Vizio is expanding its range of LED televisions with two desktop-sized offerings.
The VM190XVT and VM230XVT Razors measure 19 inches and 23 inches, respectively. Both run less than one inch thick, though CNet notes that they plump out to 1.65 inches at their thickest points.
LED TVs, as Vizio, Samsung and other manufacturers call them, are actually LCD televisions that use light-emitting diodes instead of fluorescent lights to illuminate the display panel. In general, LED TVs consume less power than displays with fluorescent backlighting.
However, within the field of LED TVs, there are two methods for backlighting with distinct advantages for each. In the case of these Vizios, you get edge-lit LEDs, which has the diodes arranged around the edge of the screen, allowing for thinner designs. On the downside, you don't get the superb contrast ratios of RGB Dynamic LEDs, also known as local dimming, which adjust backlighting in different areas based on what's happening on the screen.
Vizio does include local dimming in its only other LED TV, the 55-inch VF551XVT. But I think Vizio chose its backlighting methods wisely for each model. For the 55-inch TV, you'll want those deep blacks and high dynamic contrast ratios, especially when you're dropping $2,200 on a television. The smaller models, however, are best suited for a small bedroom, desk or kitchen, where their slim profiles could come in handy.
Both the smaller models have some luxurious touches, such as the buttonless, proximity-sensitive touch controls and the ability to connect a USB drive and turn the monitors into digital picture frames. The 19-inch VM190XVT will cost $349, and the 23-inch VM230XVT costs $399, but there's no word yet on availability.
