TCL 55S517 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV 2018 Model

This Roku TV is probably one of my better purchases made on Amazon ever. It is a fantastic television that is quite thin, not heavy, and comes in with crisp and clear picture on a large 65 inch screen. The resolution is up to 4k, and the built in Roku system is unmatched in terms of ease of use and a user friendly tile interface. Even small children figure it out without issue. The functionality is incredible and it’s quite simply to cast to the TV as well using AirPlay if you have an iPhone. Another fun bonus is that you can download the remote app for Roku and control the TV from your phone, or use that to privately listen to the TV from your headphones if you want to watch something while someone nearby is busy studying or sleeping, etc. It’s without a doubt the best television I have ever owned, and delivers incredible results at this price point. Read more

Let me start of by saying my living room TV is an LG OLED and it looks great. The blacks are really black and the colors really pop. I wanted a smaller TV for another one and got this TCL after reading several reviews from home theater magazines and websites. Is the black level as good as an OLED, no. However, it has a brighter and sharper picture. This is especially important in rooms that don't get real dark. But the best thing about the TCL is how easy it is to use. The build in Roku is the better than any Roku out there. (I have a Roku Ultra 4k on my LG.) There is an "instant on" feature (that is not on by default) that really is quick - like one second! It is by far the most user-friendly interface I've used. And you have the added benefit of only needing one remote. The remote also responds to voice commands which is especially useful for searching. That reminds me of another point. The 500 series is a huge step up from the 400 series and definitely worth the money. All the TCL models you see in Wal-mart and Costco are the cheaper ones and you want to skip those. I have a 43" and 49", both of which are 500 series. If you're going bigger, there is a 600 series TCL that is even better. To summarize, you can't go wrong with this TV. It has an excellent picture and is very easy to use. Don't get the cheaper 400 series model. The extra cost for the premium model is worth it. In my opinion, this is the best value in a 4k smart TV. Read more

I bought the 55” version to replace my very old 55” 1080 Visio. Pros: It looks amazing. The screen, for the price, is the best you can buy. The picture is really sharp compared to my 1080 Visio model. I didn’t think I would notice a big difference but I really did, the TV is beautiful. This has a built in Roku player in the TV and it’s so good that I gave away my 3 month old 4K $80 Roku to my parents. The TV interface is easy to use (think generic Roku menu) and your externals like a ps4 and Blu-ray player are right on the menu like every other app on a Roku. You don’t have to use the input button to switch between your ps4, Blu-ray player, or Netflix or Hulu. When I turn on my PS4 while watching tv I get a 5 second count down before it automatically switches to the PS4 (you can cancel easily cancel this.) Cons: Let’s adress the screen brightness as it’s an issue that could bother some. The screen is bright enough for me, in a darkish room its great. Sometimes when the sun is coming in the windows I wish the TV was brighter but it is by no means unwatchable and then I close the Curran’s. You will notice your true blacks white out on the screeen occasionally which is what you get with any low end TV. The remote does not have a headphone jack which my other Roku has but I have wireless headphones so it’s not a big deal. I don’t really care about these cons, this is what I can afford and I’m very happy to have it. I recommend this TV to people I know and would buy it again. *I didn’t test the speakers, I have external ones. I would expect them to be bad so buy a sound bar or something else. Read more

[Updated May 18, 2018] Awesome Roku operating system. The picture is very good but took forever to get the picture just the way I wanted it. If you get the skin tones the way you want it, then some reds are off. If you get the reds good, then the greens are off, and so on...... So unless you spend a lot of time working on the settings, you will have a compromise. I spent the time and the picture looks very good now. You also need to configure the picture for each input source, which means you are going to spend the better part of a day to get everything perfect - or at least perfect for now. Time will tell. In comparison to my Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA, which is now about 3yrs old, the Samsung has a better picture right out of the box and no matter how hard you try, you cannot get the TCL to look as good. It is worth noting that the 3yr old Samsung still costs twice as much new if you can find it. Overall, you can't beat the value of the TCL 517. I paid with my Amazon Prime Visa, which got me 5% back and the 4yr warranty was under $25. I don't normally buy extended warranties, but for $25, why not. [Original Review] Just got the system hooked up, after five trips to the store to find a mount that would work. It's not as easy as just finding a VESA 200 x 200 mount. The bottom holes for the mount are about one inch above an extended portion of the tv housing, which means that 90% of the mounts will not work with vertical brackets mounting directly to the TV. I purchased 5 mounts and spent two days trying different types of mounts. I've concluded that the only mounts that will work, are those that have the brackets that mount directly to the tv horizontally. Only a set VESA 200x200 will work with vertical brackets. Additionally, even with the horizontal brackets, spacers are needed for both the bottom and top holes. Keep in mind that this also means that you cannot mount with a low profile mount, as the additional spacers are needed. I got a mount that works great, but paid much more than I should have and ended up getting full motion mount instead of a flat mount. Just to put this into perspective, I have wall mounted a half-dozen TV's in the past and this was by far the most difficult TV to find a mount for. That's saying a lot since the TV really doesn't weigh much and doesn't require a heavy duty mount. I will update with picture and feature reviews later. I want to give myself some time to play with the settings. Read more