Vizio’s new TVs and soundbars focus on what the company does best: value

Vizio used to be the de facto recommendation for TV shoppers looking to spend under $1,000 on a new TV. But over the past few years, the likes of TCL and Hisense have made their mark in the mid-range price segment that Vizio has long excelled at, and sometimes even better.

It didn’t help that Vizio’s 2020 TV lineup, especially in the next-gen 4K gaming space, hit a few hurdles, requiring multiple firmware updates to get those TVs to satisfy the most demanding gamers. So it makes sense for the company to spend its time on the 2023 model announced today.

what is no Refreshing is Vizio’s highest-end package. 65″ and 75″ P-Series Quantum, 85″ P-Series Quantum Xand OLED TVs will remain on sale for the rest of 2022, but the company did not announce a hardware refresh for those products today. (Vizio says they will continue to get software improvements, such as support for Bluetooth headsets.)

Instead, as Vizio celebrates its 20th anniversary, the company is focusing on its bread and butter: the M-Series. The new lineup is led by the M-Series Quantum X 4K. Available in 75-inch ($1,199.99), 65-inch ($849.99), and 50-inch sizes, this TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, 4K 120Hz gaming, AMD FreeSync Premium, VRR, and more. Its full-array backlight system includes up to 32 dimming zones—that’s regular local dimming, not Mini LED—and can reach 1,000 nits of peak brightness.

Image: Vizio

Vizio says the $629.99 50-inch model has a native refresh rate of 120Hz and can hit 240Hz for 1080p PC gaming. Input lag has been reduced to under 8ms. Like LG and Samsung, Vizio has added a game menu for quick access to relevant settings. Unfortunately, despite having four HDMI 2.1 ports, only one is marked as offering 4K at 120Hz. There’s also an M-series Quantum 6 lineup that offers similar Quantum color image quality, but without some of the gaming features.

Exit from the M-series and you get the V-series. According to NPD, Vizio said the 55-inch size in the range “is generally the best-selling TV of any day in the United States.” Pricing for the 2023 V-Series starts at $289.99, and the company notes that each model offers 4K images with full-array local dimming and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus. Below is the Full HD D-Series, which is available in smaller sizes, ranging from 24 inches to 43 inches, starting at just $169.99. Even there, you get some level of local dimming to improve contrast.

In all new TVs, the company promises “lightning-fast” navigation with its SmartCast software, thanks to a new processor built into it. Wi-Fi 6E is included in the M-series and V-series for more reliable streaming performance, and Vizio continues to support a range of third-party services such as Amazon Alexa, Apple’s AirPlay 2, HomeKit, Google Assistant. and Chromecast.

Image: Vizio

Vizio’s $799.99 M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 system brings the clever tricks of the company’s flagship soundbar, auto-rotating speaker, to a more affordable model. Since the new model is covered in charcoal fabric, there are aluminum discs on each end that glow when the speakers are moved up for Dolby Atmos content.

If you’re after a smaller, low-profile design, the standard M-Series All-In-One 2023 soundbar might be better for you. Since it’s a 2.1 soundbar, it’s much cheaper at $199.99. But the company claims it still offers “an uncompromising, full-featured audio system that outperforms its size.”

As always, Vizio is apparently keeping aggressive on the prices of its 2023 TVs and soundbars. But the question is whether the company’s rich quantum-dot color and picture quality can keep up (or surpass) others in the increasingly competitive mid-range TV market.