From higher resolution pictures, true surround sound, and brilliant colors, there are a lot of reasons to upgrade your television in 2021 but sadly not every company is made equal. While it is easy to gravitate towards brands that have bigger advertising budgets, that does not exactly mean you are getting the best value for your money. Vizio, on the other hand, takes a different approach, by building products with consumers in mind, enhancing the content you love with awe-inspiring picture quality plus thoughtful design and purposeful technology that is relevant for you.

As a brand, Vizio has been around since 2002 and has slowly made a name for themselves as market leader when it comes to U.S. LCD HDTV shipments made possible through their selling partners Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and more. Known for their aggressive and very affordable pricing against major competitors, their latest line of D and M series televisions punch above their weight when it comes to the feature vs. cost ratio, and we were fortunate enough to review their recent M55Q6 and D40f TVs.

Let us start with their updated midrange D-series line and the D40f, this versatile full HD offering from Vizio comes in a range of different sizes and features a modern nearly bezel-less design and Full-Array LED backlighting that provides excellent picture contrast no matter the lighting environment. The D40f is also powered by Vizio’s IQ processor which boasts some impressive picture quality and V-Gaming Engine with VRR and AMD FreeSync that drastically improves graphic response when using the unit for gaming. However, the real cherry on top of this affordable package is the inclusion of Vizio’s own SmartCast Mobile technology which enables voice control from a compatible iOS or Android device, and it works remarkably well, at times even bettering their competition. In our books, the D-Series line offers the best bang for your buck if you are looking for a feature-rich television for a teenager’s bedroom, small office, or waiting room.

The M55Q6 is a different beast altogether and offers consumers a budget-friendly premium device that manages to impress with ultrabright 4K picture resolution helped in part by Vizio’s brilliant Quantum color science that makes everything we watched pop off the beautiful 55-inch screen with vibrant near perfectly balanced color. The design of the TV also is quite striking with its dark gray brushed-metal finish and matte black plastic rails, it looks more expensive than the less than $600 asking price. We also love that there are multiple connectivity options for peripherals with three HDMI ports (one ARC) USB port; composite video inputs, stereo RCA, and optical audio outputs plus an Ethernet port.

Users also get access to the company’s SmartCast platform for connected features, offering a lot of flexibility in a simple, direct remote interface. Consumers get push-button access to most of the big names in streaming such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, and even thousands of free channels in the Vizio WatchFree app. It also worth noting that the unit also supports both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, so you can stream video from your Android phone or iPhone, or any compatible tablet or computer which is a nice addition to a device in this price range. Lastly, the M55Q6 supports DolbyVision and HDR10 protocols which dramatically improves the television’s dynamic range, especially during streaming. The only small gripe we have with the device is that for whatever reason, the lip sync will occasionally go astray often requiring a reboot of the device to rectify. Sadly, the lip sync slider in the settings menu did not do much to help this, however, this issue could be limited to our unit only so we will reserve judgment on that.

Vizio continues to impress us with their affordable television offerings that somehow manage to offer the latest and greatest high-quality picture and sound while continuing to immerse the consumer in their entertainment without having to leave the comfort of the couch. They have set out to disrupt that status quo and have successfully done that time and time again. They may not be a household name yet but are one you as a consumer should consider the next time you are in the market for a new television or soundbar.

BUY yours at https://www.vizio.com/en/home