Whenever those sometimes-heated discussions veer toward the best TV panels on the planet right now, they invariably land on OLEDs and QLEDs.

Yes, there’s no questioning their ability to provide amazing picture quality—but at what price? Especially amid this ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some people, understandably, just aren’t in a situation where they can just throw around $2K or $3K on an HDTV.

If you share any of those sentiments, be sure to take a gander at Vizio’s 65-inch P-Series Quantum X. And right now, this highly regarded set is retailing for only $1,100, $200 off the regular price. If you happen to desire an even bigger screen, know that the 75-inch monster is going for $1,700, also $200 off.

Be aware that Quantum X’s panel will probably never topple LG’s OLEDs from the best-picture summit, but it does emphatically meet the high standards of the best LCD-based, quantum dot-enhanced TVs out there—including Samsung’s much-vaunted QLED models.

Like its OLED counterpart, the Quantum X, employing its own quantum color tech, boasts outstanding deep black levels and a uniform screen. And as an added bonus, this Vizio offering can get much brighter than LG’s more expensive panels—a much-needed perk if you have bright rooms or want to enjoy daytime TV viewing. 

To achieve its highly regarded picture quality, the Quantum X features a hefty number of zones for full-array local dimming, which is the way to go if you want to improve the screen’s contrast ratio. Not to be outdone, the set comes with a true 120Hz refresh rate panel and fully supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

However, much like Samsung’s QLEDs and other LCD-based TVs, the Quantum X doesn’t perform as well when it comes to wide-angle viewing. So, if you have wraparound or side seating with extreme TV angles, make sure to take note. Know that there will surely be no complaints if you’re sitting directly in front of the set. 

For all you diehard gamers out there, the Quantum X also flaunts heavy-duty video processing and low input lag that can go a long way in taking your video-gaming experience to the next level. Another major perk is that it comes with five HDMI inputs—rarely seen on high-end TVs.

Perhaps the biggest complaint with Quantum X is the SmartCast smart TV operating system. Compared to Roku, Android TV and webOS, it just isn’t as responsive and the user-experience is riddled with too many hiccups. Moreover, the overall selection of apps is lacking somewhat, so if you love having more content than you can handle, it’s best to look elsewhere. On a positive note, the Chromecast built-in feature is a net positive for phone-centric users.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.