Vizio VBR231 Review - A Quick Overview The Vizio Blu-ray Player

The Vizio VBR231 Blu-ray Player is a mid-level player that has quite
a few things going for it. One: its retail listing of under $200.00
makes it one of the more affordable players. Second: you get a nice
set of features including cutting edge technology in its built-in
dual-band wireless - 802.11n. The player is not without its flaws and
it may not be one of the better "known" brand name manufacturers. But
Vizio has given us a mid-level player for those who want to add extra
features to their Home Theater like a wireless internet connection,
BD-Live Content and Online Streaming Media Services that will provide
movies, TV shows, music and much more.Slightly unique in its design,
the VBR231 is thicker than most other Blu-ray Players from places like
Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic. Mainly due to the Vizio raised top
panel. There is a glossy black finish for the front panel with a
chrome like plastic lid for the disc tray. It has touch sensitive
control buttons for the on/off power, eject, stop, previous,
play/pause and next chapter/track. A USB Port can be found to the
right on the front panel. Under the disc loading tray is a LED light
indicating if the Wi-Fi is in use. One flaw with the design of the
front panel is the missing LED screen to show track numbers and time.
This may not be a big problem for most, but it is a strange feature to
be missing from the front panel.VIDEO QUALITY:The Vizio VBR231 has the
standard video connections located on the rear of the player. You have
the HDMI, Composite Video Outputs and Component Video Outputs. With
the HDMI connection the video output is 1080p when playing back
Blu-ray discs. Vizio even includes a HDMI cable in the packaging. Very
rare for a Blu-ray Player to have this included, but definitely a nice
added accessory. The VBR231 will also up-scale standard DVDs to 1080p
resolution, however like most other Blu-ray Players the images will
not be as vibrant and clear as they are when playing a Blu-ray
discs.AUDIO QUALITY:Audio connections for the Vizio VBR231 are the
HDMI, 2.0 Analog Audio Outputs, Optical Audio Output and the Coaxial
Audio Output. The VBR231 does have support for the latest HD audio
formats Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. And can send these audio
signals in their native form to a A/V receiver to decode. This has to
be done with the HDMI cable as the VBR231 lacks any multichannel
Analog Audio Outputs.The setup and user interface of the VBR231 is
easy to use and you will soon be enjoying the features of the player
in no time. The Remote Control is well designed and buttons are laid
out in a convenient pattern. Some users have complained that the
buttons are difficult to press and therefore to activate. But once you
are ready to use the VBR231 it has many features to choose from.
Beside Blu-ray and DVD playback you can playback MP3s and JPEGs from
the USB Port.You can also connect the VBR231 to the internet by the
Ethernet Port or use the Integrated Dual Band Wi-Fi - 802.11n. The
VBR231 is equipped with a dual-band wireless the operates at both 5GHz
and 2.4GHz. (5GHz is optimized for streaming of HD video and 2.4GHz
handles all other types of content). A great feature to have if you
want to take advantage of Vizio Internet Apps (VIA). When connected to
the internet it provides easy access to streaming online movies, TV
shows, music, and other data. Streaming Services such as Netflix,
VUDU, Pandora Internet Radio, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, AP
and The New York Times and so many more are available!This is only the
second year that Vizio has produced Blu-ray Players. But the VBR231 is
a nice entry to their growing line-up of players. It does lack some
features such as 3D Blu-ray support, DLNA support and lacking internal
memory for BD-Live content. But being one of the more affordable
priced players with built-in Wi-Fi, many will fine the Vizio VBR231 an
appealing option.THE PROS: The Vizio VBR231 is a solid player. It is
capable of 1080p video output on Blu-ray Discs. Has 7.1 Digital Audio
Output via HDMI. Great Internet Apps that allow you to access many
online streaming services such as Netflix, VUDU, Pandora Internet
Radio, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Associated Press and The New
York Times. One of the few Blu-ray Players that has built-in
Simultaneous dual-band 802.11n wireless (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and is
less than $200.00. It even throws in a HDMI cable.THE CONS: The Vizio
VBR231 does not have any internal storage memory. To access BD-Live
content a USB memory device is needed. It lacks any DLNA support. Some
find the Remote Control hard to press. Some excessive popping noises
occurs when switching video formats with chapter changes.THE FINAL
WORD: The Vizio VBR231 has Full HD 1080p playback on Blu-ray Discs
when connected with HDMI. Along with internal decoding of audio
formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It provides the basic
features a Blu-ray Player should have and will provide you with great
images and sound on Blu-ray discs. Add Wi-Fi capability and a nice set
of online streaming services, the VBR231 is a very acceptable Blu-ray
Player. -- Price you should look for when purchasing -- $200.00