HDTV Maker to Build Laptops, All-in-One Media PCs

If you've been shopping recently for a high-definition television (HDTV), you may have come across a relatively new brand name: Vizio. This year, Vizio plans to enter the computer market, with a family of slim, lightweight PCs first displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Vizio, founded just nine years ago in Irvine, California, builds most of its televisions in Taiwan, contracting with a local manufacturer there: AmTran Technology. The company's HDTVs -- known for their highly competitive pricing -- have sold well enough that the company has been looking to expand its product line.

Vizio Laptops, All-in-One PCs Revealed at CES

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Vizio unveiled a family of laptop computers.

One is a 15.6-inch notebook that boasts some serious computing power and resembles Apple's MacBook Pro. The other two -- sporting 14-inch and 15.6-inch displays -- are designed to emphasize portability over performance, like "ultrabooks." The beefier design is called a "Notebook," while the two lighter-weight laptops make up Vizio's "Thin + Light" line. (Source: tested.com)

But Vizio isn't just offering notebooks.

The company also took time at CES to unveil its new all-in-one PCs, which offer impressive 24- and 27-inch displays. What sets these all-in-one models apart from other all-in-ones are primarily their design and size.

For example, Vizio has moved the subwoofer speaker and the computer's power supply into a stand-alone "brick," which allows the main body of the PC to look like nothing more than an HDTV, rather than a computer. The overall aesthetic is frankly interesting and unique.

Vizio's all-in-one PC boasts two HDMI ports, so these computers are set up to replace the traditional HDTV in some small living rooms. This capability could give the California company a leg-up on the competition, as it seeks to compete with established computer brands.

Experts: Vizio Pricing Could Put Squeeze on Rivals

Vizio hasn't revealed how much these machines will cost, but industry experts believe they are likely to be priced low enough to put serious pressure on heavyweight PC competitors like Hewlett-Packard and Dell, who may have to respond by lowering the prices of their own computers. (Source: bloomberg.com)

Expect to start seeing Vizio-brand notebook, ultrabook, and all-in-one PCs on the market in late spring or early summer, 2012.