Samsung started selling quantum dot TVs (or QLEDs) to rival the widely popular OLED TVs. A fascinating new display technology that runs using light-emitting dots on a molecular size that’s supposed to be brighter, more colorful, and extremely power efficient, Samsung has recently allowed other companies to license this technology. Now, Vizio is offering its own line of midrange quantum dot TVs with the M-Series Quantum (the P-Series Quantum is its more premium counterpart).
The 55-inch M-Series Quantum 4K HDR Smart TV is currently available on Amazon for a massive $202 discount. Prepare to be blown away by its stunning picture quality that dares to compete with high-end TVs for $598 instead of $800. What’s more, if you order now, Amazon will shave off $50 off instantly upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa card, bringing the price even lower to $548.
The design is typically minimalist like many of today’s TVs. The screen is surrounded by an incredibly thin bezel that’s slightly thicker at the bottom, with two slender boomerang-shaped legs that’s matte black like the rest of it. The legs are detachable, and you can mount the TV on your wall if you wish.
Behind the TV are two sets of ports, one that faces right and another that faces downward. It has four HDMI ports (one of them offers an audio-return channel that’s optimized for soundbars), one USB port, one optical, RCA jacks, a port for HD antennas, and an Ethernet port for network connection. Sadly, this TV doesn’t support Bluetooth connection, so you need to have some sort of plug-in adapter to use wireless headphones.
This TV’s quantum dots all work together to deliver a picture with boosted brightness and a full-array local dimming (FALD) for extreme contrasts. The blacks are inky black, and the brights are beautifully bright. It supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, so it’s capable of a wider spectrum of colors and details. Overall, its picture quality is simply astounding for something that costs less than $1,000.
Surprisingly, this TV’s audio system delivers sound quality that’s quite decent for something so slim. The bass is punchy but wouldn’t make furniture vibrate, the dialogue is audible, and the volume can get pretty loud.
Unfortunately, Vizio’s remote control remains frustratingly unchanged. It gets the job done, but it’s not as wonderfully simple as a Roku or Samsung remote. The same can be said for its smart TV system. It runs with Smartcast 3.0 and is comparatively faster than older Vizio TVs but still slower compared to Roku. Browsing the menu, launching apps, and streaming movies on Netflix, Amazon or Hulu were fine, but there’s an annoyingly random selection of movies and TV shows on the screen. The interface does look well-organized and polished and it has built-in Chromecast, but you cannot add new apps on it.
Overall the 55-inch Vizio M Series Quantum TV is great, with an excellent picture quality that’s hard to beat for the price range. It’s slightly marred by a sluggish interface and a primitive remote, but honestly, you can overlook those things.
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