Key Takeaways
- Vizio TVs are among the cheapest on the market, but that low price comes with some high quality compromises.
- The SmartCast platform can be buggy and slow, with too many ads.
- Vizio TVs lack the latest innovations and technological advancements and only have a few options.
Vizio is a curious entry in the TV manufacturer lineup. A budget-friendly brand, perhaps the most budget-friendly brand, fact. Vizio isn’t particularly prolific, but it has been around for quite some time and is fairly popular in the United States, in part because it’s an American company based in California. Its TVs can be spotted around big box stores, namely Walmart, with eye-catching low prices that may be tempting to consumers looking for a deal.
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Vizio hasn’t really gone away, but they also aren’t the most active of the TV brands, even among other budget brands like Hisense and Amazon’s lineup of Fire TVs. Before you snatch up a big TV for a low price, there are a few things worth knowing about Vizio, including why that upfront cost is so cheap.
1 Vizio TVs are cheap
Budget-friendly brand, but with hidden costs
Markus Spiske/ Unsplash
Perhaps the most important thing to know about Vizio TVs is that they come at a low cost. You can routinely find average-sized TVs with 4K resolution for $500 or less, and even some of its more recent QLED TVs reach that price point. Its cheapest TVs may fall below even $200. Vizio fits in the same category as Hisense and Amazon, while below more mid-range manufacturers like TCL and even Roku, who has been striving to enhance its TV lineup. The price is significantly cheaper than the top tier brands Samsung, LG, and Sony.
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The inexpensive TVs also come with a lot of free content to consume. While you can download your favorite app to its smart platform, Vizio also strongly promotes WatchFree+, a collection of over 260 free channels where you can watch local news, game shows, and endless reruns of shows from decades past. Vizio wants to give you a lot of stuff to watch and a means to watch it without breaking the bank. However, the cheap upfront cost means Vizio needs to make up money elsewhere and informs everything else you should consider before purchase.
2 SmartCast is bloated and buggy
Interface can be an issue
Vizio
SmartCast, Vizio’s smart TV platform, can be problematic for a few reasons. Because Vizio doesn’t seem to frequently update its software or send out any patches, many users find the platform can be buggy or slow.
SmartCast supports all the biggest apps, including Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+, and Max, but some more niche options, like Crunchyroll, are absent. Users can enjoy Spotify on most Vizio TVs, but it isn’t listed as one of its supported apps and may require some tedious measures to use.
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Perhaps more annoying (definitely to me, at least), is that the interface is crowded and filled with ads. It may be suggesting things you like, but it really wants to suggest things it wants you to watch (or it might try to sell you one of its soundbars). Vizio doesn’t make a lot of money selling TVs, but it does make quite a bit of profit selling ads on its TVs. So that low cost you’re getting up front comes around in the form of ads and commercials on the TV.
Vizio, like other TV brands, has its own so-called streaming platform, which is basically just a collection of free, basic cable-style channels that can contribute to Vizio’s profit as they’re also ad-heavy.
3 Options are limited
Series and names can be confusing
Vizio
Vizio doesn’t make a lot of TVs, and it doesn’t make them very often. Its lineup includes four main series, starting with the low-end D-Series that includes small, HD TVs. The mid-range V-Series boasts smart TVs from 43-inches up to 75-inches in size, and these include common features found on most TVs, like 4K resolution, HDR10+, and some voice control via virtual assistants. Notably, these TVs utilize full array LED panels, which struggle with contrast and differentiating between shades of black. The ‘V’ supposedly stands for ‘value,’ though I suppose that depends on your definition of the word.
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The upper class, M-series TVs feature QLED panels for improved brightness and higher refresh rates designed to support gaming. Then there is the P-series, which includes a limited number of TVs with some top-end features such as local dimming, a fast processor, and wide-angle viewing. Vizio also makes an OLED TV that doesn’t fit into any particular series and isn’t nearly as budget-friendly as others.
4 Technology isn’t new
Vizio lacks innovation
Vizio
Not only is Vizio not especially prolific in its TV options, but it isn’t the quickest to release new models and adhere to the latest technological trends. Its current lineup includes TVs with 4K resolution, QLED panels, and decent refresh rates, but the company isn’t pushing any boundaries when it comes to dimming, artificial intelligence, processor power, or physical design. Only the top tier group of TVs offers features such as a reduced-glare screen and wide-angle viewing.
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So, if you care about fidelity, or want to enjoy their prestige content to the fullest, Vizio TVs may not be the best option. They don’t deliver the peak brightness you’ll find with other competitors, and the contrast will be poor when watching darker scenes. They might suffice for casual gaming, but even with efforts to reduce lag and response time, they may not be the best TVs for serious online gaming, especially as some don’t have the latest gen Wi-Fi connectivity.
5 Walmart plans to acquire Vizio
Changes are likely coming
Vizio
Earlier this year, Walmart announced its plan to acquire Vizio, a move that brought increased attention to where Vizio makes its money. It’s clear that Walmart, which is a big seller of Vizio TVs already, wants to use Vizio’s platform and reach to expand its own ad business. Smartcast has a decent number of active subscribers, which includes data on their viewing habits. It is also built for ads.
The move suggests Walmart wants to create some kind of Amazon Prime business model where people can shop and consume content simultaneously, and ads can be tailored to specific users based on not just their viewing profile, but their shopping profile as well.
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It also suggests that some changes could be coming to Vizio’s production, whether that means increasing its lineup or subscribing to newer technologies.
Vizio’s low price dictates how it makes its TVs, and what features they do and do not include. It’s easy to see them thrown into a guest room or a child’s bedroom, but it’s harder to argue that the money saved buying one of its better TVs might not be best spent as part of a larger investment in a different brand.
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