We’ve covered deals on Vizio’s impressive M-Series Quantum TVs this summer as the price of this excellent 4K TV has dropped. Well, the price has fallen yet again — this time below $500 — making it one of the cheapest quantum dot 4K TVs available on the market right now.
Both Walmart and Amazon have cut the prices another $100 from their previous lows to just $498. Considering this TV originally retailed for $650 at one point, that is a substantial discount for a current-year model.
Why are quantum dots so important in a television? Molecular sized light-emitting dots on these sets produce a brighter and more colorful picture, all while being far more power efficient than more traditional display technologies. While Samsung owns the rights to the technology, it recently began licensing it out to competitors, and we’ve seen some more value-minded brands incorporate it into their own sets.
The Vizio M-Series Quantum 55-inch includes 90 local dimming zones to deliver deeper blacks. While not as bright as other quantum dot sets, at 600 nits of brightness, it still delivers bright enough whites to make this a top-tier set for a majority of consumers.
If you want even deeper blacks and brighter whites, we’d direct you to the Vizio P-Series Quantum instead, currently on sale for $1,098 at Amazon. The 65-inch version offers 1100 nits of brightness and 200 local dimming zones, and the difference in picture quality between the M and P Series Quantum is more than noticeable.
Other notable features include Cinemawide Black Bar Detection, which identifies and darkens the black bars that you see in 21:9 cinematic content to achieve lower levels of black, and Dolby Vision HDR. Smart TV features are included, along with Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay support, and Vizio’s WatchFree, a branded version of Pluto TV, is also included for free with each set.
Both Walmart and Amazon also have the larger 65-inch version of this set on sale for $798 also a record low price for that particular TV. We’d recommend this larger size if you’re looking for a TV for the living room that offers a great picture but doesn’t leave you broke.
Looking for other great 4K TV deals? Be sure to check out our curated deals page.
Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.
Editors' Recommendations
- The best cheap QLED TV deals for September 2020: Samsung and Vizio
- These are the best cheap 4K TV deals for September 2020
- Bring the game home with these fantastic LG, Samsung, Sony 4K TV deals
- Target Labor Day Sale 2020: The 5 best tech deals
- Best Buy discounts must-have Hisense, LG, and Samsung 4K TVs
