PICTURE QUALITY Picture quality was very good, overall. Reproduction of fine image detail was very good, just shy of excellent. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Contrast was limited in dark scenes, giving images a somewhat flatter appearance. Black levels were overly bright, unfortunately, worse than many TVs. The quality appeared to worsen as we viewed from the sides—see our Viewing Angle results, below. Image brightness was moderately low, dimmer than most even with the brightness at max—OK for a dark room but not the best choice for a bright room. Its reproduction of smooth edges on image content. Deinterlacing of 1080i video was excellent. Its frame-rate compensation for 1080i film-based content was excellent.
VIEWING ANGLE This TCL model has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance. Only those viewing at center position will see the best picture quality. Our examination at various angles saw its image quality degrade when viewed anywhere but on-center. When we viewed the TV from the sides image quality degraded significantly. the picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, and reduced the contrast especially on dark scenes. Lastly, we viewed the image from above and below center screen, and noticed good vertical viewing angle performance, with only slight changes in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR In our motion tests, this TCL LCD (LED) had good motion performance, with some blurring.
SOUND QUALITY We got poor sound from this TV. Its shortcomings were very apparent on typical programming, and especially so with movie soundtracks and music. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequency sound) was absent and very well defined. Treble (high frequency sound) lacked detail. The treble was generally neutral, thin, notably closed in. This TV should be OK if the room isn't too noisy—we found the speakers could produce a good volume level. If you expect decent sound from your TV, especially one intended for primary viewing, look at other models or be prepared to add an external sound system.
EASE OF USE Consider the TV's stand is 27 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on. The remote controls the TV via an IR light beam which must be pointed at the TV. It has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides internet functionality via its "Roku TV" portal, with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney Plus, Hulu, Max/HBO Max, Netflix, YouTube.
CONNECTIONS This model has 3 HDMI inputs one USB port, an optical digital audio out, and headphone out, WiFi wireless networking, and AirPlay—for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED A remote control.
