

TCL's 4 Series lineup is a budget-friendly lineup whose TVs don't cost much. You can find the TCL 5 Series/S535 2020 QLED still available, which has Roku TV and better overall picture quality and better upscaling than the S546, so if you watch a lot of DVDs or cable TV, the S535 is the better choice while it's still available. Unfortunately, there are some issues with its picture quality as it has terrible out-of-the-box accuracy, resulting in a red tint that looks distracting, so if you want better picture quality, it's best to stick with the R646. It's a straightforward TV with good picture quality, and it performs well in dark and bright rooms thanks to its high contrast and high peak brightness. Although differences in the smart platform are subjective, Google tends to have a wider selection of apps available to download, so you know you won't need to use an external streaming device to watch your favorite content. Like the TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED, it's part of the 2021 lineup, and like the other models, it features Google TV instead of Roku TV. If you want to save a bit of money, TCL also has the mid-range 5 Series lineup that includes the TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED. If you still prefer Roku, the TCL 6 Series/R635 2020 QLED is still available to purchase, but its picture quality isn't as good overall as the R646. It has a huge selection of apps, so you're sure to find your favorite streaming service, and the remote has a built-in mic for voice control. Unlike past TCL TVs, it runs the Google TV smart platform, which is more polished than Roku, but some people might find it harder to use. Luckily, it's incredibly bright, so there's no need to worry about visibility, even in a bright room, and HDR content stands out and looks close to how the content creator intended. It delivers outstanding contrast for extremely deep blacks and has a decent local dimming feature, but it isn't as effective at improving the picture quality in dark scenes as TVs from other brands. The R646 is an impressive TV with a Mini LED backlight that provides a brighter picture than the lower-end TVs. Although TCL previously had an 8 Series lineup, it's no longer available, and their XL lineup that includes the TCL R745 QLED isn't any better it just has bigger TVs. It's a 2021 model from their 6 Series lineup, which is the highest-end lineup still available. The TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED is the best TCL TV we've tested.
