The Vizio sets are already designed to support 4K streaming from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, and customers of the latter service will be able to buy or rent 4K content from UltraFlix for streaming. As for inputs, all five TVs come with four HDMI 1.4 connections and one (just one) HDMI 2.0 port. That last one is a puzzler, since the HDMI 2.0 standard has been out for a year already.
customers of the latter service will be able to buy or rent 4K content from UltraFlix
Published on Friday, 26 September 2014 17:26 Pete Putman 0 Comments
On Tuesday, September 23, Vizio officially launched its new P-Series of 4K (Ultra HD) televisions at an art gallery in Chelsea, NY.
These televisions weren’t a secret to anyone who attended CES w-a-y back in January. Vizio caused a bit of a stir by announcing five “smart” LCD TVs with direct LED backlighting that would retail at prices considerably lower than Sony, Samsung, LG, Sharp, and pretty much anyone else except the Chinese brands (TCL, Hisense, etc.)
But whereas those selfsame Chinese TV brands don’t get much respect from the general public and big box retailers, Vizio is different. They’ve been around for over a decade, and they have a track record of market disruption. Vizio has done so well selling TVs in the U.S. that they sponsored the Rose Bowl this year and also had a crew go out and shoot original 4K footage on a Red camera to be used for demos. Vizio is also going to license Dolby’s high-dynamic range process for upscale monitors and TVs.
The New York City event was minimalist, consisting of demos of each model hanging on the wall like artwork and showing 4K clips. In three back rooms, Vizio demonstrated (a) its superior motion blur-correcting technology compared to a Samsung 4K TV, (b) its lower black levels compared to the same Samsung TV (and lack of color tint artifacts by using full array, direct backlight illumination), and higher contrast ratio and improved shadow detail.
I’ve been to enough side-by-side demos that I’ve learned not to believe anything I can’t verify on my own, but the Vizio sets did look impressive. What was even more impressive, however, were the prices: The 50-inch P502ui-B1 retails for $999, while the 55-inch P552ui-B2 will sell for $1,399. That’s $600 less than the current price for a comparable 55-inch LG Ultra HD TV.
Vizio also has a 60-inch model (P602ui-B3) for $1,699 and a 65-inch version (P652ui-B2) for $2,199. The line is rounded out with a 70-inch Ultra HD set, the P702ui-B3 for $2,499. That last price is $500 lower that what I heard at CES, so there’s already been some market-tweaking.
At least one Vizio model P552ui-B2) uses IPS LCD glass, while the rest employ MDA LCD. Vizio claims this provides better black levels than Samsung's PVA LCD panels. At least one Vizio model P552ui-B2) uses IPS LCD glass, while the rest employ MDA LCD. Vizio claims this provides better black levels than Samsung’s PVA LCD panels.
Readers with reasonably long memories will recall that Sony’s and Samsung’s inaugural Ultra HD sets were priced close to $3,400 for 55-inch models and $4,400 for 65-inch versions. (Sony’s sets also use quantum dot backlights, something Vizio is not pursuing at the moment.)
But if you pull out the latest Sunday paper inserts from Best Buy and HHGregg, you will see that Samsung and LG have both slashed their prices considerably, perhaps in anticipation of Vizio (who, ironically, is now a featured brand at Best Buy!).
The Vizio sets are already designed to support 4K streaming from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, and customers of the latter service will be able to buy or rent 4K content from UltraFlix for streaming. As for inputs, all five TVs come with four HDMI 1.4 connections and one (just one) HDMI 2.0 port. That last one is a puzzler, since the HDMI 2.0 standard has been out for a year already.
I was told by Vizio that these new sets support HEVC H.265-coded material, but I’m not sure if they are decoding in hardware or their own software. The lone HDMI 2.0 port is also fully compliant with HDCP 2.2, a controversial amendment to the HDCP standard that will cause some serious backwards-compatibility problems with older TVs, 4K models included.
So – here we go with the Ultra HD price wars. Samsung, Sony, and LG are nearing the end of an intensive 4K education campaign at their stores (which, I must say, the majority of salespeople I encountered did a very good job with), timed perfectly with the fall college and NFL football season.
Now, here comes Vizio to steal their thunder and benefit from this campaign without having contributed a dime to it. Research by Nielsen and other companies has consistently shown that Americans just want “big, cheap TVs.” I’m not sure if that applies also to 4K, but if so, Vizio is ready and willing to deliver. It will be very interested to see how the “Big 3” TV brands respond to this challenge and what price cuts will result over the next couple of months. Stay tuned…
