American TV maker Vizio has announced its 2019 lineup is now on sale in the US. The company’s new 4K resolution P Quantum X, P Quantum, M Quantum and V series TVs all support multiple High Dynamic Range formats and local dimming, and will add support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 wireless protocol in a future software update. 

Vizio’s premium P Quantum X series TVs are premium products available at very tempting prices. They’re priced at $3,500 (around £2,760) for the larger 75-inch model, and $2,200 (£1,740) for the smaller 65-inch version, with both featuring the company’s most advanced full array local dimming technology with up to 480 zones, matching similar high-end LCD TVs sold by companies such as Samsung. Vizio also claims up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. 

One step down is Vizio’s P Quantum series, which is also available in 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. These will cost around $1,000 less than the Quantum X models, due to having fewer dimming zones and less brightness. 

The inclusion of local zone dimming technology in Vizio’s higher end models is notable, as it helps to expand their luminance. They also sport quantum dot film technology to help broaden their colour range, and this, combined with the dimming zones, should help to boost HDR quality. 

The company is also offering its M Quantum and V series, which are smaller and feature very few dimming zones, or direct LED backlighting instead, and are consequently priced much lower. 

All of the TVs are powered by Vizio’s SmartCast 3.0 operating system, which provides access to applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and other services. 

"The expansive Vizio 2019 TV collection is truly our most feature-packed lineup yet,” said Vizio’s chief technology officer Bill Baxter. “We’ve blended the best of brightness, contrast and color to create an unrivaled picture across all price points.” 

Vizio’s TVs also come with Chromecast built-in, and will add support for AirPlay 2 and Apple’s HomeKit via an update that’s set to arrive “soon”, the company said. The addition of HomeKit support means the TVs will be compatible with digital assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. 

Vizio’s TVs will support Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but it’s worth noting that the M series TVs only provide up to 600 nits of brightness, and the V series even less. Combined with the limited or total lack of local dimming, they may not pack enough punch to deliver HDR to its full potential. 

Unfortunately, the firm's 2019 lineup also lacks HDMI 2.1 ports, which means features such as eARC and VRR will not be supported. 

Vizio’s TVs are now available to buy online at retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart in the US. Vizio typically focuses on the North American market only, but its TVs are sometimes available to buy online in the UK.