I never watched VD in my life (anyway, it's all about taste) but the way people say of it I think I will try watching at least the first 5 episodes to see if I will be able to go on.
If you like the fantasy or supernatural genre with some teenage/YA romance, TVD is straight up your alley. The 1st couple of eps are a bit slow and well... cheesy but still watchable. Then the shows gets pretty good. Season 1 and 2 are the best. 3 and 4 are good.