Vizio takes a stab at portable LED TVs. Is it the right move?

Vizio, in the LCD market, found its niche and quickly became one of the premier, mainstream LCD TV manufacturers in the US. Positioned as the quality, affordable LCD TV  option, Vizio ranked second, only behind Samsung, for total shipments of LCD TVs in June. Vizio lately, however, has been searching for its next niche.

While Samsung, LG and Sony quickly evolved to the LED 3D TV, Vizio slowly calculated the market and its next move. So far, Vizio has developed a 72-inch active shutter, 3D LED TV called the XVT Pro (now discontinued) and a passive 3D LED TV that utilizes inexpensive, $10-15 glasses instead of the typical $100+ glasses offered by other manufacturers.

In essence, Vizio has and continues to test some fairly uncharted territory in already established markets.

As evidence, the largest 3D LED TV that Samsung offers is 65-inches and the largest 3D LED TV that Sony offers is is 60-inches. Neither offers passive 3D.

According to recent reports, the 72-inch TV, even though it was demoed, will not get a chance on the open market, but it certainly characterizes Vizio's latest strategy with its newest product.

Vizio introduced a portable LED TV called the VMB070 Razor. The portable TV is 7-inches and has a 3.5 hour battery life.

Beyond those SPECs, it is nothing much. Sure no other portable TVs offers the LED alternative, but the majority of portable TV manufacturers offer the same antenna, screen size, and features like the head phone jack and A/V connection.

Sony and Samsung already both offer portable 7-inch TVs.

The move is an attempt for Vizio to distinguish itself, using its now well-known name, to bolster sales in a category that can bring in additional revenue beyond its LCD TV sales.

Vizio, with its new portable TV, continues to establish a trend/strategy of taking a product, mimicking it to a certain extent and then distinguishing it with one definable feature. For the 72" TV, it was all about being the biggest. For the passive 3D TV, it was all about the cheap glasses and alternative 3D technology. And now, it is the LED TV in a market of just LCD TVs.

It is hard to tell if Vizio's model will be successful. With LCD TVs, it certainly worked well, but judging by its latest failed attempt at the 72-inch TV, it is much more unclear if having a slightly different and sometimes more extreme product in an already saturated market will work.