PICTURE QUALITY Picture quality was very good, overall. Reproduction of fine image detail was excellent. Color accuracy was very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Very good contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—in dark scenes gave images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels were very good, and delivered fairly deep blacks that supported the contrast in darker scenes. There may be a subtle halo visible around bright objects on a dark background. This was among the brightest models we've tested (with the brightness at max), so the picture was well suited for a very sunny room—a lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. Its reproduction of smooth edges on image content for "up-converted" HD-to-UHD images was generally excellent and free of "jaggies" (jagged edges). Deinterlacing of 1080i video was excellent. Its frame-rate compensation for 1080i film-based content was excellent.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE HDR performance had limited effectiveness. In our tests, the display showed good peak brightness capability (by HDR standards) and did a fine job displaying the benefits of our HDR 4K content. It revealed only a little contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights —while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, were preserved. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail, from black to white, with no obvious banding within the gradually shaded areas. We noted some loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas.
VIEWING ANGLE This TCL model has a wide viewing angle overall. It should provide fairly consistent picture quality for typical viewing setups—say, if seated in a chair off to one side. Our examination at various angles saw reasonably good consistency. When we viewed the TV from the sides the image had some loss of quality. the picture showed a slight loss of color. Black levels brightened slightly. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominent at off angles. 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 very good motion performance, with minimal blurring.
SOUND QUALITY We got good sound quality, about average among the models we've tested. When watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it can deliver decent performance but just not like the better performers. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequency sound) was moderately deep and provided some sense of fullness and lacking some definition. Treble (high frequency sound) lacked detail. The treble was neutral though a bit bright, thin. This TV should be OK in rooms large or small, noisy or quiet—we found the speakers could play at a fairly loud volume level. Our bass-heavy music track revealed a slight buzz. Overall, though imperfect, most people would find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Consider the TV's stand is 57 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on. The remote controls doesn't need to be pointed at the TV. It has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons. The buttons are backlit making it easier to use in the dark. The remote has a microphone use to issue voice commands. The TV also has a microphone which can be used to issue voice commands without the remote.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides internet functionality via its "Google 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+, BET+, DirecTV, Disney Plus, Freevee, Fubo TV, Hulu, Max/HBO Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Sling TV, Starz, The Roku Channel, Tubi, YouTube, YouTube TV. It includes a built-in Google Assistant virtual assistant, which allows you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming by talking to the TV.
CONNECTIONS This model has 4 HDMI inputs 2 USB ports, and an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, 802.11ac/WiFi 5 wireless networking, and AirPlay—for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED A remote control.
