- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion
- Inputs
- Sound Quality
- Smart Features
- Sizes and Variants
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Q&A
Reviewed on Jun 19, 2018
By Daniel O'Keeffe
, Eric Bousquet, Ian Cumming, Dimitris Katsaounis, Adam Babcock, Yannick Khong, Bruno St-Georges-Robert
Vizio P Series 2018
TV REVIEW
Usage Ratings -
Version 1.2
✕
Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
8.2
Mixed Usage
✕
What it is
General purpose. The TV will be used for a variety of content and usages. Movies at night, TV shows during the day, video games from time to time, etc.
Score components:
- 22% TV Shows
- 22% Sports
- 16% Movies
- 16% Video Games
- 10% HDR Gaming
- 9% HDR Movies
- 6% PC Monitor
Score distribution:
Recommended if under (USD)
:
$1,680
✕
What it is:
Maximum price to be a better value than its competitors.
How to use it:
This product is the best choice in its range if you can find it below this price.
Automatically calculated every hour based on the scores and prices of all other products we've tested.
8.5
Movies
✕
What it is
Movies in the dark. The TV will be used for watching movies in a controlled environment, directly in front, in a home theater way. Mostly only high quality content, like Blu-rays, UHD Blu-rays, streaming and a little bit of HDR.
Score components:
- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 12% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
Score distribution:
7.7
TV Shows
✕
What it is
TV Shows in a bright living room. The TV will be used in to watch TV shows, in a bright room during the day, from multiple viewing positions at different angles. The content watched has an average quality: cable, streaming, SD channels, etc.
Score components:
- 29% Reflections
- 16% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 9% 1080p Input
- 7% 720p Input
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 5% 4k Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 5% Smart Features
- 3% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
7.8
Sports
✕
What it is
Sports in a living room. The TV will be used to watch sports during the day, like football or hockey. Usually watched with a group, so from multiple viewing position.
Score components:
- 25% Reflections
- 20% Response Time
- 14% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 10% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 720p Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
Score distribution:
8.9
Video Games
✕
What it is
Video games. The TV will be used to play video games, directly in front, in a controlled light environment. Usually fast games, like online FPS, where motion blur and input lag is important.
Score components:
- 33% Input Lag
- 22% Response Time
- 6% 1080p Input
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Contrast
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 3% Reflections
- 3% Gray Uniformity
- 3% Sound Quality
- 3% Local Dimming
- 2% Black Uniformity
- 2% SDR Peak Brightness
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Stutter
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% 4k @ 60Hz
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% 1440p @ 60Hz
Score distribution:
8.4
HDR Movies
✕
What it is
HDR Movies and TV shows. The TV will be used to watch 4k UHD HDR content, with a wide color gamut and a high peak brightness. Either via UHD Blu-rays or HDR streaming.
Score components:
- 22% Contrast
- 14% Local Dimming
- 12% 4k Input
- 11% Black Uniformity
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Color Gamut
- 6% Color Volume
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 4% Stutter
- 4% 24p Judder
- 3% HDR ABL
- 2% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
Score distribution:
8.6
HDR Gaming
✕
What it is
HDR Gaming. The TV will be used to play HDR video games using consoles that support it or on current generation gaming PCs. Xbox One S, PS4 Pro, GTX 10 series and AMD RX series graphics cards.
Score components:
- 25% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 15% Response Time
- 8% Contrast
- 7% Color Gamut
- 7% Color Volume
- 5% Local Dimming
- 4% 1080p Input
- 4% 4k Input
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 3% HDR ABL
- 3% HDR Peak Brightness
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% Gradient
- 2% Reflections
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 1% Sound Quality
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
8.4
PC Monitor
✕
What it is
PC Monitor. The TV will be used as a PC monitor, from 2-3 feet away, either for productivity purposes or gaming. Sharp text is important, as well as a high resolution.
Score components:
- 28% Inputs
- 14% Viewing Angle
- 13% Response Time
- 8% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 6% Reflections
- 5% Temporary Image Retention
- 4% 4k Input
- 3% SDR Peak Brightness
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 2% Contrast
- 2% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Curved
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% 1080p Input
- 1% Local Dimming
- 1% Black Uniformity
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 0% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
Sub-Type
:
VA
✕
What it is:
Type of display technology used by the TV.
When it matters:
Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different uses
Good value:
IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.
The Vizio P Series 2018 is a great TV for a wide range of different usages. It has very good picture quality, especially when viewed in a dark room due to the high native contrast ratio and great local dimming. It also has low input lag for gaming and a great wide color gamut for HDR. Unfortunately, the best picture is reserved for those directly in front of the TV as the viewing angles are bad.
See our recommendations for the best 4k TV.
- Great dark scene performance
- Excellent motion handling
- Low input lag
- Image degrades when viewed at an angle
Test Results
| Design | 8.5 |
| Picture Quality | 7.9 |
| Motion | 8.6 |
| Inputs | 9.2 |
| Sound Quality | 6.1 |
| Smart Features | 6.8 |
Check Price
Design
The design of the Vizio P Series 2018 is very good. The stand is metallic and resembles last years, but the legs have a more round finish. It is very wide and so you will need a wide table to fit this TV. If wall mounted, the inputs are easily accessible. The borders are metallic and the TV has a premium feel. The build quality is also very good and will keep most people happy.
The back of the TV is plastic. There is no cable management, however, the inputs are close to the edge and are easy to access if the TV is wall mounted.
Maximum Temperature
:
100 °F (38 °C)
✕
What it is:
The peak temperature found on the TV.
When it matters:
If the TV is placed in an enclosed space.
Good value:
<35°C
Noticeable difference:
5°C
Average Temperature
:
93 °F (34 °C)
✕
What it is:
The average temperature measured on the TV.
When it matters:
If the TV is placed in an enclosed space.
Good value:
<35°C
Noticeable difference:
5°C
The Vizio P65 runs at a fairly steady temperature. It is a little warm but that should not be an issue to anyone.
Picture Quality
✕
Score components:
- 11% Contrast
- 6% Local Dimming
- 6% SDR Peak Brightness
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Gray Uniformity
- 7% Viewing Angle
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 6% Reflections
- 4% Pre Calibration
- 1% Post Calibration
- 6% 480p Input
- 9% 720p Input
- 11% 1080p Input
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Color Gamut
- 4% Color Volume
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
Score distribution:
The picture quality of the Vizio P Series 2018 is very good. It has a good contrast ratio enhanced by effective local dimming. This produces deep blacks in dark scenes which in combination with the rich colors and the high brightness is great for HDR.
8.7
Contrast
✕
What it is:
Brightness difference between white and black. This is the main component of picture quality.
When it matters:
Always, but especially when watching dark scenes.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Native Contrast
:
4493 : 1
✕
What it is:
Ratio of the white brightness divided by the blacks measured on our checkerboard test pattern with a white target of 100 cd/m².
When it matters:
Dark scenes in a dark room.
Good value:
> 3,000
Noticeable difference:
500
Score distribution:
Contrast with local dimming
:
5953 : 1
✕
What it is:
Ratio of the white brightness divided by the blacks measured on our checkerboard test pattern with local dimming turned on (maximum) with a white target of 100 cd/m².
When it matters:
Dark scenes in a dark room.
Good value:
> 3,000
Noticeable difference:
500
Score distribution:
The contrast of the Vizio P65-F1 is great. The local dimming does a great job at enhancing the TV's contrast, providing even deeper blacks. The results are certainly better than the Vizio M series 2018 and comparable to the TCL R617
8.0
Local Dimming
✕
What it is:
The lights behind the LCD layer adapt to the picture displayed, improving the contrast ratio.
When it matters:
Dark scenes viewed in a dark room.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
Local Dimming
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether it has a feature that controls the LEDs behind the LCD layer, to match the picture and darkens the dark portion of it.
When it matters:
On LED TVs only. Dark scenes viewed in a dark room.
Backlight
:
Full-Array
✕
What it is:
Configuration of the lights of the backlight.
When it matters:
Effectiveness of the local dimming.
Good value:
Full-array/direct lighting is better for local dimming. As for the uniformity of the screen, it depends on the implementation. Some edge-lit TVs have more uniform blacks than some full-array TVs.
The 2018 P-Series has good local dimming. The 65" model we tested is a FALD panel with 100 local dimming zones that perform quite a good job in dimming the blacks and enhancing the contrast. There is very little clouding as the algorithm is very aggressive. This results in somewhat dimmer whites but without sacrificing detail.
The 55" model (Vizio P55-F1) has only 56 local dimming zones whereas the 75" (Vizio P75-F1) has 120. These variations might have an impact on the local dimming effectiveness of these models.
8.4
SDR Peak Brightness
✕
What it is:
How bright the screen can get. Measured with local dimming and with SDR content.
When it matters:
Bright living rooms; bright objects; SDR content.
Score components:
- 64% SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% SDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 100% Window
- 1% SDR ABL
Score distribution:
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
:
419 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity the TV can obtain while playing a movie or while watching a TV show. Our Real Scene was selected to represent a more regular movie condition. All measurements are made with the TV set to be as bright as possible, but with a 6500k white. Measured with local dimming on, max backlight and with an SDR signal. Scene: here.
When it matters:
When watching movies and TV shows in SDR.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Peak 2% Window
:
632 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 2% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
Bright highlights, present on screen for a short time
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Peak 10% Window
:
858 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 10% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
Bright objects, present on screen for a short time
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Peak 25% Window
:
766 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 25% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Peak 50% Window
:
569 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 50% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Peak 100% Window
:
423 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 100% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Sustained 2% Window
:
624 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 2% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
Bright highlights, persistent during a scene.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Sustained 10% Window
:
829 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 10% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
Bright objects, persistent during a scene.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Sustained 25% Window
:
757 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 25% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Sustained 50% Window
:
567 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 50% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR Sustained 100% Window
:
421 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 100% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over SDR signal.
When it matters:
When watching in a bright room.
Good value:
> 300 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
30 cd/m²
Score distribution:
SDR ABL
:
0.037
✕
What it is:
The coefficient of variation of the SDR sustained brightness, after linearizing for noticeable differences in luminosity
When it matters:
Content with large bright areas, such as for PC or video game use, and sports such as hockey
Good value:
<0.07
Noticeable difference:
0.01
Score distribution:
The SDR peak brightness is very good. The brightness of the TV is higher on smaller window sizes so highlights on darker scenes will appear bright. It is slightly better than the P Series 2017 for small windows, as it boosts their brightness rather than dimming them.
All this brightness testing was done in the Calibrated Dark picture mode, because it has the best picture quality. In the Vivid picture mode, the TV can reach a peak brightness of 968 cd/m² for a short time.
7.7
HDR Peak Brightness
✕
What it is:
How bright the screen can get. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright living rooms; bright objects; HDR content.
Score components:
- 64% HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% HDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 100% Window
- 2% HDR ABL
Score distribution:
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
:
543 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity the TV can obtain while playing a movie or while watching a TV show. This scene was selected to represent a more realistic movie condition. All measurement are made with the TV set to be as bright as possible, but with a 6500k white. Measured with local dimming, max backlight and over HDR signal. Scene: here.
When it matters:
When watching movies or watching TV show in HDR.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Peak 2% Window
:
630 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 2% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright highlights, present on screen for a short time; especially for HDR content.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Peak 10% Window
:
852 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 10% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright objects, present on screen for a short time; especially for HDR content.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Peak 25% Window
:
770 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 25% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms; bright objects in HDR video.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Peak 50% Window
:
572 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 50% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Peak 100% Window
:
426 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The maximum luminosity, even if only maintained for a short time, of a white square covering 100% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Sustained 2% Window
:
622 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 2% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright highlights, persistent throughout a scene; especially for HDR content.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Sustained 10% Window
:
831 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 10% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright objects, persistent throughout a scene; especially for HDR content.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Sustained 25% Window
:
760 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 25% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms; bright objects in HDR video.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Sustained 50% Window
:
569 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 50% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR Sustained 100% Window
:
423 cd/m2
✕
What it is:
The lowest maximum luminosity (usually after it has stabilized) of a white square covering 100% of the screen, with the TV set to be as bright as possible. Measured with local dimming and over HDR signal (if supported).
When it matters:
Bright rooms.
Good value:
> 550 cd/m²
Noticeable difference:
80 cd/m²
Score distribution:
HDR ABL
:
0.037
✕
What it is:
The coefficient of variation of the HDR sustained brightness, after linearizing for noticeable differences in luminosity
When it matters:
HDR content with large bright areas, such as HDR gaming
Good value:
<0.07
Noticeable difference:
0.01
Score distribution:
The HDR peak brightness is good and a definite improvement from last years' model. In dark HDR scenes, the TV displays small bright details well, but still falls short of the brightness level achieved by the Sony X900F and the TCL R617.
7.0
Gray Uniformity
✕
What it is:
Evenness of colors onscreen (not just gray).
When it matters:
Solid colors. Sports, panning shots.
Score components:
- 40% 50% Std. Dev.
- 40% 50% DSE
- 10% 5% Std. Dev.
- 10% 5% DSE
Score distribution:
50% Std. Dev.
:
3.902 %
✕
What it is:
Average squared difference of pixels when displaying a mid 50% gray.
When it matters:
Solid colors. Sports, panning shots.
Good value:
< 2.5%
Noticeable difference:
1%
Score distribution:
50% DSE
:
0.198 %
✕
What it is:
High-frequency variance of uniformity. Dark spots on the screen.
When it matters:
Solid colors. Sports, panning shots.
Good value:
< 0.165%
Noticeable difference:
0.025%
Score distribution:
5% Std. Dev.
:
1.201 %
✕
What it is:
Average squared difference of pixels when displaying a mid 5% gray.
When it matters:
Dark scenes.
Good value:
< 1.15%
Noticeable difference:
1%
Score distribution:
5% DSE
:
0.114 %
✕
What it is:
High-frequency variance of uniformity. Dark spots on the screen.
When it matters:
Dark scenes.
Good value:
< 0.116%
Score distribution:
The gray uniformity of this Vizio P series 2018 is decent. It is a slight improvement from the P Series 2017, but some clouding will be visible especially in panning shots and this might annoy sports fans.
In darker scenes (5% gray) things are slightly better but you might still be able to spot minor clouding.
4.1
Viewing Angle
✕
What it is:
Color accuracy when viewed from the side.
When it matters:
Large living rooms with multiple viewing positions.
Score components:
- 20% Color Shift
- 40% Brightness
- 40% Black Level
Score distribution:
Color Shift
:
18 °
✕
What it is:
Angle where the colors noticeable shift compared to when viewed from directly in front of the TV. 0 ° means directly facing the TV. Measurements are up to a maximum of 75 °.
When it matters:
Large living rooms with multiple viewing positions.
Good value:
> 50°
Noticeable difference:
10°
Score distribution:
Brightness
:
30 °
✕
What it is:
Angle where the brightness drops to 50% of the brightness directly in front of the TV. 0 ° means directly facing the TV. Measurements are up to a maximum of 75 °.
When it matters:
Large living rooms with multiple viewing positions.
Good value:
> 50°
Noticeable difference:
10°
Score distribution:
Black Level
:
12 °
✕
What it is:
Angle where the black level drops to 50% of the black level directly in front of the TV. 0 ° means directly facing the TV. Measurements are up to a maximum of 75 °.
When it matters:
Large living rooms with multiple viewing positions.
Good value:
> 50°
Noticeable difference:
10°
Score distribution:
The viewing angles of the P65-F1 is bad. This is typical for a VA panel where as soon as there is an increase in viewing angle, blacks turn gray, then the colors shift and finally, brightness diminishes. This TV is not your best option if viewing angle is of importance.
8.7
Black Uniformity
✕
What it is:
Evenness of blacks.
When it matters:
Dark scenes viewed in a dark room.
Score components:
- 75% Native Std. Dev.
- 25% Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
Score distribution:
Native Std. Dev.
:
0.643 %
✕
What it is:
Average of the squared difference of the blacks.
When it matters:
Dark scenes viewed in a dark room.
Good value:
< 1%
Noticeable difference:
1%, but keep in mind that it varies a lot by unit, even of the same model; yours likely will not end up exactly like ours.
Score distribution:
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
:
0.954 %
✕
What it is:
Average of the squared difference of the blacks with Local Dimming enabled
When it matters:
Dark scenes viewed in a dark room.
Good value:
< 1%
Noticeable difference:
1%, but keep in mind that it varies a lot by unit, even of the same model; yours likely will not end up exactly like ours.
Score distribution:
The black uniformity of this Vizio P Series 2018 is very good, both with local dimming disabled and when it is enabled. There is a little clouding, but most people will not notice.
7.9
Reflections
✕
What it is:
How much light is reflected by the TV.
When it matters:
Bright rooms.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Screen Finish
:
Semi-gloss
✕
What it is:
Type of coating on the screen.
When it matters:
Bright objects in the direct reflection path (for example, opposite the TV).
Good value:
Glossy is good for ambient light, but not for direct reflections.
Total Reflections
:
5.1 %
✕
What it is:
The amount of light which is reflected off the screen, in all directions.
When it matters:
When watching TV in a bright room, with lamps, windows or walls which reflect directly off the screen.
Good value:
4.5 %
Noticeable difference:
0.5 %
Score distribution:
Indirect Reflections
:
0.5 %
✕
What it is:
The amount of light reflected off the screen, ignoring direct (mirror-like) reflections
When it matters:
Watching TV in a bright room, without sunlight or lamps directed at the TV
Good value:
1.0 %
Noticeable difference:
0.5 %
Score distribution:
Reflection handling is very good. A great improvement from the 2017 P Series.
Just like the M Series 2018, the semi-gloss filter helps diffuse direct reflections and glare even in bright environments. However, some people will notice some direct reflections, but most people won't be bothered.
8.6
Pre Calibration
✕
What it is:
TV's color accuracy before a full calibration. Only the picture mode, color temperature, and backlight level were changed.
When it matters:
All video on an uncalibrated TV. This represents most people's use cases.
Score components:
- 45% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
Score distribution:
White Balance dE
:
2.04
✕
What it is:
Average inaccuracy of shades of gray.
When it matters:
Overall color temperature of all video.
Good value:
< 3
Noticeable difference:
1
Score distribution:
Color dE
:
1.84
✕
What it is:
Average inaccuracy of colors.
When it matters:
All colors.
Good value:
< 3
Noticeable difference:
1
Score distribution:
Gamma
:
2.26
✕
What it is:
Brightness of shades of gray.
When it matters:
Shadows.
Good value:
Between 2.1 and 2.3 (our target is 2.2)
Noticeable difference:
0.1
Color Temperature
:
6258 K
✕
What it is:
The color temperature is a measure of the color of light. A colder color temperature (7000K) will look bluer and a warmer color temperature (4000K) will look yellower/redder. 6500K is the standard color temperature use in the TV and film industry as program, film, and photography directors usually work on monitors calibrated on the 6500k color temperature and do their color correction base on what they see on those monitors.
When it matters:
To get the most accurate picture when watching TV shows, movies or video games. This is particularly for skin tones.
Good value:
6500K
Noticeable difference:
400K
Score distribution:
The out-of-the-box color accuracy of the P series 2018 is remarkable and this is a big improvement from last years model.
The best results were obtained with the Picture mode set to Calibrated Dark and both the white balance dE and the color dE are below 3. At these values most people will not notice any imperfections. The colors were a little warm and the overall TV shows a slightly higher gamma than our target of 2.2, so the image is slightly dark.
9.7
Post Calibration
✕
What it is:
TV's color accuracy after a full calibration with a spectrophotometer.
When it matters:
All video on a TV that has been professionally calibrated. This isn't that useful, because most TVs can achieve a pretty good calibration if you spend enough time on them.
Score components:
- 45% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
Score distribution:
Picture Mode
:
Calibrated Dark
✕
What it is:
The picture mode used to do the calibration. We usually go for the picture mode that gives us the more control over all the picture quality setting.
White Balance dE
:
0.24
✕
What it is:
Average inaccuracy of shades of gray.
When it matters:
Overall color temperature of all videos.
Good value:
< 3
Noticeable difference:
1
Score distribution:
Color dE
:
0.78
✕
What it is:
Average inaccuracy of colors.
When it matters:
All colors.
Good value:
< 3
Noticeable difference:
1
Score distribution:
Gamma
:
2.20
✕
What it is:
Brightness of shades of gray.
When it matters:
Shadows.
Good value:
Between 2.1 and 2.3 (our target is 2.2)
Noticeable difference:
0.1
Color Temperature
:
6493 K
✕
What it is:
The color temperature is a measure of the color of light. A colder color temperature (7000K) will look bluer and a warmer color temperature (4000K) will look yellower/redder. 6500K is the standard color temperature use in the TV and film industry as program, film, and photography directors usually work on monitors calibrated on the 6500k color temperature and do their color correction base on what they see on those monitors.
When it matters:
To get the most accurate picture when watching TV shows, movies or video games. This is particularly for skin tones.
Good value:
6500K
Noticeable difference:
400K
Score distribution:
Colors and shadows of the Vizio P65-F1 after calibration are outstanding. The already great accuracy becomes almost perfect in all aspects of our measurements. Color dE and white balance dE are very small, whereas the gamma curve is followed perfectly at 2.2. Finally, the color temperature is almost perfect
Note: Calibration can be performed very easily with the help of the Smartcast app, as no on-screen menu is necessary.
You can see our recommended settings here.
7.0
480p Input
✕
What it is:
Quality of a 480p input.
When it matters:
Standard definition TV, DVDs.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
Upscaling of low-quality content such as DVDs is a bit more blocky, and there is more noise, similar to the P Series 2017. This is visible when viewing DVDs.
The upscaling performance is very similar to performance the M Series 2017
7.0
720p Input
✕
What it is:
Quality of a 720p input.
When it matters:
HD channels, some streaming videos.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
9.0
1080p Input
✕
What it is:
Quality of a 1080p input.
When it matters:
Blu-rays, streaming video, video files, video games.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
10
4k Input
✕
What it is:
Quality of a 4k UHD input.
When it matters:
Streaming video, UHD Blu-rays, some PCs.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
8.0
Color Gamut
✕
What it is:
How many colors the TV can display.
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos and UHD Blu-rays.
Score components:
- 25% DCI P3 xy
- 25% DCI P3 uv
- 25% Rec 2020 xy
- 25% Rec 2020 uv
Score distribution:
Wide Color Gamut
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the TV has an option to enable wide color gamuts.
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos and UHD Blu-rays.
DCI P3 xy
:
88.39 %
✕
What it is:
Coverage of the DCI P3 colorspace on CIE 1931 xy.
When it matters:
DCI P3 content. Includes HDR, UHD Blu-rays.
Good value:
> 90%
Noticeable difference:
5%
Score distribution:
DCI P3 uv
:
93.18 %
✕
What it is:
Coverage of the DCI P3 colorspace on CIE 1976 u' v'.
When it matters:
DCI P3 content. Includes HDR, UHD Blu-rays.
Good value:
> 90%
Noticeable difference:
5%
Score distribution:
Rec 2020 xy
:
64.92 %
✕
What it is:
Coverage of the Rec.2020 colorspace on CIE 1931 xy.
When it matters:
Rec.2020 content. Includes HDR, UHD Blu-rays.
Good value:
> 90%
Noticeable difference:
5%
Score distribution:
Rec 2020 uv
:
71.61 %
✕
What it is:
Coverage of the Rec.2020 colorspace on CIE 1976 u' v'.
When it matters:
Rec.2020 content. Includes HDR, UHD Blu-rays.
Good value:
> 90%
Noticeable difference:
5%
Score distribution:
This Vizio P series 2018 has a good wide color gamut. It is a slight improvement from the 2017 model. And up to par with the Sony X900F.
The HDR EOTF in Calibrated Dark with Backlight at 50 follows the target PQ quite well. If you find HDR content too dark you can raise the Backlight to 100 to raise the EOTF. This will have a result of almost everything being brighter, as shown in this plot.
Enabling the Game Low Latency setting while gaming does not affect the game EOTF. The default EOTF in the Computer Picture mode a.k.a. PC mode overshoots the target PQ curve a bit, but when the Gamma setting is set to 2.2, like it is in Calibrated Dark, the EOTF becomes identical to that of Calibrated Dark.
7.3
Color Volume
✕
What it is:
How many colors a TV can display at different luminosity levels.
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos, UHD Blu-rays and HDR games.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
:
81.2 %
✕
What it is:
How much of the DCI-P3 colorspace a TV can display at different luminosity levels
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos, UHD Blu-rays and HDR games.
Good value:
80%
Noticeable difference:
5%
Score distribution:
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
:
42.5 %
✕
What it is:
How much of the DCI-P3 colorspace a TV can display at different luminosity levels when compared to an ideal 10,000 nit TV
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos, UHD Blu-rays and HDR games.
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
:
65.3 %
✕
What it is:
How much of the Rec. 2020 colorspace a TV can display at different luminosity levels
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos, UHD Blu-rays and HDR games.
Good value:
80 %
Noticeable difference:
5 %
Score distribution:
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
:
34.2 %
✕
What it is:
How much of the Rec 2020 colorspace a TV can display at different luminosity levels when compared to an ideal 10,000 nit TV
When it matters:
HDR content. Includes some streaming videos, UHD Blu-rays and HDR games.
The Vizio P Series 65 has decent color volume. In the P3 volume, it covers the gamut well; a slight improvement from last year's model. In both color volumes, the darker colors are not displayed very well, and blues can't get very bright.
7.1
Gradient
✕
What it is:
How finely levels of color can be displayed.
When it matters:
Details in shadows, sky and skin tones. Matters more for HDR content.
Score components:
- 25% Red (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Green (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Blue (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Gray (Std. Dev.)
Score distribution:
Color Depth
:
10 Bit
✕
What it is:
Number of bits per pixel to represent a specific color. Note: we consider 8-bit with dithering to be equivalent to 10-bit, as long as the 10-bit gradient looks smooth.
When it matters:
HDR content like UHD Blu-ray players. Won't matter for cable TV, regular Blu-ray movies, video game consoles or content displayed from a Windows PC. Those are limited to 8-bit color.
Good value:
10-bit.
Noticeable difference:
1 bit.
Red (Std. Dev.)
:
0.125 dE
✕
What it is:
The standard deviation of the color differences (dE) between subsequent 10 bit red shades.
When it matters:
Details in skin tones, sunsets, and other reddish objects. Matters more for HDR content.
Good value:
< 0.12 dE
Noticeable difference:
0.01 dE
Score distribution:
Green (Std. Dev.)
:
0.141 dE
✕
What it is:
The standard deviation of the color differences (dE) between subsequent 10 bit green shades.
When it matters:
Details in ocean shades and other greenish objects. Matters more for HDR content.
Good value:
< 0.12 dE
Noticeable difference:
0.01 dE
Score distribution:
Blue (Std. Dev.)
:
0.113 dE
✕
What it is:
The standard deviation of the color differences (dE) between subsequent 10 bit blue shades.
When it matters:
Details in skies, water and other blueish objects. Matters more for HDR content.
Good value:
< 0.12 dE
Noticeable difference:
0.01 dE
Score distribution:
Gray (Std. Dev.)
:
0.178 dE
✕
What it is:
The standard deviation of the color differences (dE) between subsequent 10 bit gray shades.
When it matters:
Details in dull colors, such as shadows, glow and urban scenes. Matters more for HDR content.
Good value:
< 0.12 dE
Noticeable difference:
0.01 dE
Score distribution:
The Vizio P65-F1 has decent gradient. There is small banding almost everywhere, medium banding in dark green and grey, but no major banding at all. 8-bit banding is not visible since this is a 10-bit panel. The performance is slightly worse than the Vizio P Series 2017.
There is no gradient smoothing feature, but the Reduce Noise feature may reduce banding in low-quality content, at the cost of some loss of fine details.
10
Temporary Image Retention
✕
What it is:
How much a static image is retained on a TV screen after a certain amount of time.
When it matters:
When watching TV show, playing video games or when using your TV as a PC monitor.
Score components:
Score distribution:
IR after 0 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured right after the static image exposure, without recovery time.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect.
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
IR after 2 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured after a recovery time of 2 minutes.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
IR after 4 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured after a recovery time of 4 minutes.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect.
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
IR after 6 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured after a recovery time of 6 minutes.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect.
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
IR after 8 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured after a recovery time of 8 minutes.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect.
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
IR after 10 min recovery
:
0.00 %
✕
What it is:
Image retention measured after a recovery time of 10 minutes.
When it matters:
When changing channels while watching TV, right after changing the type of content (i.e. stopping playing video game to watch a movie) or changing input.
Good value:
0 is perfect.
Noticeable difference:
0.015%
Score distribution:
No image retention is present on the Vizio P65-F1. This is in line with TVs that use VA panels.
10
Permanent Burn-In Risk
✕
What it is:
The risk of developing a persistent image retention, also known as burn-in, after being exposed to a static image for a prolonged time
When it matters:
When watching TV shows, playing video games or when using your TV as a PC monitor where static content is present
Score components:
Score distribution:
Permanent Burn-In Risk
:
No
✕
What it is:
If the TV faces a risk of developing permanent burn-in after being expose, for a long period of time, to static images.
When it matters:
When watching TV shows with static logos or banners (news or sports channels), when playing video games with a HUD (head up display), and when using a TV as a PC monitors.
We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
Motion
✕
Score components:
- 53% Response Time
- 11% Flicker-Free
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 12% Stutter
- 11% 24p Judder
- 5% Variable Refresh Rate
Score distribution:
The motion handling of the Vizio P Series 2018 is excellent. The response time is very short so low frame rate content stutters a bit, but this can be offset by enabling motion interpolation. The black frame insertion works great for those who don't mind some flicker for the sake of less blur. Finally, the TV can remove judder from most input signals.
9.6
Response Time
✕
What it is:
Amount of blur in fast motion.
When it matters:
Sports, video games.
Score components:
- 50% 80% Response Time
- 50% 100% Response Time
Score distribution:
80% Response Time
:
3.0 ms
✕
What it is:
How quickly pixels can reach 80% of a full transition from one color to another.
When it matters:
Fast movement.
Good value:
< 8 ms
Noticeable difference:
4 ms
Score distribution:
100% Response Time
:
10.8 ms
✕
What it is:
How quickly pixels can fully transition from one color to another.
When it matters:
Fast movement.
Good value:
< 20 ms
Noticeable difference:
10 ms
Score distribution:
The Vizio P65-F1 has an excellent response time. The pixels change luminosity very fast and this is great for fast-moving content.
9.9
Flicker-Free
✕
What it is:
How noticeable flicker is on the screen, when all optional flicker has been disabled.
When it matters:
All usages, but particularly when viewing fast motion (such as in sports and video games) or when using the TV as a PC monitor.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Flicker-Free
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether the screen will be perceived as having no flicker during normal viewing conditions.
When it matters:
When flicker is especially bothersome, such as when using the TV as a PC monitor.
Good value:
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
:
960 Hz
✕
What it is:
The flicker frequency of the screen, when all optional flicker has been disabled.
When it matters:
All usages, but particularly when viewing fast motion (such as in sports and video games) or when using the TV as a PC monitor.
Good value:
0 Hz or very high frequencies (> 300 Hz). Frequencies that are multiples of 60Hz are better.
Score distribution:
The P series uses PWM and amplitude to dim its backlight. It flickers at 960Hz. This frequency is so fast that almost no-one can notice it. It is only flicker-free when the backlight level is set at maximum (100).
This does produce motion with less noticeable duplications than last year's P Series 2017 or the TCL 6 Series R617.
9.3
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
✕
What it is:
How effective the TV's flickering capabilities are in making motion look clearer, when flicker is desired.
When it matters:
When flicker is desired by the user. Flicker is especially useful to make motion look clearer when viewing 60 fps content (sports, video games) and when using motion interpolation.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Optional BFI
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Option to turn the screen black between frames.
When it matters:
When flicker is desired by the user. Flicker is especially useful to make motion look clearer when viewing 60 fps content (sports, video games) and when using motion interpolation.
Good value:
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps
:
60 Hz
✕
What it is:
Lowest possible frequency of flickering pattern when playing 60 fps content.
When it matters:
When viewing fast motion such as sports and video games.
Good value:
60 Hz
Noticeable difference:
20 Hz
Score distribution:
60 Hz for 60 fps
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the screen can flicker at 60 Hz when playing 60 fps content.
When it matters:
When playing 60 fps content, such as sports and video games.
Good value:
Yes
120 Hz for 120 fps
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the screen can flicker at 120 Hz when playing 120 fps content.
When it matters:
When playing 120 fps content, such as when using motion interpolation on a 120 Hz TV.
Good value:
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
:
60 Hz
✕
What it is:
Lowest possible frequency of flickering pattern when playing 60 fps content in Game Mode.
When it matters:
When playing video games with fast motion.
Good value:
60 Hz
Noticeable difference:
20 Hz
Score distribution:
The BFI mode on the P Series 2018 is activated by setting Clear Motion to On. Just like the M-Series 2018, when BFI is enabled the perceived screen brightness is not reduced. This is because the brightness spikes higher than before to compensate for the off cycles.
10
Motion Interpolation
✕
What it is:
Also known as 'Soap Opera Effect'. It is an optional feature that increases the frame rate of the video, smoothing movement.
When it matters:
If you like the look of smoothed video. Not everyone does.
Score components:
Score distribution:
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the TV can take a 30 fps input and heighten the frame rate to at least 60 fps.
When it matters:
30 fps or lower videos. Includes movies, TV shows, some video games.
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the TV can take a 60 fps input and heighten the frame rate to at least 100 fps.
When it matters:
60 fps videos. Includes some video games, some sports channels.
The 2018 P series motion interpolation is excellent. The TV can interpolate both 30fps content and 60fps content up to 120 Hz. To do that, you must set the Reduce judder to interpolate 30Hz content, and set the Reduce Motion Blur to interpolate 60Hz content.
Motion interpolation stops when there's too much motion, and there are some visible artifacts when interpolating. Interpolation is nearly perfect during slow moving shots
6.9
Stutter
✕
What it is:
Jarring effect caused by static frame time during motion sequences
When it matters:
When watching content with long panning shots and other smooth movement
Score components:
Score distribution:
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
:
30.9 ms
✕
What it is:
Time that frame is static during 24Hz videos such as movies
When it matters:
When watching movies and other low frame rate content which contain panning shots
Good value:
< 24 ms
Noticeable difference:
5 ms
Score distribution:
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
:
5.9 ms
✕
What it is:
Time that frame is static during 60 fps content such as TV shows
When it matters:
When watching 60 fps content containing slow panning shots (such as field sports)
Good value:
< 24 ms
Noticeable difference:
5 ms
Score distribution:
This Vizio P65-F1 is decent at being stutter free. There will be some stutter on slow fps content, because of the very fast response time of this TV. Most people will not notice it, but if you find that it bothers you, you can enable motion interpolation to reduce it.
7.8
24p Judder
✕
What it is:
Whether 24p content can play without any judder.
When it matters:
Only 24p content (mostly just movies).
Score components:
Score distribution:
Judder-Free 24p
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Judder-free movies over 24p signal.
When it matters:
Blu-ray and DVD movies; 24 hz PC signal.
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
:
No
✕
What it is:
Judder-free movies over 60p signal.
When it matters:
Movies from streaming devices (Apple TV, Fire TV, etc.); 60 hz PC signal.
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
:
No
✕
What it is:
Judder-free movies over 60i signal.
When it matters:
Movies from cable/satellite boxes.
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Judder-free movies when playing from native apps.
When it matters:
Movies from streaming native apps (Netflix, Amazon TV, etc.).
The TV has an option to remove judder. This only works if the signal is 24p or if it comes through a Native App. When a 24p signal is coming through a 60p or a 60i source (like a cable box), the TV's option to remove judder does not work. In this case, to remove judder you must enable motion interpolation with a very low setting, so as to avoid potential artifacts.
0
Variable Refresh Rate
✕
What it is:
How frequently the TV can refresh and show new frames, and whether it can vary its refresh rate in real time using technologies like HDMI Forum's Variable Refresh Rate.
When it matters:
Mostly for gaming, but does provide a little better motion during normal usage.
Score components:
- 25% 4k VRR Maximum
- 25% 4k VRR Minimum
- 25% 1080p VRR Maximum
- 25% 1080p VRR Minimum
Score distribution:
Native Refresh Rate
:
120 Hz
✕
What it is:
The out-of-the-box maximum refresh rate; how frequently the TV can refresh and show new frames.
When it matters:
When playing content with a frame rate that matches the TV's refresh rate (ex. 60 fps on a 60 Hz TV, 120 fps on a 120 Hz TV), or when using the TV's motion interpolation feature (soap opera effect).
Good value:
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
:
No
✕
What it is:
Feature that allows the TV to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.
When it matters:
Almost every usage, but is most noticeable when gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.
4k VRR Maximum
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
The maximum frequency covered by the Variable Refresh Rate feature of the TV when the input signal is 4k.
When it matters:
Any time the VRR feature is enabled and 4k is sent.
Good value:
Matches maximum refresh rate at 4k.
Noticeable difference:
10 Hz
Score distribution:
4k VRR Minimum
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
The lowest frequency covered by the TV's Variable Refresh Rate feature when the input signal is 4k.
When it matters:
When using the VRR feature of the TV at lower frame rates when sending a 4k signal.
Good value:
30 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
The maximum frequency covered by the Variable Refresh Rate feature of the TV when the input signal is 1080p.
When it matters:
Any time the VRR feature is enabled and 1080p is sent.
Good value:
Matches maximum refresh rate at 1080p.
Noticeable difference:
10 Hz
Score distribution:
1080p VRR Minimum
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
The lowest frequency covered by the TV's Variable Refresh Rate feature when the input signal is 1080p.
When it matters:
When using the VRR feature of the TV at lower frame rates when sending a 1080p signal.
Good value:
30 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
The inputs which support a variable refresh rate (eg. HDMI, DisplayPort)
When it matters:
When gaming with different consoles or graphics cards.
The Vizio P65-F1 does not support VRR.
The Vizio P series has excellent low input lag. It can support most common resolutions including 1080p @ 120Hz and 4K @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + HDR, which will please most console gamers. All ports support HDMI 2.0 full bandwidth except HDMI 5. This year's model includes a TV tuner which was absent from the previous two year's models.
9.3
Input Lag
✕
What it is:
Delay between input and onscreen reaction.
When it matters:
Video games; when TV is used as PC monitor.
Score components:
- 35% 1080p @ 60Hz
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
- 37% 4k @ 60Hz
- 19% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
Score distribution:
1080p @ 60Hz
:
15.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on TV with a 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:2:2 input.
When it matters:
Video games and also when TV is used as PC monitor.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
:
27.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when displaying 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:2:2 @ 10 bit with HDR.
When it matters:
HDR video games from a console outputting a 1080p signal.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
:
90.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when displaying 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:2:2 in a fully featured picture mode.
When it matters:
For playing video games while retaining access to all features of the TV.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
:
10.5 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on TV with a 1080p @ 120Hz input.
When it matters:
When the TV is used as PC monitor.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
4k @ 60Hz
:
15.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on TV when displaying 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:2:0.
When it matters:
Video games and also when TV is used as PC monitor.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
:
27.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible when displaying 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:2:0 @ 10 bit signal with HDR.
When it matters:
HDR Video games.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
:
26.8 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when displaying 4k @ 60Hz with proper 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. The test is usually conducted with a 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4 signal, but a 4k @ 60 Hz @ Full RGB signal may be used if it's required for the TV to show proper 4:4:4 chroma subsampling.
When it matters:
PC Monitor
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
:
26.8 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when displaying 4k @ 60Hz @ 8 bit + HDR with proper 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. The test is usually conducted with a 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4 @ 8 bit signal, but a 4k @ 60 Hz @ Full RGB @ 8 bit signal may be used if it's required for the TV to show proper 4:4:4 chroma subsampling.
When it matters:
PC Monitor with an HDR capable graphic card
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
Score distribution:
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
:
90.3 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when displaying 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:2:0 in a fully featured picture mode.
When it matters:
For playing video games while retaining access to all features of the TV.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
4k With Interpolation
:
83.9 ms
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag for 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:0 content when the motion interpolation feature is turned on.
When it matters:
When you want to play video games with the Soap Opera Effect enabled.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
4k @ 120 Hz
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on TV with a 4k @ 120Hz input.
When it matters:
When the TV is used as PC monitor.
Good value:
< 40 ms
Noticeable difference:
15 ms
4k with Variable Refresh Rate
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when its Variable Refresh Rate feature is enabled and it is sent a 4k signal.
When it matters:
When gaming with a device which supports variable refresh rates, such as the Xbox One X or a PC.
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
Lowest input lag possible on the TV when its Variable Refresh Rate feature is enabled and it is sent a 1080p signal.
When it matters:
When gaming with a device which supports variable refresh rates, such as the Xbox One X or a PC.
Just like the P Series 2017, this year's model has excellent low input lag for SDR content. However, this year's model also has great input lag for HDR content as well.
HDMI port 5 is a low bandwidth port that doesn't support HDR, but has much lower input lag than the other ports, making it excellent for SDR gaming. Again we conducted all tests on HDMI ports 1, 2 and 5: ports 1 and 2 have similar input lags, but port 5 has much lower lag for all resolutions that it can support, including 4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:0.
Chroma 4:4:4 only shown properly in Computer mode.
| Test | HDMI 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1080p @ 60 Hz | 27.0 | 26.6 | 15.3 |
| + HDR | 27.3 | 26.6 | N/A |
| out of game mode | 145.4 | 145.3 | 90.3 |
| 1080p @ 120 Hz | 30.0 | 29.9 | 10.5 |
| 4k @ 60 Hz | 27.2 | 26.8 | 15.3 |
| + HDR | 27.3 | 26.9 | N/A |
| + 4:4:4 | 26.8 | 26.9 | N/A |
| + 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR | 26.8 | 26.9 | N/A |
| out of game mode | 143.8 | 143.5 | 90.3 |
| with interpolation | 137.9 | 137.1 | 83.9 |
8.3
Supported Resolutions
✕
What it is:
Different resolutions supported by TV.
When it matters:
PC monitor usage.
Score components:
- 17% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 17% 1080p @ 120Hz
- 17% 1440p @ 60Hz
- 17% 4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
- 17% 4k @ 60Hz
- 17% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Score distribution:
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Crisp text on 1060p @ 60 hz signal.
When it matters:
PC productivity and 60 fps gaming.
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Crisp text on 4k @ 60 hz signal.
When it matters:
Productivity and 60 fps gaming in 4k.
All of the most common resolutions are supported on HDMI ports 1-4, and most on port 5.
HDMI Port 5 supports a 4k @ 60 Hz input, but only at 4:2:0. It does not support 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 because it does not have the necessary bandwidth. It also doesn't support HDR.
Ports 1-4 support all common formats including chroma 4:4:4 and 4:2:2, but only when 'Full UHD Color' is enabled for the port being used.
4:4:4 color is only shown properly when the TV is set to Computer mode. Sharpness at 0 means no added sharpness. It is automatically greyed out in Computer mode.
Just like the M Series 2018, the P Series 2018 has dedicated ports for a shared component and composite input.
The rear inputs include an 'analog audio out' for use with wireless headphones without the need for an adaptor. Also, a 'Cable/Antenna' input is present for the TV tuner that returns with this year's model has.
HDR10
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Standard HDR format.
When it matters:
Most common format. All UHD Blu-ray discs are required to have it.
Dolby Vision
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Better format, due to its dynamic nature.
When it matters:
Dolby Vision mastered content. Current available from streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Video), some Blu-Ray players, the Apple TV 4k and ChromeCast Ultra.
HLG
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
HLG or Hybrid Log Gamma is a broadcast HDR format.
When it matters:
HLG capable sources such as Youtube or OTA broadcasts in specific regions. Backwards compatible with SDR TVs.
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
TV can receive and pass Dolby Digital 5.1 signal to receiver via HDMI ARC.
When it matters:
5.1 audio on DVDs and Blu-rays.
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
TV can receive and pass DTS 5.1 signal to receiver via HDMI ARC.
When it matters:
5.1 audio on DVDs and Blu-rays.
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
TV can receive and pass Dolby Digital signal to receiver via digital optical.
When it matters:
5.1 audio on DVDs and Blu-rays.
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
TV can receive and pass DTS signal to receiver via digital optical.
When it matters:
5.1 audio on DVDs and Blu-rays.
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwith
:
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
✕
What it is:
HDMI 2.0 is the main used HDMI standard and supports a range of video resolutions and refresh rates up to 4k@60Hz, with a total maximum bandwidth up to 18Gbps.
HDMI 2.1 Full Bandwidth
:
No
✕
What it is:
HDMI 2.1 is the latest update to the HDMI standard and supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported, and bandwidth capability is increased up to 48Gbps.
ARC
:
Yes (HDMI 1)
✕
What it is:
Audio Return Channel (ARC) enables a TV to transmit, via an HDMI cable, audio data to an A/V receiver, without the need for any extra audio cables.
When it matters:
When connecting your audio/video receiver directly to your TV via an HDMI cable.
USB 3.0
:
No
✕
What it is:
USB 3.0 is the latest USB standard which can transfer data up to 5 Gbit/s, and is easily recognizable due to its blue color-coding of the connector.
To get the optical DTS to work we had manually switch to bitstream, as with the auto setting the signal would stay in PCM.
CEC is needed for ARC passthrough (setting name: CEC).
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 HDR worked for all ports except HDMI 5.
Sound Quality
✕
What it is:
How well and accurately the audio is reproduced.
When it matters:
When a good and accurate sound reproduction is needed.
Score components:
- 75% Frequency Response
- 25% Distortion
Score distribution:
The Vizio P Series 2018 has a mediocre sound. This TV has an above-average loudness but doesn't produce much bass, and it may also lack some detail and presence on dialogs. For a better sound, dedicated speakers or a soundbar is recommended.
5.8
Frequency Response
✕
What it is:
How accurately the sound level of each frequency is being produced.
When it matters:
For a balanced and neutral sound.
Score components:
- 30% Low-Frequency Extension
- 5% Std. Dev. @ 70
- 20% Std. Dev. @ 80
- 15% Std. Dev. @ Max
- 20% Max
- 10% Dynamic Range Compression
Score distribution:
Low-Frequency Extension
:
119.87 Hz
✕
What it is:
The lowest frequency at which the frequency response reaches -3dB of the target response.
When it matters:
Movies, Gaming. Shows how extended the bass is.
Good value:
< 60Hz
Noticeable difference:
10Hz
Score distribution:
Std. Dev. @ 70
:
4.37 dB
✕
What it is:
The amount of deviation (weighted standard deviation) in frequency response measured at 70dB SPL, as compared to a target response that would sound perfectly balanced to most people.
When it matters:
Shows the TV's frequency response at quiet listening levels
Good value:
< 4 dB
Noticeable difference:
0.5 dB
Score distribution:
Std. Dev. @ 80
:
4.68 dB
✕
What it is:
The amount of deviation (weighted standard deviation) in frequency response measured at 80dB SPL, as compared to a target response that would sound perfectly balanced to most people.
When it matters:
Shows the TV's frequency response at moderate listening levels
Good value:
< 4 dB
Noticeable difference:
0.5 dB
Score distribution:
Std. Dev. @ Max
:
6.77 dB
✕
What it is:
The amount of deviation (weighted standard deviation) in frequency response measured with the TV at maximum volume, as compared to a target response that would sound perfectly balanced to most people.
When it matters:
Shows the TV's frequency response at under maximum load
Good value:
< 4 dB
Noticeable difference:
2 dB
Score distribution:
Max
:
87.2 dB SPL
✕
What it is:
Maximum volume reached by the TV at their optimum viewing distance (size dependent)
When it matters:
For listening to loud audio.
Good value:
> 88 dB
Noticeable difference:
2 dB
Score distribution:
Dynamic Range Compression
:
4.71 dB
✕
What it is:
The amount of difference between the TVs frequency response performance at 70dB SPL and Max dB SPL. Too much compression will result in pumping in the sound.
When it matters:
When an accurate and free-of-pumping performance is required at higher volumes
Good value:
< 3dB
Noticeable difference:
0.5
Score distribution:
The frequency response is sub-par. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 120Hz, meaning this TV doesn't produce any thump or rumble, and doesn't have much punch or body to its bass either. The response above the LFE point is not very even either and lacks a bit of detail, which is not ideal for producing dialogs, especially at higher volumes. Additionally, it doesn't have a room correction system either, that's why it wasn't able to remove the modes of test room around 200Hz. On the upside, it reached 87.2dB SPL at maximum volume, which is above average.
6.8
Distortion
✕
What it is:
Deformation of an output signal compared to its input, usually clipping, harmonic distortion, or inter-modulation distortion caused by non-linear behavior of the sound system.
When it matters:
When a clean, pure and transparent reproduction is desired.
Score components:
- 40% Weighted THD @ 80
- 25% Weighted THD @ Max
- 10% IMD @ 80
- 25% IMD @ Max
Score distribution:
Weighted THD @ 80
:
1.225
✕
What it is:
The overall amount of harmonic distortion measured at 80dB SPL. To make the score more perceptually relevant, more weight is given to the higher frequencies.
When it matters:
How pure the sound is at moderate listening levels.
Good value:
< 0.100
Noticeable difference:
0.100
Score distribution:
Weighted THD @ Max
:
5.156
✕
What it is:
The overall amount of harmonic distortion measured at the TV's maximum SPL. To make the score more perceptually relevant, more weight is given to the higher frequencies.
When it matters:
How pure the sound is at moderate listening levels.
Good value:
< 0.100
Noticeable difference:
0.100
Score distribution:
IMD @ 80
:
0.51 %
✕
What it is:
The average amount of inter-modulation distortion produced by the TV under maximum load. The percentage shown here is the average result of 3 separate test signals/standards: SMPTE, DIN, & CCIF
When it matters:
When a clean and free of aliasing reproduction is desired
Good value:
< 5%
Noticeable difference:
2
Score distribution:
IMD @ Max
:
1.43 %
✕
What it is:
The average amount of inter-modulation distortion produced by the TV under maximum load. The percentage shown here is the average result of 3 separate test signals/standards: SMPTE, DIN, & CCIF
When it matters:
When a clean and free of aliasing reproduction is desired
Good value:
< 5%
Noticeable difference:
2
Score distribution:
The distortion performance is about average. The overall amount of THD produced is elevated, especially between 1KHz and 2KHz, which could make the sound of that region a bit harsh. On the upside, there is not a big jump in THD at maximum volumes.
Smart Features
The Vizio P Series 2018 uses the Vizio SmartCast smart interface just like the Vizio M Series 2018. The main attraction is the built-in Chromecast media streaming device, which allows you to stream files from just about anything. This is a great feature and many people will find it great that the TV becomes an extension of their smart device. For those who don't the P-Series has some built-in apps. There are 18 preinstalled built-in apps that cover the basics, but there is no app store and no way to add additional functionality except via firmware updates from Vizio.
7.0
Interface
✕
What it is:
The usability, features and performance of the main interface of the TV, not including the interfaces of the apps themselves.
When it matters:
Anytime when using the TV, but especially when changing settings and using apps.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
Ease of Use
:
Easy
✕
What it is:
How easy the interface is to navigate, affected by the organization of its layout, placing frequently accessed elements in areas that are faster to access, etc.
When it matters:
When using the smart features.
Smoothness
:
Not Smooth
✕
What it is:
How smooth the interface is to navigate, affected by lag and frame drops.
When it matters:
When using the smart features.
Time Taken to Select YouTube
:
16 s
✕
What it is:
How long it takes to select YouTube for launch, starting from HDMI 1 input, when YouTube is placed first on the list of apps or added as a shortcut. This does not include app launch time, and does not use a fixed YouTube button on a remote. This serves as an indication of the time needed to select any app.
When it matters:
When launching any app.
Time Taken to Change Backlight
:
3 s
✕
What it is:
The time it takes to navigate to the 'Backlight' setting ('Brightness' on Sony TVs). This serves as an indication of how long it takes to navigate to basic TV settings.
When it matters:
When changing TV settings.
Advanced Options
:
Many
✕
What it is:
Whether advanced options and settings are available, such as color calibration.
When it matters:
When customizing the TV and using the smart features.
The interface of the P65-F1 is decent. It is slow and basic, there are no animations and the apps load slowly. The TV shows and movies tabs are noticeably laggy. The TV slows down to a trickle for half a second then speeds through the next movies.
10
Ad-Free
✕
What it is:
Whether or not ads can be found on the TV's smart platform.
When it matters:
When using the smart features.
Score distribution:
Ads
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether the TV's main interface has ads. This does take into account ads in third-party apps.
When it matters:
When using the smart features.
Opt-out
:
N/A
✕
What it is:
Whether you can opt out of the ad services or not. A TV only passes this test if it allows you to remove them completely, not only disable the personalized advertising.
When it matters:
When using the smart features.
Suggested Content in Home
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether suggested content appears in the TV's home menu or main menu. Suggested content can include recommended movies, TV shows, YouTube videos etc.
Opt-out of Suggested Content
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether the suggested content feed in the home menu can be removed or hidden
The TV's interface does not have ads. There is a scrolling banner in the main app page for suggested content that can not be disabled and can bother some people.
6.5
Apps and Features
✕
What it is:
The usability, features and performance of apps and other smart features.
When it matters:
Only when using smart features such as apps, casting and USB playback.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
App Selection
:
Many
✕
What it is:
The number and variety of apps available to download for the smart platform.
When it matters:
When downloading new apps.
App Smoothness
:
Not Smooth
✕
What it is:
How smooth it feels to navigate the interfaces of apps, affected by lag and frame drops.
When it matters:
When using apps.
USB Drive Playback
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the TV can play content from a drive connected to one of the TV's USB ports.
USB Drive HDR Playback
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether HDR files played from a USB drive can be displayed properly.
HDR in Netflix
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether HDR content on Netflix can be played back in HDR using the native Netflix app.
HDR in Amazon Video
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether HDR content on Amazon Video can be played in HDR using the native Amazon Video app.
HDR in YouTube
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether HDR content on YouTube can be played in HDR using the native YouTube app.
The Vizio P65-F1, just like the M series 2018, comes with 18 preloaded apps:
Netflix, Prime Video, Crackle, VUDU, iHeart Radio, YouTube, Newsy, Dove channel, Curiosity stream, Con TV, Pluto TV, Haystack TV, Xumo, Plex, Fandango Now, NBC, YouTube TV and Hulu.
Unfortunately, there is no app store to download more, but the TV does support Google Casting though.Update 19/06/2018: 3 preloaded apps were missing from the app list. They have been added to the review.
6.0
Remote
✕
What it is:
The usability and features of the TV's physical remote.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
CEC Menu Control
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote can act as a universal remote for HDMI CEC enabled devices. This was tested on our Samsung UBD-K8500 4K Blu-ray player, and may not be valid for other CEC devices as implementations vary by manufacturer.
Other Smart Features
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote has any other smart features, such as a pointer, universal remote support for non HDMI CEC devices, etc.
The remote control is lightweight with small buttons. There are 6 button shortcuts for Vudu, Netflix, Amazon Video, Xumo, Crackle and iHeart radio.
There is no voice control built into the remote or on the TV, but you can connect a Google Home or Amazon Alexa device if you have one.
8.0
Remote App
✕
What it is:
The features of the official phone and tablet app for the TV.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution:
Acts as the Remote
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote app can emulate all the buttons of the physical remote.
Directly Launches Apps and Inputs
:
Inputs Only
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote app can directly launch the TV's apps and change between its inputs, without requiring any interaction with menus on the TV.
Inputs Text in YouTube
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote app can enter text for YouTube searches.
Inputs Text in Netflix
:
Yes
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote app can enter text for Netflix searches.
Streams Device Files
:
No
✕
What it is:
Whether the remote app can stream files from the phone or tablet to the TV, files such as pictures, music and video.
Controls TV Settings
:
All
✕
What it is:
Whether the app can change all or some of the settings on the TV, such as the backlight.
The remote app is good in controlling most TV functions but lacks voice control. It also cannot send files from your device to the TV so if you wish to cast to the built-in Chromecast, you have to use a third party software
Differences between Sizes and Variants
We tested the 65" (P65-F1). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 75" (P75-F1) and the 55" (P55-F1) variant of the Vizio P Series 2018.
| Size | Model | LCD Type | Clear Action | Real Refresh Rate | Local Dimming Zones |
| 55" | P55-F1 | VA | 720 | 120 Hz | 56 |
| 65" | P65-F1 | VA | 720 | 120 Hz | 100 |
| 75" | P75-F1 | VA | 720 | 120 Hz | 120 |
Compared to other TVs
Top left: Vizio M-Series 2018 (M55-F0). Bottom left: TCL R617 (55R617). Middle: Vizio P-Series 2018 (P55-F1). Top right: LG SK9000 (55SK9000PUA). Bottom right: Sony X900F (XBR55X900F). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.
The Vizio P-Series 2018 is a very good mid-range 4k TV. It is a good improvement over the 2017 P-Series and performs very well compared to the competition.
Vizio P Series 2017
55" 65" 75"
The Vizio P Series 2018 is a better TV than the Vizio P Series XLED 2017. If you already have last year's model, it's probably not worth it to upgrade. However, if you are buying now, the choice clearly favors the 2018 model. Picture quality is similar, but the 2018 model has better reflection handling, a wider color gamut, and better out-of-the-box color accuracy. The biggest improvement for gamers is the low input lag in HDR content.
Sony X900F
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"
The Sony X900F is a better TV than the Vizio P Series 2018. Both TVs are great for most usages but the Sony has slightly better picture quality due to higher HDR and SDR brightness levels, better gray uniformity and better gradient. Motion handling is similar, but the P Series uses a better BFI algorithm that does not dim the screen. The Vizio P Series has much better input lag, which makes it a better TV for gaming. For the price difference, go for the Vizio.
Vizio M Series 2018
55" 65"
The Vizio P Series 2018 is a better TV than the Vizio M Series 2018. It has slightly better picture quality, but much better motion handling. The P Series 2018 has a faster response time and a much better backlight that is nearly flicker-free. The P Series also has a motion interpolation feature which the M Series 2018 lacks. This is great if you enjoy the soap opera effect, but also for watching low frame rate content that stutters a bit due to the fast pixel response time on the P Series.
TCL R617
55" 65"
The Vizio P series 2018 is a better TV than the TCL 6 Series 2018 R617. The Vizio has better local dimming and thus produces deeper blacks in dark scenes. It has better motion interpolation and faster response time. The TCL is cheaper, but we have received reports of uniformity issues in the panels, so the Vizio P Series 2018 is a safer choice. If you can afford it, go for the Vizio.
Conclusion
SEE PRICE
B&H
8.2Mixed Usage
✕
What it is
General purpose. The TV will be used for a variety of content and usages. Movies at night, TV shows during the day, video games from time to time, etc.
Score components:
- 22% TV Shows
- 22% Sports
- 16% Movies
- 16% Video Games
- 10% HDR Gaming
- 9% HDR Movies
- 6% PC Monitor
Score distribution:
The Vizio P Series is a great TV for almost any kind of usage. Its low input lag, fast response time, great contrast ratio, good uniformity and great color accuracy make it a great choice for almost any audience.
8.5Movies
✕
What it is
Movies in the dark. The TV will be used for watching movies in a controlled environment, directly in front, in a home theater way. Mostly only high quality content, like Blu-rays, UHD Blu-rays, streaming and a little bit of HDR.
Score components:
- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 12% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
Score distribution:
Great movie performance for the Vizio P65-F1. Blacks are deep and local dimming works well to improve contrast ratio in dark scenes. The TV has a good overall picture quality with uniform blacks and accurate out-of-the-box colors. It will keep happy those who view 1080p content like blu-ray.
7.7TV Shows
✕
What it is
TV Shows in a bright living room. The TV will be used in to watch TV shows, in a bright room during the day, from multiple viewing positions at different angles. The content watched has an average quality: cable, streaming, SD channels, etc.
Score components:
- 29% Reflections
- 16% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 9% 1080p Input
- 7% 720p Input
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 5% 4k Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 5% Smart Features
- 3% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
The Vizio P Series 2018 is good for watching TV in a bright room. The TV can get bright and can overcome most glare. It has great reflection handling, but the picture quality degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle, which is bad for wide rooms. The TV does an ok job at upscaling cable content, but you might notice some clouding.
7.8Sports
✕
What it is
Sports in a living room. The TV will be used to watch sports during the day, like football or hockey. Usually watched with a group, so from multiple viewing position.
Score components:
- 25% Reflections
- 20% Response Time
- 14% SDR Peak Brightness
- 11% Viewing Angle
- 10% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 720p Input
- 5% Sound Quality
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
Score distribution:
A good TV for watching Sports. Fast response time, good reflection handling and great SDR peak brightness make this TV suitable for watching fast moving content in a bright, but not wide room due to poor viewing angles. Depending on the panel some people might notice some clouding due to decent gray uniformity, especially in panning shots.
8.9Video Games
✕
What it is
Video games. The TV will be used to play video games, directly in front, in a controlled light environment. Usually fast games, like online FPS, where motion blur and input lag is important.
Score components:
- 33% Input Lag
- 22% Response Time
- 6% 1080p Input
- 6% 4k Input
- 4% Contrast
- 4% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 3% Reflections
- 3% Gray Uniformity
- 3% Sound Quality
- 3% Local Dimming
- 2% Black Uniformity
- 2% SDR Peak Brightness
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Stutter
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% 4k @ 60Hz
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% 1440p @ 60Hz
Score distribution:
The Vizio P65-F1 is an excellent TV for playing video games. The low input lag and the very fast response time guarantee a nice gaming experience. The TV is capable of supporting various resolutions and have great interpolation image clearing features, that will keep gamers happy.
8.4HDR Movies
✕
What it is
HDR Movies and TV shows. The TV will be used to watch 4k UHD HDR content, with a wide color gamut and a high peak brightness. Either via UHD Blu-rays or HDR streaming.
Score components:
- 22% Contrast
- 14% Local Dimming
- 12% 4k Input
- 11% Black Uniformity
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Color Gamut
- 6% Color Volume
- 5% Gray Uniformity
- 4% Stutter
- 4% 24p Judder
- 3% HDR ABL
- 2% Motion Interpolation
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Post Calibration
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
Score distribution:
This is a good TV for watching HDR movies. It has deep blacks and great black uniformity. In HDR content, details look bright with saturated colors that will keep most people happy.
8.6HDR Gaming
✕
What it is
HDR Gaming. The TV will be used to play HDR video games using consoles that support it or on current generation gaming PCs. Xbox One S, PS4 Pro, GTX 10 series and AMD RX series graphics cards.
Score components:
- 25% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 15% Response Time
- 8% Contrast
- 7% Color Gamut
- 7% Color Volume
- 5% Local Dimming
- 4% 1080p Input
- 4% 4k Input
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 3% HDR ABL
- 3% HDR Peak Brightness
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% Gradient
- 2% Reflections
- 1% Variable Refresh Rate
- 1% HDR10
- 1% Dolby Vision
- 1% Sound Quality
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
The Visio P series 2018 is a great TV for HDR gaming. Its excellent response time, wide color gamut, good contrast ratio and 4K @ 60Hz with HDR display capabilities, make it a good choice for those who want to use it for HDR gaming.
8.4PC Monitor
✕
What it is
PC Monitor. The TV will be used as a PC monitor, from 2-3 feet away, either for productivity purposes or gaming. Sharp text is important, as well as a high resolution.
Score components:
- 28% Inputs
- 14% Viewing Angle
- 13% Response Time
- 8% Permanent Burn-In Risk
- 6% Reflections
- 5% Temporary Image Retention
- 4% 4k Input
- 3% SDR Peak Brightness
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 2% Contrast
- 2% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 2% Curved
- 2% Gray Uniformity
- 2% 1080p Input
- 1% Local Dimming
- 1% Black Uniformity
- 1% Flicker-Free
- 1% Pre Calibration
- 0% Post Calibration
Score distribution:
This a good TV for use as a PC monitor. It has very low input lag and you will be pleased with the TVs reaction time. The response time is very low and you will not notice any blur. However, if you sit too close to the TV the edges might look a little dim and colors might be off due to poor viewing angles.
Questions & Answers
9 ANSWERED QUESTIONS
31
Hello! First off, thanks so much for all the hard work you put into these reviews. I've been waiting anxiously for this one as I was weighting this TV vs the X900F and it seems that the Vizio is superior for my purposes (and saves me a lot of money too!).
I'll be using this TV attached to a Media / Gaming PC in my living room. That means that, ideally, I'd have both 4:4:4 chroma *and* low input lag at the same time. I see from your review that you get 4:4:4 chroma in "PC Mode" and low input lag in "Gaming Mode". Can these two modes be active at the same time? Or will I have to choose between one or the other?
If I have to choose between the two, I'd most likely choose the lower input lag. At a distance of 9ft from a 65" TV, do you think losing the 4:4:4 chroma will be noticeable? Thanks for your time!
Thank you for the kind comments!
It is possible to enable both PC mode (Picture Mode = Computer) and Game mode (Game low latency) at the same time. When sending Chroma 4:4:4 to the TV from a computer, Game mode automatically turns on and becomes greyed out. It is also important to note that Chroma 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 are only supported when Full UHD Color is enabled for the port being used. The difference between 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 is noticeable for some people, but it should not be a problem in this case as Game mode will always be enabled when displayed 4:4:4 content, so you will have low input lag and Chroma 4:4:4.
6
I am trying to decide between the 65" Vizio P-Series and TCL 6-Series. I mostly watch online content through Fire TV Box using Kodi, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video. This includes TV series and movies, typically in 720P or better resolution. Occasionally I see some sports, but that is not too often. I almost never play games on my TV.
Given this, would I be better off going with the TCL 6-Series and save the $150?
While the Vizio P-Series 2018 is a better TV overall, the differences may only apply when viewed side by side. The TCL R617 is brighter and has a better interface (RoKu TV) that you may end up finding more convenient than your Fire TV Box. The TCL is a good fit for you if it's cheaper, however, if found for the same price we would still recommend the Vizio for better local dimming and deeper blacks in dark scenes. It also has better motion interpolation.
4
This or the X900E? Need a straight answer! Money difference doesn’t matter.
Both TVs have pretty similar image quality. The "best" depends on your usage and priorities. If you're a gamer, the Vizio is the clear winner. If you're into HDR the Vizio also has a slight edge with better local dimming and Dolby Vision capability. The Sony X900E is better with TV Shows and Sports because of its better handling of reflections in bright room and handling of 720p content.
2
Is there anyway to modify the stand so the footprint is smaller, like how on the X900F you can invert the stand to turn them in?
No. Unfortunately, the legs cannot be reversed.
1
I am curious as to why the P Series 2018 does not make it to the recommended or under "best" category, not even mentioned under notable mentions?
How do I know if I am receiving ULTRA HD / 4k content through external devices (Roku, Amazon FireTV, etc)?
We are currently updating our recommendations for the summer of 2018 and we expect the P series 2018 to be one of our recommendations since it is the best value at its current price point of 750$.
To check the resolution of the content displayed on the TV, press the Info button on the remote. On the top right of the TV, you will then see the resolution at which the content is playing in a white rectangle (If the signal is 4k, it will be 2160p). It will also show if the TV is displaying normal, HDR10 or Dolby Vision content.
0
Thank you for the great review. I am not sure that you are aware of the HDMI issues reported on the AVS forum. I personally also was affected. Basically, the display cuts in and out when 4k HDR content is displayed, sometimes rather frequently. It seems that the issue is related to HDMI 1 in my case. Have you had the same problem? Do I need to replace the TV since it is still within the return window? Thank you very much!
We have not personally experienced issues on HDMI 1 with high-bandwidth signals such as 4k@ 60 + HDR, but we have heard of the issue with the HDMI port 1. This seems to be caused by a defective board batch and Vizio is replacing the faulty models. We recommend testing with other HDMI cables and devices and performing a factory reset of the TV to make sure that the issue is caused by the TV. If the problems with HDMI 1 are still present, the best solution would be to contact the store where you bought the P series or Vizio's customer support to get your TV replaced or repaired.
0
Hi, I am in the market for buying a new 4k 55 inch tv and have narrowed it down between the "old"Sony x900e tv and the Vizio P55-f1. I tend to keep my tv's for years... so, what is the repair and/or breakdown history of Vizio. That would be a great addition to the reviews. Brand new is good but how often they break down or last? I am torn between the Vizio and Sony, and the latter cost $250 more.
We only buy one sample of each product, consequently, we can't track or evaluate their reliability. We can only comment on their picture quality. The P Series 2018 and X900E have very similar picture quality. If price is an issue, go for the cheapest.
0
As of 7/10/2018, this TV (P series F 2018) is extremely difficult to find anywhere in either 65in or 75in. Best Buy doesn't seem to have them anywhere in my area, and none of the other big boxes have them. Even the Vizio website says "Coming Soon!" on the 65in version. I'm looking to buy the 65in version. When will more become available? Also, I'm planning on using this for HDR gaming on PS4 Pro, sitting 8ft from the TV. Would 75in be too big for gaming sitting that close?
We don't have any insider information for the availability of Vizio's product. Your best bet is to keep checking their site.
A clue to figure out how far from a screen you should sit is to compare with how far you prefer sitting at the theater. Next time you visit your local cinema, count the ceiling tiles for the screen width and then to your seat. Use the rule of three (75*screen to seat/screen width ) to figure out your personal preference. You could also try sitting 5.1' from a 55" screen for example.
THX recommends between a field of view of 26 to 36 degrees or 11.8' to 8.4' for a 75" screen.
Shortest recommended based on the peripheral vision of the human eye is 140 degrees or 3.9'
See our TV Size to Distance Calculator for more info.
0
Would you recommend the Vizio P 2018 over Samsung NU8000 mainly for 4K video games and 1080p/4K movies? I noticed that NU8000 supports FreeSync, but not sure how much of a difference that feature makes in actual use. Thank you!
We recommend going with the Vizio P Series 2018 in your situation. The P Series is much better than the NU8000 for movies as it has greater local dimming, but it is only a bit better for video games thanks to its very good response time which only leaves a small trail of blur behind moving objects. The NU8000 and the P Series 2018 perform similarly and we recommend going with the cheaper one, which is currently the P Series. FreeSync is a great feature to have on a TV when gaming since it eliminates screen tearing and provides consistent low input lag, but to take advantage of this feature the input device must also support FreeSync (Like an AMD graphics card or an Xbox One).
Have a question?Before asking a question, make sure you use the search function of our website. The majority of the answers are already here.
