TCL 6-Series QLED Roku TV review

A QLED TV with Roku built-in and super low price make this a must have television.

TCL 6-Series
(Image: © TCL)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The TCL 6-Series QLED TV offers high quality visuals at a very low price making it one of the best ways to enjoy HDR and 4K video without blowing the budget.

Pros

  • +

    Roku built-in

  • +

    Wide color gamut

  • +

    Deep blacks

  • +

    4K with Dolby Vision and HDR10

Cons

  • -

    Motion could be better

  • -

    Could be brighter

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The TCL 6-Series is a QLED TV which manages to offer a picture quality that you'd expect from a television with a far higher price. Cramming in 4K, HDR and even Roku makes this a superb television for the money. Heck, it's good even if you don't take the price into account. 

The Chinese TV manufacturer has improved this 2019 model over last year by offering that enhanced QLED performance meaning better definition and color punch. if you want great audio and visual quality at a bargain price, this is the best TV to suit your needs.

TCL 6-Series TV review: Picture

  • Great color range
  • Dolby Vision and HDR10
  • Brightness limited

The TCL 6-Series comes with full-array local dimming, named Contrast Control Zone by TCL. The many zones are able to offer more accurate LED lighting controls so as to deliver punchy colors and well defined contrast. The result is noticably darker blacks which don't suffer bleed from brighter parts of the image nearby.

TCL 6-Series

(Image credit: TCL)
Tech Specs

TCL 6-Series

(Image credit: TCL)

Average price: $749.99
Sizes available: 55" and 65"
Screen type: ULED
4K ready? Yes
8K ready? No
HDR type: Dolby Vision and HDR10
Audio type: Dolby Atmos
HDMI connections: 4
Other connections: 1 x USB, 1 x Ethernet, Analog video in, Headphone out, Optical out, Tuner.

The inclusion of Dolby Vision and HDR10 mean this TV can decode both signals. However it isn't HDR10+ compliant meaning it's not totally future-proofed. That said, you'll still get Disney Plus and Netflix content as they use the former compression format. 

Both shadow detail and darker scene detailing is excellent for an LED TV. Sure, this isn't ever going to go up against an OLED screen like the LG C9, but for the price this outdoes a lot of the competition that will cost you more. Peak brightness, at over 800 nits, is also plentiful allowing this to fully utilize any HDR content you're viewing. 

Even the screen itself works better than previous years and other models with an ability to reduce reflections that were clearly apparent before. This is great if you have a light or window that normally distracts you with its reflection on the TV.

Input lag is superb, making this great for gamers, with just 11ms for 1080p content. Video processing works well for most motion but there are modes like Action Smoothing and LED Motion Clarity which you can use too if you want a specific result for a certain type of content.

TCL 6-Series TV review: Sound

  • Dolby Atmos
  • Dual 8W speakers

Audio is rarely something to get excited about on modern slim televisions and this TCL model is no exception. You can use the built-in speakers just fine but adding a soundbar or surround sound system is advisable. 

TCL 6-Series

(Image credit: TCL)

Yes the TV does have Dolby Atmos support and can create a virtual surround sound experience using the advanced data it can interpret from the feed. But there's only so much you can do with a pair of 8W speakers. The result is that while voices are pretty clear, even when loud, you won't be that immersed in movies as there just isn't enough bass power.

Of course having that Dolby Atmos support means you can attach a compatible speaker system and enjoy totally immersive surround sound right there from your TV's audio output.

TCL 6-Series TV review: Design and build

  • Roku onboard
  • Brushed metal finish
  • Gunmetal feet

The TCL 6-Series looks great, there's no denying that, with its brushed metal sides and super slender bezel finish. Even the V-shaped gunmetal feet add to the quality of this TV's look.

TCL 6-Series

(Image credit: TCL)

Dive into the systems and you find the real treat in the form of that Roku TV onboard. That means all the Roku apps with its easy and intuitive menus to make using your TV, for streaming content, a breeze. It also means lots of updates to help future-proof your set. Plus you can use voice controls to navigate even faster using the included microphone toting remote control. 

Round the back you have plenty of connectivity with HDMI, USB, Ethernet, composite video in, optical out and antenna/cable connectors all easily accessible. 

Should you buy the TCL 6-Series?

The TCL 6-Series is a way to get you a relatively affordable big screen TV that offers 4K and Dolby Vision HDR with the build quality of QLED full-array dimming to really show the difference in picture quality. The Roku TV onboard and Dolby Atmos support are super useful additions that make this a great deal.

Some may want a better OS, like Google TV, found on the Hisense models that are competitively priced. But for all out picture quality at this price, this is the TV to go for.

Other TV reviews: Samsung Q90R review | LG C9 OLED review | Vizio M-Series Quantum review | Samsung Q950TS 8K TV review | Sony A9G OLED review | Hisense H9G ULED TV

Luke Edwards

Luke is a veteran tech journalist with decades of experience covering everything from TVs, power tools, science and health tech to VPNs, space, gaming and cars. You may recognize him from appearances on plenty of news channels or have read his words which have been published in most tech titles over the years. In his spare time (of which he has little as a father of two) Luke likes yoga, surfing, meditation, DIY and consuming all the books, comics and movies he can find.