VIZIO VBR122 Blu-ray Player with Wireless Internet Apps – $109.99
*** Please note latest Update adds Amazon Video! ***
I picked this player up for a very good price a couple of days ago and feature been trying everything out.
The pros:
Wireless Dual Band N: Works great with NETGEAR N750 450 Mbps Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4000. No stutter via wireless streaming in HD with an excellent Wireless N router and good High Speed internet connection. Supports the “wireless authentication” button at the front of the router so setup to the wireless is super easy. (The Blu-Ray player will inform you when to hit the button at the router to auto authenticate you)
DVD and Blu-ray playback is quick and responsive and Blu-Rays load fast. No stutter in playback that I’ve seen. i’ve got mostly DVDs so it was important that this does the DVDs justice to boot. It does apparently upscale and does it beautifully.
The remote is an extremely intelligent design with keyboard on one side and Blu-ray/App controller remote at the other with specialty buttons for several of the “Apps”. There’s a centered V button to take you back to the house menu in the event you wander away. The remote isn’t back-lit.
Netflix works great and the keyboard really helps on those searches! Yes!
Vudu Works good and it comes with $5.99 movie credit which you don’t actually have to enroll in to take a look at! An email address is all it asks for. Sweet, and as several Blue Ray disks include free Vudu movie codes this was something i used to be excited by trying. All three blu-ray movies I picked up came with $5 in Vudu credit. I’ve watched a film on it in HD and it played with zero issue until the App crashed on the end of the movie. reboot time. More about that during a moment…
Possible cons for some:
All buttons on front of player are VERY BRIGHT blue LEDs while this thing is on and running. In case your a type of people who loves to complain about really bright lights, you are going to really hate this player and may move along to something else! It isn’t a difficulty for others.
HDMI only connection for Video. This isn’t a topic for contemporary HD TVs that is kinda the cause of buying blu-ray anyway. You’ll have to buy an HDMI cable within the required length, but that is normal and shouldn’t come as a surprise. These are good: HDMI Cable, 6 ft. (2 Pack)
Some of the players include the features store display card glued to the head of the player. Goo Gone, 8 Oz.would remove this glue without issue but something you are not getting off otherwise because it shouldn’t be of the rubber cement variety and is more of the super glue type. I just left the cardboard on mine instead of ruin the paint.
Definite Cons:
Amazon Video isn’t really ready in this device! What? It’s advertised at the box like it’s essential to go nonetheless it is labeled as “coming soon” if you attempt to launch it. There’s even an Amazon button at the remote. That basically was a disappointment as I’ve enjoyed Amazon’s Instant video at the Roku 2100X XDS Streaming Player 1080p. As it is a selling point for the device, Vizio must rectify this quickly.
The Apps, on rare occasion, lockup and do not respond despite what you push at the remote. Even the on/off button ceases to reply. Powering off at the player itself is needed to reboot. There are definitely some bugs within the software at present.
I haven’t tried out, nor will I, any of the Non-video Apps like Pandora, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Somebody else should review those.
Bottom Line: i am keen on this player. It is not perfect, but what electronic device ever is. They do seem seeking to fix the minor issues through updates. For the cost, I’d say nothing comes remotely near all of the features that this thing offers. Are there better players? Undoubtedly, but possible pay twice up to this one. i am not familiar with another player with this advanced a remote.
I may be updating this review as things change below:
(i realized the opposite day that the player didn’t wish to power on in any respect. unplugging the player and plugging it back in resolved the problem for now.)
(Still no update for device as of 6/16/11. It also appears that Amazon Video just isn’t shown as a feature at the Vizio Website now. i haven’t had a difficulty with the player not powering up because the one experience.)
(6/20/11 : Finally an update to the firmware over the weekend. One question answered is that the 48MB needed for the update need to be built-in as I did the update via the wireless connection and didn’t attach a thumb-drive to the player. Firmware updated fine with zero issue (cautions you to not power cycle the player in the course of the update). The player power cycles itself when complete and may get back on on its own so do not get impatient when it goes off during process. Despite fast Internet the update process takes about 2 mins. No Amazon yet.. but Now have YouTube and Internet Videos apps. Both appear to work great and did some searches for several things in YouTube with nice results bar, left and right navigation to skip to next result and same search results you’d get via PC! Nice! Netflix and other apps still work great! (Some thing I’ll note here’s that i myself just like the Netflix App in this player better than I do at the Roku as you get more results and in addition categories that are not randomly changing or disappearing. Recently Watched as an example. Also more ends in categories resembling new releases.) The Qwerty Keyboard is barely as awesome as ever in all of the apps.
(07/05/11: Used the Player quite heavily over the July 4th Weekend Holiday! No lockups, or issues with device in any respect! Youtube app is superb! Netflix App is amazing in addition and shows much more results under categories than My Roku player. No issues with Wireless connection to my router as this is how i exploit it.
I noticed today that Amazon has the device under review by reason of complaints… Probably in regards to the description of Amazon Video being available on it. Another person on here had said that both Hulu Plus and Blockbuster don’t work. That’s false. Both seem functional and that i even watched some sample “free episodes” on Hulu Plus. Seems to work good. Not a 100% on Blockbuster, but frankly i do not are looking to pay their high prices per movie to check the HD quality in their stream. Otherwise their app seems fine. i think some people could also be confusing this model Vizio Player with 2 others that look identical.)
(07/08/11: Update: In line with Vizio customer service:
Vizio identified a performance issue With Amazon Video and they’re working with Amazon on to resolve the difficulty ahead of launching the appliance. The update in your player should be automatic so long as it’s connected for your home network. There isn’t a hard and fast date of release right this moment.)
(07/11/11 Update: Tried the Vudu movie app again over the weekend using two $5 promo codes that came free with some $10 Blu-Rays. Both Movies played flawlessly in 720P HD via my Wireless N connection. I ran the test for HDX at 1080p and it passed fine to boot…just didn’t see the will for the $1 extra for HDX quality because the HD looks so good! Used the player for Netflix all weekend and likewise tried out the Vudu app to regulate the screen borders. No issues in any respect!)
(07/18/11: Noticed Netflix was down about 6-7 hours on Sunday, Not only from the Vizio but apparently from everything. Used the time to observe a DVD at the player. Works great with the up-scaling! I also hunted for the “seek for update” selection at the player. The choice is now missing from settings section so apparently they’ve removed it from the menu..this seems to jive with Vizio saying future updates must be automatic. Tried out “factory reset” option that allows you to wipe your wireless, sound and imagine settings at the player, but doesn’t change your app settings. A few of the other resets will.
** Here is a tip for the player. In case you are going to shutdown the player, return to the major app selection page first after which power off. No lockups to report since patch.)
(The newest: 08/24/11: Turned on Player this morning and just a little message appeared on the bottom that an Amazon update was available! hit the fairway button and a pair of minutes later The Amazon app works now and give a code rather like Netflix so as to add the device in your amazon video! Awesome!)
Be certain to take a look at my guide on “Cut the Cable Cord” because it contains some good info on bandwidth requirements for different forms of streaming video.
More Details
- Play back Blu-ray Discs in Full HD 1080p resolution, or upscale your DVDs for enhanced picture quality
- Easily access streaming movies/TV shows, hearken to music, and get the most recent news, sports, and weather with VIZIO Internet Apps
- High-definition, multi-channel audio with decoding of Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS Master Audio
- Enjoy MP3/AAC audio from connected USB devices, along side slideshows of your favorite JPEG photos
- Connect wirelessly with 802.11n Wi-Fi or use built-in Ethernet wired networking to access online entertainment
- Built-in WiFi (802.11n) enables easy and high-quality connection to the wireless home network.
- Enjoy full HD 1080p from Blu-ray and DVD 1080p up-scaling
- VIZIO Internet Apps delivers – Stream Movies, TV Shows, Music and more
Wireless 2D Blu-Ray
Internet-Ready Television
Internet-ready TVs use your broadband connection to deliver dynamic content, whether it’s streaming video from Netflix, new music from Pandora, or a snappy glance at today’s weather forecast.
Although there’s overlap, each manufacturer offers a different bundle of free or paid services, including streaming video and music, social networking apps, online photo galleries, news and fiscal updates, weather info, sports scores, and quite a few other smartphone-like applications.
Manufacturers continue to feature new content to their offerings, keeping customers current through firmware updates, and creating a little bit of research a prudent step on your buying decision.
Learn more about Internet TVs, how they work, what services are offered by different manufacturers, and exactly what you will need to start at our Internet TV 101 customer center.
May 2011
The VIZIO VBR122 Blu-ray Player with VIZIO Internet Apps delivers full 1080p high-definition video for razor sharp images, 7.1 surround sound for wonderful audio, and connects to the web to stream movies, TV shows, music and more. Enjoy your Blu-ray and DVD discs, audio CDs, MP3/AAC, and JPEG files. Whenever you want a little more entertainment, access content from top online brands like Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, Twitter, Facebook, and more.
NOTE: This Blu-ray Player is designed to play high-definition audio and video using an HDMI cable. You will need an HDMI port in your television, as no analog video outputs are provided.
Internet-Connected Blu-ray Entertainment
1080p Full HD
Make the most of your HDTV with Blu-ray titles in Full HD 1080p resolution, for an image with amazing clarity and detail.
Blu-ray Discs and More
Play Blu-ray Discs and access both included Bonus View and online BD Live bonus features consisting of games, trailers, director commentaries, and more, because of Internet connectivity. You may also play back your DVDs, complete with up-conversion from standard-definition to 1080p, for enhanced picture quality. And naturally, you’re also covered on playing back your favorite CDs.
USB Media Playback
As well as the above disc formats, the VBR122 allows you to play back MP3 and AAC audio files from a connected USB device, or display and consider slideshows of your favorite JPEG photos, with customizeable display time and a handful of transition effects.
Serious Audio
Full HD resolution video is even better if in case you have the immersive audio to check. The VBR122 delivers rich multi-channel surround sound, decoding audio codecs like Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD and outputting 7.1-channel surround sound through your HDMI connection, for one of the best audio experience available. Standard SPDIF and Coaxial digital outs also are provided for older receivers that lack an HDMI connection.
VIZIO Internet Apps
Easily connect with the net and stream movies and television shows, take heed to music and get the most recent news, sports and weather. The VBR122 connects wirelessly over an 802.11n Wi-Fi connection (or via a built-in Ethernet port if you’d prefer) in your home network. Once you’re install, you’ll enjoy access to Internet content akin to Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and VUDU for streaming TV shows and films; Pandora Internet Radio for locating new music; your favorite social networking apps like Twitter or Facebook; photo-sharing services like Flickr and Picasa; and the newest news from the Associated Press and The hot York Times. With an easy Internet connection, you’re going to get all that and much more.
Enhanced QWERTY Remote
The VBR122 also ships with an enhanced two-sided remote. Up top you’ll appreciate one-button access to Amazon Instant Video, Netlix, and Vudu. Flip it over and also you get an entire QWERTY keypad, for simple data-entry, search, or updating those ever-important social network statuses.
VIZIO VBR122 Select Specifications
| Supported Media | |
|---|---|
| Disc Formats: | Blu-ray Disc, DVD Video, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, Audio CD (CD-DA), CD-R/RW |
| Audio Codecs: | Dolby Digital / Dolby Digital Plus / Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS Digital Surround / DTS (as much as 7.1 Digital Audio via HDMI, 24-bit / 192KHz Audio DAC) |
| Audio File Formats: | MP3, AAC, WMA |
| Image File Formats: | JPEG |
| Connectivity | |
| HDMI: | 1 (HDMI 1.4) |
| Digital Audio Optical: | 1 |
| Digital Audio Coaxial: | 1 |
| USB 2.0: | 1 |
| Ethernet: | 1 |
| Weight and Dimensions | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD): | 12.60 x 1.77 x 8.23 Inches (W x H x D) |
| Weight: | 4.96 lbs. |
What’s inside the Box
VIZIO VBR122 Blu-Ray Disc Player, QWERTY Handheld remote control With Batteries, Documentation
