Reviews
Vizio vs Samsung – Who makes the best TVs?
The truth is that it is really hard to choose between Vizio and Samsung when it comes to high-quality TV sets.
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 |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | VIZIO V-Series | VIZIO M7-Series Quantum | VIZIO V-Series | Samsung Class AU8000 | Samsung Class AU8000 | Samsung Class Q60A |
| Screen Size | 50" | 55" | 65" | 50" | 55" | 65" |
| Display Type | LED | QLED | LED | LED | LED | QLED |
| Resolution | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| UHD | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HDR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refresh Rate | 60hz | 60Hz | 60Hz | 60hz | 60hz | 60hz |
| VRR | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| HDMI | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Wi-Fi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 21.32 lbs | 35.7 lbs | 44.97 lbs | 25.4 lbs | 34.2 lbs | 46.1 lbs |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
The television has been a part of American life since the 1950’s. Today, around 1.4 billion homes own at least one TV set, a figure that represents a staggering 79% of the total number of homes throughout the world. Despite more recent technological advantages such as the home computer and the smartphone, both of which now allow us to view TV programs, the TV remains as popular as it has ever been.
TV’s have come a long way since the early days when they were only able to show images in black and white, and only on very small screens. Over the years, TV’s got bigger and bigger, while other advancements such as sharper images and flat screen technology all helped to dramatically improve the viewing experience.
In an industry initially dominated by large American companies such as General Electric and Bell Television, the advent of globalization brought a multitude of new players into the market, many of which were from the Far East. One company that emerged from the Far East was Samsung, which in the last 50 years has grown into one of the world’s powerhouses of consumer electronics.
Since a TV represents quite a large investment for the average household, naturally homeowners want to make sure that they are getting the best return for their hard earned cash, so the question that everyone needs to be answered is, how do Samsung’s TVs really compare to those made by Vizio? We are going to take a closer look to find out.
Background and reputation
Samsung
Believe it or not, one of the world’s biggest electronic companies actually started life as a small family owned fish retailer. Based in South Korea, Samsung remains a family owned company or Chaebol (as they are known in South Korea), and owes its success to the fact that over the years it aggressively expanded into so many different industries.
The company began to make electronic appliances back in 1969, when Samsung Ltd. formed its new Samsung Electronics division. Today the electronics division is responsible for 70% of Samsung’s total profits, something that has seen it turn into Samsung’s flagship company. In 2009 alone, it was able to sell more than 31 million flat-screen TVs, making it the world’s largest TV manufacturer by market share.
Samsung is well-known for the outstanding quality of all its electronic products. Their TV’s are famous for their high-quality images and innovation, as in the case of their curved TV sets.
Vizio
Vizio is a relatively new player to the TV market, being founded in California back in 2002. Within in 5 years of its creation, Vizio was already recording profits of more than $2 billion annually, something that resulted from the company’s aggressive marketing strategy which revolved around pricing their TV’s lower than all of their main competitors.
This pricing strategy was born after the company’s founder created a 42-inch plasma TV that was then sold for $2999. The ultra-low price generated an enormous surge in interest in the TV as similar sized plasma TVs were selling for upwards of $6000 at the time.
Another reason for the surge in Vizio’s success is the company’s focus on current and future user trends. Most of their sets no longer feature a channel tuners system as this is becoming an increasingly obsolete system. Instead they focus on current or emerging trends such as allowing TVs to facilitate smartphone or tablet control and streaming etc.
Display Size
For the most part, both Samsung and Vizio manufacture TVs within the same screen size range. Samsung does make several larger screen model TVs such as the 110″ UHD 4K Flat Smart TV S9 Series 9 model. So if it is the sheer size that you are after, then Samsung is best.
Screen Resolution
Vizio E-Series
Image Quality
Something worth noting is that Samsung is one of the leading players in R&D for screen technology. Samsung does source some of its screens from companies such as LG, though this is only for certain models. Vizio sources all its screens from Amtran Technology, a Taiwanese company that has extensive experience in TV panel technology.
Which one is better is really anyone’s guess, though industry reviewers do seem to generally prefer the image quality of Samsung TVs.
Sound
Most reviewers tend to rate the audio quality from Samsung TVs as being better than those made by Vizio. Honestly speaking, any real difference is minute and is not very significant since most people buying a decent TV these days will more than likely invest in a good quality surround sound system anyway.
Since TV speakers are located quite close together and can only be of a certain size, they will never be as good as a separate sound system. Therefore, it is definitely a good idea to get a surround system, especially if you love watching your movies loudly, to make sure you get the best quality audio experience to go with your TV.
Smart TV Functionality
Smart TVs are able to do an amazing range of things. They can connect to the internet to act as a web browser or to allow for streaming from popular sites such as Netflix or Hulu etc. Some smart TVs even allow you to add apps and other features from play stores, while others even allow smartphone integration and handy features such as voice commands.
VIZIO SmartCast™ M-Series™ 75″
Samsung MU Series / Tizen Smart TV
TV Ports
Samsung / 3 HDMI ports
The advent of the digital age created Smart TV boxes, DVD players, surround sound systems etc., dramatically increased our thirst for extra ports. The most common type of port needed these days is the HDMI port.
For the most part, Vizio usually adds 2 HDMI ports to its TVs while Samsung goes 1 better with 3 HDMI ports. Once example of a TV that comes with 3 HDMI ports is the Samsung UE43MU610. This won’t make much of a difference to the average Joe, but if you are someone who has one or more games consoles as well as a DVD player, then you might have to opt for a Samsung TV to handle all your equipment.
Viewing Angle
Samsung / TV with a curved screen
Rather than trying to play catch up by releasing their own curved TV, Vizio instead began to run a series of TV advertisements that mocked and denigrated this new technology. These adverts featured special Anti-Curve Glasses that allowed viewers to turn their new curved TV back into a flat screen one in an obvious attempt to paint curved TVs as being ridiculous.
If you are someone who believes that curved screens do really give a better viewing experience, then you will have to get a Samsung as Vizio don’t make them.
Price
As the introduction highlighted, Vizio’s business strategy is to offer TVs with all the quality and performance of its rival’s, but at a lower cost. Since this is true across the board, it is extremely rare to find a Samsung TV of similar specification cheaper than one made by Vizio. To illustrate, the Samsung RU8000 currently costs around $1,100 while the VIZIO M-Series 65″ Smart TV only costs around $900.
Our pick
VIZIO 55″ M-Series 4K QLED HDR Smart TV, Alexa Compatibility
- 4K Ultra HD
- Quantum Color
- Dolby Vision Bright Mode
- Active Full Array
- Pro-Gaming Engine
Comparing 720p Models
Now that we’ve discussed both Samsung and Vizio from many different angles, let’s take a look at some actual popular models that each company has released. Both Samsung and Vizio offer great budget 720p sets as well as some very high end 4K HDR sets. Let’s take a look at a pair of television sets in each category and see how they stack up against each other.
First up we have the Samsung UN32J4001 32 inch LED model.
This 720p set was released back in 2017. This may come as a surprise to some people since 1080p has been the standard resolution for years but there is in fact still a demand for 720p screens. This is due to many reasons. Some people still want cheaper television sets that are used exclusively with devices that don’t even support 1080p full HD. This could be anything from DVD players or older video game consoles that only go up to 480p or 720p.
720p screens are not outdated and this is why Samsung, as well as Vizio, still makes newer models with better picture quality and sleeker designs. Speaking of being sleek, this 32 inch Samsung is a very lightweight model. It only weighs nine pounds which makes it very easy to move around in just about any room.
It must be noted that this model is not a high end fancy 4K smart TV and wasn’t designed to be one. This is the kind of TV you use as an extra option outside of your main living room. It could be placed in a bedroom, a TV for the kids or even in the kitchen if you can fit it. While it may not have any modern day features like Bluetooth or internet compatibility, it has very crisp colors for the price and resolution.
Next we have Vizio’s own 32 inch Class HD 720p model, the D32h-F1 which was released in 2018. Like the previous 720p set, this is a modern day take on 720p sets.
It’s 11 pounds in total, so it weighs a little more than the last one, but is still fairly lightweight. It comes with two HDMI ports as well, which makes it perfect for exclusive use with a DVD player or an older gaming console. Unlike the Samsung 720p model, the D32h-F1 comes with a digital optical port so you can hook up a high quality sound system if you want.
More importantly, this model actually is a Smart TV and can connect you to apps like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. This feature will be a huge plus to anyone who has always wanted to watch Netflix or Youtube from the bedroom on a nicely sized screen.
As far as we can tell, the Vizio model wins this comparison. Both TVs are great but the digital optical port and the wi-fi give it the edge in multiple situations.
Comparing 4K Models
The UN65RU7100FXZA is a 65 inch screen in the long line of 4K large screen TVs released by Samsung.
This is the type of television people think of when they talk about the absolute gold standard of TVs these days: high dynamic range, ultra high definition and Smart TV functionality.
On the other end of the table is Vizio’s own D-Series 50 inch Class set which is also a large scale Smart TV with 4K and HDR features.
Both TVs seem identical on paper but which one is actually the better choice?
For one thing, the Vizio is surprisingly light for a 65 inch screen. It only weighs 39 pounds which actually makes it about as light as most 50-55 inch screens. It also has a very intuitive remote control and there is no doubt that the screen looks excellent when viewed in 4K.
However, we have to give this category to Samsung; they always seem to be highly proficient when it comes to making the most high end TVs imaginable. Not only does the RU7100 have three HDMI ports instead of only two, it has a noticeably better 4K processor. Colors appeared to be even more vibrant than the Vizio 4K set despite both having the same internal resolution.
Even though the Samsung weighs more, it has a sleeker frame. This makes it capable of being wall-mounted. It also has nicer leg stands which are less distracting. The refresh rate of 120hz also does a great job of smoothing out fast paced scenes in movies or games.
In short the Samsung 4K model went the extra mile of having extra features to augment the color and the smoothness of the image beyond just having UHD and HDR. This is a fantastic model that anyone would be satisfied with.
Our pick
VIZIO 65″ V-Series 4K UHD LED HDR Smart TV with Apple AirPlay and Chromecast Built-in
- Dolby Vision HDR
- 4K Ultra HD
- VIZIO’s V-Gaming Engine
- Active Pixel Tuning
- VIZIO SmartCast
Warranty and Support
Both companies offer really good warranties that only differ very slightly.
Samsung’s warranty lasts for 12 months and comes at no extra fee. During this period, they will repair any TV completely free. The only drawback is that in most cases you will be required to take the TV to your local Samsung repair center, something which could mean a long trip for people who live in the middle of nowhere.
Vizio also offers a free 12-month warranty, though they offer to send a repair team out to the homes of all owners with a TV with a larger than 30” screen size. This also includes a Zero Bright Pixel Defect Guarantee that covers the TV for a screen replacement in the case that it suffers from this defect.
Both Samsung and Vizio offer an identical 30-day money back return policy should buyers change their minds.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it. The truth is that it is really hard to choose between Vizio and Samsung when it comes to high-quality TV sets. Each manufacturer does have its own niche within this market, though the differences are only slight, unless you are a fan of technologies such as the curved screen, in which case Samsung comes out on top.
As we have seen, despite stories to the contrary, Samsung also source components such as screens from third-party manufacturers like LG, something which brings them into line with most other TV companies. This fact lays waste the claim of Samsung’s quality advantage being derived from its sole use of in-house components.
That said, the most commonly agreed upon opinion among experts is that Samsung has the edge on Vizio when it comes to overall screen and audio quality. For most people, however, this difference is really not going to be noticeable enough to affect their purchasing decision all that much. Since very few people will ever get to compare the models side by side, most never notice the difference.
Brand reputation might actually be a bigger deciding factor than screen resolution. Despite its meteoric rise, Vizio is still a relatively unknown brand while Samsung is an industry giant that has a well-established reputation for quality that could be enough to tip the balance. No consumer with any common sense is going to opt for a cheaper TV when they are not sure of the brand quality they are getting. This is where Samsung really has the edge.
That said, few other factors have as much of an impact on which product a consumer buys as price does. When it comes to price, Vizio is the hands-down winner. It offers similar spec televisions at prices that Samsung has never even tried to beat.
As people become increasingly aware of the Vizio brand and its reputation for quality, more and more might begin to turn away from Samsung and buy a Vizio TV. For those people who do make such a decision and opt for a Vizio TV over a Samsung one, they will in most cases, end up saving enough money to buy a second TV with the money they save, something that makes their brand the real winner.
