Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis thing blew my mind
Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2024
I bought this TV for my parents because I was visiting for the holidays. I’m a “techy” person and this TV is nothing short of phenomenal.
Display: this tv looks better than absolutely everything in its price range. With Dolby vision/HDR10+ and 120Hz refresh rate, this tv actually LOOKS better than anything I’ve seen in this range. Dimming zones are well done and while there is occasional light bleed, and the blacks aren’t “OLED black”, this tv is able to show HDR content wonderfully. I have read that SDR content is not as great but I did not test that much. Other reviewers have commented that sports don’t look great on it but I compared it with an LG C3 side by side and it looked great. Ended up returning the C3 because the improvements were so marginal for such a huge jump in price. This TV was put in a sunny room so I think QLED was a better fit over OLED. This TV can also be VERY bright if you need.
Sound: despite what anyone says, TV speakers are never great. They’re passable, but literally any $150+ soundbar + sub will vastly improve your experience. I will say, this is the first tv that made me actively go “okay, I didn’t even realize picture can look this good, I wonder how amazing I can get everything to sound.” Which led me down the whole home theatre rabbit hole.
Software: this thing is a powerhouse when it comes to operating system. Let me explain setup:
1) plug in
2) connect to internet via wifi or Ethernet
3) done
You don’t need to plug in a firestick or Apple TV, the build in OS is so fast and can process incredibly high quality (90+gb) content without stuttering. Google TV is a wonderful OS that is (in my opinion) leagues above what Apple TV offers. I actually replaced all my Apple TV’s with chromecast 4k’s when I flew back home. I imagine in a few years things will slow down but right now it was buttery smooth.
I compared to a friends brand new Sony TV in the same class ($2300+) and his was actually SLOWER. Could not figure out why but his tv had 4gb of internal storage while this TCL has 28gb. Seems excessive but everything runs so well I can’t complain.
Overall, this TV is 5 stars. At this price point ($1500), I don’t think it can be beat. They increased the price by $100 since I purchased, which I think is dumb (it's a tech is almost a year old now almost), but it’s still a great TV. Highly recommend to anyone over going for a cheaper brand name TV. The tech in this one will actually blow you away.
My biggest concern is how long the panel will last. Not because the tv gave me any reason to worry, but with any first time purchase with a brand, I’m cautiously optimistic. I will update this review if any issues arise.