VIZIO M658-G1 Ultra HD TV Preview

Read the full review for the VIZIO M658-G1 Ultra HD TV.

I’ve just received the VIZIO M658-G1 65-inch Ultra HD TV for review.

It offers a full-array backlight with 90 dimming zones, 80% coverage of the Rec.2020 color gamut, and 600 nits of peak output in HDR mode. It supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Hybrid Log Gamma, and comes with VIZIO’s superb SmartCast 3.0 streaming interface. With built-in Google ChromeCast and Apple AirPlay 2 support, one can spend countless hours watching content without ever connecting anything to the display except a power cord. It truly is a cord-cutter’s dream.

The M658-G1 comes in at a lower price point than the PX65-G1 I reviewed recently by having only 90 backlight dimming zones rather than 384. It also peaks at 600 nits rather than 3000. In every other way though, it is the same TV. How will this affect picture quality? You’ll have to wait for my tests and viewing impressions to find out. I’ve just unpacked the set and watched a few clips from the Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark, and it looks very impressive. I have to remind myself that this TV costs just $900. It seems poised to top the competition in the price/performance ratio.

I’m looking forward to plugging in the test equipment, then watching a lot of movies in the coming weeks. Watch this space for my full review.

Read the full review for the VIZIO M658-G1 Ultra HD TV.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.