HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was Very Good, overall. Reproduction of fine HD image detail was Excellent. Edges of objects in the image were over-enhanced which visibly reduced image fidelity. Color accuracy was Very Good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Very Good contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—gave images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels were Very Good, and delivered fairly deep blacks that helped the contrast in darker scenes. Vizio's full array "Active Full Array" feature helped. The quality appeared worse as we viewed from the sides—see our Viewing Angle results, below. Image brightness was moderately low, dimmer than most even with the backlight control turned up—OK for a dark room but not the best choice for a bright room. Its reproduction of smooth edges on image content for "up-converted" HD-to-UHD images fell short with some visible "jaggies" (jagged edges); deinterlacing of 1080i video was Very Good (minimal "jaggies"); and film mode detection from 1080i content was Excellent.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. Overall 4K UHD picture quality was Very Good, overall. In our UHD testing, we played native-4K movies and test videos (non HDR) thru the TV's HDMI input, and found their image detail was all there. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performed similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance was ineffective. In our tests, the display did not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on our HDR content. It could not reveal much contrast between the moderately bright and very bright highlights, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, were slightly low.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Vizio model has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. We examined the image quality at various viewing angles—its image quality notably decreased as we moved away from the center position. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, and reduced the contrast especially on dark scenes. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominent at off angles. We viewed the image from above and below center screen, and noticed Good vertical viewing angle performance, with only slight changes in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. In our motion tests, this Vizio TV had Good motion performance, with some blurring. Although this TV also includes a "Clear Action" setting that we found was effective at further reducing motion blur, it limited the brightness of the image and added some flicker to the picture so we left the feature off.
SOUND QUALITY. We got sub-par sound quality, with below average performance. It could be acceptable for typical programming, but its shortcomings would be obvious with movie soundtracks and music. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequencies) to be lacking. Treble (high frequencies) was satisfactory. The overall sound was on the bright side, thin and a bit closed in. This TV should be OK if the room isn't too noisy—we found the speakers could produce a Good volume level, but quality did degrade at the highest settings. Also, at higher volume, its dynamic-compression feature prevented gross distortion, but it slightly reduced the clarity and naturalness of loud peaks. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. Consider the TV's stand is 42 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on. On first power up, an on-screen guide appeared—which you could choose to follow when setting up the TV. The remote controls the TV via an IR light beam which must be pointed at the TV. It has a full number keypad for entering channel numbers. It includes all the buttons we typically expect: power, channel up/down, volume control, mute, source input, menu, and exit. It also has dedicated buttons for streaming Vudu, Netflix, Prime Video, Xumo, Hulu, Redbox, and Watch Free (Pluto TV).
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides certain access to the internet with access to limited library of applications from the Google Play Store/ App Store. Its movie streaming services include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney and Apple TV. More so, Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney and Apple TV can be streamed in 4K UHD. Claimed support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Homekit.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs (one supports eARC, enhanced audio return channel). 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; and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. You get with this TV: a quick start guide, an electronic user guide via the TV's menu, a remote control with batteries, and a detachable power cord. No printed manual is included.
ABOUT UHD TESTING: Ultra-high definition "UHD" can refer to both the TV and program content. While the UHD industry standard includes 4K and 8K, most UHD TVs and UHD content at this time are 4K. A 4K UHD image is presented as 3840 x 2160 pixels—four times the pixel-count of HD. We test UHD TV picture quality using 4K UHD movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We examine the TV's ability to reproduce 4K UHD image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR)—for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a UHD movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, and from files stored on USB flash drive. We also check how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
