The Vizio V5 Series 2021 is an entry-level 4k TV from Vizio's 2021 lineup. It replaces the Vizio V Series 2020 and sits below the Vizio M6 Series Quantum 2021 and the Vizio M7 Series Quantum 2021. It's a very basic, cheap TV with very few additional features and no advanced gaming features. It runs the Vizio SmartCast operating system, which is unique because it doesn't have an app store to download extra apps besides the pre-installed ones. However, you can cast any content you want from your phone thanks to the Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay support. It's also available in a variety of sizes, from 43 to 75 inches, so you can get the one that suits your needs the most.
Our Verdict
The Vizio V655-J09 is okay for most uses. It's decent for watching movies in dark rooms because it has a high native contrast ratio with incredible black uniformity, meaning blacks look deep and uniform, but it lacks a local dimming feature to improve its dynamic range. It's also decent for watching TV shows and okay for sports in a bright room, thanks to its good reflection handling, but it has a narrow viewing angle, so the image degrades as you move off-center. Unfortunately, although it technically supports HDR, this adds nothing as HDR content looks dull and flat due to its low peak brightness and lack of a wide color gamut.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Good reflection handling.
- Colors are accurate out of the box.
- Has trouble upscaling 480p and 720p content.
- Narrow viewing angle.
- Visible motion smear.
The Vizio V655-J09 is decent for watching movies in dark rooms. It has a fantastic native contrast ratio to display deep uniform blacks in simple scenes, but since there's no local dimming feature, the entire screen looks washed out if there are bright highlights visible in otherwise dark scenes. It removes judder from 24p sources, which is great for watching movies, but it has some trouble upscaling lower-resolution content like DVDs.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Removes judder from native 24p sources.
- No local dimming feature.
- Has trouble upscaling 480p and 720p content.
The Vizio V655-J09 is decent for watching TV shows in well-lit rooms. Although it doesn't get very bright, it has good reflection handling if you want to use it in a room with a few lights, but don't place it opposite a bright window. Unfortunately, it has a narrow viewing angle, so the image looks washed out from the side, and there are some upscaling artifacts with 720p content, like from cable boxes.
- Good reflection handling.
- Colors are accurate out of the box.
- Has trouble upscaling 480p and 720p content.
- Doesn't get bright in SDR nor HDR.
- Narrow viewing angle.
The Vizio V655-J09 is okay for sports. It has a decent response time, but there's still noticeable black smearing behind fast-moving objects. It has good reflection handling if you have a few lights around, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight glare in a very well-lit room. Also, it has a narrow viewing angle, so it isn't a good choice to use in a wide seating arrangement as the screen looks washed out from the side.
- Good reflection handling.
- Colors are accurate out of the box.
- Doesn't get bright in SDR nor HDR.
- Narrow viewing angle.
- Visible motion smear.
The Vizio V655-J09 is decent for gaming. It's fairly limited on gaming features as it has a 60Hz panel and doesn't support any advanced gaming features like VRR to reduce tearing. Despite the lack of extra features, it's okay for casual gamers thanks to its low input lag and quick response time, but there's visible motion smearing. It's also great for dark room gaming thanks to its high contrast ratio and excellent black uniformity, but there's no local dimming feature to improve its dynamic range, and the screen looks washed out when bright highlights are visible in otherwise dark scenes.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Visible motion smear.
- No VRR support.
The Vizio V655-J09 is alright for watching movies in HDR in a completely dark room. Its fantastic native contrast and incredible black uniformity make it a great choice for use in dark rooms. However, it lacks a local dimming feature, and it has low peak brightness, so bright specular highlights in HDR don't stand out at all. It also can't display a wide color gamut. Overall, although it technically supports HDR, this doesn't add anything to the overall viewing experience, and HDR looks similar to SDR.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- No local dimming feature.
- Doesn't get bright in SDR nor HDR.
- Can't display wide color gamut.
The Vizio V655-J09 is decent for HDR gaming. Even though it's limited to a 60Hz panel and doesn't support VRR, it still provides a responsive gaming experience with low input lag and a quick response time. However, it still has black smearing with fast-moving objects. Also, HDR content doesn't look good due to the low brightness and lack of a wide color gamut, so highlights and colors don't stand out against the rest of the image.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Doesn't get bright in SDR nor HDR.
- Visible motion smear.
- Can't display wide color gamut.
The Vizio V655-J09 is decent for use as a PC monitor. It has low input lag for a responsive desktop experience. It displays chroma 4:4:4 at any supported resolution, which helps with text clarity. Sadly, it has a narrow viewing angle, so the edges of the screen look washed out if you sit too close. It also has good reflection handling if you have a few lights around, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight glare.
- High native contrast ratio displays deep blacks.
- Good reflection handling.
- Low input lag.
- Doesn't get bright in SDR nor HDR.
- Narrow viewing angle.
- Visible motion smear.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 65-inch Vizio V5 Series, and for the most part, the results are also valid for the 43-inch (Vizio V435), 50-inch (Vizio V505), 55-inch (Vizio V555), 58-inch (Vizio V585), 70-inch (Vizio V705), and 75-inch (Vizio V755) models. There's also a V6 Series version that's available in 70 and 75 inches, and it's different because it supports FreeSync.
| Size | Model |
|---|---|
| 43" | Vizio V435-J01 |
| 50" | Vizio V505-J09 |
| 55" | Vizio V555-J01 |
| 58" | Vizio V585-J01 |
| 65" | Vizio V655-J09 |
| 70" | Vizio V705-J03 |
| 75" | Vizio V755-J04 |
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Vizio V Series 2021 is an okay low-cost TV. It's good as an entry-level TV because it displays deep blacks without much blooming. However, the built-in SmartCast system lags behind competitors in terms of features because it lacks an app store, and there are better options available for a bit more, like the Hisense U6G.
See our recommendations for the best TVs, the best Vizio TVs, and the best budget TVs.
The Vizio V5 Series 2021 is similar to its predecessor, the Vizio V Series 2020. The 2021 model comes with Vizio's new remote that features a built-in mic for voice control, which the 2020 model doesn't have. The 2021 model also gets slightly brighter in SDR, but it's not a significant difference, and other than that, both TVs deliver similar picture quality.
The Vizio V Series 2022 is the newer version of the Vizio V5 Series 2021. Both TVs are very similar overall, with the main difference being that the 2022 model has VRR support for gaming, which the 2021 model doesn't have. The 2022 model improves in a few areas, like its peak brightness and response time, while the 2021 model has better upscaling, so choosing one over the other depends on which aspects are important to you.
The Hisense U6G is significantly better than the Vizio V5 Series 2021. The Hisense has more features like full-array local dimming, a wide color gamut for HDR content, and the built-in Android TV has a Google Play Store. The Hisense gets significantly brighter, so it's a better choice for watching HDR content or using it in well-lit rooms. Lastly, the Hisense even has a quicker response time for smoother motion.
The Vizio V5 Series 2021 and the TCL 4 Series/S435 2020 are both okay entry-level TVs. They have the same panel type and many of the same features, but the Vizio has better dark room performance because of its superior contrast and black uniformity. However, each of these can vary between units. The Vizio is also better for gaming because it has a much better response time and lower input lag. The TCL has better smart features because the built-in Roku is less laggy than Vizio's SmartCast system, and it doesn't have any issues upscaling lower-resolution content like the Vizio does.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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