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 have excellent depth with help from Vizio's full array "Active Full Array" feature, but depth of black can vary with image content. In addition, subtle halos around objects -- a side effect of local dimming -- are sometimes visible, which can be distracting on some darker content (black level does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). This is among the brightest models we've tested (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a very sunny 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). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and 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 excellent and has excellent HD-to-UHD upconversion. 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 is generally excellent with the edges along diagonals of image content looking very smooth with minimal jaggies.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance is very effective. The display's high peak brightness capability helps better reproduce the realism of 4K content mastered with HDR. The contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene is excellent, 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. The local dimming feature does deliver better black levels but halos around image content can become more prominent on some scenes, especially when viewing at off angles, and depth of black can vary. It does a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail from black to white, with no obvious banding on areas of the image that have subtle shade variations. There is no visible loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brighter colored objects remain nicely saturated.
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. Haloing effects from the local dimming feature also become more apparent. 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 generally excellent motion performance, with only slight blurring on our motion tests thanks to Vizio's "Motion Control." This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most displays. This TV includes a "Clear Action" setting that is not effective at reducing motion blur , 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 is lacking in definition a bit, 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. 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, Crackle, and iHeartRadio. Consider the TV's stand is 52 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 five HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time). 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
