TCL Television

[Mike Mitsch]

My wife went to Best Buy to get her parents a new TV. She was thinking of a 65” Samsung. The guy at the store said thaT TCL was a much better brand and suggested that instead.

Let me know if you have any knowledge of this brand and if they are better.

 

[Lord Dalek]

They're pretty good for budget/entry level models. Low end models like the S-series don't have Dolby Vision and they use a ClearMotionIndex to simulate 120hz. Also the Roku scanbar glitch manifests itself if you have the brightness set too high.

 

[Mike Mitsch]

They're pretty good for budget/entry level models. Low end models like the S-series don't have Dolby Vision and they use a ClearMotionIndex to simulate 120hz. Also the Roku scanbar glitch manifests itself if you have the brightness set too high.

Thank you for your reply. Is this one good? If not, should we consider another brand?

Really appreciate your help!

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?id=pcat17071&st=Tcl+65%22

 

[Mike Mitsch]

They're pretty good for budget/entry level models. Low end models like the S-series don't have Dolby Vision and they use a ClearMotionIndex to simulate 120hz. Also the Roku scanbar glitch manifests itself if you have the brightness set too high.

I forgot to mention that my wife’s parents are elderly and not really tech savvy. If you have recommendations we are mostly after a big screen for ease of viewing, a good picture and ability to hook up sound for near them (remote speakers).

 

[DaveF]

If you're shopping for people who just need a TV that looks pretty good, and don't care about Dolby Vision or HDR, a TCL 5-series or Vizio 5-series seems like a good budget choice.

The Best 4K TV on a Budget

The affordable TCL 5-Series TV delivers a great-looking 4K picture and integrates our favorite smart-TV system from Roku.

www.nytimes.com

 

[JohnRice]

Regarding speakers, that's a broad subject. Maybe just a good soundbar. There's a lot to choose from, and they're not associated with the TV. Meaning, they aren't matched to the TV. You generally choose the TV you like the best, then the sound bar you like the best.

I suspect either the TCL 6 series (I don't recommend models below the 6 series) or the Vizio M series are good choices. Really good TVs at reasonable prices. The TCL models have the Roku operating system, which is a really nice feature.

Dave just posted about the TCL 5 series, but I got one of those last year and am quite unhappy with it. Not a good TV in several ways. Maybe the 5 series has improved this year, but I know the 6 series is much better.

 

[Jim517]

Costco is the best place to buy a TV. They have a 90 day return policy, plus a longer warranty on most TVs. And an additional 2 years added to the warranty if you pay with a Costco credit card.

What is their budget for a 65" TV ?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My feeling is that buying a higher end TCL is cheaper and more bang for the buck than buying a mid-range model from a more popular brand.

A 55” TCL Series 6 goes for about $500 and is a pretty spectacular TV for that or any price - I think what that gives you is a far better deal than spending $1300 or so for a Samsung or Sony with similar specs.

I wouldn’t look at the TCL product lines below Series 6, but 6 or higher is a really nice product at a great price compared to some of the better known names.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Well I'm perfectly fine with my 4 series which I've had for the past three years. I guess the only driving issue is how important Dolby Vision is to cough up another 200 bucks. Otherwise its a push as none of em have true 120hz displays.

 

[Mike Mitsch]

Regarding speakers, that's a broad subject. Maybe just a good soundbar. There's a lot to choose from, and they're not associated with the TV. Meaning, they aren't matched to the TV. You generally choose the TV you like the best, then the sound bar you like the best.

I suspect either the TCL 6 series (I don't recommend models below the 6 series) or the Vizio M series are good choices. Really good TVs at reasonable prices. The TCL models have the Roku operating system, which is a really nice feature.

Dave just posted about the TCL 5 series, but I got one of those last year and am quite unhappy with it. Not a good TV in several ways. Maybe the 5 series has improved this year, but I know the 6 series is much better.

I think I may have solved the speaker dilemma. I found a device on the web for people with hearing issues. You can see it at Amazon product
I also found a used one on eBay for $32 and got it for a trial. I noticed that the connection is via a 3.5mm jack from the TV to RCA jacks to the unit. Even though the TCL model 65R625 65" has a jack, I also read that using it may cause issues with streaming channels. To allow the use of a digital optical cable I also got a Toslink converter, which you can see here Amazon product
I guess if I use the converter I have to set the TV to PCM mode too.

Let me know your thoughts. Hopefully this will work.

 

[Tony:Reynolds]

Well I'm perfectly fine with my 4 series which I've had for the past three years. I guess the only driving issue is how important Dolby Vision is to cough up another 200 bucks. Otherwise its a push as none of em have true 120hz displays.

I'm not sure that 120Hz matters unless you're playing video (console) games on the TV.

 

[Tony:Reynolds]

TCL is a very good TV and undoubtedly the best bang for the buck. This is repeated again and again by anyone that has professionally reviewed them. I have a Series 6 from 2018 and its very good. Now, the Series 5 and up are all QLED (Quantum Dot) TVs with really good contrast ratios and Dolby Vision. You can't go wrong at that price, especially if you like the Roku interface. Now, if Roku would just settle its stupid dispute with HBO over HBOMax revenue then all would be well.

 

[Lord Dalek]

I'm not sure that 120Hz matters unless you're playing video (console) games on the TV.

It actually does if you want your UHD blu-ray player to output 24p without screen tearing.

 

[JohnRice]

You guys are seriously confusing your tech, how it works and what it means.