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Vizio's bread and butter E series is mostly Smart

The E series is Vizio's mainstream line of TVs for 2013, with myriad size and feature levels, but one feature shared among most of them is Smart TV.

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.
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David Katzmaier
2 min read

Vizio

LAS VEGAS--The E series is Vizio's mainstream line of TVs for 2013, with myriad size and feature levels, but one feature shared among most of them is Smart TV.

The smallest Vizio Smart TV in 2013 will be the 24-inch E241i; I can't think of a smaller TV with built-in streaming and other Smart TV features. It and most of its larger E series brethren will use the same suite of apps and streaming services found on models like the E3201-A0, a TV I called "the strongest value we've seen yet among 32-inch TVs." I also loved the value proposition of the 60- and 70-inch E-series Vizios I reviewed late last year.

Those models will stay in the lineup, along with the previously announced 42-inch E420i and 50-inch E550i, 39-inch E390, 32-inch E320, 29-inch E291, and 24-inch E241. They'll be joined by a slew of new E series Vizios at various feature and price points. They all have 1080p resolution except where noted below, and the differences mount from there:

  • E221 and E221: 22- and 24-inch, edge-lit LED
  • E241i: 24-inch, adds Smart TV
  • E291 and E291i: 29-inch, 720p resolution, edge-lit LED, E291i adds Smart TV
  • E320 and E320i: 32-inch, 720p resolution, direct LED, E320i (reviewed) adds Smart TV
  • E370: 37-inch, 720p resolution, direct LED
  • E390 and E390i: 39-inch, direct LED, E390i adds Smart TV, a 120Hz refresh rate and local dimming
  • E401i: 40-inch, edge-lit LED, Smart TV, 120Hz
  • E420, E420i and E420d: 42-inch, direct LED, E420i adds Smart TV and 120Hz, E420d adds passive 3D
  • E470, E470i: 47-inch, direct LED, E470i adds Smart TV and 120Hz
  • E500i, E500d: 50-inch, direct LED with Smart TV and 120Hz, E500d adds passive 3D
  • E550i, E551i and E551d: 55-inch, direct LED with Smart TV, 120Hz, local dimming; E551i is edge-lit with no local dimming; E551d is edge-lit with local dimming and passive 3D
  • E601i: 60-inch, edge-lit LED, Smart TV, 120Hz, reviewed here
  • E650i: 65-inch, direct LED, 120Hz, Smart TV
  • E701i: 70-inch, edge-lit LED, Smart TV, 120Hz, reviewed here

Got all that? No? Well, here are separate charts encompassing all of the small (22- to 32-inch), medium (37- to 50-inch) and large (55- to 80-inch) TVs in Vizio's E and step-up M series.

Bonus tip: This year Vizio's model naming convention is actually a bit easier to decode than in years past. Here's another chart that explains it.

For more 2013 Vizio TV joy check out our writeups of the company's M series and XVT series announcements. Vizio has not announced pricing on any of its new TVs yet.