Review: VIZIO M701d-A3R 70-Inch 1080p 240Hz M-Series 3D Smart LED TV

VIZIO’s M701d-A3R is their 70-Inch version of their Razor M-Series TVs, and just like its other counterparts (also available in 32, 40, 47, 50, 55, 60, 65, and 80-inches) when it comes to quality. They really know how to deliver with this series and bring consumers an amazing picture at an amazing price (compared to the competition). You truly get more resolution per dollar when pit up against companies like Samsung, and although it doesn’t achieve *exactly* the same quality as Samsung…they come very close. Close enough to say that you won’t even bother to care when you see how far the price is between the two. As you can see here (UN75ES9000), Samsung’s comparable model is more than 3x the cost.

The M701d-A3R delivers a crisp vivid image with little-to-no bleeding on the sides (bleeding is common for edge/side-lit LED screens). You will only notice bleeding in unique circumstances where the image is bright enough to highlight it, and even though, it isn’t enough to bother anyone.

Motion on the TV was flawless with no motion trails, blurs, or other dependencies that we could find. The 240Hz refresh rate delivers perfectly for any situation (regardless if you are watching your favorite walk in the park or the latest Nascar race). We popped in a video we like to use of the Indi 500 for motion testing. Two thumbs up there!

3D is displayed very well with sharp detail and reminded us a lot of the LG wall of TVs that everyone enjoys watching at CES each year. This is pretty nice as we generally find that a lot of TVs fail to deliver quality 3D. The TV comes with 8 pairs of glasses so that you will always have enough, even for large families or gatherings. In most cases, the RealD 3D glasses you receive at the official movie theaters will actually work with this TV, which only increases your collection at no additional cost (outside of the movie).

Sound! We feel that the speakers on this TV are average to above-average. They will work perfectly if you don’t want the stereo running and just need basic TV sound. Obviously, they will not replace having a full-out system or a nice sound-bar, but they aren’t going to upset you if you need them.

The Remote! We did find it to be a little distracting that sometimes the remote would only work best when aiming it towards the bottom-left corner of the screen. The sensor could be a little more sensitive in our opinion so that this wouldn’t be a problem. It isn’t a highly repetitive occurrence but enough to notice. Thankfully, most home theater-goers prefer to toss their TV remote in favor of a programmable one like Logitech’s Harmony collection. Although the remote troubles are noticeable, we feel that it doesn’t weigh heavy on our over-all score.

Smart Features! The M701d-A3R has built-in Wifi that allows you to connect it to your wireless router for the usage of the apps such as Netflix, Amazon Video, eBay, Facebook, and more. The app selection is decent and the connection strength is great. We didn’t push it too hard for distance but the router we tested with was about 75 feet away and through 2 walls (we almost had max bars), which should compare well to most home conditions when it comes to benchmarking.

It offers two USB ports that you can use to plug in a USB thumb drive to play your favorite music, images, and videos. It supports multiple video formats. You can also stream content from a connected PC on the network.

During standby (TV = Off), it consumes less than 1w (watt) of electricity which is great when you are looking to crack down on the trickle power created by your electronic devices. We used to have a Plasma screen in the office that consumed 7.5w when turned off. Less than 1w is a benefit, especially with how large this TV is. When turned on, it just barely consumes more than 100w. This means just “dollars” in a year’s electric bill (not tens of dollars).

As with any TV (or Blu-Ray/DVD player), we always suggest that you update your TV to the latest firmware the second you have it connected to the network. You always want to make sure any fixes to small glitches or upgraded features are taken care of right off the bat so that you receive the maximum experience right away.

If you need to force an update check of the firmware, do the following:

1) Go to System > System Information.
2) Scroll down under UTV. Look for “REG”. Make sure it says “Yes”.
3) Go to Reset & Admin > Service Check – Click Yes.
4) Turn off the TV and turn it back on.

The Specs!