Vizio"s 60-inch product is of a similar package and quality to last years. There are a few upgrades and downgrades. Price is of course one of the most attractive features. The E60-C1 features full-array LED backlighting instead of the edge-lit variety on most low to mid grade LED TV products. The 60 inch size has 12 zones of Active dimming for enhanced contrast, more than the smaller sizes and same as last year. Vizio Internet Apps Plus is also included in the E series for the first time.

The Vizio E60 is an excellent choice for an entry level TV. The “E” stands for “Entry” level after all. One attribute that makes the E-series compelling is the 12 active full array backlighting zones resulting in a more even distribution of backlighting with less clouding/blooming than mid grade edge lit LED backlit TVs. The 65”-70” have 16 zones, the 50” to 60” have 12 zones while the 48 inch and lower have a still ample 6. More zones are better because their divisions become less noticable to a watchful eye, but the smaller screen sizes do not need as many since the zones are smaller. While the full array backlighting delivers better screen uniformity when displaying blacks and dark scenes, we did not see a better contrast benefit from the local dimming on the E-series. Colors also going benefit from this backlighting scheme, as there is less washout and uniformity issues. Also, the 120Hz effective refresh rate with a 480 Clear Action Rate backlight scanning feature improves judder and motion blur. The Clear Action Rate feature may produce negative effects in some circumstances and is better left off for movies and regular TV programs.

The Film Mode does cut down slightly on judder from movie-source programming with no noted side effects. We"re typically skeptical of this type of de-judder feature but on the Vizio e-series the effects are subtle enough to be of good use.

The Vizio E-series has a dedicated picture mode for gaming. This is for optimal performance when it comes to input lag. The TV responds fairly well in our tests. We measured input lag at 40ms. That"s not too bad at all for the average to hardcore console gamer. Shooters, racing, and action games play just fine on this TV. 30ms and below are considered excellent measurements, so this Vizio stands with the best of them. Since the Game mode is its own picture setting, you may have to dial in some of the calibration settings again to get the best picture. Do it once and you are all set.

Choosing the best picture mode for the E-series is extremely important and Vizio provides some strong choices: Standard (energy saving mode), Calibrated, Calibrated Dark, Game, Computer, and Vivid. The calibrated and calibrated dark modes are the best choices, with only the backlight strength being the difference between the two. I think that Calibrated mode is my choice mode for most situations. Here I saw plenty of dark shadow detail combined with a full backlight setting to give the picture much needed punch. Overall, the two calibrated modes available are the way to go when you want the best picture out of this TV. Try the others out if you need to push the brightness a bit more depending on the room the TV is located in. From Calibrated Mode use the following settings for calibrated picture settings:

The OPC (Optimum Power Control) control is very hidden in the menu of the E-series Vizio TV, but it can and should be turned off due to the distracting influx and outflow of light/brightness produced by the backlight. Out of the box, it will be set to On position for any of the preset picture settings. When I recently retested the e-series from Vizio I found it added unnecessary picture noise when light flow moved up or down lagging the picture image. The OPC"s purpose is to save energy by manipulating the backlight through the 18 backlight zones, or probably more accurately to lower the Energy rating for Vizio"s TVs. But at less than $1 a month total, and just a few cents per month for the OPC feature, you probably prefer a better picture. To turn it off: Go to Picture Settings, scroll down to More, Scroll down and click Advanced Picture at he bottom of the menu, this will finally bring up the Backlight Control as the very last setting. Turn Off.

Normal, Wide, Stretch, and Zoom modes are controlled by the diminutive "wide" button on the bottom left of the remote control face. With HD programming your normal and wide selection will appear the same and of course there is no problem with this aspect rendering. With non-HD programming you will have a tough choice as the Vizio aspect ratio algorithms are not great. The Zoom mode looks decent but stretches content too much verttially. The Stretch mode is not very good with noticeable disproportion in the left and right width of images, especially people.

The Vizio E-series includes Wifi and the Vizio Internet Apps Plus platform. Wifi performance is good, and allows for instant access and plenty of speed for HD content streaming. The "Plus" in the name means the interface is much more user friendly and the overall performance is faster than before. Some of the most useful apps included are Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, VUDU, MGO, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and Facebook. There are plenty more too.

Spotify: This music streaming app gives your Vizio access to just about all the music you"ll need. You can search albums, tracks, and artists to create personalized playlists instead of leaving it up to the app to decide what is next. There are ads, but premium subscription models are offered for those who really enjoy the experience.

Lyve: LyveHome gives the TV the ability to compile all of your content from Android, Apple, and Windows devices and access them from one place. Vizio Internet Apps Plus users can easily sort, view, share and their photos and videos right on the big screen.

The Vizio E-series does not include a remote with any special capabilities. No motion control, voice recognition, or QWERTY keyboard. But that"s okay. It"s a small remote with efficiently laid out small keys that give quick access to the necessary controls. That"s really all we need in a remote after all. The buttons to access video streaming apps quickly will be some of the most used.

The Vizio E60 presents a strong value on all fronts for an entry level LED TV. The $799 is a great deal for a 60” panel of this quality. Similar TV"s from major brands sell in the mid to high $800 range. Strong contrast and picture depth from front and center is the highlight in the picture quality realm. Vizio Internet Apps Plus don"t do anything new for the platform, but everything works well and doesn"t leave much to be desired. Some downsides are a non-backlit basic non QWERTY remote, 2-point white balance picture settings, and a non-swivel stand. But these aren"t deal breakers by any means.

Vizio is offering a warranty part replacement on all the units with the bad chip assembly. Vizio will replace a recalled TV that has already lost its picture with a new unit (not a refurbished one as they customarily do) according to its customer service representative. Vizio HDTVs are sold by Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, BJs and Sam’s Club. All the recall details appear after the break.

Our research indicates the Vizios with the bad chip assembly were made and offered for sale in the 4th quarter of 2012. We checked our local Costco and verified all the E601i-A3 and E701i-A3 now being sold are new production, past the serial numbers of the recalled models.

HD Guru recommends to all readers with one of these HDTVs that fall under the serial numbers below to call the Vizio customer service phone number now. Don’t wait to see if the screen goes black as there is no way to tell if the affected chip assembly will become back ordered in the future.

Vizio is also extending the warranty on affected TVs (within the listed serial numbers) from one to two years for this issue. Below is a verbatim copy of its “Special Bulletin”. It is on their website here.

“A limited number of VIZIO’s E-Series 60” and 70” LED Smart TVs (model numbers E601i-A3 and E701i-A3) may experience a loss of video due to premature failure of a chip assembly sourced from a supplier.  VIZIO is working with its suppliers, retailers and consumers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible for affected users.  As part of its continued dedication to customer satisfaction, VIZIO is proactively communicating with its customers through direct contact with registered owners, through VIZIO’s retailers and through online and social media about the potential issue, what to look for, and how to reach VIZIO’s dedicated support team to receive help.

In a small percentage of units with serial numbers in the ranges of LFTRNWAN3800001 to LFTRNWAN4805300for Model E601i-A3 and LFTRNXAN4500001 – LFTRNXAN4702936 for Model E701i-A3, users may experience a loss of video on the display although audio can still be heard.  This issue is attributed to a limited batch of chip assemblies from a supplier, in which there is a small percentage chance that the chip assembly prematurely fails; this causes the timing control board to be disabled, which disrupts the video signal to the display.  This potential issue appears to occur typically around the first 500 hours of usage or first few months of normal usage and does not present a safety concern.

VIZIO has promptly notified its customers of the possible issue so that affected users can have their units repaired or replaced free of charge.  In addition, VIZIO is also extending its standard one-year limited warranty to two years from the date of purchase for this specific issue to ensure that customers who purchased the E601i-A3 or E701i-A3 can continue to enjoy their TV with full peace of mind.

If you have a VIZIO E-Series 60” or 70” TV with a serial number that falls within the ranges of LFTRNWAN3800001 to LFTRNWAN4805300 for Model E601i-A3 andLFTRNXAN4500001 – LFTRNXAN4702936 for Model E701i-A3 and experience a loss of video, please call VIZIO’s Customer Care team toll free at [email protected] to directly reach our dedicated service team who will assist in resolving your issue as quickly as possible.

Since its founding more than a decade ago, VIZIO has taken pride in its unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.  Standing behind that commitment, VIZIO is taking prudent measures to reach customers to inform them of this situation and provide expedited support for affected users.  With its all-U.S. based award-winning support team, VIZIO remains committed to taking care of its customers.”