Vizio might be best known for its bank-account-friendly big-screen TVs sold through discount retailers and warehouse stores, but the company has been looking to diversity its product offerings in the last year…and CES takes Vizio another step in that direction as it announces 7-, 9, and 10-inch Razor LED portable televisions. All three devices tap into the new ATSC-M/H broadcast standard for mobile and handheld devices, and the two larger screens also feature HDMI 1.4 inputs for viewing content from camcorders, cameras, PMPs, and other devices with HDMI output.
“From our enormous base of enthusiastic customers, we see a solid set of end users ready to embrace the idea of viewing on the go, and these new mobile Razor LED TVs are the ideal solution,” says Vizio co-founder and sales and marketing VP Laynie Newsome, in a statement.
Of course, the problem with rolling out ATSC-M/H televisions is that ATSC-M/H aren’t widely available yet, even in major markets—so it’s not very surprising that Vizio is saying the Razor LED mobile sets won’t be available until “later this year.” However, for consumers lucky enough to live in an area where usable broadcasts are available, the units might be appealing: they’re all less than an inch thick, offer 800 by 480-pixel resolution with LED backlighting, use touch-sensitive controls that light up when users touch them, and offer integrated antennas that flips up for improves reception. In addition to HDMI 1.4 inputs on the 9- and 10-inch models, the systems sport aux audio and video inputs, and a headphone jack for private listening. Vizio says the sets should run for three hours on their built-in batteries.
Vizio plans to price the 7-inch model at $149.99, with the 9- and 10-inch units coming in at $199.99 and $229.99, respectively.
