Vizio has long been known for producing affordable TVs, and this year the E Series 2016 lineup has been upgraded with a better stand design and thinner profile. Furthermore, its remote resembles that of P Series 2016. However, some features you would expect in higher end television models remain missing from its offerings.
The display on the vizio e50u d2 TV is bright, which makes it suitable for budget TVs, with wide viewing angles. Unfortunately, picture quality quickly degrades off-axis despite having good contrast ratio and blacks that look grayish; local dimming does not work effectively either as it dims too many highlights and flickers when dark scenes appear; clear action mode helps reduce backlight frequency while helping with motion blur but does not eliminate all instances.
Another issue with this TV is its slow pixel response time, which results in noticeable blur when watching sports or fast-paced action movies. Furthermore, 24p content over 60Hz signals causes even worse lag times; additionally there's noticeable judder in game mode of this set.
Pre-calibration for this budget TV was subpar and both white balance dE and color dE values were poor, however you can easily rectify this by calibrating yourself using the SmartCast app on a smartphone or tablet.
The SmartCast operating system on the vizio e50u is similar to Chromecast in that it enables you to stream media from thousands of apps directly onto your TV screen. Once connected, your television will wait for feeds containing videos or photos before playing them out onscreen. With its free app, SmartCast turns any phone or tablet into an efficient touchscreen remote for controlling your television from any corner in any room; use voice assistant search functions or the voice search to browse entertainment; adjust TV settings; connect to home Wi-Fi networks etc.
