VIZIO Smartcast M50 Ultra 4K Ultra HD Home Theater Video Review
With a 4K resolution, 4 HDMI port connection, integrated Chromecast, and Android remote control, the VIZIO M50-D1 is an HDTV for families looking to upgrade at a sub $700 price. But with a missing TV tuner, it may not work best in all situations.
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Pros of the VIZIO M50-D1 Ultra HD 4K Home Theater
With 120 Hz refresh rate, a viewable angle of 176 degrees, and 1.07 billion colors, you can get a clean image when watching your favorite shows in 4k or even HD resolutions.
The audio speakers in the VIZIO include DTS StudioSound and TruVolume. Therefore, if you don’t purchase a soundbar or connect to a system, you will still get a decent audio experience.
This VIZIO has a 64.2 W power consumption and under a .5W on standby mode.
The 4K TV powers up and changes resolutions fast, allowing you to start watching your programs within seconds.
The M50-D1 can be mounted on a wall or stand on a table with the stylish stand legs. The monitor weighs in at 29.32 lbs or 30.86 with stand attached. It’s always best to secure a screen under 50 lbs, but it is heavy enough to where small pets won’t knock it over.
The monitor connects via remote or through the Smartcast app. This device also has Google Chromecast inside. This allows you to connect different apps such as Netflix and Hulu through a phone and send to the TV. Chromecast contains an Octa-core processor with enough RAM to where you’re not buffering video too much.
NEUTRAL: VIZIO M50-D1 Ultra HD 4K Home Theater
This is a Home Entertainment Center Monitor and not a true TV in the sense, for it does not have a tuner attached. It does have 4 HDMI ports and a computer connection for adding a cable box, OTT device, or your PC.
There are two remotes included – a standard simple button remote, and the Android tablet. This can be a good and bad thing. The standard remote is there to use the TV but not really change any settings. I also wished the standard remote would light up or have slightly larger, glow in the dark buttons.
The Android Tablet allows you to adjust settings through the Smartcast app. You can also load this software onto your phones and other tablets so you can have full control.
You can also purchase a standard VIZIO remote from Amazon for additional control.
Cons of the VIZIO M50-D1 Ultra HD 4K Home Theater
Even though the Android device doesn’t need to be connected to your primary Google account, if you do you might have to deal with security issues (e.g. security locking the tablet).
While this home theater is a great image from 10-15 feet back (straight on), the screen does slightly wash from further distances and viewing from even a 20-30 degree angle.
Informational text on the HD50 is rather small. For such a big monitor, it would be nice to see a “text zining” option for those with sight issues.
This monitor is HDCP v2.2 compatible, which is a protocol that watches copyright content. I found some 4k videos didn’t play well with the TV. Remember – for optimal 4K, you need to make sure your primary device is on HDMI port 1 as it has a 600 MHz clock rate and can do 2160p@60fps 4:2:0 at 12-bit. HDMI 2-4 handles 4k at 340 MHz in 8-bit mode.
Overall Review: VIZIO M50-D1 Ultra HD 4K Home Theater
Why Don’t You want a TV Tuner?
In the coming years, TV stations will be switching to a 4k signal. This allows for stations to not only reduce their power consumption, but also offer more options like even more channels in HD and 480i, along with an over-the-air TV Internet experience. Newer protocols will require even HDTVs to upgrade their tuners to accept this signal. As this might become a continuous change, it would be best if the box stays separate from the TV.
For more information on ATSC 3.0, check out the post on Futurecast.
I have always been a fan of VIZIO audio. This TV’s built-in system will fill up a standard size living room and give you a good binaural experience. Of course, you can add a sound system to the TV to improve on the sound.
While I don’t have a 4K gaming system, I have enjoyed the quality of my Xbox One system. Games are crisp and I can see what’s going on, even when the scene is darker. I have heard that some users had flickering issues connecting their Xbox One S, but firmware updates have been made since then.
I did purchase a Roku Ultra+ to watch 4k video from another source. Since the first HDMI port is the higher quality, I like the fact I can rename the ports so one knows exactly where to go.
Switching ports does require a small learning curve. At first I confuse the input switch button with the smart connect button.
Speaking of the Smart connect, you will have a great experience connecting a tablet or phone to the monitor. Simply use the NFC option in the lower-right corner to connect.
I had my TV up-and-running within 20 minutes. This included a TV firmware update. I haven’t experienced an update since then, so I am not sure if it will interrupt your show watching experience.
When you choose the input, it will tell you in the top-right corner what resolution you are in. Watching a Netflix video, for example, will always start at 240p, then continue to scale when a good video buffer is created.
Settings allow you to set up the TV to your needs. Whether a bright or dark room, you can set up for sports, movies, or customize your brightness, contrast, and more.
In all, the VIZIO M50-D1 Home Theater Monitor is perfect for those families looking to upgrade their systems for a great experience at home at a sub $700 price tag. Setup is easy and with Chromecast built-in, you will be able to stream in resolutions up to 4k within minutes.
What TV do you use and love? Let me know!
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