HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is excellent. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Very good contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--gives images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels are very good, with help from Vizio's full array "Active Full Array" feature, delivering fairly deep blacks that help contrast in darker scenes (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). Image brightness is very good (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a brighter room. A lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. 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 slight display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). Severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content is excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing on the other hand is only good, with some jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
UHD PICTURE QUALITY. UHD picture quality is generally excellent 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 unfortunately downscaled to a lower 1080p resolution, not taking advantage of the display's detail potential. 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. Though this TV supports the playback of HDR content, its HDR performance is ineffective and lacks the enhancements in image quality expected from this capability. 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 slightly low. In HDR mode this TV only allows the optimization of the Backlight, Brightness, Contrast, Color and Active Full Array, picture settings. All other settings are carried over from the HD picture settings.
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 view the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture shows a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones look a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominant at off angles. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is very good. The picture shows minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
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'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 in depth and a bit in definition, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. 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. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
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 51 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 four 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.
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
