The Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 is a lower mid-range, budget-friendly TV. It's available in a wide range of sizes, from 43 to 75 inches, so you can easily get the right size for your setup. It's part of Vizio's 2021 M Series lineup, sitting below the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, which has a couple of more features like local dimming and a backlight strobing feature. This TV comes with the latest version of the Vizio SmartCast system, which is user-friendly and has a bunch of pre-installed apps, but you can't download any extra apps. Luckily, you can easily cast anything you want from your phone using Google Chromecast or Apple AirPlay 2. It has a few more gaming-oriented features than other budget models like FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support, but it's limited to HDMI 2.0 inputs, so you can't use the PS5 or Xbox Series X to their full capabilities.
The Vizio MQ6 is decent for most uses. It's decent for watching movies in dark rooms because it has an outstanding native contrast and fantastic black uniformity, but there's no local dimming. It has a few gaming features like FreeSync support and low input lag, but motion looks blurry due to the slow response time. It's okay for watching sports as it has good reflection handling, but it has narrow viewing angles. Although it displays a wide color gamut, it's just okay for watching HDR content because it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.
The Vizio MQ6 is decent for watching movies in dark rooms. It has a VA panel with a high native contrast ratio and fantastic black uniformity, but it lacks a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality in dark scenes. It doesn't have any issues upscaling 1080p content like from Blu-rays, and it removes judder from 24p sources. Unfortunately, our unit has some uniformity issues that are noticeable during slow, panning shots.
The Vizio M65Q6-J09 is decent for watching TV shows in bright rooms. It has good reflection handling if you want to use it in a room with a few lights around, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a lot of glare. The interface is user-friendly, and you can cast content from your phone, but there's no app store to download any extra apps besides the pre-installed ones. It also has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks washed out from the sides.
The Vizio M65Q6 is okay for sports. It's not a bad choice for use in well-lit rooms because it has good reflection handling, but it doesn't get very bright. Unfortunately, it has a slow response time that makes motion look blurry. It has narrow viewing angles, so it's not a good choice for watching the game with a large group of friends. Also, our unit has noticeable gray uniformity issues that could get distracting during sports.
The Vizio MQ6 is decent for gaming. It has a few gaming-oriented features like variable refresh rate support and an Auto Low Latency Mode. It's good for dark room gaming thanks to the high contrast and fantastic black uniformity, but it lacks a local dimming feature. Input lag is low for a responsive gaming experience, but it has a slow response time that makes motion look blurry.
The Vizio MQ6 is okay for watching HDR movies. It displays a wide color gamut, and it supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. Its VA panel has a high native contrast with fantastic black uniformity, but it unfortunately lacks a local dimming feature. Sadly, it doesn't get bright enough in HDR to make highlights stand out.
The Vizio M65Q6 is decent for HDR gaming. It has a VA panel with an outstanding contrast ratio and fantastic black uniformity. However, it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further deepen any blacks or make highlights stand out in HDR. It has VRR support and low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, but it's limited to a 60Hz panel and has a slow response time.
The Vizio M65Q6-J09 is decent to use as a PC monitor. It has low input lag for a responsive desktop experience, and it displays chroma 4:4:4 with 1080p, 1440p, and 4k resolutions. It has good reflection handling if you want to use it in a well-lit room, but it doesn't get extremely bright. Sadly, our unit has gray uniformity problems with dark bands that are visible with large areas of bright colors, like on a webpage.
We tested the 65 Inch Vizio MQ6 Series, and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 43 inch (M43Q6-J04), 50 inch (M50Q6-J01), 55 inch (M55Q6-J01), 70 inch (M70Q6-J03), and 75 inch (M75Q6-J03) variants. The MQ6 is part of the M Series lineup which features the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, but the two TVs are different.
Size | Model Code | VESA Mount Size |
---|---|---|
43" | M43Q6-J04 | 200x100 |
50" | M50Q6-J01 | 200x200 |
55" | M55Q6-J01 | 300x200 |
65" | M65Q6-J09 | 400x200 |
70" | M70Q6-J03 | 400x200 |
75" | M75Q6-J03 | 400x200 |
All sizes should have a VA panel, but if someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Vizio MQ6 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between units.
You can see the label for our unit here.
The Vizio MQ6 is a decent lower-mid-range TV that has more gaming features than other budget-friendly options. However, there isn't anything special about its picture quality as it lacks a local dimming feature and doesn't get bright. There are better options that offer more value, like the Hisense U6G, especially if you don't need the VRR support.
Also see our recommendations for the best budget TVs, the best gaming TVs, and the best 4k TVs.
The Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021 and the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 are both part of the same M Series lineup, but the M7 has a few more features that make it better. The M7 has a local dimming feature, which the M6 doesn't, so it displays deeper blacks. The M7 also gets brighter in SDR, but not by much. The M7 has a backlight strobing feature, which the M6 doesn't have, but this is only beneficial to gamers. Other than these differences, both TVs are very similar.
The Hisense U6G is much better overall than the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021. The Hisense delivers better picture quality because it has a local dimming feature, which the Vizio doesn't have, and it gets significantly brighter in HDR and SDR. The Hisense doesn't show any upscaling artifacts with low-resolution content like the Vizio. The Android TV app store has a massive selection of apps available, and you can't download any extra apps on the Vizio. On the other hand, the Vizio has FreeSync VRR support, which the Hisense doesn't.
The Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2022 is the newer version of the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021, and it's a downgrade in a few areas. The 2022 model has trouble properly upscaling 480p content and it doesn't get as bright as the 2021 model. The 2022 also doesn't remove 24p judder from native 24p sources like the 2021 model, which is disappointing for watching movies. However, motion looks better on the 2022 version because it has a quicker response time and it has a backlight strobing feature, which the 2021 model doesn't have.
The Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 and the Vizio V5 Series 2021 are both okay TVs. The M6 is higher up in the Vizio lineup than the V5, so it has a few more features like a wide color gamut and VRR support. Picture quality is similar as they both have high contrast, lack local dimming, don't get bright, and have good reflection handling. Choosing one over the other comes down to whether or not you need the extra gaming features on the M6.
The Samsung AU8000 and the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 are both decent TVs. The Vizio uses quantum dot technology, so it displays a much wider color gamut, and it also has VRR support, which the Samsung doesn't have. The Vizio also has much better contrast, but this can vary between units. The Samsung does a better job at upscaling lower-resolution content, like from cable boxes, and the built-in Tizen OS is a better smart platform than the Vizio SmartCast system.
The TCL 5 Series/S535 2020 QLED is better overall than the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021. The TCL has a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality in dark scenes, which the Vizio doesn't have. The TCL also does a better job at upscaling lower-resolution content, and the built-in Roku has an app store, unlike the Vizio SmartCast system. Motion also looks a lot smoother on the TCL thanks to the quicker response time. One of the few advantages the Vizio has over the TCL is that it supports FreeSync, which the TCL doesn't.
The LG C1 OLED and the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 are very different TVs. The LG is a high-end TV with an OLED panel with a near-infinite contrast ratio, perfect black uniformity, and wide viewing angles. It has HDMI 2.1 inputs, allowing you to play 4k games up to 120 fps, while the Vizio has HDMI 2.0 inputs, meaning you can play 4k games up to 60 fps, and it's also limited to a 60Hz panel. The Vizio is an entry-level LED model, so the only advantage over the LG is that it doesn't suffer from the risk of permanent like an OLED.
The Vizio MQ6 looks nearly identical to the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, except it has a different stand. It features the same thin borders with a thicker bottom bezel. It has a pretty simple design and should look good in any setup.
The feet are basic and are set wide apart. They raise the screen about three inches off the table, so you can place a soundbar in front without blocking the screen. Unlike the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, the height of the stand can't be adjusted.
Footprint of the 65 inch TV: 44.9" x 11.8".
The back of the Vizio MQ6 has a pretty basic design besides the Vizio logo in the center. The back panel is metal, while the bottom part where the inputs are is made of plastic. Unfortunately, there's no cable management.
The Vizio MQ6 is even thinner than the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, likely because it doesn't have the extra electronics required for the full-array local dimming feature.
The Vizio M65Q6 has decent build quality. It's very similar to the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021 in terms of style and materials used. It's well-put-together, and the stand supports the monitor well with minimal wobble. The metal on the back feels nice, and even though there's some flex on the plastic near the VESA holes, it feels solid.
The Vizio MQ6 has an outstanding native contrast, so it displays deep blacks when viewed in the dark. Unfortunately, there's no local dimming feature to improve it. There's a Local Contrast setting that doesn't improve the contrast with our test pattern, but it's possible it does with real content. Keep in mind that contrast can vary between individual units.
The SDR brightness is okay. It doesn't get as bright as the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, so visibility might be an issue in really bright rooms. Luckily, brightness doesn't vary at all between different scenes.
We tested the SDR brightness after calibration in the 'Calibrated Dark' Picture Mode with the Backlight at its max, Gamma set to '2.2', and the Color Temperature set to 'Warm'.
We tried to get a brighter image using the 'Bright' Picture Mode with the Color Temperature on 'Normal', Local Contrast on 'High', and Gamma set to '1.8'. However, we measured 320 cd/m² in the 10% window using these settings, so the difference is minimal.
The Vizio MQ6 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The videos are for reference only, so you can see how backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming. Vizio advertises it as having a 'Full-Array Backlight' because it uses direct LED backlighting with LEDs placed along the back of the screen. We list the backlight as 'Direct' to remain consistent with other reviews.
Once again, there's no local dimming feature. The videos are for reference only, so you can see how backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming.
The Vizio M6 has a disappointing HDR brightness. It's about the same with real content as the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, but without a local dimming feature to boost highlights, colors don't pop the way the creator intended. EOTF follows the target fairly well until the roll off at the peak brightness, but some brighter scenes are slightly over-brightened.
We tested it before calibration in the 'Calibrated Dark' HDR Picture Mode with Tone Mapping set to '100'; this is just another name for the Backlight setting in HDR. We also set the Gamma to '2.2' and Color Temperature to 'Warm'.
If you find the image is too dim, use the same settings as above but set the Gamma to '1.8' with the Color Temperature on 'Standard'. This makes the image appear brighter as you can see in this EOTF, but it doesn't change the peak brightness.
The HDR brightness in Game Mode is the same as outside of it because you don't need to change the Picture Mode. You only need to enable Game Low Latency to be in Game Mode.
The gradient handling is excellent. There's some slight banding in the darker shades of green, red, and grey, but it's hard to notice. Setting Contour Smoothing to 'High' or 'Medium' helps smooth out gradients in the test pattern and real content, but 'Low' doesn't do much.
Our unit of the Vizio M6 Series has mediocre gray uniformity. The dark bands are even noticeable with real content, like during slow panning shots or sports with large areas of bright colors like hockey. Uniformity can vary between units, so you may not experience the same issue. Uniformity is better in near-dark scenes, but you can still notice the banding.
The Vizio MQ6 has poor viewing angles, and it's even worse than other VA panel TVs we've tested. The image looks inaccurate as soon as you move off-center, and colors shift a lot when viewing from very wide angles.
There's an Enhanced Viewing Angle setting that we didn't use during testing. However, we also measured it with it enabled to see if it would make a difference. It slightly improves the results, but doesn't make a visual difference:
The reflection handling is good. It looks more like the Vizio V Series 2020 than the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021 because it absorbs more light. This should help if you want to place the TV in a room with a couple of lights around, like small lamps.
The out-of-the-box accuracy is great. There's minimal inaccuracy to most colors, except for saturated reds and blues. White balance is a bit off, but it's not too bad, and the color temperature is close to the 6500K target. Gamma doesn't follow the 2.2 target all that well because dark scenes are too dark and bright scenes are over-brightened. Keep in mind that accuracy can vary between units.
The accuracy after calibration is nearly-perfect. Any remaining inaccuracies to the color, white balance, and gamma are almost impossible to spot with the human eye.
You can see our recommended settings here.
This TV uses a BGR sub-pixel structure, which doesn't affect image quality, but it can affect text clarity when using the TV as a PC monitor. You can read more about it here.
Thanks to the quantum dot layer, the Vizio MQ6 displays an excellent color gamut. It has fantastic coverage of the commonly-used DCI P3 color space and decent coverage of the wider Rec. 2020. Tone mapping is a bit worse than the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, making colors look less accurate.
The Vizio MQ6 has decent color volume. It's helped by the wide color gamut, but it struggles to display really bright and really dark colors.
There aren't any signs of temporary image retention, but this can vary between units. You can see here the vertical bands caused by the gray uniformity issues, and this isn't image retention.
We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
The Vizio M65Q6 has a slow response time, creating a blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The response time is even slower in the 0-100% transition, which is typical of VA panels, but this is because there's more overshoot. If you care about response time, check out this TV's successor, the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2022.
The Vizio MQ6 doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion. The backlight always flickers at 480Hz unless it's at its max.
There's no motion interpolation feature.
Due to the slow response time, there isn't much stutter with lower-frame rate content.
The Vizio M65Q6 can remove judder from native 24p sources like Blu-rays or native apps. This helps with the appearance of motion in movies.
Like the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, the Vizio MQ6 features support for FreeSync variable refresh rate technology. As the Xbox Series X supports both HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync, there's no way to tell which one is active and if the TV supports HDMI Forum VRR. If you're a gamer and like the VRR support but prefer something with a higher refresh rate, then consider the LG QNED80.
The Vizio M65Q6-J09 has incredible low input lag as long as you enable Game Low Latency. The input lag doesn't change with VRR enabled or when gaming with 4k or 1080p content, which is great.
This TV supports all common resolutions at 60Hz, like 1080p, 1440p, and 4k. It also displays chroma 4:4:4 with all of its supported resolutions, which helps with text clarity when using it as a PC monitor. You need to create a custom resolution from your PC for 1440p signals, but that doesn't affect the picture quality. As with some other HDMI 2.0 TVs, it accepts 1080p and 1440p signals at 120Hz, but it skips frames.
As it's limited to a 60Hz panel, it doesn't support any 120Hz signals from the PS5 or Xbox Series X. There's an Auto Low Latency Mode that switches the TV into Game Mode when you launch a game from a compatible device.
Vizio advertises the TV as having three HDMI 2.1 inputs, but it doesn't support any signal above the HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, like 4k @ 60Hz with chroma 4:4:4 and 10-bit color depth.
The Vizio MQ6 doesn't have an audio analog output like the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021, but it has composite inputs which is great if you have a DVD player or old gaming consoles.
The Vizio M6 Series Quantum has eARC support, allowing you to send high-quality audio to a compatible receiver using a single HDMI connection. It's advertised to support DTS:X audio formats via eARC, but we couldn't get it to work with our receiver as it would play the DTS-HD Master Audio format. It seems like this is an issue on our end, so we left the DTS:X as 'Yes', but if you experience the same thing, let us know.
The Vizio M65Q6-J09 has a mediocre frequency response. It has a fairly well-balanced sound profile for dialogue, but it doesn't get very loud. It also doesn't produce much bass, if at all.
The Vizio SmartCast is user-friendly, but it's not as advanced as some other smart systems. Menu navigation also feels a bit choppy, and even though we didn't experience any bugs during testing, Vizio TVs are known to be buggy.
There are ads in the home screen, which isn't something we noticed with the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021. Sadly, there's no way to disable them.
The SmartCast system comes with a great selection of pre-installed, web-based apps, but there's no app store so you can't download any extra apps. You can cast almost anything you want from your phone using the Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 support.
The Vizio M65Q6-J09 comes with the new Vizio remote that features a basic design with shortcut buttons to popular streaming devices. It also has a mic for voice control, and you can ask it to change inputs and open apps, but it can't search for specific content in apps or change certain settings.