As others have noted, we have found that the maximum brightness of this TV is darker than that of more expensive OLEDs, at least in the “calibrated” mode at the factory. This problem is slightly improved, although not completely alleviated; you can increase the brightness in the advanced image settings menu, which makes content with a high dynamic range (HDR) a little more vibrant.
As with all OLED panels, you can expect a screen burn (if the contents leave a mark on the TV panel) over the life of the unit, if you leave a single station (or a desktop taskbar or a games menu) displayed for many hours a day. I suggest a standard LED TV, such as the TCL 6 series, if you think this might be a problem, but it really won’t be for most people.
It’s organic
Don’t let the passionate fans on the forums reach you. Believe me: Although it’s not as bright or as detailed in darker scenes (or in brighter rooms) as more expensive OLEDs, this TV still looks remarkable.
I watched everything from 4K Blu-ray discs to 720p Plex streams, and in each case, I was amazed at how fantastic a TV with this price tag looks. I just had to increase the brightness and stop the smoothing of the movement – things I would do on any new TV. From there, everything I played looked fantastic. In previous years, the gap between the TVs that were two or three times the price and this would be amazing. This year, it feels like a little jump over a garden hose.
One area that Vizio receives is the Smartcast interface. It is easily my favorite of the three major OLED TV companies, thanks to an intuitive interface and an associated application. I like that it also has support for both Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, so throwing it from any phone is a breeze.
It’s also better than Sony’s OLED when it comes to console gaming. Vizio is one of the few TVs on the market with HDMI 2.1 ports, as well as full support for using PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X at 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 120 frames per second. Since its release, the only other TV that supports this functionality is the LG CX (and other more expensive LG models).
I haven’t been able to test any new game systems during the review period (and I’ve heard that there may be some initial compatibility issues), but updating your TV (if you have the money) is absolutely useful to access these features and make the most of your new shiny console.
The Vizio OLED has some visual trade-offs, but overall, this new TV has the best price-performance ratio you’ll find outside of TCL’s 6 Series. Make sure you expect a holiday sale, as it usually reaches $ 1,000 if it doesn’t drop below. If I were in the market for a new TV right now, this would be close to the top of my list.