Our Verdict
The performance of the Vizio D65-F1 for mixed usage is okay. Movie and regular cable TV watching is decent, whereas playing video games and using it as a PC monitor should keep you satisfied. This TV does not have a great HDR performance since it has a limited color gamut and will not display rich and saturated colors, far from what the content creator intended.
- Deep and uniform dark scenes
- Fast response time
- Low input lag
- Image degrades at an angle
- Mediocre HDR
This TV is decent for watching movies. It has a very good contrast ratio that will display good blacks in dim environments but lacks any local dimming to further boost blacks. You should not observe much clouding in darker scenes since the TV's black uniformity is very good. Watching 4k and Blu-ray content looks great.
Watching TV shown on the Vizio D Series 2018 is ok. The TV can get good enough brightness levels for brighter rooms and can handle reflections well. Unfortunately, viewing angles are not very good and thus the picture quality will not be the same if you are watching a TV show while moving around doing some housework. On the other hand, upscaling 720p cable content is ok.
This TV is decent for watching sports. The good reflection handling and the great response time. make it a good choice for watching fast action sports in a room with a few lights. Some dirty screen effect is present and that will disappoint sports fans. Also if you plan to watch a game with a big group you take into account that the bad viewing angles do not favor wide seating arrangements.
The Vizio D Series 65 is very good for playing video games. It has a low input lag both in SDR and HDR content, which makes it very responsive to user input, and also has a remarkably fast response time which is great for fast action.
Ordinary performance for this TV on HDR movies. Apart from the great contrast and the great 4k content display, this TV is producing a satisfactory result for HDR movie watching. This is mainly because it cannot display rich and saturated colors due to its limited color gamut.
Playing HDR games on this TV is good as it supports the 4k @ 60Hz + HDR input. Also, the fast response time makes it suitable for fast action. The good contrast will offer a decent experience in dark scene HDR gaming. However, you should keep in mind the limited color gamut which will not allow it to display rich and vivid colors.
This Vizio D Series will perform very well as a PC monitor mainly due to its remarkable input capabilities. The various supported resolutions and the low input lag should keep most people happy. Also, the fact that there is practically no permanent burn-in risk and no temporary image retention, should not deter you from using it as a PC monitor.
Changelog
- Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Mar 29, 2019: We corrected a mistake in the BFI score.
- Updated Feb 28, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio D Series TV that we bought is the 65" with SKU D65-F1. Different sizes may have different panel provenances, so if your Vizio D Series 4k 2018 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that the gray uniformity does vary between units.
| Size | Model | Alternative Name | Effective Refresh Rate |
Real Refresh Rate |
| 43" | D43-F1 | D Series 43 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| 50" | D50-F1 | D Series 50 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| 55" | D55-F2 | D Series 55 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| 60" | D60-F3 | D Series 60 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| 65" | D65-F1 | D Series 65 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| 70" | D70-F3 | D Series 70 | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
Note: The D43-F1 variant comes equipped with 8-watt speakers whereas all the others come with 10-watt speakers.
Update 12/12/2018: Vizio has released the V505-G9, which appears to be a variant of the D Series 2018. It is only available in 50", and as far as we can tell, the only difference is the addition of Dolby Vision support, and possibly an adjustable BFI mode to reduce persistence blur. There may be other differences that we are not aware of.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Vizio D-Series 4k 2018 is a good low-mid-range 4k TV with a few minor flaws. See our recommendations for the best cheap TVs.
The Samsung NU7100 and the Vizio D Series 4k 2018 have very similar performance. The Vizio D Series 4k 2018 has a faster response time which is great for fast action. It can get slightly brighter and can handle reflections better which is great for watching TV shows. The Samsung NU7100, on the other hand, has lower input lag for gaming and better motion interpolation for those who like the soap opera effect. It also has slightly better 720p upscaling that is better if you watch a lot of cable TV.
These two TVs have different panel types, each with its advantages and disadvantages. If you've got a room with wide seating arrangement, then the LG UK6300 is a better choice thanks to the wide viewing angles of its IPS panel. If you're sitting directly in front of the TV, then the Vizio D Series 4k 2018 is a better choice as it can deliver deeper and more uniform blacks in a dark room and can get brighter to fight glare in a bright room. The LG UK6300, on the other hand, has better reflection handling and has an optional motion interpolation feature to please the Soap Opera Effect fans.
The TCL S517 and the Vizio D Series 4k 2018 have very similar performance. The Vizio D Series 4k 2018 has better reflection handling and better response time that make it a better choice for sports watching, whereas the TCL S517 is better for movies since it supports motion interpolation. The TCL also has lower input lag which makes it more responsive, and this is important when gaming.
The Vizio E Series 2018 is a bit better than the Vizio D Series 4k 2018. The Vizio E Series has a local dimming feature, although it isn't very effective. The E series has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature that can help clear up motion. The E series also supports Dolby Vision, which doesn't add much but is a nice extra. The Vizio D Series 4k 2018 has wider viewing angles, good if you have a large seating area.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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