Vizio exerted more pricing pressure on the 4K Ultra...

Vizio exerted more pricing pressure on the 4K Ultra HD TV market Tuesday with a three-figure starting price point for a 50-inch full-array LED-lit LCD TV. The lineup of P series TVs, Vizio’s first foray into 4K, ranges from $999 for the 50-inch P502ui-B1 to $2,499 for a 70-inch P702ui-B3. Vizio’s $2,499 price for a 70-inch model compares with the same $2,499 suggested retail price for a Samsung 50-inch 4K Ultra HD TV, but Samsung’s 50-inch UN50HU8550 had a street price of $1,797 Tuesday at Amazon in a competitive market. Vizio’s P series has full-array local dimming LED backlights, supported by 72 active LED zones, the company said. Each zone dynamically adjusts to control the backlight based on the content on screen for deeper black levels and higher contrast than edge-lit LED TVs, it said. The P series includes an HEVC H.265 codec, 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi for faster streaming and the HDCP 2.2 support for playback of protected Ultra HD content, Vizio said. A V6 six-core processor -- comprising a quad-core graphics processor plus a dual-core CPU -- powers the TV and enables an “even faster smart TV” experience, Vizio said. The TVs will be available “soon” at retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart, it said. Walmart was taking pre-orders for the 50-inch model Tuesday at a dollar off, $998. Prices for additional models are $1,399 for the 55-inch model, $1,699 for the 60-inch and $2,199 for the 65-inch, it said.