Vizio 55-inch 4K-Series TV (2024, V4K55M-0801) Review

When it comes to cheap TVs, you usually get what you pay for. Models priced under $1,000 for 65 inches don’t always look bad, but you shouldn’t expect exceptional brightness or color performance. Vizio’s 4K-series 4K TVs are an example of this. The 55-inch V4K55-0801 we tested is just $369.99 (although the 65-inch version costs $429.99), and if you’re willing to spend that much, it’s a perfectly fine TV. Still, the more expensive but still reasonably priced Hisense U6N ($499.99 for the 55-inch or $649.99 for the 65-inch) has wider and more accurate colors with a brighter picture. The U6N remains our Editors’ Choice for extra cash and affordable TVs, but the 4K-series is a reasonable option for the lowest price.

Design, ports and remote: Minimalism abounds

Even though this is Vizio’s budget 4K TV line, 4K doesn’t look grainy or ugly The top and sides of the screen are nearly bezel-free, with a narrow black band running along the edges. The bottom edge has a one-inch-wide strip of textured black plastic that looks like brushed metal. A white Vizio logo sits on the right edge of the strip, while a small bump below the left edge houses a remote sensor and indicator LEDs. The TV sits on two slim, V-shaped black plastic legs and mounts on the wall.

Connectivity is minimal. Three HDMI ports (one EARC) and one 1A USB port are on the back of the TV. An optical audio output and antenna/cable connector return directly, and this is for connections without the permanently attached power cable. There is no analog video input or an Ethernet port. Most TVs we test have four HDMI ports and at least two USB ports, but a three/one configuration is common on ultra-cheap models.

The remote is a seamless black plastic bar with rounded edges and edges, similar to the remotes included with Roku TVs and media streamers. A large circular navigation pad sits in the center of the joystick, surrounded by menu navigation, settings and voice search buttons. Dedicated service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Crackle, iHeartRadio, Netflix, Redbox, Slink, and Vizio Watchfree+ sit on top of the remote alongside power and input buttons and a pinhole microphone.

Smartcast Platform: For content only

Vizio’s SmartCast TV platform runs 4K. It’s similar to Roku TV in that it focuses entirely on content and has very few features beyond browsing and streaming what you want to watch. Most major streaming services are available on SmartCast, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix, and YouTube, though Crunchyroll and Twitch are missing. On the bright side, SmartCast supports streaming from Android, iOS, Mac and PC devices along with Apple AirPlay, Google Cast and Miracast/WID.

While the remote has a microphone, the SmartCast’s voice features are more limited than the Roku TV’s. You can search for content by voice, but you can’t use the platform to control smart home devices. It doesn’t even try to be a voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant.

Performance: Look for the sweet spot

The Vizio 4K is a 4K TV with a 60Hz refresh rate. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). It has an ATSC 1.0 tuner for over-the-air broadcasting. It lacks ATSC 3.0 for 1080p and 4K broadcasts.

We test the TV using a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and portrait display Kalman software. At this price range, you’ll need to temper your expectations for contrast and color performance. With an SDR signal in calibrated mode, 4K shows a negligible peak brightness of 273 nits with a full-screen white field and 276 nits with an 18% white field, with a black level of 0.055cd/m^2. An HDR signal doesn’t look too good, showing full-screen for an effective contrast ratio of 5,036:1 and a peak brightness of 282 nits with a white area of ​​18% and a black level of 0.056cd/m^2.

These contrast numbers are pretty low compared to most other TVs we test, but that’s because some are as cheap as 4K. 4K is slightly brighter than the cheaper 1080p Amazon 2-Series (252 nits, 18%), but noticeably dimmer than the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (474 ​​nits, 18%). With 700 nits peak brightness, 0.005cd/m^2 black level and a 233,333:1 contrast ratio, thanks to its mini-LED backlight array, the Hisense U6N surpasses them all.

The charts above show the color levels of 4K in calibrated mode with an SDR signal compared to Rec.709 broadcast standards and an HDR signal compared to DCI-P3 digital cinema standards. The TV doesn’t actually reach past Rec.709 in HDR either, which again isn’t surprising considering the price. Whites and magentas are a bit cold but close to fairly accurate, and other colors are almost spot-on, unlike the Res.709. Again, color performance here is similar to the 2-series, but the Fire TV Omni QLED and U6N can almost completely cover the DCI-P3 color space with HDR signals.

While not wowing with the contrast or color range of 4K, it still offers a beautifully viewable picture. In the BBC’s “Singh” episode dynasty, the lion’s fur, the yellows and greens of the grass, and the blue of the sky all look well balanced. Fine details like the texture of fur are sharp in most scenes, only fading in very harsh shots like a lioness silhouetted against a sunset. Limited color performance keeps footage from looking vibrant, but for a budget TV, it’s very respectable.

party scene The Great Gatsby Looks great in 4K, with the blacks of the suit and the whites of the shirt and balloon showing up quite clearly within the TV’s narrow contrast range. Suits can tend to be a bit washed out or muddy depending on the frame due to the lack of a locally dimmed backlight array, but it never feels harsh or invisible. Skin tones look natural and wonderfully saturated against blacks and whites.

Spears and Muncil claim the footage shown on the Ultra HD benchmark disc is intended to show how well HDR content can look on a high-end TV. This means 4K stumbles predictably in many shots. In a snowy scene, the highlight clip significantly omits any texture or detail. Shots of brightly colored objects against completely black backgrounds also look a bit dull, both elements tempered by the TV’s limited light output and lack of local dimming. Flowers and landscapes can look quite colorful and balanced, at least.

Regardless of what you’re looking at, color performance will vary greatly depending on where you sit. Greens and reds can really pop if you’re directly in front of the center of the screen, but saturation drops as you go beyond 20 to 30 degrees off-angle. This is definitely a TV with a clear sweet spot.

Gaming Performance: Low latency for faster gaming

With a refresh rate of just 60Hz, 4K isn’t the most gamer-focused TV in Vizio’s lineup, but it supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) and shows very responsive performance.

Using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix, we measured an input lag of just 3 milliseconds, well below the 10ms threshold we use to consider a TV good for gaming. That’s nice, but not particularly impressive given the Amazon Fire TV Omni’s 2.6ms latency. Still, it’s by far the least expensive TV we’ve seen slip below the 10ms mark.

Verdict: Excellent for the price

If you want to spend as little as possible on a decent-sized 4K TV, the Vizio 4K is a good choice. You should be aware of the compromises it makes in picture quality compared to slightly more expensive TVs. The Hisense U6N costs a few hundred dollars more than the 4K, but is more than twice as bright, with much higher contrast and a wider color range. 4K is a good performer for its ultra-low price, but the Hisense U6N is superior in every way, justifying its cost and remaining our Editors’ Choice for cheap TVs.