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Vizio E Series 1080p 2016 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Vizio E Series 1080p 2016 Picture
6.5
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.7
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.4
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.0
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.4
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.1
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
4.8
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.1
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The Vizio E Series 1080p 2016 is an entry level TV, lacking many of the features found in higher end models. It has below average picture quality, but handles motion well. It features the same SmartCast platform found on higher end models such as the Vizio M Series 2016.

Our Verdict

6.5 Mixed Usage

Below average for a range of usages. Picture quality is below average, and degrades a lot when viewed at a slight angle. Has uniformity issues.

Pros
  • Handles motion well
  • Low input lag
Cons
  • Picture quality degrades when viewed at a slight angle
  • Poor uniformity
5.7 Movies

Bad TV for watching movies in a dark room. Picture quality is below average, and the local dimming does not work well to improve it.

6.4 TV Shows

Below average for watching TV in a bright room. When viewed at a slight angle, the picture quality degrades very rapidly. The TV is average at dealing with reflections, and cannot get bright enough to combat glare.

7.0 Sports

Average for watching sports. The motion is handled well, but picture quality is below average. When viewed at a slight angle the picture quality degrades rapidly. No motion interpolation features.

7.4 Video Games

Average video game performance. Fast motion is handled well, and input lag is good. Unfortunately picture quality is below average.

5.1 HDR Movies

Does not support HDR content. Also does not support features necessary for a good HDR experience such as a wide color gamut, or high peak brightness.

5.1 PC Monitor

Below average as a PC monitor. Motion is handled well and input lag is good. Unfortunately only a 1080p resolution and picture quality is below average. Does not support Chroma 4:4:4 for clear text on some backgrounds.

  • 6.5 Mixed Usage
  • 5.7 Movies
  • 6.4 TV Shows
  • 7.0 Sports
  • 7.4 Video Games
  • 5.1 HDR Movies
  • 4.8 HDR Gaming
  • 5.1 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Aug 10, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Jun 02, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Vizio E Series 1080p TV that we bought is the 48" with SKU E48-D0. We expect our review to be valid for the other sizes. 

If someone's Vizio E Series 1080p doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.  

Note: This review does not apply to the 4k variant of the Vizio E, which we reviewed separately and can be found here.

Size Model Effective Refresh Rate Real Refresh Rate HDMI # Speakers Local Dimming Zones
32" E32-D1 120 Hz 60 Hz 2 5W x 2 N/A
40" E40-D0 120 Hz 60 Hz 2 10W x 2 N/A
43" E43-D2 120 Hz 60 Hz 3 10W x 2 5
48" E48-D0 120 Hz 60 Hz 3 10W x 2 5
55" E55-D0 120 Hz 60 Hz 3 10W x 2 10

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Samsung KU6300 (UN55KU6300). Bottom left: Vizio D Series 1080p 2016 (D50-D1). Middle: Vizio E Series 1080p 2016 (E48-D0). Top right: Sony W630B (KDL60W630B). Bottom right: TCL FS3750 (48FS3750).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The Vizio E Series 1080p 2016 is a budget TV, but it offers poor picture quality even considering the price. There are other TVs for the same price which provide much better overall performance. Keep this in mind when viewing our recommendations below. 

Test Results

Design
6.0
Design
Style
Curved No

The Vizio E 1080p 2016 is blocky, and made of plastic. It features a wide set stand which supports the TV well. An improvement on last year's design, but very basic and won't turn any heads. Looks identical to the 4k variant of the same TV.

Design
Stand

Basic wide stand, same as Vizio E Series 4k 2016. Provides a stable support.

Footprint of the 48" TV stand: 10.6" x 36.4"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

The simple back provides easy access to all inputs, even when wall mounted.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.75" (1.9 cm)

The borders have an average thickness, and look quite good with a textured side.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 3.11" (7.9 cm)

The max thickness measurement is taken at the bottom of the TV. Will stick out if wall mounted.

Picture Quality
8.0
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
3,147 : 1

Contrast Ratio is good on the E Series 1080p. It is high enough to provide deep blacks in a dark room.

2.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

Has a full array backlight, but zones are horizontal and the full width of the screen. Looks similar to Samsung edge-lit TVs such as JS8500. Note that the different sizes have different numbers of dimming zones, as shown in the 'Differences between Sizes and Variants' below. The E48-D0 we reviewed has 5 local dimming zones.

5.9
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Peak 2% Window
148 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
283 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
281 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
281 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
335 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
148 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
283 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
281 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
281 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
335 cd/m²

The peak brightness is below average for the Vizio E Series 1080p TV. The peak brightness measurements are with 'Active LED' set to on. The TV takes a few seconds to respond to dark screens with backlight dimming.

not tested
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A

This TV does not support HDR.

7.1
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
4.051%
50% DSE
0.183%

The gray uniformity is average. Both side are darker than the center. Some warmer vertical bands can also be seen towards the center. Some dirty screen effect will be visible.

4.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
20°
Brightness
32°
Black Level
10°

The viewing angle of the E Series 1080p is pretty bad, the picture quality degrades really fast when viewed off axis. At 10 degrees, you already start to lose some color saturation.

Update: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results.

4.2
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.646%

Black uniformity is disappointing, not to say the least. You can clearly see on the picture that the center is much darker than both sides of the screen, this is due to the narrow viewing angle. The picture quality at the sides degrades even when viewed from in front.

8.0
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

You can see easily the 8 bit gradation on our gradient picture. Color gradation are more visible in the darker colors but does not exhibit real banding issues. The only color tint problem are due to the gray uniformity problem in the corners.

9.2
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.62
Color dE
1.4295
Gamma
2.1

Before calibration, the white balance is quite good. The colors are also very accurate. For most people, a calibration is not necessary.

9.2
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
1.62
Color dE
1.4295
Gamma
2.1

Issues with the SmartCast App meant the changes to the white balance and color space were not visible on the app. This made calibration very difficult, but since the pre-calibration result was very good this is not an issue. You can see our calibration settings here.

7.5
Picture Quality
480p Input

The 480p upscaling isn't as good as some of the other brands. Content looks a bit soft.

7.5
Picture Quality
720p Input

Upscaled 720p material looks good on this Vizio TV. It does look a bit softer than other brand of TV like Sony, but it still does a good job. Small detail are sometimes lost.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Native 1080p content like Blu-rays looks good and sharp. No problems can be noticed here.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input

The Vizio E Series 1080p does accept 4k signal, but downscales it to 1080p.

6.8
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
74.9647%
DCI P3 uv
81.5205%
Rec 2020 xy
53.7864%
Rec 2020 uv
59.4213%

This TV does not support a wide color gamut, and is limited to displaying Rec. 709 content. It is good enough for SDR content.

5.3
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
58.825%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
29.567%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
42.838%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
21.575%

The E Series 1080p 2016 can't produce very saturated colors.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0%
IR after 2 min recovery
0%
IR after 4 min recovery
0%
IR after 6 min recovery
0%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%
7.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
2.4%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

Average at dealing with reflections, and better suited to a room without much glare. One or two windows at the side should be fine, but the backlight is not bright enough to combat too many reflections.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No

3D is not offered on the E Series 1080p 2016.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED

The Vizio E48-D0 uses a different type of pixel. It has a horizontal pixel contrary to the more used vertical pixel matrix. This type of horizontal pixel matrix seems to offer a narrower viewing angle. This is the same type of horizontal pixel found in the Vizio E 4k 2016.

Motion
8.6
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
12 ms
Overshoot
4.4 ms

Motion is handled well. The transitions are quick, but do have some overshoot. This is visible in the lighter trail following the logo. The transitions appear to be similar to the Vizio E Series 4k 2016, but tuned differently which causes a faster response but with the drawback of more overshoot. The backlight uses PWM to dim which causes some flickering.

9.2
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
480 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
60 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
Yes

Just like the other 2016 Vizio TVs, the E Series 1080p has a 'Clear Action' setting which reduces the backlight flicker frequency to 60Hz and clears up motion. This is good for gamers or sports fans who don't mind some visible flicker.

7.1
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

Set 'Film Mode' to 'Auto' to play 24p sources over 24Hz without judder. The E Series 1080p 2016 is not able to remove judder when playing 24p content over 60Hz signals.

0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

There are no motion interpolation features on this TV, similar to the Vizio D Series 1080p.

Inputs
8.2
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
29.6 ms
1080p With Interpolation
N/A
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
85.9 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

Input lag is good for the E Series 1080p. To have the lower input lag, you need to set the picture mode to 'Game' and also turn on the 'Game Low Latency' option. With these settings, the input lag varies between the lowest value of 29.6ms and about 45ms.

0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No

The E Series 1080p only accepts a signal up to 60Hz, as it has a 60Hz panel. Although chroma 4:4:4 is accepted by the TV at 1080p and 60Hz, it is not really 4:4:4 and not as clear as other TVs.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 1
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 1
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth No
ARC Yes (HDMI 1)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Sound Quality
7.2
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.16 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.29 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
3.99 dB SPL
Max
88.2 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
143 Hz

Above average and mostly flat frequency response. However, the low-end cutoff of 143Hz means that this TV lacks a lot of bass. Also, with maximum loudness of 88.32B, this TV doesn't get much loud either. Additionally, under maximum loudness, pumping and compression will be present in the higher frequencies.

6.3
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.013
Distortion @ 80
0.012
Distortion @ Max
0.244

Average distortion results. The overall amount of harmonic distortion at 75 and 85dB SPL are good. However, at maximum volume, there is a dramatic rise in harmonic distortion with high amounts of aliasing. However, the high distortion and aliasing will be less noticeable in real-life situations.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

There are no applications on the TV itself, but any Android or iOS phone can stream to the TV. There are many major applications which support this platform, such as YouTube, Netflix and Spotify. Amazon Prime Video is not supported at the moment.

6.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS SmartCast

This TV features the same SmartCast platform found on the higher end Vizio TVs this year, such as the Vizio M Series 2016. It works similarly to ChomeCast, as the TV receives information about streams to play from a tablet, phone or PC. Unlike the higher end models (Vizio M Series 2016 and Vizio P Series 2016), it does not come with an included tablet. This TV has an inbuilt tuner, unlike the 4k variant.

10
Smart Features
Ads
Ad-free
Yes
Opt-out
N/A
Smart Features
TV Controls

The controls are located behind the left side of the TV. They provide basic functionality and are easy to access if wall mounted.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

Same basic remote found with the other 2016 Vizio TVs that feature the SmartCast platform such as the Vizio E Series 4k 2016.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote
  • Batteries
  • Manual

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 33 W
Power Consumption (Max) 79 W
Firmware 1.0.23