm personally a samsung lcd tv person, so i don't know what to think about vizio or their led tvs.

also, look at how thin the bezel is! so much more room for cramming other stuff around it

You must have never tried the difference between composite and component on a PS2. It's huge. The colors are much more vibrant and everything is a lot sharper.

And as far as Vizio vs. Samsung: I own a Samsung TV and it's great. But basically the difference between Samsung/Sony (high-end TVs) and Vizio is that Vizio uses the technology that Samsung/Sony used last year, for a lot less money. You still get a great picture but at a much lower price, minus this year's (not-necessary) new features.

At least that's what I was told by the Vizio representative as I was helping him install a Vizio 40" TV at Target.

[Rymel]

you're right, i never have! never got the chance to compare when i was a kid lol. but i won't be able to choose between them anyway because i just got my reply back from vizio and they have no ETA on the 9" and 10" models

it is very good to know what you've found out though, makes me a smarter consumer. i wouldn't complain at all about this little handheld tv though, not for this price point and size

[Rymel]

i'm not sure if it's just my local costco or not, but i found the 7" tv for $99 after $20 mfg instant rebate. needless to say i grabbed the thing (after i made the guy grab the demo tv's box to explain how you plug in RCAs since it lacked the jacks). i'll post pics tomorrow when i get home from work, after i make a run to radio shack to buy male-to-male RCA couplers...heheh...docking.../onegayjoke

i was initially planning on just using it whole since it's so damn small from the pics online, but after discovering it takes RCA inputs from a mini stereo adapter cable (not cool) i'm going to try to tear it open and directly solder actual RCA input jacks. i'm also hoping that they're using a single reference board for their entire projected lineup since the upcoming 9" and 10" models will have component in, and there are actually component leads on the 7" board that just aren't in use that i can happily tap...we'll find out when i void my warranty tomorrow

[Rymel]

as promised, pics, and a video






uh, ignore what the backplate is doing to my face o_O















edit: the video is the last image, click it to view, or just watch the youtube vid of it i put up after i found out i can't put up a video player: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N2VkyLrR5k

there are descriptions for each photo if you want to see my opinions on the given shots, but basically speaking this thing is pretty light and is about the same size as a ps2 slim. i may just skip modding it entirely for the first mobile unit i make and just construct a case to mount it all in and build a custom external battery pack for use with any other portables i make this year.

i WILL have to construct a custom ps2 av to av mini stereo cable though, because that jury rig i did is going to get cumbersome, fast, but honestly for my uses (breaks at work) this first run may just be a kitbash instead of a full-blown portable project. since these screens are so damn cheap i may go buy 2-5 more before they disappear from that costco as it's not even on their website. but if i do one is going to a definite handheld ps2, and the other...maybe a wii laptop for use with gc and emulators. cuz who wants to do motion gaming on a 7" screen?

[jdmlight]

Looks nice, but most importantly, how's the picture?

[Rymel]

well i can't show that via video, but for composite it's pretty damn good imo. but i only got to watch the opening before i posted. i'm gonna go play some games now, i'll let you know when i come back