TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review

Our Verdict

The TCL 4-Serial demonstrates that 4K is mainstream now, with respectable picture quality and the very convenient Roku Tv set smart interface.

For

Excellent value-priced 4K
Expert colour fidelity
Solid Roku skills

Against

No Dolby Vision support
Minimal sound adjustments
Picture adjustments are difficult to find

Tom'south Guide Verdict

The TCL 4-Series demonstrates that 4K is mainstream now, with respectable picture show quality and the very convenient Roku TV smart interface.

Pros

+
Excellent value-priced 4K
+
Expert color fidelity
+
Solid Roku skills

Cons

-
No Dolby Vision support
-
Minimal audio adjustments
-
Motion picture adjustments are hard to discover

TCL 4-Series Roku Tv (43S435): Specs

Price: $289
Model number: 43S435
Screen size: 43 inches
Resolution: 3840 10 2160
HDR: HDR10, and HLG
Refresh rate: 60 Hz
Ports: iii HDMI 2.1 (1 ARC); i USB; 1 headphone jack; i composite; RF; digital sound; Ethernet
Audio: 8 watts by viii watts, Dolby Digital Plus
Smart TV software: Roku Television receiver
Size: 38.two ten 22.3 10 iii.iii inches [w/o stand up]
Weight: 15.4 pounds [w/o stand up]; 15.vi pounds [w. stand up]

Not everyone can be the all-time Idiot box and the brightest screen, and that's okay. Sometimes information technology's actually merely as important to deliver respectable performance at an affordable toll. That's the sweet spot for TCL'south 4-Series sets.

The TCL four-Series Roku TV (S435) cements 4K resolution with HDR (high dynamic range) back up as de rigueur today, with this 43-inch LCD model for less than $300. It'southward also a smart TV and able to handle most streaming and online entertainment sources thanks to the inclusion of the Roku TV software. Information technology makes for a full-featured little package that's unproblematic to utilize and that surprisingly only makes a few compromises in eliminating a scattering of loftier-end features.

TCL 4-Series Roku Tv set (S435) review: Pricing and availability

Available at present, TCL unflinchingly offers more options in the four-Series line than you can milkshake a remote at. Sets in the 4-Serial are available in sizes from the 43-inch model we tested all the way up to 85 inches. List pricing starts at $289.99 for the 43-inch prepare and goes all the fashion upward to $1,599.99 for the large 85-incher.

43-inch (model 43S435) - $289.99
50-inch (model 50S435) - $349.99
55-inch (model 55S435) - $399.99
65-inch (model 65S435) - $529.99
75-inch (model 75S435) - $799.99
85-inch (model 85S435) - $1,599.99

The company too offers the 4-Serial in two different smart Television set flavors, Roku Idiot box or Android Goggle box. Our review focuses on the Roku version, indicated by the S435 model number. Android-equipped sets are distinguished by the S434 model number, but the hardware used on both versions of the 4-Series is identical. (To be off-white, though, in that location is no 85-inch Android Goggle box model.) However, because our reviews look at both hardware performance and user feel, which can exist profoundly influenced by software and app choice, nosotros won't be discussing the Android TV models at length in this review.

That said, beyond both the TCL 4-Serial Roku TV (S435) and Android Idiot box (S434) models, nosotros wait to meet the same level of performance on all models. From port selection to features like HDR support and display engineering science, our recommendations should carry over from one model to the next.

Out of vi different TV model families, the TCL 4-Series is the company'southward entry-level 4K line. There is i model family unit below it, the 3-Series, but it doesn't support 4K and starts with a 32-inch 720p set up for but $159. If you're considering going in the other direction and looking at an upgrade over the 4-Series, the TCL 5-Series Roku Goggle box (S535) includes features that are lacking in the 4-Series, such as a quantum dot display and Dolby Vision back up for just a flake more.

TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review: Blueprint

Dressed in basic black, the TCL four-Series follows what has become a standard pattern with splayed legs on either terminate to support information technology on a tabletop. The 5-shaped legs are steady enough, but it doesn't take much to back up a prepare that weighs less than 16 pounds. If you'd prefer a wall mount for this fix, you should purchase a standard VESA 200 x 200 millimeter bracket, which tin can exist plant on our list of the best Television mounts.

Effectually the motion-picture show is what we consider to be an average-sized bezel. It's almost half an inch thick on the pinnacle and sides, and slightly wider forth the bottom. The bezel doesn't detract from the picture, although the TCL badging on the bottom of the frame is a little distracting given the size of this set up. And as with nearly LCD sets, while the display itself is thin, the supporting electronics, connections, and rear mounted speakers make information technology thicker, bringing it to almost three.5 inches at its widest point.

TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review: Ports

If y'all're putting this 43-inch set into a bedroom or home office, you'll find it has all the needed connections to brand it work. On the left back side is the lone power plug, with all the source connections on the contrary right side.

There are 3 HDMI 2.1 ports with one offering ARC (audio return aqueduct) support for sound confined. Also here is a USB port, a headphone jack, composite video plugs, digital audio output, an RF coaxial port, and an Ethernet port. Virtually people will use the congenital-in Wi-Fi 802.11ac with dual band support to make the necessary Internet connection.

TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review: Performance

The TCL 4-Serial set up doesn't deviate from the Roku setup script. Enter your language, location and wireless network essentials, and you lot're skilful to become. It didn't automatically recognize components we connected to it, but it has a long list of options to choose from. In motion picture settings, at that place are 5 preset modes: Brighter, Bright, Normal, Dark, and Darker. (There's no Filmmaker Mode support, which we more often than not prefer.)

However, if y'all get into private input settings yous tin make farther adjustments the backlight, contrast and color temperature. For further tweaks, such as racket reduction and gamma adjustment, you can apply the Roku app on a smart phone. In our own viewing tests, we determined that Normal rendered the most authentic motion-picture show for most textile.

Nevertheless, the TCL iv-Series did a respectable chore displaying about of the programming we threw at it. For "Those Who Wish Me Dead" in 4K we establish Angelina Jolie as compelling as ever and colors in the thriller were rendered adequately accurately throughout. The opening raging forest fire was vivid without excessive haloing around the flames. On the other hand, the green palm fronds in Florida looked appropriately verdant and bright isolated elements, like a fake golden badge, glinted clearly without a loss of focus. In a kitchen scene, the reflections and smoothen off a toaster looked crisp while yellowish bananas next to oranges in a fruit bowl produced realistic hues.

The TCL iv-Series does not accept active localized dimming, which is arguably unnecessary in a 43-inch set. Be that equally it may, in our go-to shady scenes from the Mandalorian in 4K we didn't detect any overt difficulties with contrast. About of the shadings were expert, with conflicting lizards clearly visible scurrying around within a dim cave. In Chapter 2: The Child, at that place also wasn't any really noticeable banding in color transitions, like what you lot might see in challenging scenes showing the heaven at dusk.

If you lot're looking for a filmic quality, the TCL 4-Series also did well enough with visuals like those in Uncut Gems. Gold and bluish tones jumped out without being overbearing, and a jewel-encrusted Furby was appropriately scintillating and garrish at the aforementioned time.

Without more sophisticated dimming engineering science, the black bands of letterboxing did not look every bit inky dark as they can be on more expensive sets, but we didn't detect this excessively distracting. Screen uniformity was skilful and while off-centrality viewing was less so, it should be much less of an issue with a set this size where you're more likely to be sitting up shut.

TCL 4-Serial Roku Tv set (S435) review: Test Results

Near 4K sets are able to reproduce nigh of the standard Rec 709 color spectrum and the TCL 4-Series was no exception. It was able to display 99.55% of the standard full color gamut, which is inside a few tenths of a percent of about 4K models, including those like the 43-inch Insignia 4K Ultra HD Burn TV Edition (99.45%) and the 99.92% of the Vizio K-Series Quantum (M658-G1). Furthermore, the TCL 4-Series produced better overall color than the straight competitor from Vizio, the l-inch V-Series (97.59%) which was about 2 per centum dorsum from the TCL prepare.

The range of colors one tin produce is disquisitional to picture quality just color allegiance is just every bit important. The TCL 4-Series did a respectable job in this regard with Delta Eastward event of 2.eight. Although lower numbers mean amend colour accuracy–and we like to see Delta E numbers around 2.2 or lower–the TCL results actually bested the comparable same Insignia prepare (3.6) and the Vizio M-Serial Quantum (3.1).

The one performance weakness was in terms of brightness. With a ten pct pattern, the TCL four-Series hit roughly 292 nits. That is non terrible for a bargain-priced Goggle box but information technology is considerably less brilliant than many sets, which typically top over 600 nits.

Gamers, on the other hand, may want to consider this model for a number of reasons, non the least of which is its splendid responsiveness. In our tests, its lag times were 14.1ms, well below our 17 ms threshold for solid gaming. That'due south also comparable to the Vizio 5-Series 50-inch (V505-H9) which turned in 13.1 ms in our tests, and it was much better than laggards similar the inexpensive Insignia Amazon Burn down TV (NS-43DF710NA19), which turned in a very slow 38.8 ms.

TCL four-Serial Roku Tv set (S435) review: Audio

To exist honest, we didn't expect much from the sound on this prepare. It'southward size and cost forestall any expensive internal speakers, and the TCL 4-Series doesn't back up formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. But in many movies, we found the audio capabilities were proficient enough. The opening parachute scene of Those Who Wish Me Dead was still impressive with its blitz of air and roaring brush fire.

Of course, the gear up's sonic skills are limited. On a music video, like the 4K version of Aha'due south Accept On Me, the drum beats audio hollow and the keyboards lack a certain brightness. Midrange bass tracks sound fine, but there's a decided lack of dynamic range and those famous high notes of Morten Harket never quite accomplish the peak.

Still, this set tin can make lots of noise. We put information technology upward to 90 percent of its stated volume and plant it could fill up a very large living room. Songs, similar Steely Dan'southward Deacon Dejection, are still missing the bottom cease and the drums sound like they have plastic skins, merely there's surprisingly petty baloney. One time once more, y'all cannot make adjustments to the sound profile of the TCL 4-Series, and at that place are no congenital-in DSP-created sound effects available.

TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review: Smart Boob tube features

Roku's interface hasn't changed much over the years and you lot won't find anything new here. For most people, that'due south a good thing. Click on the left side of the screen and all your favorite channels (and thousands of not so favorite channels) appear on the correct in clearly legible square icons. True, Roku has of late been running into more disputes with content providers, which threatens to disrupt its universal appeal. Roku still hasn't reached an agreement with cable company Spectrum, for example, and it'southward recently been squabbling with Google over that company's demands for its YouTube Idiot box (which should non be confused with the more pop YouTube app). All the same, Roku remains the streaming interface to beat.

Viewers should also recognize, though, that while the like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use Roku software is certainly beauteous, what you gain in simplicity, you lot lose in terms of flexibility. As previously mentioned, there aren't any options for tweaking the picture or sound quality. That tin be frustrating.

TCL iv-Series Roku Telly (S435) review: Remote command

The 4-Serial comes with the basic Roku remote control. There's the four-way directional pad with an entry "Ok" button in the center. There are besides defended buttons for Netflix, Sling, Disney+ and Hulu. Volume controls are on the correct side along with a mute button.

At that place is no microphone congenital into the remote, yet TCL touts voice command for the 4-Serial. The only way to make this work, withal, is to use the associated Roku app for smartphones, or replace the included remote with the microphone-enabled Roku Voice remote. Alternatively, you can use a Google Banana enabled or Alexa enabled smart device and download the TCL skills for it. It'south a workaround for people who can't live with phonation command, but not nearly as like shooting fish in a barrel to apply as when these services are built into the TV.

TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review: Verdict

A fine gear up for a secondary TV or for apply in a dorm room this autumn, the TCL 4-Series Roku Goggle box (S435) is a capable model that can handle 4K streaming content hands. Information technology delivers a decent picture for the price, while eliminating features that many owners would probably find superfluous anyway.

It likewise compares well against similarly priced sets from the likes of the 43-inch Insignia Amazon Fire TV and the Vizio l-inch V-Series sets we've tested. In fact, to help you make your choice we've pitched it caput-to-head with the Vizio in this TCL 4-Series vs. Vizio V-Serial face-off.

If you want an even better and larger movie for merely a little more money, consider the 50-inch version of the TCL 5-Series Roku Tv (S535), which is about $40 more.

See where else the TCL 4-Serial Roku TV (S435) is mentioned:

John R. Quain has been reviewing and testing video and audio equipment for more than than xx years. For Tom's Guide, he has reviewed televisions, HDTV antennas, electric bikes, electric cars, also as other outdoor equipment. He is currently a correspondent to The New York Times and the CBS News television program.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/tcl-4-series-roku-tv-43S435

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