Vizio E series (2015) Review:

Today the main question facing TV buyers is: should I spend more to get 4K? The answer is the same as it was late last year: only if you're worried about future-proofing and you're OK not getting the most bang for your buck.

TVs with 4K resolution are falling fast in price, but they're still significantly more expensive than good old 1080p TVs. Unfortunately TV makers often reserve their best picture-enhancing features, such aslocal dimming, for the 4K models. Local dimming is my favorite extra for LCD TVs because it improvesall-important contrast by making dark areas in the picture darker. Vizio is still the only TV maker that sells TVs with local dimming for cheap, and the E series is the least-expensive of the bunch.

Vizio's E series is a tremendous value, and its picture quality, style and features are robust enough to please just about everybody. This TV doesn't have 4K resolution and the future-proofy feeling that goes along with it, but its price is so low, you'll probably be able to afford a larger size with the savings over a 4K model. The 50-inch M series, for example, currently costs as much as a 60-inch E series ($800), while the difference between a 4K M and a 1080p E at 65- and 70-inches is $700. In our book, assuming good picture quality, screen size is the best use of your TV dollar.

Whether it's the right TV for you depends largely on how much you prioritize value. If the idea of buying a new 1080p TV right when 4K content is beginning to appear makes you hesitate, or you want to sit close to a very large screen, then maybe E isn't for you. But if your main concern is getting as much TV as possible for as little money, the Vizio E series is probably the best TV of the year. Series information: The Vizio E series encompasses more variation than is usual in a TV series, making it more difficult to apply our hands-on observations throughout the lineup. Different sizes have different features and even panel types, many of which potentially impact picture quality. For that reason we performed hands-on reviews of three different models in the series: the 40-inch E40-C2, the 55-inch E55-C2 and the 65-inch E65-C3.

According to Vizio our observations about the 40-inch size should also apply to the 43-inch and 48-inch models; our observations about the 55-inch size should also apply to the 50-inch, the 60-inch and 65-inch E65x-C3 (a Walmart exclusive); and our observations about the 65-inch E65-C3 (the mainstream version) should also apply to the 70-inch model. The smaller 24-, 28-, and 32-inch sets lack local dimming, so they're not included in this review.

source : www.cnet.com