HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. 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 decent with help from Vizio's full array "Active Full Array" feature, which helps maintain some contrast in darker scenes. Image brightness is only fair, dimmer than most even with the backlight turned up, and is not the best choice for a bright room. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is notable display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas, most visible on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). Severity can vary from model to model. 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.
UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K UHD picture quality is very good but HD-to-UHD upconversion falls short. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, is presented in full 4K detail with excellent fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. Via the USB port, high-resolution photos are displayed in full 4K detail. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing falls short, revealing some visible jaggies along the edges of diagonals when playing HD content.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance is ineffective. The display does not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on content mastered for HDR. There is no significant contrast revealed between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are preserved.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Vizio has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide fairly consistent picture quality, with fewer problems than most TVs, for typical viewing conditions -- say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides. The picture does introduce moderate dimming from the sides. With dark scenes this model doesn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels vary depending on the vertical position of the viewer's head. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brighten significantly. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominent at off angles.
MOTION BLUR. This Vizio TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. Although this TV includes a "Clear Action" setting that is slightly effective at reducing motion blur and also added some flicker to the picture, so we left the feature off.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has good sound quality; about average among the models we've tested. When watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it delivers decent performance but falls short of the better performers. Bass is adequate, which adds some fullness to the sound but a bit lacking in clarity, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is notably closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, but quality does degrade at the highest settings. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression keeps the sound from distorting but also limits the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be a bit distracting on some audio content. Most people would find this 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, Hulu, iHeartRadio and WatchFree (Pluto TV). Consider the TV's stand is 50 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. Claimed support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three 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; and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. 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.
