VIZIO V-Series 65-inch 4K UHD LED HDR Smart TV
"Vizio's cheapest TV line leaves a lot to be desired."
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Very low prices
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Low entry delay for games
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Minimal bloom
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Chromecast, AirPlay 2
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Bad screen uniformity
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Overwhelming HDR brightness
The V series is the cheapest TV series from Vizio. The 65-inch model costs less than $ 500 and the 70-inch model costs significantly less than $ 700. That sounds very promising – but what quality can you expect at this price point, and is the V-Series competitive with options like TCL and Hisense?
Details on the Vizio V series
While we tested the 65-inch model V655-H19, our test also applies to the screen sizes available in the series.
| Screen size | Model no | RRP |
| 40 inches | V405-H19 | $ 229 |
| 43 in | V435-H11 | $ 279 |
| 50 inches | V505-H19 | $ 299 |
| 55 inches | V555-H11 | $ 389 |
| 58 inches | V585-H11 | $ 399 |
| 65 inches | V655-H19 | $ 469 |
| 70 inches | V705-H13 | $ 649 |
| 75 in | V755-H4 | $ 779 |
Out of the box
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
As you'd expect from a TV in this price range, setup is pretty straightforward: screwing in the TV's plastic feet and removing any protective film is all that is required for a stand mount.
The TV itself looks … OK. The V-series bezels are a bit chunkier than we're used to, but that's not surprising in this base price range. In fact, "fundamental" is a word that appears frequently in this review.
Entrances
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
The back of the V-Series has composite video inputs, an antenna input, analog and optical audio outputs and an Ethernet connection. On the digital side (and also on the side of the device) there are three HDMI inputs and one USB input. Note that these HDMI ports are 2.0b and do not support most HDMI 2.1 functions. At first we didn't think this TV supported eARC as nothing was mentioned in the datasheet, but it turns out that an HDMI port supports eARC (more on that later) and is clearly labeled as such.
To install
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Setting up the V-Series takes a while – around 10 minutes. Thankfully, it's mostly automated, so you can hit the road to have more coffee and just let the TV do its thing. After that, you will need to agree to some terms and conditions related to the Sponsored Content information that you see at the top of the SmartCast home screen. There you land at the end of the setup.
Picture settings
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
The V-Series is delivered with the image mode on Vivid, which we have switched to calibrated, as this initially gives us the most accurate image. In the Calibrated Image preset, the backlight setting is already set to 100, but most of the other options are set to 50 and can be adjusted to your liking. While the TV has local full array dimming, it is a fairly limited system with only 12 zones so certainly not very advanced. The background lighting is activated in the advanced picture settings. This indicates that the local dimming control is activated by default.
Motion smoothing
The only control available for motion smoothing is the movie mode – there is no other motion menu we could find. Granted, the V series is a basic TV, but it would be nice to have at least some control over the motion settings. It is possible that if you select a different image mode, such as Sports, the motion smoothing will automatically adjust to that content, but the lack of other controls left us wanting.
Audio
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
As mentioned earlier, there is no external label on the back of the TV for eARC support. However, we noticed that there is an option to toggle eARC on or off in the Audio menu. We recommend an inexpensive soundbar for the V-Series as the built-in audio isn't very good.
It's also worth noting that the V-Series comes with DTS: Virtual X surround sound enabled, which we turned off as it seemed to give the sound a slurred quality.
picture quality
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
After running multiple test patterns and switching between standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR), there didn't seem to be much difference between the two formats. The V series supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but the device is not bright enough to improve the picture quality. According to Vizio, the maximum screen is 400 nits.
As for the overall image quality, this isn't particularly special. Bright highlights tend to be a bit washed out, and the color seemed a bit aggressive too. This is forgivable on a budget option and the word "basic" applies again. However, if you're looking for a standout imaging experience, switching to the Vizio M-Series is better with around $ 220 more for the 65-inch model and a more modest upgrade of around $ 90 for the 55-inch model Choice.
We should also note that the screen had some vignetting in the corners and strange bright spots on the sides. Maybe this is an "onscreen lottery", maybe it's a quality control thing, or maybe it's a transit issue. If we had bought this TV we would surely be looking for an exchange if we decided to keep it.
Play
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Dan Baker / Digital Trends
Vizio touts the V-Series with a pro gaming engine, but it looks like the only real options are the game's low latency (which toggles the TV to the lowest input delay settings) and the game's HDR . And even though our Xbox Series X was automatically recognized, the picture mode was switched to light instead of game, which we had to select manually. You can also toggle the backlight control (the dimming function for the entire array), presumably to reduce the delay.
But when it comes to game features, that's all. Even with HDR games, the V series isn't bright enough for HDR games to make a noticeable difference.
Our opinion
When it comes down to it, the V-Series is designed to be ready to use right out of the box by people who just want a big screen and don't care about the specifics. The perfect use case would be to put it in the garage, man cave, or game room – somewhere where you just want a big screen for the occasional movie or game and something you don't have to worry about or think about. If you want lots of screen real estate at a low price – and that's it – the V-Series is well worth checking out.
Is there a better alternative?
Yes, the Vizio M series would be a better buy for image quality. However, the V series manages to displace the comparable TCL 4 series.
How long it will take?
With Vizio's latest SmartCast system and televisions recording long-term performance, the V-Series should last for years.
guarantee
Vizio offers a one-year guarantee on its TV products. For more information, see the Vizio warranty page.
Should you buy it?
Except for those looking for the most screen for the least amount of money, no. Again, we recommend taking a look at the much more powerful Vizio M series.
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