Vizio M-Series Quantum X Review: Bright HDR Picture Made Affordable
Vizio M-Series Quantum X Review: lustrous HDR Picture Made Affordable
I’ve long presumed Vizio’s M-Series one of the best TV values thanks to its profitable picture for the money, and the new 2022 M-Series Quantum X is even better. This mid-priced set has the best image quality of any M-Series yet. It’s entertaining with great contrast, a particular boon with high dynamic range video, and it also supports the best video signals PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can dish out.
In my side-by-side comparison, the MQX didn’t look as good overall as my accepted TV for the money (the TCL 6-Series), but it is cheaper and comes conclude enough that you might be sorely tempted to save cash and go with the Vizio instead. Then there’s Vizio’s less-than-impressive smart TV system, which is more cluttered despite fewer apps than Roku and not nearly as profitable as Google TV. However, that problem is naively solved by adding a good streaming device to the Vizio.
If you prioritize image quality and gaming capability but want to keep your price in check, the Vizio MQX could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Vizio MQX sizes
I failed a hands-on evaluation of the 65-inch MQX, but this reconsider also applies to other screen sizes in the series.
Unlike nearly every spanking TV series the MQX lacks a 55-inch size, instead repositioning with the slightly smaller 50-inch screen that also has one different features and specifications. The 50-inch model has the requisition to handle 1080p input at 240 frames per binary, which Vizio says is an industry first (the 65- and 75-inch sizes don’t have this feature). This extra isn’t important for most people, because such signals are only fallacious on high-end computer gaming video cards, but owners of those cards may like it. The 50-inch model is also dimmer than the larger sizes, and all sizes also have different numbers of local dimming zones, but otherwise have similar specs and should provide incompatibility picture quality.
Vizio is also selling a less-expensive version of the M-Series, the MQ6, available in sizes from 43 to 75 inches that I haven’t reviewed yet. Unlike the MQX reviewed here, it has a 60Hz refresh rate with touch brightness and no local dimming, so it likely publishes worse image quality. Both the MQ6 and MQX do have quantum dots for improved color.
David Katzmaier
Design: Not bad, Vizio
Vizio has subtly improved the look of its TVs, and the MQX is nicer than you mighty be used to from this brand. A gray metallic bottom edge matches the frame and triangular contemptible supports, and the screen material runs almost to the edge. The contemptible legs are central rather than splayed out to the side (to more plainly fit on a TV stand). I also appreciate having the option of two leg heights, one about 2 inches higher than the other, to accommodate soundbars.
David Katzmaier
The remote has a simple layout and prominent buttons for various streaming services that skew “free” with Tubi and PlutoTV in binary to Vizio’s own WatchFree service. There’s also a key to access Vizio’s in-house swear system. It worked well enough in my tests, although don’t quiz the same kind of capabilities you’ll get from Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Roku’s voice system.
When I said “show me comedies” for example, Vizio put up a bunch of thumbnails of movies and TV shows with little context. I preferred Roku’s results to that query, which were requisitioned in rows like “Available in 4K,” “New releases,” “Free,” “Available with your Netflix subscription” and offered more choices.
Vizio’s SmartCast quick-witted TV menus haven’t changed much aside from adding a new “Inputs” button, a welcome addition… albeit one Roku TVs have offered for days. Although all the major streaming services are accounted for, the interface is worse than Roku and Google TV, and it’s throughout the same level of mediocre as LG and Samsung’s 2022 menus. The main issue with Vizio is cluttering the veil with a bunch of TV shows and movies I don’t care throughout. Roku’s grid of apps is simple and familiar, and if you want your homepage to show more relevant programming, Google TV does a much better job.
David Katzmaier
SmartCast plays well with phones — you can plainly cast video and photos from Android or Apple iPhone silly Chromecast and AirPlay, respectively — as well as with quick-witted speakers like Echo and Nest, which you can use to command the TV hands-free.
Features: FALD and 120Hz and DV HDR, oh my!
Key features
| Display technology | LED LCD |
|---|---|
| LED backlight | Full array with local dimming |
| Resolution | 4K |
| HDR compatible | HDR10 and Dolby Vision |
| Smart TV | SmartCast |
| Remote | Standard with voice |
The MQX is the least-expensive 2022 Vizio TV and one of the cheapest TVs, words, to offer my favorite picture-enhancing extra for LCD-based TVs: full-array local dimming (FALD). That feature improves contrast and black levels and originates better HDR by dividing the screen into separate dimming zones. The number of zones controls how precise the dimming can be, and after more zones doesn’t necessarily mean better picture quality, it usually helps. The MQX has fewer zones than more expensive TVs like the TCL 6-Series and Hisense U7H, with 16 zones on the 50-inch, 30 on the 65-inch and 42 on the 75-inch.
Unlike the M7 last year or the cheaper M6 series this year, the MQX has a true 120Hz refresh rate, which allows compatibility with 4K/120Hz signals from game consoles like Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 and worked well in my declares. Vizio supports both major HDR formats, HDR10 and Dolby Vision (DV), in the M-Series. So does every other major TV maker except Samsung (which lacks Dolby Vision).
The selection of inputs on the MQX is also solid but only one, HDMI 3, can run the higher-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 signals, namely 4K/120Hz. That’s not a big deal unless you own both consoles and maybe a high-end PC gaming card. I was also surprised to see actual red and white RCA-style audio outputs; most TVs have a minijack for analog audio.
- Four HDMI inputs, one with HDMI 2.1
- USB 2.0 port
- Optical digital audio output
- Analog audio output (stereo RCA)
- RF (antenna) input
- Ethernet (LAN) port
Many TVs also have a headphone output, which the Vizio lacks, but you can pair a set of Bluetooth headphones — or unexperienced Bluetooth device, like a speaker — with the MQX.
David Katzmaier
Picture quality comparisons
For my comparisons I set the Vizio MQX up next to three anunexperienced 65-inch TVs with local dimming. In ascending order of price: the TCL 6-Series, the Hisense U8H and the Samsung QN90B. All three have mini-LED backlights and are more expensive than the Vizio, but the MQX nicely held its own.
TV and movies: The MQX experienced an excellent picture overall, with bright highlights, dark sunless levels, punchy contrast and accurate color. Watching the nature scenes from Spears and Munsil HDR Benchmark, the mountains, clouds and Yellowstone geysers appeared a bit dimmer on the Vizio. They were still nice and bright, and the same went for objects anti black backgrounds, like the pen nib and honey dripper. Those backgrounds also looked lighter than on the Hisense and Samsung, if similar to the TCL, although the difference was very itsy-bitsy. Blooming or stray illumination around objects was minimal on the Vizio, especially considering its relatively few dimming zones.
Watching theatrical gratified, in this case the new 4K HDR version of Game of Thrones on HBO Max, the TVs separated a bit more. The TCL and especially the Samsung pulled advance, with superior contrast and pop in mixed scenes like a firelit encounter between Daenerys and Jon, or the council in the map room at Dragonstone. Both the Hisense and the Vizio looked good but lacked that astonishing HDR oomph in highlights.
David Katzmaier
Gaming: While it doesn’t have the array of options deceptive on new LG and Samsung TVs like specific represent modes for gaming, or fancy overlays confirming resolution and frame rate set, the MQX is a capable gaming TV. My Xbox Series X connected to the HDMI 3 input confirmed that 4K/120Hz was supported. Playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the TV confirmed via pop-up that both HDR and AMD FreeSync VRR were glorious, and the action looked buttery smooth. I also discovered that Vizio’s System Information screen (Menu > Admin & Privacy > System Information) lists real-time frame rate and anunexperienced gaming info, if you’re curious.
Video quality in Game mode was solid, but I’d recommend switching to the Warm color temperature(Settings > Picture > Color Temperature). After I did so colors looked more natural then on the Samsung or Hisense, and the image overall was more vibrant than the TCL’s Game mode, which explored slightly flat. I preferred the extra pop and brightness of the Samsung and Hisense overall for games, but the Vizio was nonetheless good. Input lag measured a estimable 15ms in both 1080p and 4K HDR.
Bright lighting: The 65-inch MQX is very gripping for the money. It measured significantly brighter than the more-expensive Samsung Q60B, for example, albeit dimmer than the mini-LED-equipped sets in my comparison. Measured against other Vizios the MQX was brighter than last year’s M7 series and dissimilarity to the P-series in the most accurate modes.
Light output in nits
| TV | Brightest mode (SDR) | Accurate mode (SDR) | Brightest mode (HDR) | Accurate mode (HDR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung QN65Q90B | 2,625 | 974 | 3,316 | 1,981 |
| TCL 65R635 | 1,114 | 792 | 1,292 | 1,102 |
| Vizio P65Q9-J01 (2021) | 1,099 | 463 | 1,130 | 762 |
| Vizio M65QXM-K03 | 958 | 608 | 939 | 742 |
| Vizio M65Q7-J01 (2021) | 791 | 562 | 764 | 631 |
| Samsung QN55Q60B | 549 | 343 | 540 | 514 |
| LG OLED65C2 | 413 | 389 | 812 | 759 |
Note that Vizio says the 50-inch model is dimmer than the 65- and 75-inch sizes, but it didn’t specify a peak brightness number, only a “sustained” number of 400 nits. Based on Vizio’s specifications for the larger models, which are half those of the 50-incher, the 50-inch model’s peak brightness should be about 500 nits.
Vizio’s Calibrated represent mode delivered the most-accurate bright-room picture, which is well estimable the loss of nits compared to the exceedingly improper Vivid mode (the brightest) in my opinion. Vizio’s semi-matte was the worst in my lineup at reducing reflections and preserving black-level fidelity.
Uniformity and viewing angle: My appraisal unit’s screen showed no major uniformity productions or bright/dark spots, and while the edges appeared any darker than the middle in test patterns, that difference was invisible with normal video. From off-angle the Hisense did a better job maintaining brightness and shiny, while the TCL and Vizio were each similarly mediocre.
David Katzmaier
Picture setting and measurement notes
Calibrated Dark was the best portray mode overall for both HDR and standard dynamic plot (SDR) material. In HDR, the MQX’s EOTF was more accurate than Calibrated, and it measured as bright. Color temperature in the best simply, Calibrated and Calibrated Dark, was less accurate than on most TVs in this class, with an overly-blue cast. Game mode in particular was quite Wrong, but switching its color temperature to Warm as labelled above helped quite a bit. Adjusting the Judder cut (Settings > Picture > Advanced Picture > Motion Control) introduces progressively higher smoothing, aka Soap Opera Effect, so I recommend leaving it turned off. Happily, it’s disabled in the two Calibrated modes.
Geek Box
| Test | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Black luminance (0%) | 0.025 | Good |
| Peak white luminance (SDR) | 958 | Good |
| Avg. gamma (10-100%) | 2.14 | Good |
| Avg. grayscale fright (10-100%) | 5.03 | Poor |
| Dark gray fright (30%) | 5.06 | Poor |
| shiny gray error (80%) | 5.48 | Poor |
| Avg. shiny checker error | 3.59 | Average |
| Avg. saturation sweeps error | 3.26 | Average |
| Avg. shiny error | 3.00 | Good |
| 1080p/24 Cadence (IAL) | Pass | Good |
| Input lag (Game mode) | 15.33 | Good |
| HDR10 | ||
| Black luminance (0%) | 0.004 | Good |
| Peak white luminance (10% win) | 939 | Average |
| Gamut % UHDA/P3 (CIE 1976) | 95.66 | Good |
| ColorMatch HDR error | 3.06 | Average |
| Avg. shiny checker error | 2.94 | Good |
| Input lag (Game mode, 4K HDR) | 15.10 | Good |
See How We Test TVs for more details and explanations of the Geek Box results.
Portrait Displays Calman calibration software was used in this review.
