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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Aug 14, 2018 at 11:03 am
Latest change: Test bench update May 21, 2020 at 08:51 am
Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 Picture
8.2
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.5
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.0
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.6
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.8
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.7
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Vizio P Series Quantum X 2019

The Vizio P Series Quantum is an excellent LED LCD TV, especially when viewed in a dark room. It has great picture quality in both SDR and HDR thanks to the wide color gamut, very high peak brightness, and great local dimming feature. Motion handling is also excellent, as very little blur is visible when watching fast paced content and the TV can perform black frame insertion when gaming to clear up fast motion. Input lag is also low, which is excellent. It isn't perfect though as banding is visible in gradients, the gray uniformity could be better and the image degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.

Note that this is a different TV to the Vizio P Series 2018, and is the highest-end model from Vizio in 2018.

Our Verdict

8.2 Mixed Usage

Excellent TV overall. The screen is very bright and good at overcoming glare in a bright room, but still has the deep contrast ratio and black uniformity needed for dark room viewing. The viewing angles are a limiting factor, as the image quality degrades at an angle. Motion handling is great thanks to the fast response time and the TV feels responsive due to the excellent low input lag for gaming. The Vizio Quantum is great for any usage.

Pros
  • Produces extremely bright HDR highlights
  • Low input lag for gamers
  • Excellent motion handling
Cons
  • Image loses accuracy when viewed at an angle
8.5 Movies

Excellent TV for watching movies in a dark room. The native contrast is excellent at producing deep blacks, and with local dimming enabled it is even better. Low frame rate content does stutter a bit due to the fast response time, so there isn't much blur to smooth between frames.

8.0 TV Shows

Great TV for watching TV in a bright room. The Quantum is bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room and has excellent reflection handling. Unfortunately, the viewing angles are limited, so it isn't as good for watching TV while sat off to the side.

8.1 Sports

Good TV for watching sports in a bright room. It has excellent reflection handling and is able to get extremely bright to overcome glare. The response time is excellent, and fast motion looks great with no noticeable motion trail. The viewing angles are limited so it isn't as good for watching with a large group of friends.

8.1 Video Games

Superb TV for playing video games. It has excellent low input lag, and a dedicated port for even lower input lag on lower bandwidth or SDR consoles. The response time is excellent, and fast motion looks great, with very little blur. It doesn't support automatically changing to game mode or variable refresh rate, unlike the high-end Samsung TVs.

8.6 HDR Movies

Excellent TV for watching movies in HDR in a dark room. The excellent native contrast ratio and great local dimming produce nearly perfect blacks. The Vizio P-Series Quantum is extremely bright in HDR, and small highlights in some scenes will really pop. It also supports Dolby Vision, so you can get the best quality possible. Colors pop thanks to the wide color gamut and great color volume.

7.8 HDR Gaming

Remarkable TV for gaming with an HDR console like a PS4 or Xbox One X. The input lag is very low, good for competitive gaming. Motion is smooth and crisp thanks to the fast response times. The high contrast ratio is perfect for late night gaming. Unfortunately, it does not support newer gaming technologies like VRR or auto low latency, unlike the top tier Samsung TVs. It supports an excellent wide color gamut and can produce very bright highlights to make HDR content pop.

7.7 PC Monitor

Excellent TV for use as a PC Monitor. It has excellent low input and supports most of the common resolutions, but unfortunately, it does not support 1440p. The viewing angles are bad, so when viewed from up close the sides appear non-uniform. There is no risk of burn-in or image retention which is great. Motion is crisp and smooth and it reacts quickly to a moving mouse pointer thanks to the fast response time.

  • 8.2 Mixed Usage
  • 8.5 Movies
  • 8.0 TV Shows
  • 8.1 Sports
  • 8.1 Video Games
  • 8.6 HDR Movies
  • 7.8 HDR Gaming
  • 7.7 PC Monitor
  1. Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  2. Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  3. Updated Aug 02, 2019: We have retested the gradient performance with the latest firmware, and found it to be roughly in the same ballpark. The score and measurements have been updated.
  4. Updated Jul 08, 2019: We retested the backlight flicker, and found that the flicker frequency has decreased to a much more noticeable 120Hz. The scores have been updated.
  5. Updated Feb 28, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  6. Updated Aug 14, 2018: Review published.
  7. Updated Aug 12, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Aug 12, 2018: Early access published.
  9. Updated Aug 10, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Jul 31, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 65" P-Series Quantum (PQ65-F1), which is the only size available in this line.

Size Model LCD Type Clear Action Real Refresh Rate Local Dimming Zones
65" PQ65-F1 VA 960 120 Hz 192

 

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Vizio P-Series 2018 (M65-F1). Bottom left: Sony X900F (XBR55X900F). Middle: Vizio P-Series Quantum 2018 (PQ65-F1). Top right: Samsung Q8FN (QN55Q8FN). Bottom right: TCL R617 (55R617).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The Vizio Quantum is an excellent mixed-usage TV that outperforms many pricier models. See our recommendations for the best TVs.

Vizio P Series Quantum X 2019
65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum X and the Vizio P Series Quantum are nearly identical. The Quantum X has a slightly wider color gamut. The Quantum X has nearly double the local dimming zones, and although the overall performance is similar, the new model has less noticeable blooming around bright objects. Any other differences between them can larger be attributed to panel variance, and do not necessarily represent a real difference.

Vizio P Series Quantum 2019
65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 is better than the Vizio P Series Quantum 2019. The P Series Quantum 2018 is a higher-end model than the 2019 version, despite the similar name. The 2018 model is significantly brighter, has better contrast, and has better reflection handling.

Sony X950G
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is somewhat better than the Sony X950G. The Vizio has better local dimming and higher contrast ratio which, along with the wider color gamut, is great for movies and HDR content, especially in a dark room. Also, the Vizio has a faster response time and slightly crisper fast-moving content. On the other hand, the Sony X950G has better smart features, which is great if you use them often.

Vizio M Series Quantum 2019
55" 65"

The Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 is much better than the Vizio M Series Quantum. The P Series is significantly brighter, has better reflection handling, a faster response time, and it has an optional motion interpolation feature.

LG SM9500
65"

The LG SM9500 and the Vizio P Series Quantum have different panels, each with their advantages and disadvantages. The LG has an IPS panel and is more suitable if you have a large room with wide seating arrangement and prefer to watch TV in a dim or a bright room, as its dark room performance is just decent. The Vizio, on the other hand, is more suitable if you watch TV in a dark room, as it can deliver excellent dark room performance, but you must sit straight in front to enjoy the most accurate image.

Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED
55" 65" 75" 82"

The Samsung Q80R is marginally better than the Vizio P Series Quantum. The Vizio has a faster response time, which produces crisper motion, and a higher native contrast ratio, which is great for movies. The Samsung Q80R has wider viewing angles thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer and can remove 24p judder from any source.

Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED
49" 55" 65" 75" 82" 85"

The Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 is a bit better than the Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED. The Vizio is a lot brighter, so HDR content has a lot more pop to it. The Vizio also has much better reflection handling and has a faster response time. The Samsung, on the other hand, has much better smart features, including access to a huge selection of apps.

Samsung Q60/Q60R QLED
43" 49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

The Vizio P Series Quantum 2018 is much better than the Samsung Q60/Q60R QLED. The Vizio has a much better dark room performance thanks to its deeper and more uniform blacks. The Vizio can also get brighter and handle reflection better so you can easily place it in a bright room. The P Series Quantum has better HDR performance and displays crisper motion thanks to the faster response time. The Samsung Q60R is loaded with gaming features like FreeSync support to please serious gamers.

Samsung Q90/Q90R QLED
65" 75" 82"

The Samsung Q90R is slightly better than the Vizio P Series Quantum. The Samsung Q90R has wider viewing angles thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology, whereas the Vizio P Series Quantum has a higher contrast ratio and can deliver deeper blacks in a dark room. The Q90R supports FreeSync, which is great if you enjoy playing video games and have compatible hardware, like an Xbox One.

Samsung Q900/Q900R 8k QLED
55" 65" 75" 82"

The Vizio P Series Quantum has similar overall performance to the Samsung Q900R. The Vizio PQ65-F1 has better reflection handling for a room with multiple light sources, and also better dark room performance, which is great for watching movies. The Samsung Q900R, on the other hand, has an 8k resolution and wider viewing angles thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer. The Q900R supports FreeSync and is a better choice for use as a PC monitor.

Vizio P Series 2018
55" 65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is better than the Vizio P Series 2018. The Quantum has better bright room performance, as it's much brighter and has a better reflective coating that reduces glare. The Quantum also has more saturated colors, with a wider color gamut and better color volume. Motion performance and input lag are nearly identical between the two models, as are smart features.

Sony Z9F
65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is a bit better than the Sony Master Series Z9F for most people. The P Series Quantum performs better in a dark room, as it has better native contrast and better black uniformity. The Quantum also has a much wider color gamut and better color volume. The Sony Z9F has much better gradient handling, and more advanced smart features, including access to the excellent Google Play Store.

TCL 6 Series 2018
55" 65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is significantly better than the TCL 6 Series/R617 2018. The Vizio has better dark room performance thanks to the higher contrast ratio, and more effective local dimming support. The Vizio has better reflection handling, a wider color gamut, and better color volume that enhances HDR performance. Finally, the Vizio has a faster response time and displays crisper motion. The TCL can display judder-free movies from any source.

LG C8 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG C8 is a bit better than the Vizio P Series Quantum, unless your main usage is in a bright room. The C8 has even better dark room performance than the already excellent Vizio Quantum, with true perfect blacks. The C8 also has much wider viewing angles, great for a wide seating area. The Vizio P Series Quantum is much better for a bright room, as it's significantly brighter with SDR and HDR content. The Quantum also doesn't have a risk of burn-in with static content.

LG B8 OLED
55" 65"

The LG B8 is a bit better than the Vizio P Series Quantum, unless you're placing the TV in a bright room. The B8 has even better dark room performance, thanks to the perfect blacks, than the already excellent Vizio P Quantum performance. The B8 has wide viewing angles, great for watching from the side. The Vizio P Series Quantum can get much brighter in SDR and in HDR and it's the better choice if you have a bright room. The Vizio is a LED TV and doesn't have a risk of burn-in.

Samsung Q9FN/Q9/Q9F QLED 2018
65" 75"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is slightly better than the Samsung Q9FN 2018. The Vizio Quantum is a bit brighter with SDR and HDR content. The Quantum also has better motion handling with a faster response time. The Samsung Q9FN has better gradient handling and has new features that improve gaming performance, such as VRR and automatic low input lag.

Samsung Q8FN/Q8/Q8F QLED 2018
55" 65" 75" 82"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is marginally better than the Samsung Q8FN. The P Series Quantum can get brighter in HDR. It has a faster response time so that fast-moving content has only a small blur trail, which is great for sports. The Samsung Q8FN supports FreeSync variable refresh rate and has some neat gaming features like motion interpolation with low input lag.

Samsung Q6FN/Q6/Q6F QLED 2018
49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is significantly better than the Samsung Q6FN. The Vizio has a much better local dimming that greatly enhances dark room performance. The Vizio can also get brighter and handle reflections better, so it's more suitable for a bright room. The Quantum also has a faster response time that makes motion look crisper and has a wider color gamut; it can deliver great HDR performance. The Samsung Q6FN is loaded with gaming goodies like FreeSync variable refresh rate support, which is important if you're a serious gamer.

Sony X900F
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is a better TV than the Sony X900F overall. It has slightly better reflection handling and is much brighter, which is great if you watch TV shows or sports in brighter rooms. The Vizio P Series Quantum also has better local dimming that makes blacks look deep in a dark room. The input lag of the Vizio P Series Quantum is better, and this is great for gamers. On the other hand, the Sony X900F has better color accuracy out of the box, smoother gradients, and more intuitive smart features.

Sony Z9D
65" 75" 100"

The Vizio P Series Quantum is better than the Sony Z9D. The Vizio P Series Quantum has a much better response time and a better input lag which is great for those who play fast-paced video games. The Sony Z9D has more traditional smart features which many will prefer, a bit better local dimming, smoother gradients, and better color accuracy out of the box.

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Video

Test Results

Design
8.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The design of the Vizio P Series Quantum is very good. The stand has a metallic finish and closely resembles the non-quantum version and the Vizio P Series 2017. The legs are nearly the full width of the TV, so a large stand is needed. Unfortunately, there is no cable management.

Design
Stand

The stand is very similar to the standard Vizio P Series. It supports the TV well and there is very little wobble.

Footprint of the 65" model TV stand: 50.8" x 11.7"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x400

The back of the Vizio Quantum is quite plain, very similar to the Vizio P Series. The connections and controls are both on the same side, and inputs face downwards and to the side. Although the controls are at the rear of the TV, they are easily accessible when wall mounted due to their large size. There is no cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.35" (0.9 cm)

The borders and bezel are very thin. There is a slight gap between the inside edge of the bezel and the start of the LCD panel.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.72" (6.9 cm)

The maximum thickness is identical to the Vizio P Series 2018. The TV is of nearly uniform thickness and will sit almost flush when VESA mounted.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is very good. There are no obvious gaps or areas that appear prone to breakage. The TV is sturdy and feels well built.

Picture Quality
9.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
6,084 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
15,329 : 1

The Vizio P Series Quantum has an excellent native contrast ratio, even with local dimming off. The Local Dimming setting that was the most effective at boosting the contrast ratio was 'Medium', as when it was set to 'High' the contrast ratio was measured to be 9273:1.

The native contrast ratio is one of the highest we've measured up to now, a bit higher than the Samsung Q8FN, whereas the contrast ratio with local dimming enabled ranks second right behind the Samsung Q9FN.

8.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

The local dimming of the Vizio Quantum is great. The TV has 192 zones and is able to effectively boost highlights. In a side-by-side comparison with the Z9D the P Series Quantum is worse though, as rapidly changing small areas of the backlight produce more noticeable blooming.

When compared to the Samsung Q9FN, some people may prefer the local dimming performance of either TV. We can see in this side-by-side comparison that the Q9FN (top left) loses details in particularly challenging scenes, whereas the P Series Quantum (top right) is better at keeping these small highlights. This does result in deeper blacks on the Q9FN, but at the expense of details. The Vizio P Series 2018 (bottom left) also retains details but with a raised black level due to the fewer number of zones. The LG C8 (bottom right) shows the ideal performance with perfect blacks.

If you enjoy local dimming and don't mind some variation in screen brightness or blooming, then set local dimming to 'Medium'. This does increase the overall brightness of the image though, and can result in distracting blooming around bright objects. If you prefer a less aggressive local dimming implementation or find the brightness too high after decreasing the 'Backlight' then set it to 'Low', or disable local dimming completely if you don't like the changes in brightness.

Update 01/02/2019: The name for Vizio's local dimming feature has been renamed from Xtreme Black Engine Pro to Active Full Array.

Update 07/16/2019: Text updated to clarify settings.

9.2
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
846 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
2,016 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
2,367 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
1,601 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
1,289 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
798 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
1,977 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
2,310 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
1,596 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
1,250 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
795 cd/m²
SDR ABL
0.054

The Vizio PQ65-F1 is extremely bright. Real scene peak brightness is the highest we have measured so far, brighter even than the Sony X930E and Z9D. The TV can easily overcome glare in a bright room.

These peak brightness numbers were measured with the local dimming setting of 'Medium'.

9.3
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
1,368 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
2,132 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
2,433 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
1,449 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
1,094 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
826 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
2,101 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
2,395 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
1,443 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
1,088 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
822 cd/m²
HDR ABL
0.055

The Vizio Quantum is one of the brightest TVs we have tested so far in HDR, very similar to the Sony Z9D and X930E. Small highlights in some scenes really stand out in HDR. Even with large bright scenes the TV is extremely bright.

These peak brightness numbers were measured with the local dimming setting of 'Medium'.

7.6
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.455%
50% DSE
0.163%
5% Std. Dev.
1.258%
5% DSE
0.109%

Overall good gray uniformity. At high brightness or when viewed at an angle, there is more obvious banding and dark zones on the screen, as shown here.

With dark grays, the uniformity is also good and issues aren't really noticeable in dark scenes.

5.1
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
22°
Color Shift
20°
Brightness Loss
32°
Black Level Raise
15°
Gamma Shift
15°

The viewing angles on the Vizio P Series Quantum are bad. The brightness stays constant longer but the contrast still swings higher at even slight angles.

There is a feature called 'Enhanced Viewing Angle'. During our test, however, it wasn't effective. Our measurements of the LCD layer remained almost exactly the same whether activated or not, and it changes the sub-pixel dimming which reduces the color resolution. You can see a video of the viewing angle with this option enabled here.

8.7
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.793%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
0.498%

Excellent black uniformity, which combined with the excellent native contrast ratio makes for excellent dark room viewing. Like the contrast ratio, the black uniformity with local dimming was measured on 'Medium'.

8.8
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
2.3%
Indirect Reflections
0.2%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.1%

The Vizio P Series Quantum has excellent reflection handling, far better than the Vizio P Series. Direct lights are dimmed significantly and are not diffused across the screen. This is a great TV for watching TV shows in a bright room.

Here you can see a side-by-side comparison picture for the reflection handling of the P Series Quantum, the Samsung Q9FN, the Sony Z9D and the LG C8. The C8 isn't reflecting the softbox, and so isn't directly comparable.

The Quantum is easily able to overcome glare even in a very bright setting, and as such, is one of the best outdoor TVs we've tested. Note that since this TV wasn't meant for outdoor installation, so it is important to properly protect it from the elements with a proper enclosure.

7.5
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.18
Color dE
2.68
Gamma
2.27
Color Temperature
6,032 K
Picture Mode
Calibrated Dark
Color Temp Setting
Normal
Gamma Setting
2.2

Out of the box, the Vizio PQ65-F1 has good accuracy. Both color and white balance dE are low enough that most people won't notice much of a difference. The gamma is a bit high, and the color temperature is too warm at 6000 K, but this is easily corrected.

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.23
Color dE
0.64
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,497 K
White Balance Calibration
11 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Auto-Calibration Function
No

After calibration the color and white balance dE is very low. The gamma follows our target of 2.2 perfectly, and the color temperature is almost perfect.

Like other Vizio TVs, calibration is very easy to do with the available Smartcast app.

You can see our recommended settings here.

7.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

Upscaling of low quality content such as DVDs appears the same as the P Series 2018 and is a bit more blocky than other TVs. This is noticeable when comparing the performance of the Samsung Q9FN (here) to the Vizio P Series Quantum (here).

7.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content such as cable is also upscaled slightly worse than other TVs. This is the same as the P Series 2018.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content like from an older game console or Blu-ray player looks good without any oversharpening or artifacts.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

Native 4K content is displayed perfectly without any issues. Interestingly when the 'Enhanced Viewing Angle' option is enabled, the color resolution is reduced and the TV appears to use a kind of spatial dithering as seen here.

0
Picture Quality
8k Input
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA

The pixel structure of the Vizio P Series Quantum is the same as the other Vizio TVs we have tested in 2018. It does, however, include a feature to enhance the viewing angle although in our test it did not work well. This adjusts the sub-pixel dimming and results in less color details. You can see a comparison of the pixels with the function on vs off. When enabled, a checkerboard like pattern appears which looks similar to the TCL 6 Series visible here.

8.8
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
97.04%
DCI P3 uv
97.99%
Rec 2020 xy
76.30%
Rec 2020 uv
80.94%

The Vizio P Series Quantum has an excellent wide color gamut. It produces a wider color gamut than the Vizio P Series, and nearly identical to the Samsung Q8FN and Q9FN.

In the Calibrated Dark Picture Mode, the EOTF curve follows our input stimulus very closely, but some scenes are too dark. At peak brightness the TV rolls off sharply. The PC and Game EOTF curves follow the input stimulus closely, but some dark scenes are over-darkened. Game mode was tested with the 'Calibrated Dark' Picture Mode, with low latency enabled.

Note that when in HDR, adjusting the 'Backlight' setting affects the PQ curve tracking. Increasing the 'Backlight' past the default of 50 for HDR content results in a brighter overall image, which is great for those in a brighter room.

8.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
88.6%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
64.4%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
73.1%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
53.3%

The Vizio P Series Quantum has very good color volume. It performs much better than the P Series 2018, with better coverage of the entire color gamut. Colors are brighter and closer to the peak brightness of the TV. Overall performance is very similar to that of the Samsung Q9FN.

7.2
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.135
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.143
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.102
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.150

Update 08/02/2019: We have retested the P Series Quantum with the latest firmware, and found that the gradient performance is within the same ballpark. The measurements and score have been updated.

Very similar gradient performance to the P Series 2018. There is some banding in all dark colors though.

Banding can be reduced in low resolution content by enabling the Reduce Noise feature, although this can cause some loss of fine details.

In the following images you can see how banding changes as we vary the brightness level in our test scene from the movie the Martian. While this is interesting behavior, this change in the gradient doesn't affect normal viewing.

10
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

There is no temporary image retention on the P-Series Quantum, even immediately after our 10 minute test.

10
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
No

We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.

Motion
8.7
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
3.1 ms
100% Response Time
9.5 ms

Update 07/08/2019: We retested the flicker frequency of the TV, and found that it is now flickering at 120Hz. This change probably occured in a firmware update over the past year. Note that the above motion blur photo was taken before the update.

The Vizio PQ65-F1 has an excellent fast response time, and there is very little motion blur. Most of the blur in the image is due to 60p persistence. There is overshoot in most transitions, which could cause some color artifacts, but most people won't notice this due to the fast response time.

4.0
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz

Update 07/08/2019: We have retested the backlight flicker, and found that the flicker frequency has decreased to 120Hz. This is much more noticeable, and may bother some people. We don't know when exactly this change occured, but we expect that it was in one of the firmware updates over the past year.

There is flicker at all backlight settings other than 100. Given the high flicker frequency, the duplications are less noticeable than the TCL R617 or the P Series 2017.

10
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps
60 Hz
60 Hz for 60 fps
Yes
120 Hz for 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

The Vizio P Series Quantum can lower the flicker frequency as low as 60 Hz, even when Game Low Latency is enabled. The TV counteracts the brightness loss due to flicker by increasing the amplitude of the backlight peaks, but on full-screen white the maximum brightness with the black frame insertion feature enabled is about 375 nits. This should be great for most gamers.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

The Vizio P Series Quantum can interpolate 30 and 60 fps content up to 120 Hz. Motion can be smoother when this is enabled, but some people may be bothered by the effect. The algorithms are more aggressive than on similar TVs. In places where most TVs would stop interpolating, the Quantum continues and there are more noticeable artifacts.

30p content can be interpolated by adjusting the Reduce Judder slider. 60p interpolation is enabled by adjusting the Reduce Blur setting. In either case, if the amount of artifacts can be reduced by adjusting the setting. Lower values of each slider result in a less-strong soap opera effect but also result in fewer artifacts.

6.7
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
32.2 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
7.2 ms

Due to the long frame hold time of 24p content, some stutter is noticeable, especially with wide-panning shots. Most people won't notice this.

7.8
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Vizio P Series Quantum can always remove judder from 24p content, even with Film Mode disabled. It can not remove judder from 24p content embedded in a 60p/i source, like from a cable box.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
HDMI Forum VRR
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
VRR Supported Connectors
No VRR support

The Vizio PQ65-F1 does not support Freesync or HDMI 2.1's VRR. For a TV which supports this feature, see the Samsung Q9FN.

Inputs
8.3
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60 Hz
15.6 ms
1080p @ 60 Hz Outside Game Mode
82.2 ms
1440p @ 60 Hz
N/A
4k @ 60 Hz
15.4 ms
4k @ 60 Hz + 10 bit HDR
27.6 ms
4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
26.9 ms
4k @ 60 Hz Outside Game Mode
82.2 ms
4k @ 60 Hz With Interpolation
76.3 ms
8k @ 60 Hz
N/A
1080p @ 120 Hz
10.6 ms
1440p @ 120 Hz
N/A
4k @ 120 Hz
N/A
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
1440p with VRR
N/A
4k with VRR
N/A
8k with VRR
N/A
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
No

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. We conducted all tests on HDMI ports 1 and 5. 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 5
1080p @ 60 Hz 27.0 15.6
+ HDR 27.1 N/A
out of game mode 146.0 82.2
1080p @ 120 Hz 30.0 10.6
4k @ 60 Hz 27.1 15.4
+ HDR 27.6 N/A
+ 4:4:4 26.9 N/A
+ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR 26.9 N/A
out of game mode 135.5 82.2
with interpolation 138.1 76.3

8.3
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120 Hz
Yes (native support)
1440p @ 60 Hz
No
1440p @ 120 Hz
No
4k @ 60 Hz
Yes
4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120 Hz
No
8k @ 30 Hz or 24 Hz
No
8k @ 60 Hz
No

Great support for a wide range of different resolutions and refresh rates. HDMI ports 1-4 differ from the game low latency port on HDMI 5. 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.

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.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 5
USB 1
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 1
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0

The inputs are identical to the Vizio P Series 2018. There is an analog audio out for wireless headphones, as well as an antenna input.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
3D
No
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4,5)
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

Update 11/14/2019: Vizio has added support for HDR10+ on many 2019 and 2018 models. We are in the process of updating our TVs and will update our reviews shortly.

HDMI port 5 is a lower bandwidth port designed for lower input lag.

Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC
Yes (HDMI 1)
eARC support
No
Dolby Atmos via TrueHD via eARC
No
DTS:X via DTS-HD MA via eARC
No
5.1 Dolby Digital via ARC
Yes
5.1 DTS via ARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via Optical
Yes
5.1 DTS via Optical
Yes

To output DTS over the optical connection we had to manually set the audio to 'Bitstream'. Like Samsung TVs, CEC must be enabled for the audio return channel to work.

Sound Quality
6.4
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
119.87 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.16 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.43 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.56 dB
Max
88.2 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.54 dB

The frequency response of the Quantum is average-at-best. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 120Hz means that this TV won't produce any thump or rumble, and won't have much punch to its bass either. So it won't be ideal for bass-heavy content like video games or action movies. However, the response above the LFE point is decently balanced resulting in clear and intelligible dialog, which is slightly better than the P Series 2018. Also, this TV gets loud enough for most situations but there will be some pumping and compression artifacts under heavier loads.

7.7
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.084
Weighted THD @ Max
0.253
IMD @ 80
0.50%
IMD @ Max
3.20%

The distortion performance is good. The overall amount of harmonic distortion produced is within good limits, and there is not a big jump in THD under heavier loads either. Compared to the P Series 2018, the Quantum model seems to produce less distortion in the higher frequencies, but this won't be noticeable to most in real-life situations.

Smart Features
7.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS SmartCast
Version 1.27
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Not Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
21 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
3 s
Advanced Options
Many

The interface of the Vizio P Quantum is decent. It is well organized and easy to navigate, but some tabs are very slow to load and there can be significant lag.

Update 11/15/2018: Vizio has added a 'WatchFree' input via a firmware update. This uses the free Pluto TV service on the backend, and is well integrated.

10
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
No
Opt-out
No Add
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Like all Vizio TVs we have reviewed, there are no ads on the main page, but there is a banner showing suggested content that can't be disabled.

6.5
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Not Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The Vizio P Series Quantum comes with 19 preloaded apps:

Netflix, Prime Video, Crackle, VUDU, iHeart Radio, YouTube, Newsy, Dove channel, Curiosity stream, Con TV, Pluto TV, TG, Haystack TV, Xumo, Plex, Fandango Now, NBC, YouTube TV and Hulu. Note that the preloaded apps vary depending on region.

There is no app store and no possibility to install your own apps. Additional apps have to be cast from your mobile device to the TV instead.

6.0
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Medium
Voice Control
No
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
Remote App Vizio SmartCast Mobile

Disappointingly, the Vizio PQ65-F1 comes with the same basic remote as the standard P Series 2018. There is a good selection of controls, as well as six quick access buttons for specific apps.

The remote does not have voice control, but you can connect a Google Home or Amazon Alexa and control the TV from that, including the ability to turn the TV on or off.

The remote requires line of sight.

Smart Features
TV Controls

There are three buttons on the right hand side of the TV on the back:

  • Power
  • Input
  • Volume Up/Down

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • Manual
Not Shown:
  • 61" Power Cable

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 87 W
Power Consumption (Max) 292 W
Firmware 1.0.18.4