Vizio’s First OLED HDTV: What the Reviews Say
A handful of reviews of the Vizio OLED TV line were published when the TVs hit the market in October, but several more have arrived in recent weeks, to give TV buyers a hint at whether the Vizio OLED product is something they should consider for a holiday purchase.
After a few years of using QLED-style Quantum technology for its high-end TVs, Vizio earlier this year announced the release of its first-ever OLED TV. The OLED TVs, available in fifty-five- and sixty-five-inch sizes, were released earlier this fall, as Vizio joined Sony and LG as brands that offer OLED TVs in the United States.
A handful of reviews of the Vizio OLED TV line were published when the TVs hit the market in October, but several more have arrived in recent weeks, to give TV buyers a hint at whether the Vizio OLED product is something they should consider for a holiday purchase.
“Vizio’s 65-inch 4K OLED TV has unbeatable picture performance for the price — especially when it's on sale for $1,500,” Business Insider’s review said. “On the downside, HDMI issues and glitches could lead to a frustrating experience for some buyers depending on what other devices you own. These are problems that could be solved with future firmware, but it's not clear when such updates will be released.”
Tom’s Guide, in reviewing the Vizio 4K OLED TV, gave it four out of five stars and called it “the best OLED TV value.”
The review praised the low price, strong picture and audio, the viewing angles and SmartCast, while listing such cons as “minor issues with brightness and color accuracy” and a lackluster gaming performance.
“With the Vizio OLED TV (OLED55-H1), Vizio has smashed open the lower end of the OLED market, and if I were LG or Sony, I’d be worried right now. This set may not quite match their lower-priced models in terms of picture quality or depth of features, but the entry-level LG BX OLED and more premium LG CX OLED are priced at $1,599 and $1,799 respectively, and the Sony Bravia A8H OLED rings in at $1,899.”
TechHive, also reviewing the TV, gave it four out of five.
“For normal viewing, 90 percent of the time, Vizio’s OLED matches its OLED competitors. SmartCast, meanwhile, is one on the better TV operating systems, and you have the option of controlling the TV with your smartphone or tablet,” the review said. “Vizio’s OLED is quite a bit cheaper than Sony’s OLED, but the price difference narrows considerably when compared to an LG OLED. Sony’s and LG’s TV deliver better fine-detail processing and Bluetooth without needing to buy an accessory.”
Meanwhile, TechRadar also gave the TV four out of five, calling it “an affordable new OLED with a few caveats.”
“If you limit yourself to 4K HDR content in a light-controlled room, or are still gaming on last-gen hardware, you will be absolutely astounded by this affordable OLED TV. But if you’re using it to watch HD cable networks in your brightly lit living room — or, worse, connect the PS5 or Xbox Series X to the HDMI 2.1 ports — the Vizio OLED will be a big disappointment,” the review said.
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for the National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.