Vizio’s new TVs and soundbars focus on what the company does best: value

theverge.com:

Vizio was once the de facto recommendation for TV shoppers looking to spend under $1,000 on a new set. But over the last several years, companies like TCL and Hisense have made their presence felt in the mid-range price segment that was long Vizio’s specialty — and sometimes with better performance.

It didn’t help that Vizio hit some snags with its 2020 TV lineup (particularly in the area of next-gen 4K gaming), requiring multiple firmware updates to get those TVs where they needed to be for the most demanding gamers. So it makes sense that the company took its time with the 2023 models being announced today.

What’s not being refreshed are Vizio’s highest-end sets. The 65- and 75-inch P-Series Quantum, 85-inch P-Series Quantum X, and OLED TVs will all continue to be sold for the remainder of 2022, but the company isn’t announcing hardware updates to those products today. (Vizio says they’ll continue to receive software improvements, like support for Bluetooth headphones.)

Instead, as Vizio celebrates its 20th anniversary, the company is focused on its bread and butter: the M-Series. The new lineup is led by the M-Series Quantum X 4K. Available in 75- ($1,199.99), 65- ($849.99), and 50-inch sizes, this TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, 4K 120Hz gaming, AMD FreeSync Premium, VRR, and more. Its full-array backlight system includes up to 32 dimming zones — this is regular local dimming, not Mini LED — and peak brightness can reach up to 1,000 nits.

Vizio says the $629.99 50-inch model has a native refresh of 120Hz and can hit 240Hz when used for 1080p PC gaming. Input lag has been reduced to under 8 milliseconds. And like LG and Samsung, Vizio has added a gaming menu for quick access to pertinent settings.