If you’re shopping for an entry-level 4K TV, there are many options to choose from. You can go with established and well-known brands such as Samsung, LG and Sony, or you can opt to go with more budget-friendly alternatives such as Insignia and Vizio. Entry-level TVs from Insignia and Vizio offer more bang for your buck than TVs from big brands since they usually offer more features and you don’t have to pay a premium for their brand name. The Insignia F50 and the Vizio V5 Series TVs are just that—entry-level TVs that offer excellent price to performance. In this article, we compare the two to find out which TV is better.
Insignia vs Hisense Comparison Chart
Build Quality
Both the Insignia F50 and Vizio V5 Series TVs are decently built.
In terms of build quality, you get what you pay for with these two TVs. They don’t look anything like premium TVs, but they are decently built, which is good enough for their price. The stands are pretty basic but they support the TVs well enough. They do wobble a bit, but that’s not really a cause for concern since even the most expensive TVs can have some wobbliness to them.
Both TVs can be wall mounted since they are VESA-compliant. However, you do have to plan in advance when it comes to some of their ports and jacks since they are rear-facing. Most of their HDMI ports are side-mounted, though, so if you’re only using the HDMI connections, you won’t have any issues even when the TVs are wall mounted.
As for the style of the TVs, the Insignia F50 has slightly thinner borders, measuring about 0.47 inches. On the other hand the Vizio V5 Series borders measure a little over half an inch, so they are thicker. That said, the difference is minimal and shouldn’t be that big of an issue.
Features
The Insignia F50 has ads while the Vizio V5 Series is ad-free.
Nobody likes ads, especially when they are displayed on a product that you already paid full price for. This is an issue with most TVs, and the Insignia F50 is no exception since it also displays ads. However, the Vizio V5 Series does not have this problem. There are suggested content on the Home screen, but no irritating ads, which is a big plus.
As for their operating systems, the Insignia F50 runs on Amazon’s Fire TV while the Vizio V5 Series runs the brand’s own SmartCast OS. When it comes to ease of use, the Fire TV OS definitely has the advantage as it provides a smoother and more responsive experience. In comparison, Vizio’s SmartCast can be a bit laggy. In terms of app availability, the two operating systems offer pretty much the same.
For gamers, the two TVs come with ALLM or auto low latency mode. They also have low input lag and fast enough response times. However, these two TVs only have a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz.
Picture Quality
The Insignia F50 has a higher peak brightness, but the Vizio V5 Series has better contrast.
When it comes to picture quality, the two TVs have their strengths and weakness. The Insignia F50’s QLED panel can get brighter than the standard VA panel of the Vizio V5 Series, so its HDR performance is better. The panel also has excellent black and grey uniformity, along with vivid colors.
On the other hand, the Vizio V5 Series is able to display more accurate colors and it has an excellent contrast ratio. It can display deep blacks that do not look greyish. However, it can’t get as bright as the Insignia F50, so its HDR performance is not as good.
Verdict
Both the Insignia F50 and Vizio V5 Series are excellent entry-level 4K TVs.
Insignia F50
Slightly better HDR
Vizio V5 Series
Deeper blacks and better color accuracy
If you are looking to get a budget 4K TV, you can’t really go wrong with either since they offer excellent performance for the price. The Insignia F50 offers better HDR viewing than the Vizio V5 Series since its QLED VA panel has a higher peak brightness. Its Fire OS is also better when it comes to user experience, but you do have to deal with constant advertisements. On the other hand, the Vizio V5 Series offers deeper blacks and better color accuracy. Its SmartCast OS is not as good as Amazon’s Fire TV OS, but it doesn’t have advertisements, which is a major plus for us.
FAQs
Yes, their budget TVs offer excellent price to performance, with features that you’ll find mostly on mid-range TVs.
Vizio has a much better TV lineup than Insignia, especially when it comes to the mid-range and high-end price points.
Yes, Netflix is available on Insignia TVs.
They can last as long as other well-known brands as long as you treat your TV with care.