{"id":3278,"date":"2026-07-05T16:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3278"},"modified":"2026-07-05T16:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T16:55:33","slug":"vizio-mini-led-quantum-tv-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3278","title":{"rendered":"Vizio accidentally made the best dumb TV on the market"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When I first started testing Vizio\u2019s 65-inch Mini LED Quantum TV, I thought the big story was that Vizio was back and that it had a quantum-dot TV for under $398 \u2014 the cheapest on the market. Vizio\u2019s been pretty quiet since it was acquired by Walmart<\/a> in 2024, so putting out a TV with quantum dots, which allow for higher brightness levels and more accurate color, at a budget price seemed like a strong comeback.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But that\u2019s not the big story. While those two points are intriguing, the big news about the Mini LED Quantum TV is that Vizio accidentally made the best dumb TV on the market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Walmart bought Vizio for its advertising business<\/a>. Since Vizio\u2019s ad division was responsible for all<\/em> of Vizio\u2019s profits at the time of the sale, keeping that ad revenue going is likely the priority here, and Vizio\u2019s TV OS is the vehicle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You now need a Walmart account<\/a> to use some features on a Vizio TV, and you can\u2019t access any of the streaming apps on the Vizio Mini LED Quantum without agreeing to its activity data policy, which lets Walmart collect all your usage data. That\u2019s annoying, but not unique. Smart TVs collect data<\/a> on what you\u2019re watching and how you watch it so they can serve targeted recommendations and ads. (Vizio was even caught doing so without consent in 2017<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vizio Mini LED Quantum specs<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Display type:<\/strong> Mini LED with quantum dots<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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HDR formats:<\/strong> Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Connections:<\/strong> 3 x HDMI 2.0 (one with eARC), ATSC 1.0 tuner, USB 2.0, optical audio out<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Audio support:<\/strong> Dolby Atmos, DTS: X<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gaming features: <\/strong>4K\/60Hz, 1080p\/120Hz (65-inch and up)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sizes available (inches):<\/strong> 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, 85<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The potential for Walmart \u2014 much like Amazon with its Fire TVs, for that matter \u2014 is that your watch habit data can be used to target your shopping app experience. Been watching Star Wars<\/em> movies and shows with the family? Maybe the next time you log in to your Walmart app you\u2019ll get a recommendation for the Luke\u2019s Red Five X-wing Smart Lego set. This might sound great to you, but to me, the close connection between TV OS and retailer is a bit unsettling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s possible to get around it, though, and to a fuller extent than on other platforms. As with any other TV, you can add an external streaming device and set the Vizio up to power on to the last used input and bypass the OS. Even with an external device, though, Vizio and Walmart are still scanning the HDMI port and collecting data on what you\u2019re watching. But by making certain decisions during the setup process, you can keep the OS from even being active (and presumably gathering your viewing information), which I\u2019ve never seen on other televisions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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During setup, the TV asks you to sign in to, or create, a Walmart account. If you choose to skip, you\u2019re asked if you\u2019re sure and warned that \u201cyou will not be able to manage payments and subscriptions or link your Vizio devices.\u201d I already manage my subscriptions through each streaming service I use, so no big loss there. After agreeing to Vizio\u2019s terms of service and privacy policy, you\u2019re asked to accept the activity data policy, which enables the TV\u2019s smart features. Declining this brings up another warning screen \u2014 this one actually says \u201cWhoops!\u201d \u2014 informing you that \u201cskipping this step means missing out on all your Vizio smart TV features, including apps like Netflix, YouTube, and other apps.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One last decline, and the Vizio is the dumb TV many are looking for: no OS and three HDMI ports awaiting a signal. And to make sure there\u2019s no way Walmart is getting your info, you can always disconnect the TV from the internet entirely by forgetting your Wi-Fi settings. (You can also choose to skip connecting to Wi-Fi at the beginning of setup, which immediately switches the TV to HDMI, but you may also miss out on firmware updates.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In Calibrated mode the Vizio has a nice, bright image, although its black level isn\u2019t that deep and the screen is reflective (you can see a reflected picture frame in the middle of the TV).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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And for a $400 dumb TV \u2014 or even a $400 smart TV \u2014 the 65-inch Vizio Mini LED Quantum is really good. I watched multiple World Cup matches using my OTA antenna and my normal collection of weekly shows like Last Week Tonight<\/em> through my Apple TV, and they all looked pretty good. Of its picture modes, Calibrated and Calibrated Dark are the most accurate. Both lean a little toward blue, so everything has a slight cool cast. Calibrated Dark is the best for color accuracy and for a dark, light-controlled room. With SDR, it tops out at a maximum brightness of 309 nits (HDR gets up to 579 nits with small highlights). Calibrated reaches 936 nits, which is incredible for a budget TV, so its highlights and overall picture can hold up to ambient light. The screen is pretty glossy, though, so if you have lamps nearby, the reflections can be distracting, especially during dark scenes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s a little bit of motion blur with fast motion, which I noticed while watching the Austrian Grand Prix (especially with the cool quick-moving drone shots<\/a> they introduced with that race). The Mini LED Quantum also uses an IPS panel instead of VA, so its black level isn\u2019t as deep as a more expensive TV, and there\u2019s some blooming visible with bright highlights in dark scenes. Most people, though, will be more than happy with the performance of the Vizio Mini LED Quantum. Even I was able to push aside my videophile expectations and relax with what I was watching. For a 65-inch TV under $400 (or up to an 85-inch for only $768), it\u2019s easy to get past those flaws and still enjoy everyday viewing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The back of the TV is all plastic, and the cable management channel along the back of the each foot is only big enough for a single cable.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Connections on the Vizio are very limited, with only three HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, an antenna, and a digital audio out.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The remote is small and cheap, but it gets the job done.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The feet are widely set and only have one possible height.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Of course, there are areas where Vizio\u2019s cost-cutting is more obvious. The TV only has three HDMI 2.0 ports, when most TVs will get you four with at least one at HDMI 2.1 (though Vizio does include an ATSC 1.0 tuner). The entire back is made of a cheap-feeling plastic, there\u2019s only one height position for the feet, and the cable management channels on the back of each foot can only accommodate a single cable each. So if you have more than one device connected to the HDMI inputs, you can\u2019t run all the cables through the channel. The speakers, while loud, don\u2019t sound great either (but that can be said for expensive TVs, too).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you do decide to use the Vizio OS, it\u2019s possible to limit Walmart\u2019s data collection by turning off Viewing Data in the TV\u2019s privacy menu as well as unchecking personalized ads on your Vizio account page. Vizio OS is easy to navigate, if a tad sluggish sometimes. It supports all the major apps, plus AirPlay and Google Cast, and selecting different inputs is easy, both through the OS and with an input button on the small remote. After a few minutes, the TV will go into a screensaver mode, which is just one of the WatchFree+ channels that shows what looks like AI-generated scenes with music playing. But since they\u2019re channels and not an actual screensaver, they get interrupted by ads every once in a while. It\u2019s not the most relaxing screensaver experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I set up each TV in my living room on my home theater credenza. I stream movies and shows through the TV\u2019s apps and from an Apple TV, play discs on a Magnetar UDP900 MkII<\/a> 4K Blu-Ray player (including the Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark disc) and movies from a Kaleidescape Strato E<\/a> player, and play games on my Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. This is done at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions, with curtains open, with lamps and overhead lights on, or with blackout curtains up to keep the room dark. While I am a certified ISF Level 3 calibrator, I do not calibrate the TVs before measurement, as the overwhelming majority of TV owners don\u2019t bother. So it\u2019s important to know how well the TVs perform out of the box, with minor tweaks in the menu anyone can do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For measurement, I use Portrait Displays<\/a>\u2019 Calman color calibration software, a Murideo 8K Seven pattern generator, an X-rite i1 Pro 3 spectrophotometer, Portrait Displays\u2019 C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, a Konica Minolta LS-100 luminance meter, and Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Of course, you don\u2019t need to worry about that if you use the Vizio Mini LED Quantum as a dumb TV. It\u2019s not what Walmart hopes you\u2019ll do with it, but it\u2019s absolutely what you should<\/em>. And if you want streaming apps, you can always plug in a cheap streaming device like the Fire TV Stick 4K Select for $40. If you use a connected device with the Vizio OS active, your viewing data on that device will also be shared with Walmart, according to the viewing data supplement<\/a> on the privacy policy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My main concern is that the ability to use the Mini LED Quantum as a dumb TV is a complete accident and software updates could change that down the road. If you are required to use it \u2014 and thus accept all the activity data collection \u2014 recommending the TV becomes a bit harder. Until then, though, the Mini LED Quantum has great performance for the price. If you\u2019ve been looking for a big dumb TV to escape from the incessant data tracking, the Vizio Mini LED Quantum is it. At least for now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photography by John Higgins \/ The Verge<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Agree to continue: Vizio Mini LED Quantum TV<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it \u2014 contracts that no one actually reads. It\u2019s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit \u201cagree\u201d to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don\u2019t read and definitely can\u2019t negotiate.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In order to manage payments and subscription or link the TV to your Walmart account, you must:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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