Samsung Vs. Vizio: Which Brand Makes Better TV’s?

Kyle Schurman Avatar

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Updated Jun 27, 2022 11:14 PM

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Which brand has the best TVs? Samsung Vs. Vizio.

Television shopping, especially big screen television shopping, can be a little intimidating with the variety of screen resolution options, screen sizes, and Smart TV features. While it’s tempting to pick the biggest, cheapest TV you can find, you could end up with an off brand that won’t give you the features you want. Comparing some of the top television brands — such as Samsung vs. Vizio — can help you narrow your list of contenders to the best brand of large screen television. See how Vizio and Samsung TVs stack up against each other in the following nine categories. Then make sure to check out our best 65-inch TVs.

Samsung vs Vizio Comparison

SAMSUNG

  • Screen Sizes

  • Display Technology

  • Display Resolution

  • Image Quality

  • Audio Quality

  • Smart TV Options

  • Physical Size

  • Ports

  • Price

VIZIO

  • Screen Sizes

  • Display Technology

  • Display Resolution

  • Image Quality

  • Audio Quality

  • Smart TV Options

  • Physical Size

  • Ports

  • Price

Screen Size

Samsung 88 inch TV
One of Samsung’s largest televisions is an 88 inch curved screen model, the UE88JS9500.

Both Samsung and Vizio offer a wide range of screen sizes, giving consumers plenty of options to fit their budget. For example, the Samsung JU7100 series offers seven screen sizes, ranging from 40 to 85 inches.  The company also offers an 88-inch 4K model, as well as a 110-inch model. For a nice sweet spot while on a budget, consider the best 70 inch TV for the money.

Vizio’s M series of TVs has eight units, ranging from 43 to 80 inches. Samsung offers more curved screen televisions than Vizio TV, although the jury is still out as to whether curved screens provide better performance.

Winner: Samsung, because of slightly larger screen options and more options at each screen size.


Display Technology

LG OLED TV
Neither Samsung nor Vizio currently offer an OLED screen display technology, such as what LG offers as pictured here.

Both companies make use of LED-LCD display technology primarily. Samsung released an OLED TV a few years ago, but hasn’t done much with the technology since. And for Vizio, OLED technology is still too expensive to fit into its low priced branding strategy.

Winner: Tie. Until one of these manufacturers commits to OLED, they both rely on the same LED-LCD technology to sell TVs.

Display Resolution

Samsung SUHD TV
Samsung offers a TV resolution that it has branded as SUHD, but it’s just the company’s name for 4K TV resolution.

All of the major large screen TV manufacturers have embraced 4K, or Ultra HD resolution, in a big way, and Samsung and Vizio are no exception. You can find HD resolution televisions from both manufacturers at a discount of about 25% to 40% to their 4K resolution units. Samsung heavily pushes its branded “SUHD” TV set technology, but don’t be fooled. It’s just the manufacturer’s Ultra HD, or 4K, display resolution. It has nothing to do with screen technology, and it’s not really different than 4K options from Vizio.

Winner: Tie, as the Samsung vs. Vizio comparison here is a dead heat.

Image Quality

Samsung UN55JS8500 TV
The Samsung UN55JS8500 TV offers extremely strong image quality.

Image quality can be a personal preference. I know what kind of screen quality I like; you know what you like. So let’s rely on organizations that use scientific testing, like Consumer Reports, to determine the best image quality of large screen televisions.

Samsung consistently scores at the top of the charts for televisions, both for HD and 4K resolution models, regardless of screen size. Vizio’s early models had some image quality problems, but the current models of Vizio TVs score well in terms of image quality for HD resolution sets. Samsung TVs’ range of environments they can perform well in is great too, like if you’re looking for the best TV for a bright room.

Vizio’s 4K performance in terms of image quality is considered average by the majority of ratings services. If Vizio’s past performance is any indication though, the manufacturer should make steady improvements in its 4K image quality in future models.

Winner: Samsung, because the manufacturer consistently ranks at the top of the charts in image quality.


Audio Quality

Vizio Sound Bar options
To improve the audio quality in a large screen television, consider adding a sound bar, such as this Vizio model.

Large screen televisions don’t have very good audio quality with the built-in speakers, so you may want to plan on purchasing a sound bar or a speaker system for the TV for a better sound system. However, if you want to rely on the built-in speaker in your Vizio or Samsung television, we’ll once again rely on testing organizations to determine the best TV sound quality. Neither manufacturer provides above average audio quality with the built-in speakers, but Vizio televisions are ranked below average more often than Samsung models.

Winner: Samsung, although neither Samsung nor Vizio have above average audio performance from the built-in speakers.

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Smart TV Options

Vizio Internet Apps Plus
Vizio’s Internet Apps Plus Smart TV feature has greatly improved the performance of Vizio Smart TVs.

Any TV that has built-in Wi-Fi and can accept streaming services is considered a Smart TV. But each TV manufacturer has its own interface for accessing apps.

Vizio’s Internet Apps Plus Smart TV interface is quite an improvement from the early days of Vizio’s Smart TV options, which were well behind other manufacturers. Vizio Internet Apps Plus is easy to use with a great interface featuring tiles that fill the screen or that scroll across the bottom.

Conversely, Samsung is using the Tizen interface on its Smart TVs, offering tiles that scroll across the bottom of the screen. Tizen provides smart features compatibility with some smartphones and tablets, which the Vizio offering cannot do. To see what these TVs are capable of, read about the best smart tv and learn all about them.

Winner: Samsung, because Tizen is a little more advanced than Internet Apps Plus. However, manufacturers are constantly tweaking their Smart TV systems, so it’s worth testing the latest versions before you choose.

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Physical Dimensions

Samsung Thin TV
Large screen televisions are typically very thin, measuring between 2 and 3 inches in depth.

Every large screen television these days is pretty thin as screen technology allows this to be possible, especially compared to the old CRT behemoths from more than a decade ago. On average, Vizio and Samsung large screen TVs have a similar depth. For example, both Samsung and Vizio’s latest 75 inch model measures 2.5 inches in thickness. When comparing weights of TVs from the two manufacturers, it varies as to which manufacturer’s sets are lighter, depending on screen size. There is the Vizio portable TV however.

Winner: Tie, as both manufacturers make extremely thin units and neither has a clear cut advantage.

Ports

Vizio TV Ports Options
Vizio televisions usually offer more HDMI ports than models from other manufacturers.

Modern large screen smart TVs offer a variety of ports, including HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and component audio/video. Although it’s not the case with every Vizio model, many of the manufacturer’s televisions offer five HDMI ports, which is great for attaching set top boxes, gaming systems, and audio systems, while still having a port or two left over. Samsungs TVs usually offer three or four HDMI ports. Samsung units usually offer multiple USB ports, slightly more on average than Vizio models.

Winner: Vizio, because no one wants to run out of HDMI ports on their TV, and Vizio models typically have more than other manufacturers’ sets.

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Price

Vizio Best Price TVs
Vizio televisions typically offer the lowest prices among the major brands in the industry, including sub-$1,000 prices for 55 inch models.

Vizio entered the large screen TV market several years ago as the low price alternative to other television sets, and it has maintained that moniker as its brand has grown. Vizio units offer decent image quality and performance for a really good price, often some of the lowest prices in the market at all screen sizes. As mentioned above, Samsung units will usually outperform Vizio 4k TVs, but you’ll have to pay more for that extra performance.

Winner: Vizio, as Vizio usually offers the lowest prices among the major name brands.


Samsung Vs. Vizio TVs: Overall Winner

Both are great TV brands, but I have to give the edge to Samsung TV in this comparison of Samsung vs. Vizio televisions, but the gap between the two manufacturers has closed significantly from the beginning of the decade. While Samsung maintains strong image quality and a great Smart TV interface, Vizio has made up ground in recent years, improving picture quality while maintaining some of the lowest prices in the industry. So the whole Vizio vs Samsung debate has some give and take. Budget shoppers will not be disappointed with the Vizio options they have in today’s market, while those seeking a bit more quality will be pleased with the performance levels and response time for the lowest input lag they’ll find in Samsung televisions. They are perfect for viewing Apple TV 4k, playing games on game consoles, watching sports and streaming videos from all of the streaming services. You will have an amazing viewing experience.

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