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Vizio P Series 2015 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Vizio P Series 2015 Picture
7.4
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.0
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
8.0
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.3
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.5
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Vizio P Series 2016

The Vizio P-series is a good, affordable 4k TV. With the exception of its motion blur and viewing angle, its picture quality is great, and it would make a good TV for general use.

Our Verdict

7.4 Mixed Usage

The Vizio P Series is a great TV. If you want a 4k TV, the Vizio P Series is a great budget option. If you don't care about 4k, the choice isn't as clear. Even though it is better than the E Series and M Series, it costs almost twice as much, so the price to quality ratio isn't as good. But if you don't mind the price difference, go for the Vizio P Series.

Pros
  • Great black uniformity, even with local dimming turned off.
  • Very low input lag.
  • Very bright. It currently holds our maximum white luminance record.
Cons
  • Poor viewing angle (except the 55"). The TV's colors change significantly when you view it from an angle.
  • It has a very long motion blur trail on full-color transitions.
  • Sub par upscaling. Lower resolution content look soft.
  • 7.4 Mixed Usage
  • 8.1 Movies
  • 7.0 TV Shows
  • 7.0 Sports
  • 8.0 Video Games
  • 6.8 HDR Movies
  • 5.3 HDR Gaming
  • 5.5 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Mar 19, 2015: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Oct 10, 2014: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
6.5
Design
Style
Curved No

Contrary to the cheaper Vizio TVs, the P Series feels like a higher-end TV. It might not be the thinnest LED TV, but it is still less bulky than some high end Sony TVs.

The stand isn't the most stable, but it has a small footprint.

Design
Stand

Dimensions for 60" TV stand: 19.75” x 10.34”

Design
Borders
Borders 0.79" (2 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.48" (6.3 cm)
Picture Quality
8.1
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
3,406 : 1

With the local dimming feature off, the contrast ratio is good. Surprisingly, the local dimming did change our black level measurement on our checkboard pattern (it didn't on the E or M Series). We measured a black of 0.023 cd/m2 instead of 0.030 cd/m2. Of course, with that feature, the black level is even lower on larger black areas. The 55" has a native contrast ratio a lot lower than the other sizes, around 1,000:1.

7.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

The backlight is a bit slow to dim when transitioning from light to dark, so there is a trail of blooming that follows the dot around the screen in our test. This video was filmed under 'Calibrated Dark' preset. Under 'Calibrated', it is not as aggressive, except for the top and bottom letterboxes.

6.7
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Peak 2% Window
400 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
400 cd/m²
7.0
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.795%
50% DSE
0.194%

It has less DSE than most of the other TVs we have reviewed, but a considerable amount of deviation in the uniformity.

4.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA (except 55")
Color Shift
20°
Brightness
30°
Black Level
19°

The 60" Vizio P we reviewed lost picture quality pretty quickly when viewed at an angle. It’s not a problem if you sit directly in front of it, but this is not an ideal TV for even relatively minor deviations from a centered position. The 55” version has an IPS panel, and therefore does not have that same problem.

Update 01/06/2017: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results from 2016 TVs.

9.3
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.812%

The black uniformity of this TV is good. There is a bit of flashlighting in the top right corner, but it's very minor.

8.6
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.73
Color dE
3.2475
Gamma
2.24

The white balance is good out of the box if you select the calibrated picture mode. The colorspace could be better though.

9.8
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.15
Color dE
0.6862
Gamma
2.2

The red color is still slightly off after calibration. The lowest dE2000 we could get on the red is 2.3339. The white balance is perfect on the other hand.

7.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

When 'Reduce Block Noise' is set to 'High', the picture becomes too soft. 'Med' is a good compromise.

7.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Upscaled cable content looks soft and not as sharp as other TVs.

8.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Upscaled 1080p looks soft on this 4k TV. The Samsung JU7100 does a better job at keeping the original sharpness of 1080p content.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

On HDMI 4, the 4k picture looks great. On HMDI 5 however, it looks a little bit over-processed.

6.3
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
69.54%
DCI P3 uv
77.92%
Rec 2020 xy
49.89%
Rec 2020 uv
52.82%
8.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.8%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The Vizio P Series reflects slightly more than average. It is not significant, so do not worry about a few overhead lights.
It gets very bright, and can handle itself well in a bright room. It would do fine even if it was surrounded by windows or other sources of bright light.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
7.8
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 120 Hz
Response Time
12.1 ms
Overshoot
16.5 ms

This TV has a good deal of overshoot on some transitions, which means there could be a fairly lengthy trail on some movement. This trail will be visible regardless of whether 'Smooth Motion Effect' or 'Clear Action' are enabled.

6.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
60 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
Yes
10
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60i
Yes
10
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes
Inputs
8.6
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
18.7 ms
1080p With Interpolation
84.3 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
85.5 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

Using the ‘Game Low Latency’ feature drops input lag to a very low 18.7 msecs, but only on HDMI 5. On HDMI 1-4, the lowest it gets is 45.5 msecs. Without GLL, HDMI 5 has an input lag of 85.5 msecs (84.3 with interpolation), and HDMI 1-4 has one of 103.9 (102.9 with interpolation).

4.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 5
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
Dolby Vision
No
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth No
ARC Yes (HDMI 1)
USB 3 Yes (1)
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,5)
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Sound Quality
6.1
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.63 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.76 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.87 dB SPL
Max
91.5 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
160 Hz

Poor bass extension, but the TV gets relatively loud. The frequency response isn't too bad, and the pumping is minimal under louder volumes.

5.1
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.039
Distortion @ 80
0.126
Distortion @ Max
0.236

The distortion level is decent when the TV is very quiet, but there is a noticeable rise as the volume increases.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

Major Apps Available

  • Netflix
  • YouTube
  • Vudu
  • Hulu Plus
  • Crackle
  • Amazon Video
  • Pandora
  • Spotify

    Check out our full review of Vizio's smart features.

  • 6.5
    Smart Features
    Interface
    Smart OS Basic

    The app selection is limited, and the full smart menu can take a while to navigate. The dedicated app buttons (Netflix, Amazon Instant, iHeart Radio) make it quick and easy to open those three apps, though.

    It comes with a pretty standard remote. It has a QWERTY keyboard on the back, which makes entering text much faster.

    10
    Smart Features
    Ads
    Ad-free
    Yes
    Opt-out
    N/A
    Smart Features
    Remote
    Remote QWERTY
    Smart Features
    Misc
    Power Consumption 116 W
    Power Consumption (Max) 260 W
    Firmware 1.1.19