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Vizio E series 2017 (43- to 55-inch) review: A solid value with Chromecast built-in, but its big brother is better

Vizio's E series is a tale of two picture qualities, and the smaller models, while still very good values, don't match the image quality of the bigger ones.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
8 min read

Usually the TVs in a particular "series" from a TV maker are pretty much the same, except for screen size. Vizio's 2017 E series is an exception.

6.6

Vizio E series 2017 (43- to 55-inch)

The Good

The "smartCast" Vizio E series incorporates the phone-centric Chromecast built-in system, with more apps and frequent updates than many dedicated smart TVs, as well as Google Home voice control.

The Bad

The smaller members of the series have worse image quality than the big ones. Roku TVs are better for streaming apps. No built-in tuner.

The Bottom Line

Although its Chromecast built-in system has some appeal, the smaller sizes in Vizio's E series ultimately fall short of competing budget sets.

Yes, every TV in Vizio's E series has the SmartCast system, a.k.a. "Chromecast built-in," which lets your phone stream video to the big screen and control a lot of functions. And for the phone-averse there's also an on-screen menu that uses the TV remote, complete with the Amazon Video access missing from Chromecast. SmartCast also allows the TVs to be controlled via voice using a Google Home speaker, which is pretty cool.

Once you scratch the surface, however, you'll find big differences between the E's. The smaller members of the series reviewed here exhibited worse picture quality than the larger ones (reviewed here) and as a result I don't recommend them as highly. 

At smaller screen sizes (55-inch and down) I think most people will be better off with a different budget TV instead, such as a Roku TV from TCL in the S405 series. They have a better smart TV system and similar image quality to the smaller E series sets. And if you want a superior picture in an affordable TV, go for the TCL P series.

With Vizio E series, bigger sizes produce a better picture

See all photos

PSA: The best E's are 60 inches and larger

I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 50-inch E50-E1 and the 65-inch E65-E0. Based on what I saw and know about the series, the 60-inch and larger models are significantly better than the others.

That's because the 43- and 50-inch sizes lack the local dimming that was so effective on the 65-inch size I tested. Meanwhile most of the smaller models use an IPS-based LCD panel, and the IPS panel on the 50-incher I tested delivers inferior image quality. Only the 60-inch and larger sizes that have the winning combination of local dimming and VA (non-IPS) LCD panels.

Here's how the entire series breaks down.

Vizio E series (2017)

Model SizeDimming zonesHDRClear actionPanel TypeCNET score
E43-E2 43 inches0NoNoIPS6.6 (3 stars)
E50-E1 50 inches0NoNoIPS6.6 (3 stars)
E50-E3 50 inches0NoNoVA6.6 (3 stars)
E55-E1 55 inches12Yes180IPS6.6 (3 stars)
E55-E2 55 inches12Yes180VA/IPS6.6 (3 stars)
E60-E3 60 inches10Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)
E65-E0 65 inches12Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)
E65-E1 65 inches12Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)
E70-E3 70 inches12Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)
E75-E3 75 inches14Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)
E80-E3 80 inches16Yes180VA7.3 (3.5 stars)

The better E TVs with local dimming have anywhere from 10 to 16 dimming zones. More local dimming zones generally equals better image quality, but I don't expect much difference between the models with 10 or 16 zones. 

Vizio says the E55-E2 may use either an IPS or a VA panel. Here's its statement: "[The E55-E2 will] start shipping with VA panels and then may move to IPS panel technology if demand increases.  It is difficult to say when the IPS panels will cut in, but your readers can use the following serial number prefix on the box to identify models with IPS panels. If the fourth digit of the serial number is a "J" or "7," that unit uses an IPS panel.  Ex. LWZJSEARxxxxxxx or LTM7SHARxxxxxxx. All other serial numbers will be units using VA panels.

My statement? The easiest thing is to stick to 60 inches and above.

Vizio E Series
Sarah Tew/CNET

Standard black frame, weird spindly legs

The frame around the screen is shiny, black and thin, so from the front it looks like almost all picture, while the cabinet is relatively thick seen from the side.

Rather than a pedestal stand the E series utilizes the same kind of splayed, spindly legs found on most TVs today. They're a bit, er, different looking, thanks to a pattern of triangle-shaped cutouts.

The 2017 E series comes with a new clicker with more buttons and capabilities, although its keypad is basically useless since the TV lacks a built-in tuner for antenna channels.

Vizio E Series
Sarah Tew/CNET

Chromecast built-in with on-screen menus too

For now the E series requires your phone to stream video from Netflix and others, but Vizio says the update that adds apps to an onscreen display, so you can stream without using your phone, is coming very soon. 

Just like a $35 Chromecast, the Vizio E can serve up Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and all the rest on the big screen using your phone as a "remote." Going into any supported app and hitting the Cast button reveals the Vizio TV as an option; select it and video from the app will play back on the TV. Easy peasy. It worked fine with Netflix (in 4K and HDR) and Vudu and YouTube (in 4K). Other apps I tried worked well too.

The biggest downside to the system is that Cast doesn't support Amazon Video directly. But that update adds an actual on-screen menu for Casting apps, and one of them is indeed Amazon. I got a chance to play with an early version for this review and it mostly worked as advertised -- and similar to on-screen displays found on competing Smart TVs.

20170725-145920
David Katzmaier / CNET

Selecting the Smatcast "input" causes the new app home screen to appear, with icons for a handful of major apps along the bottom (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Crackle, iHeart Radio, Xumo, Vudu, Pluto, and "USB") as well as tiles for TV shows and movies along the top. Amazon and the others worked just as I expected, complete with 4K and HDR streaming where avalable. Unfortunately response times weren't the fastest and screens took a bit longer than I'd like to load, but in my book it's (a lot) better than nothing. In no way is it better than Roku, however.

You can still use Vizio's SmartCast app for iOS and Android to control settings like picture and sound modes, but you don't need it since the TV has on-screen settings menus too. I also found the app more stable to connect and use than before, and it worked flawlessly on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone. The app also tries to surface content with "TV shows" and "Movies" sections, but most people will ignore those and go straight for the individual apps on their phones.

google-home-product-photos-1.jpg

The Google Home speaker allows you to control the E series using your voice.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

OK, Google, control my cheap TV

If you have a Google Home speaker, the E series can respond to voice commands. It worked very well in my testing, although unlike Alexa commands of Sony TVs, for example, power on/off isn't supported.

Right now the only commands that work are Netflix and YouTube -- but that's a lot. I said "OK, Google, play 'Orange is the New Black' on Test TV" (the name I gave one of the Vizios) and it worked, along with all of the subsequent commands listed here, like "next episode" and "turn on subtitles." YouTube also worked as promised, and I was surprised to find volume and mute were also supported.

Later this year Google will roll out additional Google Home tricks to Chromecast and TVs like the E series.

No antenna tuner, ample connections

The E series lacks a built-in TV tuner, so it can't receive local TV stations available via antenna/over-the-air broadcasts. In fact, lack of a tuner means they're not technically "TVs" anymore, which is why Vizio's website calls them "Tuner-Free Displays." If you're someone who watches a lot of TV via antenna, rather than cable, satellite or streaming service, Vizio recommends you purchase a third-party tuner.

Beyond lacking a tuner connection,the E series' connectivity is fine for an entry-level TV.

  • Four HDMI inputs
  • Component video input
  • USB port
  • Wired Ethernet port
  • Analog audio output
  • Digital audio output

The capabilities of the HDMI inputs vary on most sizes in the series -- some are version 1.4 and some version 2.0 -- but that shouldn't be a big deal. Even the version 1.4 inputs can accept most 4K sources.

Vizio E Series
Sarah Tew/CNET

Picture quality

picture-settings.jpg
CNET

There's nothing terrible about the image quality of the smaller E series models, it's just nothing special. Unlike the 65-incher with its local dimming, the dimming-free 50-inch set I tested exhibited lighter black levels, leading to overall worse contrast and pop. It also lacked the ability to handle HDR sources.

Click the image at the right to see the picture settings used in the review and to read more about how this TV's picture controls worked during calibration.

Dim lighting: The E50 fell toward the bottom of my lineup during dark scenes, not nearly the equal of the local dimming equipped E65, D65 or the TCL P series, or even the 50-inch Vizio D series, but better than the Element and TCL S405. During Chapter 16 in "Logan" in the darkened car, for example, the shadows and letterbox bars looked relatively light, and there was a bluish tinge to shadows that I attribute the the non-dimmed background LEDs. Gamma was lighter than the other sets as well which robbed the dark room image of some punch, even compared to the S405 and the Element. Shadow detail was good, however. 

Bright lighting: The E series was not a great performer in a bright room. The 50-inch was even dimmer than the larger set in their respective brightest picture settings, and the overall dimmest in my lineup. That said, it should still be plenty bright for most viewing situations.

Here's how it stacked up:

Light output in nits

TV Mode (SDR)10% window (SDR)Full screen (SDR)Mode (HDR)10% window (HDR)
Vizio M65-D0 Calibrated456450Vivid507
TCL 55P607 Vivid/dimming off438431Brighter/Dark HDR448
Element EL4KAMZ5517 Standard363368N/A
TCL 55S405 Brighter/Vivid301298N/A
Vizio E65-E0 Vivid/dimming off289287Vivid/dimming off288
Vizio D65-E0 Vivid/dimming off260260N/A
Vizio D50-E1 Vivid250304N/A
Vizio E50-E1 Calibrated223226N/A

The D and E series Vizios all share a very similar matte screen finish, and it was a bit better than any of the others at reducing reflections. It also preserved black levels well.

Color accuracy: Before and after calibration the E series was quite accurate, with impressive skin tones and natural colors. The E50 didn't match the saturation or richness of the E65, however, although it was still solid enough, and I doubt the difference would be visible in side-by-side comparisons.
Video processing: The E series handled 24-frame content properly, with the smooth but not too smooth look of film. Motion resolution was typical of a 60Hz TV, the panel's native refresh rate, despite Vizio's "120Hz effective" fake specification.

There's a "Game Low Latency" setting, but according to my tests it didn't affect gaming input lag, which was very good at 29ms. The 65-inch E was a bit worse better at 33ms.

Uniformity: The E50 was solid in this category, without the bright spots in test patterns I saw on the TCL S405 and the Element. It wasn't as uniform as the E65, however, especially along the edges. Watching hockey, which can really expose uniformity issues, the E50 again looked quite good, about equal to the P series and better than any of the others aside from the two larger Vizios.

From off-angle the E50 lost black level and color fidelity faster than the other sets, including the D50. The exception was the TCL S405, which washed out about as quickly.

HDR and 4K video: Unlike the E65 the E50 can't handle HDR -- and that seemed to cause an issue with Netflix streaming from my phone. When I was watching "Marco Polo," my phone app showed it was delivering HDR, although the TV did not. As a result the image looked washed out and terrible, with lifeless colors and a bluish tint to everything. Comparing it to the 4K output of a Roku Premiere, for example, the latter looked better in every way.

I'm guessing this is a bug with Vizio/Google's implementation of casting, and it only affected Netflix content in available in HDR, not anything else I tested. Even so, it provides yet another good reason to attach an external streamer like the Premiere to this TV.

The E50 was able to pass the full resolution of 4K from YouTube and played through a suite of 4K test patterns from Florian Friedrich with no issues.

Vizio E50-E1 Geek Box

Test ResultScore
Black luminance (0%) 0.0171Good
Peak white luminance (100%) 223Poor
Avg. gamma (10-100%) 2.22Average
Avg. grayscale error (10-100%) 1.630Good
Dark gray error (20%) 1.298Good
Bright gray error (70%) 1.064Good
Avg. color error 2.683Good
Red error 2.244Good
Green error 4.032Average
Blue error 3.413Average
Cyan error 2.916Good
Magenta error 1.791Good
Yellow error 1.701Good
Avg. saturations error 1.37Good
Avg. luminance error 1.31Good
Avg. color checker error 1.59Good
1080p/24 Cadence (IAL) PassGood
Motion resolution (max) 300Poor
Motion resolution (dejudder off) 300Poor
Input lag (Game mode) 29Good
6.6

Vizio E series 2017 (43- to 55-inch)

Score Breakdown

Design 6Features 6Performance 6Value 7