I bought this TV at costco, a display set, for this exact price, 3 weeks ago.
PROS:
- I’m enjoying the picture quality, 2) HDR really pops.
- HDMI control (CEC?) works really well.
3a) Most devices renamed the input name on the TV
3b) Turning on a connected device turns on the TV as well.
3c) ARC - receiver connected to HDMI1 turns on together with the TV, and switches to the receiver’s TV input. - It boots super quick - 3 to 5 seconds, but uses more power overall for quick boot. Can be switched to Eco mode. My XVT4743D takes about 30 seconds to power up.
- No TV tuner, and no Smart TV - I don’t need them! Brings price down, and I don’t have to deal with an outdated app system.
- Chromecast is built in-and it does support Netflix 4K and YouTube 4K.
- TV does have Ethernet and WiFi, so it can be updated automatically, you can control it from a tablet/phone, and you can cast to it.
8)Haven’t tried Google Assistant with it yet, but here’s what it can do: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-home-can-now-power-on-your-vizio-tv/
CONS:
- VERY BASIC remote
- Must use app for most functions
- Only one 4K HDMI input
- HDR isn’t turned on; isn’t called HDR, and is buried deep in settings
- Some content makes the top half of the screen intermittently go dark
- 720P shows on TiVo, when 720P is enabled in TiVo resolution settings, cause a screen full of snow (interference?) every few seconds.
More details on CONS:
- The remote is so basic that there are NO Info or Settings buttons. Here’s a pic:
. Input info (input name, resolution, network icon, time) can be launched from the remote - press “Input” once, TV will display list of inputs, wait, the list will disappear, and the info for the current input will appear.
2)This TV forces one to use the Vizio Smartcast app, but does not include the Vizio tablet that comes with the higher-end models. TV settings are only accessible from the app.
3) While there are 4 HDMI inputs, only 1 is 4K compatible - and it’s the ARC input as well. I have an Nvidia Shield, and a Samsung 8500 UHD player, and had to buy a new receiver to use both (Yamaha Aventage RXA660) AND to get quality surround sound. The optical out is already going to a soundbar, and I like being able to control receiver volume with the TV remote.
4) A tip on HDR: while HDR is supported, it isn’t turned on. When I got the TV, the settings called it “HDMI Color Subsampling”. I couldn’t turn it on until I connected a 4K device (Roku Premiere+). Once I connected the Roku, the Roku tested the TV, and indicated that it was 4K and HDR compatible. It didn’t actually work in HDR mode (black screen), until I went into Settings-Inputs-HDMI 1. Finally, it allowed me to turn on HDMI Color Subsampling. Sadly, once I did that, and switched the Roku into 4K AND HDR mode, the Roku went into endless reboot mode. Couldn’t reset it, so back it went. In the latest version of the Smartcast app, HDR is called “Full UHD Color”.
5) Some shows cause the TV to darken the top half of the screen. Here’s a gallery of what that looks like: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-54w9bR.
6) I didn’t record this, but the solution is to turn off 720p in TiVo output settings.
Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic about this TV. A year ago, I considered $10 per inch a good price point for 1080P sets. Today, $10 per inch is a good price point for 4K HDR sets - any lower, and you aren’t getting a quality set. If you don’t use a TV antenna, and don’t want a Smart TV, and can deal with the CONS, this TV has great picture quality, at a great price. Just remember that you only get 90-day warranty (I have 4 years, through Costco).