Stonefaced Yeti—December 5, 2019
Let me preface this review by saying I had a 40” 1080p and ordered this on a Black Friday sale. I couldn’t be happier with this purchase. I know I know.. it’s a fairly unknown company, TCL. That’s why I got a 55” with the same money I would’ve bought a 50” with. The Roku TV aspect let me transition from using my Xbox to watch everything, which was a pain because the controller is your remote and it’s not very user friendly. Very easy installation, very easy setup. The TV guides you through connecting your WiFi and setting up your Roku account. 10 minutes and I was done and watching. (I don’t have cable, I have Netflix, amazon video and Hulu which makes this TV ideal. It’s all on one menu) plus it’s very light! I unpacked it, moved it onto my entertainment center and removed all the plastic by myself. Surprising for such a big tv. Now for the important stuff. One of the first things I did was fire up some call of duty. My Xbox knew I connected it to a new tv and switched itself to 4K mode on its own. All you have to do is click yes. Noticeably improved graphics. The tv also has about 5 or 6 different video modes, all customizable. Oh! And let’s mention the sound modes! I have a fairly cheap sound bar and subwoofer. My main complaint about it was the subwoofer wasn’t pronounced enough. I like bass. Well this tv has a “big bass” sound option. Sounds beautiful now. I’m fully utilizing my subwoofer. There’s 3 hdmi ports, an optic output for the aforementioned sound bar... basically all your usual inputs that you’d expect. There is no disappointment in the performance of this television whatsoever. Now for the delivery. This was kinda odd. The original delivery was on Thursday. Shipped UPS. Then I got the email saying it’s shipped and it’ll be there TUESDAY! Frickin awesome! Sat home all day so I’d be here when it showed up... never showed up. Got it at about 2pm Wednesday. Which is still a day early technically, but still disappointing after being told Tuesday. So I guess I can’t really be that mad. So I met the ups guy outside because of course I was watching out the window all day so I saw him coming haha the box was a little beat up. I was nervous. Opened the box and they have an industrial piece of about 3 inch corrugated cardboard lined with hard foam covering the screen side. I could build a table with this thing. Tv was in perfect condition. To sum up.. I can’t comment on if my emotions about this tv would change if I didn’t get it for half off... but if you’re leery because it’s TCL and not Toshiba.. get that thought out of your head right now. The only difference is you’re paying a hundred or so bucks less for the same tv. Do it. I could not be happier with this purchase. Read more
Samuel—April 1, 2020
I'm a Sony guy and, given the right opportunity and place, would select an authentic OLED Sony screen to hang onto a wall. But currently I find myself marooned and cash-stressed in a one-room apartment. Necessity can be the mother of serendipitous surprises, such as the discovery of this 55-inch "overachiever" from TCL, going for one-tenth the price of my desired Sony. It comes with two tripod legs (which are all I require in my quiet, sedate setting), though it's light and thin enough (though thicker, of course than an OLED) for hanging on a wall. I'm happy to place my screen in front of the big dresser mirror, where it blocks from my view the strange freak I find staring at me each morning. I've found that 55-inches is enough to cover the entire width of the mirror and falls just 4-5 inches short of reaching the top. More importantly, without an A-B side-by-side comparison, this picture satisfies me as much as the Sony and Samsung sets I've owned since 2015--a year in which all makers' hi-def sets were given a huge boost because of the pervasive use of LED lighting (previously used to illuminate only the edges of the picture). Moreover, the AUDIO is the best I've heard from any TV set (If you're "bass-challenged," buy the subwoofer). Listening to the Lincoln Center Orchestra play the music of Miles Davis (on Youtube), I could hear and notate every note from the acoustic "walking" bass without need of plugging into a high-end stereo-system. You'll notice that this is a "4 Series"--or #55S45, meaning 55-inch 4K Hi-Def Set with HDR. If you're willing to spend $50 to $250 more, you may wish to look into TCL's 5 series (55S55) or 6 series (55S65). The latter will bring you some metal to complement the plastic in the picture frames of the 4 series. And with the 6 you'll have bragging rights to more sophisticated circuitry, giving you control over, say, black levels of one small portion of the screen (great for viewers who have OCD and enjoy endless fiddling). Also, "gamers" may be willing to pay more for a TV promising faster, more efficient processors. I remember the days when we argued vehemently about the best-sounding loudspeaker. Now, all the attention is not on sound (have you heard today's, uh, music?). Confession: last year I installed a 32" TCL with Roku in our kitchen. It was so good, I couldn't wait to use my treadmill (placed directly in front of the TV) on a daily basis. Besides cable I had access to Prime Video and Netflix--all of it accessible on the TCL twice as fast as the Sony and 5 times faster than the Samsung. After duping the American public into believing that 4K was so revolutionary we all needed to trash our existing TV sets, "Consumer Reports" has become more honest and even a bit apologetic. The only difference the naked eye will see, according to the latest claim, is not in the sharpness of 1080p vs. 4K resolution, but in the quality of "depth" in the picture (the part referenced by "HDR"). Conclusion: my research and personal experience tell me that this TCL 4-Series offers a fully competitive picture at an amazing price. Moreover, in addition to two sets of legs, you will receive a full-featured remote control (including batteries!) as well as older pin plug adapters (1 video 2 stereo) and an instruction manual. All you "might" need for optimal versatility is an HDMI cable. Most consumers by now are wise enough to know that a high-priced $40 cable will not provide a picture that's 4X better. Check out the prices of Amazon cables. I purchased a 20-footer for $10, and it performs as well as a $50 cable. (It arrived a day later than the TV.) Read more
