For many, Vizio strikes the sweet spot between budget brands and high-end ones, providing quality tech at reasonable prices. In recent years, that has meant 4K and OLED TVs at prices that undercut the likes of LG and Sony, while producing picture quality and feature sets that are at least in the same ballpark as its more expensive competitors.
That said, the company’s offerings tend to be of particular interest to consumers who want a quality home theater experience, but may not want to spring for the absolute top-of-the-line in terms of cost. If you fall into that category, get ready to meet Vizio’s entire lineup of 4K Ultra HD TVs for 2021. Below, we break down the specs, features, and prices to help you decide whether any of these displays will end up mounted on your wall or propped atop your TV stand.
P-Series TVs
Vizio’s best (and most expensive) offerings for this year fall under the banner of the P-series, LED displays that boast Quantum Color performance and top-notch contrast. The PQX-J model boasts 792 local dimming zones, while the PQ9-J models clock in at 210, which should allow dynamic range technologies like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG (all of which are supported by all P-series TVs) to truly shine.
Speaking of shine, the PQX-J will supposedly beam forth with an outrageous 3,000 nits of brightness! We’ll explain more about what that means later but, by comparison, most HDR TVs cap out a peak brightness of 900-1,100. Though the PQ9-J isn’t quite as luminous, at 1,200 nits, it’s still brighter than most displays on the market today. These ultra-bright displays should look particularly stunning given their enhanced color capability.
Without getting too far into the weeds, these models get close to producing the full range of colors recommended by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in the early days of Ultra HD, a benchmark referred to as Rec. 2020. Back then, the standard was aspirational (and maybe a bit crazy) but these P-Series displays are beginning to knock on the door, reproducing 84% (PQ9-J) and 85% (PQX-J) of that color spectrum respectively.
While major movie studios aren’t producing content with this standard in mind yet, that’s slowly changing. When it does, these TVs will be ready. So what does this all boil down to? Color. Color like you’ve likely never seen on any TV before.
If you’re wondering what it might be like to game on such a display, you’re in luck: Vizio had gamers in mind when building the P-series. Both models feature four HDMI 2.1 ports and a ProGaming Engine that supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 4K at 120 frames per second (fps).
For the uninitiated, when there is an imbalance between the screen’s refresh rate and the content’s frame rate, tearing or stuttering of the picture can occur; P-series TVs combat this with an adaptive synchronization technology called AMD FreeSync which makes sure the frame rates, for lack of a better term, cooperate.
If you’re a competitive first-person shooter player, a gaming monitor is still your best option, but TVs are definitely beginning to close the gap. These P-series offerings aim to continue that trend and bring games back to the big screen.
Important to note here, as well, is that, with the exception of the D-Series, all of Vizio’s 2021 offerings are equipped with the latest version SmartCast (the company’s proprietary smart TV platform) and include a new, Bluetooth-enabled Vizio Voice remote, which allows you to search and discover content without having to fumble around with a cumbersome keypad. All SmartCast TVs are Wi-Fi-enabled with built-in support for Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and loads of streaming apps. You can also control the action on your mobile device with the SmartCast app (available on Android and iOS).
The PQ9 models also get Vizio’s innovative, height-adjustable stand that can do double-duty as a platform for the company’s soundbars, for an integrated look.
- 85-inch P85QX-J: $TBD, availability TBD
- 75-inch P75Q9-J: $2,200, available July 2021
- 65-inch P65Q9-J: $1,400, available July 2021
M-Series TVs
Next up is the M-Series, headlined by the MQ7 which is billed as an UltraBright display, producing up to 700 nits. If you’re not familiar with the term, think of nits like bits, but for brightness. The more nits, the brighter the display. 700 is a solid number and, in conjunction with 32 local dimming zones, should produce a sharp, clear picture. Both models (MQ6, MQ7) support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG.
Both also feature VRR at 40-60Hz, which means smoother graphics, but not quite peak performance if you’re playing on next-gen consoles, which support refresh rates of up to 120Hz. The MQ7 features four HDMI 2.1 ports, while the MQ6 has just three, but both support Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). We’ll get into what that means in the next section, but it’s one of HDMI 2.1’s many perks and a key feature for gamers.
The 60-, 70-, and 75-inch Q7 models also benefit from Vizio’s height-adjustable, soundbar-supporting stand.
Like its P- and V-series brethren, M-series displays also feature a push-to-talk Vizio Voice remote, which can be used for searching, streaming, and setup.
- 75-inch M75Q7-J: $1,400, available in July
- 70-inch M70Q7-J: $1,200, available in July
- 65-inch M65Q7-J: $900, available in July
- 58-inch M58Q7-J: $830, available in July
- 55-inch M55Q7-J: $800, available in June
- 50-inch M50Q7-J: $750, available in July
- 75-inch M75Q6-J: $1,000, available in July
- 70-inch M70Q6-J: $850, available in August
- 65-inch M65Q6-J: $680, available now
- 55-inch M55Q6-J: $580, available now
- 50-inch M50Q6-J: $530, available in July
- 43-inch M43Q6-J: $400, available in July
V-Series TVs
The V-Series aims to provide a TV for every living room, with sizes ranging from 43 to 75 inches. Vizio describes the price points of these models (see below) as “aggressive,” and we’re inclined to agree. We’ve joked before that Vizio’s trademark “V” could just as easily stand for “value” and that commitment to affordability is on full display here.
All TVs in this series include support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG; like all of the D-series below (and the MQ6-J), they also feature full-array backlighting. The V-series is also backed by the V-Gaming Engine, which delivers 4K at 60 Hertz VRR (V6 models also feature AMD FreeSync).
Again, Vizio seems to be making a concerted effort to make sure no gamer is left behind, and the addition of Auto Game Mode or auto low-latency mode means you won’t have to switch back and forth every time you switch from streaming to playing. All V-series TVs are outfitted with three HDMI 2.1 ports and eARC support (more on this in a moment) means that you’ll be able to upgrade your sound system with the latest audio tech.
- 50-inch V505-J: $400 available now
- 55-inch V555-J: $500 available now
- 58-inch V585-J: $530 available in July
- 65-inch V655-J: $600 available now
- 70-inch V705-J: $700 available now
- 75-inch V755-J: $900 available now
- 70-inch V706-J: $750 available in June
- 75-inch V756-J: $920 available in June
D-Series TVs
The budget-friendly D-Series also offers a pretty broad range of screen sizes, though on the smaller end of the spectrum. The smallest is the truly diminutive 24-inch model, which could be an option for a kitchen, bathroom, or any other place where you don’t want the TV dominating the room. All models are powered by an IQ processor which provides FHD and HD picture quality.
A Full-Array LED backlight helps produce sharp contrast (though these models don’t offer HDR support) and the VGaming Engine supports VRR on select models and AMD FreeSync on D4 models. Two HDMI 1.4 ports, while no longer state-of-the-art, still support Audio Return Channel (ARC), which lets audio move back and forth over an HDMI cable between a TV and an A/V receiver or soundbar. While HDMI 2.1 allows for lossless audio to flow both ways (eARC), earlier versions compress the signal further, resulting in “lossy” audio. All D-Series TVs are also Vizio Voice-enabled via the SmartCast Mobile™ app, but they do not feature the Vizio Voice remote.
- 24-inch D24h-J: $140 available in June
- 32-inch D32h-J: $180 available now
- 24-inch D24f-J: $160 available in August
- 32-inch D32f-J: $220 available in August
- 40-inch D40f-J: $250 available now
- 43-inch D43f-J: $300 available now
- 24-inch D24f4-J: $170 available in August
- 32-inch D32f4-J: $230 available in August
