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 excellent, with help from TCL's full array "Local contrast" feature, delivering very deep blacks that enhance contrast in dark scenes. However, some haloing effects are also visible, especially at off angles, and depth of black does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle. This is among the brightest models we've tested (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a very sunny room. A lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. 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. The deinterlacing and film mode operations are excellent on HD content; there is little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K 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. HDR performance is generally effective. The display's high peak brightness capability helps better reproduce the realism of 4K content mastered with HDR. There is limited contrast revealed between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene mainly due to the fact that the brightness in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are elevated. . 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 moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we view the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture shows a slight loss of color. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominent at off angles. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is very good. The picture shows minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This TCL TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. Although this TV includes a "LED Motion Clarity" setting that is effective at further reducing motion blur it limited the brightness of the image and also added some flicker to the picture, so we left the feature off.
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 adequate, which adds some fullness to the sound but lacking in definition a bit, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is a bit 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. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. 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. The remote has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons that support on-screen navigation. It includes a built-in microphone to access the voice assistant feature. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix, ESPN+, Hulu, and Roku Channel. Consider the TV's stand is 57 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 four 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.
