Vizio P65-E1 Ultra HD TV Preview

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

Ultra HD and HDR are relatively new to the projector world but flat-panels have been doing it for a couple of years now.

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

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.