PICTURE QUALITY. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, looked very natural and lifelike. Contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels are excellent, with help from Vizio's "Active LED Zones", a local dimming feature, delivering very deep blacks that enhances contrast in dark scenes. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was 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 moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a slight loss of color, along with a slight color shift. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall, falls short. This Vizio UHD TV delivers full 4K picture detail, but only decent HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content we played on this model, including movies and test videos was presented in full detail with excellent image fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. The TV is HDR capable and supports the play back of content with HDR (high dynamic range). We found HDR performance to be somewhat effective, but falls short of better performing models we've seen. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail, and some added contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights from 4K content mastered specifically for HDR (this can add a greater sense of realism to the picture). Extended color capability was not very apparent on this TV. The display lacked the higher brightness enhances the effectiveness of HDR content as confirmed with Dolby Vision video clips played via the TV's USB port. We couldn't test Dolby Vision through the TV's HDMI port due to a lack of playback devices. This model does support video streaming of 4K programs via both Netflix and YouTube (among other sources), and images were finely detailed and free of image enhancements that generally degrade image quality. Using the TV's USB port, we were not able to play our 4K test videos in the HEVC, VP9, and MP4 file formats, stored on a flash drive, nor could we play back photos of any resolution, which was disappointing. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing fell short, with visible jaggies along the edges of diagonals when playing HD content. All four of the TV's HDMI inputs comply with the latest HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 specifications that support play back for 4K video at 60Hz, and copy protection, a requirement for compatibility with 4K movie play back devices such as a 4K Blu-ray player.
MOTION BLUR. This Vizio monitor has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests, thanks to Vizio's "Clear Action". This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most LCD displays.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. With movies, dialog was generally clear but background music and other sounds were slightly recessed. Bass was lacking, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was on the bright side, and a bit thin and closed in. The speakers produced good volume so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, though sound quality degraded at high volume levels. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting, but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be distracting. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. This Vizio forgoes the traditional remote for a 6" Android tablet (included). Whether you prefer this type of interface or the traditional button remote is a matter of personal preference, but the user experience between the two is very different in every day use. To control and navigate TV functions you have to turn on the tablet and activate the Vizio app. All interactions with the TV, including surfing Netflix selections, or browsing the web, are done via the tablet, not on the big screen. The virtual buttons displayed on tablet surface have no tactile feel so the user must look at the tablet when making viewing selections or picture adjustments. Besides the full-featured tablet, also included is a smaller, simpler remote for volume adjustment and input source selection.
STAND ASSEMBLY. The monitor's base does not come pre-attached, so some assembly is required. Mounting the support stand to the TV is straightforward, though the stand requires the assembly of one part before mounting. The TV's stand extends to the far ends of the display, which means the table top you'll be setting the TV on will need to be at least as wide as the display itself.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides advanced Internet capabilities via its "Android OS" portal with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services include: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, YouTube, HBO Go.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs—one supports MHL (Mobile High-definition Link), one component input, no composite input. It also has two USB ports, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port. WiFi wireless networking. Casting, to control the TV from a smartphone that has the suitable app installed. Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. This model lacks an antenna/cable RF input—so it can't tune-in off-air channels—but not a problem if you stream content, or use a cable box, satellite box, or external tuner. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. Two remote controls with batteries. One HDMI cable. No printed manual is included.
