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To begin, let me say that the VIZIO M551D-A2R's picture quality is very good - in most situations. If you feed it Blu-ray quality content, the 55-inch display performs admirably.

But under certain conditions, minor blemishes will be visible if you look closely. For example in a scene with a light blue sky, you may notice that the backlight is not uniformly dispersed. I consider this a shortcoming of edge lighting.

I was also not always satisfied with how it handled saturation in some darker scenes, but I put most of the blame on the sketchy visual quality of the content.

And let me reiterate, overall the picture quality is highly acceptable. Most people who are more interested in the score of the big game or the melodrama of a telenovela will never notice that the backlight is not uniformly dispersed.

If you consider yourself a videophile that demands only the best picture quality, then look elsewhere but expect to pay twice as much for a 55-inch TV.

The 3D performance of the M551D-A2R is very good. VIZIO has been a proponent of the 3D system that uses passive glasses, which I prefer over the active shutter glasses. Eight glasses are included in the box.

As for audio, VIZIO gives it the old college try, but like every other manufacturer of these paper-thin TVs, they really haven't left themselves much room to integrate speakers that can resonate.

The audio quality is respectable considering that it emanates from tiny 15W speakers. To achieve sound worthy of this 55-inch TV, think about purchasing one of the good soundbars that VIZIO and others make. Or if you are dreaming home theater, buy a separate surround sound system.

The 55-inch VIZIO M551D-A2R Smart TV delivers the right combination of features, usability and performance at a competitive price. It may not have all the bells and whistles that more expensive models trumpet, which is fine with me because this M-Series VIZIO is easier to use - and just friendlier.