HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is generally excellent though we did note some added edge enhancement processing. Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—is good, so images have some depth. Black levels are fairly deep which gives dark scenes better depth (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). Image brightness is good (with the backlight control turned up), making it a suitable choice for all but the sunniest rooms. There is distinct banding (unnatural contours) on scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, rather than a smooth transition in the shaded areas. The deinterlacing and film mode operations are excellent on HD content; there is little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Vizio has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs for this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. When we view the TV from the sides image quality degrades significantly. The picture shows a strong loss of color, so flesh tones look very washed out. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is good. The picture shows a slight change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Vizio TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SOUND QUALITY. This model's sound quality falls short with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass is lacking, as is treble detail, and the overall sound is a bit thin and notably closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system—but if this smaller-screen set is a secondary TV, you might find its sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote has a traditional design with a full number key pad. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Vudu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Xumo, Crackle, and iHeartRadio. Consider the TV's stand is 26 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart TV provides Internet functionality via its "SmartCast" portal with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and HBO Now. Support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has two HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input. It also has one USB port, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. A quick start guide. An electronic user guide via the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries. A detachable power cord. No printed manual is included.
