Vizio's passive 3D TV falls short in 2D

The good: Accurate color in bright areas; passive 3D image brighter than active 3D TVs and showed less crosstalk than 3D LCDs; includes four pairs of passive 3D glasses; superb streaming and widget content via well-integrated apps platform; includes unique Bluetooth remote with slide-out QWERTY keyboard; integrated Wi-Fi; energy efficient.

The bad: Smearing in fast motion; relatively light black levels; poor screen uniformity and off-angle viewing; glossy screen reflects ambient light; black areas tinged blue; couldn't handle 1080p/24 content properly; passive 3D image softer and more artifact-prone than active 3D TVs; fewer picture controls than some high-end HDTVs; generic looks.

The bottom line: The well-equipped Vizio XVT3D650SV is the first passive 3D TV and provides an intriguing alternative to active 3D models, but subpar 2D picture quality hurts its appeal.

Review:

The 65-inch Vizio XVT3D650SV is the first TV in the U.S. to ship with "passive" 3D capability. Unlike the other mainstream 3D TVs of 2010, which use "active" glasses that cost around $100 each, this big Vizio comes with four pairs of cheap polarized glasses, the same kind used by most 3D theaters. We've already taken an in-depth look at how the XVT3D650SV's 3D compares with an active 3D model, so we'll keep it brief here: while the Vizio has its advantages, we still liked the picture quality of active better.

Our main problem with this big Vizio, however, lies in its reproduction of 2D content, especially its propensity for smearing in fast motion--something we didn't expect from a 120Hz TV. Add to that a few other issues that separate it from Vizio's excellent, albeit 2D-only, XVT553SV, as well as a hefty price tag, and you have a package that loses some of its luster. Unless you must have the first, and biggest, passive 3D TV on the block, it's worth waiting for other 2011 examples, like LG's passive 65-inch 65LW6500.

Series information: This review will apply only to the 65-inch XVT3D650SV since it basically stands alone in Vizio's lineup, with no other screen sizes that have identical features. Its closest relatives we reviewed in 2010 hail from the XVT3SV series, which lacks 3D. Its closest 2011 relative is the XVT3D5 series, but those sets employ full-array LEDs, as opposed to edge-lit, and max out at 55 inches.

The XVT3D650SV's exterior looks just like that of a smaller, 55-inch XVT3SV we tested last year, and while it's an improvement over some past Vizios, it's still pretty pedestrian by today's standards. The look is all-black, and the only real accent is a little rounded mound between the speakers along the bottom. Unlike most TV makers, Vizio has yet to hide its speakers, so as a result the frame is relatively chunky.

Edge-lit LED backlighting allows a thin 2.2-inch depth, which also contributes to the relatively light weight (105 pounds) of this 65-inch TV. For that reason we'd expect a swivel stand, but the Vizio doesn't have one.