Vizio Quantum Pro VQP65C 65"

The Vizio Quantum Pro VQP65C delivers a fantastic, bright picture that lands in the 91st percentile of our database, and the 120Hz panel is great for gaming. You'll absolutely need a soundbar because the built-in audio is terrible, and the smart platform is slow. If you can find it near the $800 mark, it's a steal for a screen this good.

The picture quality is the star here. Hitting the 91st percentile in our database means this thing punches way above its weight class, with deep blacks from the full-array backlight and colors that pop thanks to the Quantum Dot layer. Gaming is solid too, with a 120Hz panel that can double to 240Hz at 1080p for seriously smooth motion. The weak spots are audio, which lands in a disappointing 13th percentile, and the smart TV experience, which sits at a sluggish 36th percentile. You'll want a soundbar, and you might find yourself reaching for a dedicated streamer sooner rather than later.

Stacked against the heavy hitters, the Vizio holds its own on pure picture quality but stumbles on the smart features and audio. The Sony BRAVIA XR and LG G5 OLEDs are in a different universe for contrast and processing, but they also cost several times more. The Samsung Neo QLED QN800D beats it on HDR brilliance and upscaling. Where the Vizio gets interesting is against the TCL QM7K and Hisense U7 Series. It trades blows on brightness and color, but TCL and Hisense generally offer snappier smart platforms and better out-of-the-box sound. If you value a clean picture above all else, the Vizio is a contender, but you're making a clear trade-off on the user experience.

Pricing on this set is all over the map, with a wild spread from $800 to $12,399 across vendors. Let's be real, nobody should be paying five figures for this TV. If you can snag it near the $800 mark, it's a fantastic deal for a bright, fast 65-inch QLED. At that price, you're getting a picture that competes with sets costing hundreds more, and you can use the savings to grab the soundbar you'll definitely need. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller and not getting gouged.

Vizio's Quantum Pro VQP65C is a 65-inch 4K QLED that swings for the fences on picture quality and gaming speed without asking for a flagship price. You get a bright 1000-nit peak, a true 120Hz panel, and Quantum Color tech that pushes the picture into the 91st percentile of our database. That's genuinely impressive for a set that can be found for well under a grand at some retailers.

But Vizio had to cut corners somewhere, and it shows. The built-in audio is a letdown, the SmartCast platform feels sluggish compared to the competition, and the HDR performance is just middle of the pack. If you're planning to pair this with a soundbar and a streaming stick, you can ignore most of its flaws and just enjoy a killer picture for the money.

Skip this if you want a great all-in-one experience right out of the box. The audio is weak and the smart platform is frustrating, so if you don't want to immediately spend more on a soundbar and a streaming stick, look at a TCL or Hisense set that offers a more polished package from the jump.

This TV is for the person who cares about raw picture quality and gaming performance above all else and is willing to bolt on a soundbar and maybe a streaming stick to get it. If you just want the best looking screen for your dollar and don't mind a clunky smart interface, the Vizio Quantum Pro delivers where it counts.