The TCL 5 Series – Is it Worth the Price?

The TCL 5 Series delivers a smooth 4K HDR 60Hz experience. We’ve tested the television with Destiny 2, Apex Legends, and Metro: Exodus Complete. As for gaming, it’s a good choice for those who like to spend lots of time playing games. The TCL 5-Series offers an impressive gaming experience with great viewing angles. We also tested it with Metro: Exodus Complete and A Plague Tale: Innocence.

Poor viewing angles

The TCL 5-Series features a semi-gloss screen finish. While not the best choice for an HDTV, this coating gets the job done. It is partially reflective, which is acceptable in most conditions, but it still shows light in a moderately lit room. That’s a problem in a gaming environment, and it’s likely that you’ll have to reposition the screen during gameplay to avoid it.

Lacks full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs

The TCL 5-Series television has plenty of features but is not quite perfect. Despite its price tag, it lacks full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs. While the TCL 5-Series has received several updates in recent months, the latest security update was released in January 2022. This issue is now resolved in the TCL 5-Series. If you’re on the fence about buying this television, read on to learn more about this television and whether it’s worth the price.

Slow TV interface

The TCL TV offers excellent 4K HDR 60Hz picture quality. We tested the television’s performance by playing Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and Metro: Exodus Complete. While the television’s picture quality is superior, the interface is quite slow. In fact, the TV remained black after the game was finished. We also found the TV interface to be too slow, and the TV was not responsive at all.

Lack of a built-in microphone

The TCL 5-Series is a 55-inch 4K HDR smart TV that comes with a remote control. The remote doesn’t have a microphone, but it is voice-activated through the Roku app. It has basic voice assistant features, but not as advanced as other TVs from other manufacturers. The TCL remote does support Google Assistant, but it doesn’t integrate Amazon Alexa.

60 Hz refresh rate

The 60 Hz refresh rate of the TCL 5-Series helps reduce on-screen artifacts. The variable refresh rate is less important on 60 Hz TVs than on 120 Hz televisions. The lack of full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs is another downside, though it may not be an issue for 60 Hz TVs. And the lack of a full-range audio output means that you can’t enjoy stereo sound through this TV.

Dolby Vision support

The Dolby Vision HDR standard delivers 40 times more brightness than standard smart TV and brings a new level of realism and precision to your viewing experience. The new standard unlocks more hues across the entire brightness spectrum, delivering rich and detailed colors and patterns. TCL TVs support Dolby Vision, delivering the best possible picture quality for your viewing pleasure. Its features are also compatible with a variety of sources, including streaming services, game consoles, and UHD blu-ray disc players.

Lack of FreeSync

The AiPQ Engine processor on TCL 5 Series models does a good job of rendering images but it’s not as fast as other modern TVs. TCL recently announced that it will be adding AiPQ Engine Gen 2 processors to future models of the 5 Series. The TVs have good response times but are slower than rivals with FreeSync, which leads to noticeable short blur trails in movies.