Vizio P65-E1 Ultra HD TV Preview

See the complete review of the Vizio P65-E1 Ultra HD TV

Today, I received Vizio’s latest P-series display, the P65-E1 Ultra HD TV. In addition to 3840×2160 resolution, it sports HDR10 & Dolby Vision, extended color, professional-grade calibration, Google ChromeCast and Vizio’s own SmartCast streaming interface.

There are lots of TVs that can accept HDR signals, but only a very few truly do the standard justice. LCD technology has limited contrast when compared to plasma or OLED, so Vizio has included two major features that increase the P65-E1’s dynamic range. First is the vertical alignment (VA) panel. This technology is the most effective light-valve design available and boasts at least triple the native contrast of IPS and TN models. Second is a 128-zone local dimming backlight. Rather than arranging the LEDs at the edges, a full-array backlight places them behind the screen. Each zone is individually addressable which means different areas of the image can be dimmed or brightened according to what’s happening in the content.

The net result of all this is a wide dynamic range for both standard and HDR-capable Blu-rays. The extra resolution is just icing on the cake; but wait, there’s more. The P65-E1 also renders a larger color gamut than the Rec.709 standard seen in 1080p content. While it won’t quite do Rec.2020, it comes pretty close to DCI-P3 which is what you’ll see on most Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.

I’ve seen HDR and extended color on a few projectors but this is my first chance to really explore it on a decent flat-panel. That it sells for just $1700 is another point in favor. The Vizio P65-E1 should provide hours of enjoyment for me as I test, calibrate, and watch it. Watch this space for my full review coming soon!

See the complete review of the Vizio P65-E1 Ultra HD TV