PICTURE QUALITY Picture quality was excellent. Reproduction of fine image detail was excellent. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Excellent contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—in dark scenes gave images great depth and dimension. Black levels were excellent, and delivered very deep blacks that enhanced contrast in dark scenes. 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 was very effective. In our tests, the display's very high peak brightness capability was excellent, and greatly helped reproduce the realism of our HDR 4K content. It excellently revealed the 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. 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 saw very good vertical viewing angle performance, with minimal 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 excellent sound quality, among the best we've tested. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it can deliver a top quality listening experience. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequency sound) was very deep and provided a strong sense of fullness and mostly well defined. Treble (high frequency sound) was very good. The treble was generally neutral. This TV should be OK if the room isn't too noisy—we found the speakers could produce a good volume level. You can get better quality from a high performing soundbar or separate home theater system but you should give this model a good listen before making that choice.
EASE OF USE Consider the TV's stand is 16 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, 802.11ax/WiFi 6 wireless networking, and AirPlay—for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV. It has an ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving "Next-Gen TV" off-air signals.
WHAT'S INCLUDED A remote control.
