HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is excellent. Though we ultimately got the picture to display excellent HD detail, adjusting the picture settings is not a straightforward process (see ease of use). Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Very good contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—gives images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels are acceptable, though not the deepest, so dark scenes won't look hazy (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). However, the optimal black level setting (i.e. brightness control) may need to be readjusted depending on what device you have connected to the TV (see ease-of-use). Image brightness is good (with the backlight control turned up), making it a suitable choice for all but the sunniest rooms. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is slight display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). Severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content is only good with visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes on movies. Deinterlacing on the other hand have excellent performance with no visible jaggies when converting 1080i video content to the display's native resolution.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. UHD picture quality is excellent. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, is presented in full 4K detail when played back via the TV's HDMI input. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performs similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. Though this TV supports the playback of HDR content its HDR performance is ineffective and lacks the enhancements in image quality expected from this capability. The display does not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on content mastered for HDR. There is no significant contrast revealed between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are preserved. It does a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail from black to white, with no obvious banding on areas of the image that have subtle shade variations. There is no visible loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brighter colored objects remain nicely saturated.
VIEWING ANGLE. This TCL has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs for this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. When we view the TV from the sides image quality degrades significantly. The picture shows a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones look a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is good. The picture shows only a slight change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This TCL TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has good sound quality; about average among the models we've tested. When watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it delivers decent performance but falls short of the better performers. Bass is lacking in depth and a bit in definition, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. Most people would find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE. When adjusting the TV's black level setting (i.e. the Brightness control), the optimal setting depended on which video source we used. If we optimized for our Cable box or Blu-ray player, then our Sony PlayStation's black level was overly bright. If optimized for the PlayStation, then the Cable box's near black shadows were crushed. We hope the manufacturer can address this quirk with a firmware update. Our published picture settings reflect a black level that is optimized for our cable box. In addition, the HD picture has aggressive noise reduction processing turned ON by default (UHD picture was fine), a feature we could not access in the settings menu with the supplied remote. However, via a Roku app downloaded to your personal mobile device you can adjust both the noise reduction and gamma settings. Noise reduction should be set to OFF by default. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons that support on-screen navigation. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix, ESPN+, Hulu and Roku Channel. Consider the TV's stand is 37 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart 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 Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and HBO Now. Claimed support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input. It also has one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; DLNA, to access files within your home network; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. Analog connections are made via a special breakout cable adapter (included) that attaches to the TV as a single plug.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. A quick start guide. An electronic user guide via the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries. Breakout cable adapters (one composite with stereo audio.). A detachable power cord. No printed manual is included.
