How Roku And Android Television Work
These TVs use Roku or Android as their smart platform.
Roku TV has a simple interface. It is frequently updated so new services and apps are available. A Roku account is free. The service database includes popular apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Apple TV.
Android TV is also popular. A few options by TCL offer it. It communicates with a range of devices, like tablets and smartphones. Like Roku, it offers a vast catalogue of apps and services. This catalog is regularly updated. As it is a Google product, voice control through Google Assistant is available.
Some users feel the interface is more complicated than it needs to be. Also, the ads and sponsored content cant be avoided.
Tcl With Roku: A Big Bright Cheap Smart TV With A Nearly Perfect Ui
If Apple were ever to sell an actual TV set, it could take some real lessons from the user experience on this inexpensive big box store TV.
| Topic: Innovation
I just moved into a new house. Until the movers arrive sometime next month, I don’t have most of my helpful work gear.
I traveled with my MacBook Pro. The day after we got the keys to the house, I ordered the all-important La-Z-Boy couch. I also bought a smart TV from Costco. To do my presentations, I need more than one screen. Ideally, I need one screen with a lot of real estate, and a couple of side screens for data and open web pages.
Since all that is coming on the moving truck, I decided to make do with an inexpensive Costco TV that could do double duty as my main monitor and allow me to watch Star Trek: Discovery from the comfort of the couch.
First, the specs. This is a 49-inch TCL 49S403 TV. It’s UHD and 4K and costs $349 at the local Costco. Here’s the kicker: the UI is provided by Roku.
TCL isn’t exactly a well-known brand, but the Chinese manufacturer is actually the third largest TV producer in the world. Some of you may know it by one brand name it sells under in the US: RCA. Yep, if you buy an RCA TV , you’re probably buying it from TCL.
Once you’ve turned on the TV, you’re completely in the Roku interface. There isn’t any other TV-like interface. This was like a breath of fresh air. All the TV-specific settings were merely extensions of the regular Roku interface.
Should You Buy A Tcl TV Our Verdict On Tcl Roku TVs And More
TCL has built a reputation for making an abundance of affordable TVs. In 2017, the Chinese brand became the third-biggest brand in North America, and its LCD TV sales are, according to the company, growing rapidly year-on-year as they become increasingly available in the UK and other European countries.
TCL TVs might be cheap compared to those offered by the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG, it’s no wonder people are tempted, but they don’t scrimp on premium features you’ll see a few models with Dolby Vision HDR support, for example, and the company has recently thrown itself into the more premium QLED TV market.
But are TCL TVs any good? And should you buy one if you spot a good deal? While we haven’t had the pleasure of these TCL TVs in our test rooms, we’ve run the rule over their spec sheets and found the best deals…
Short answer: If your priority is screen size and pixels-per-pound, these TCL TVs are certainly worth considering – especially if you don’t own a video streamer and want a TV with a fair share of smart apps built into it, which is exactly what Freeview Play and Roku TV offer .
Features: tick. But what about picture quality? As these TCL TVs are new to the UK market, we haven’t gone twelve rounds with any. However, if their specs, and our experience of cheap 4K TVs are anything to go by, we’d temper expectations when it comes to ultimate 4K HDR performance.
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Compared To Other Brands
- Inexpensive.TCL is one of the cheapest brands on the market, and their TVs offer great value for their cost.
- Great smart OS.Most TCL smart TVs use Roku TV. Roku is intuitive, snappy, fully-featured, and has an incredible selection of apps.
- Not very bright.Aside from the premium models, most of the TCL TVs we’ve tested have low brightness measurements.
- Limited on gaming features.TCL has yet to offer high-end gaming features on most models. They started adding some in 2020, but it’s still not a lot.
Tcl TV Black Friday Deals
Black Friday deals are already here, bringing the best TV prices of the year. With major discounts from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, you can score the top TCL models for a bargain today, with new sales coming in the following weeks. Be sure to check out our Black Friday TV deals page for all the latest sales to make sure you get a great TV in time for the holiday season.
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Where Are Components Made For Tcl TVs
TCL produces all components for TVs in its factories. Screens are manufactured in China at the factory of China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. This company is part of TCL and produces screens for telephones and televisions. Production backwaters are located in Wuhan and Shenzhen. Boards and TV cases are also made in China.
Tcl Roku TV Overheating
I have seen topics for Roku devices and sticks overheating, but none for a TV itself. We have had this issue twice when watching a video that it says it’s overheating. I can’t figure out why it is and it doesn’t even feel hot when we receive the warning. Any ideas what might be going on?
Thanks for letting us know about the issue you’re experiencing.
Does the issue only occur on a specific channel or across other channels installed on your Roku TV? If the overheating message pops up regardless of the channel you are accessing, we would recommend reaching out directly to TCL support to report the issue and for further help. Each Roku TV manufacturer provides direct support for their products running the Roku OS.
You can contact them here: or at 1-877-300-8837.
Please keep us posted!
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How To Choose The Best Tcl TV For You
When it comes to TCL TVs, shoppers can feel safe buying any of the TCL TVs on the market. Though relatively new in the North American TV market, TCL has earned a reputation for offering high-quality TVs that punch above their weight in terms of picture quality, features and affordability.
But the different models in the TCL lineup are also clearly differentiated with specific features and capabilities that make it easy to see not only what makes one better than another, but also how those differences factor into the price-to-value ratio that each set offers.
The TCL 4-Series Roku TV and Android TV models offer entry level prices for a basic 4K HDR Smart TV, with 60 Hz LCD panels and a trio of HDMI ports.
The TCL 5-Series steps up in quality with the addition of QLED for better brightness and color, local dimming for improved HDR performance and 4 HDMI ports. It also adds Dolby Vision HDR support.
The TCL 6-Series is the best of the bunch, with the combination of QLED and mini-LED. The 4K display has a refresh rate of 120 hz, and rich support for features like THX Game Mode, Dolby vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. Of the TVs on this list, it is the most expensive, but still offers great affordability compared to sets with similar features and quality.
If you’re still trying to narrow down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.
Are Tcl TVs Good For Gaming
For the most part, you can use TCL TVs for video games.
But the overall performance lies in the kind of games you play.
- Graphic-intensive games are not recommended with TCL, as most models only have a 60 Hz refresh rate.
- Input lag is average, with flagship models having better performance.
For more information, check out our article Are TCL TVs Good For Gaming?.
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How To Factory Reset Your Roku
A factory reset is a thermonuclear option for fixing problems. As the name suggests, it returns your Roku to the same state it was in when you pulled it out of the box. This means that all of your settings including downloaded channels and network preferences will be wiped out. As such, we suggest keeping this one in your back pocket for when everything else fails.
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
- Scroll up or down and select Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Factory reset.
- Select Factory reset everything and then follow the on-screen instructions.
The above steps assume your Roku is still responsive and gives you the option of using the on-screen menus. If it doesnt, switch to plan B by using the physical reset button on your device.
On some Roku products, like the Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick+, the reset button can be pushed with your finger. On set-top devices like the Roku Ultra, its usually a recessed button that requires a paperclip or other small, pointed object to press.
Once youve found it, make sure your Roku device is powered on, then press and hold the reset button firmly for about 10 seconds. The indicator light will blink rapidly on most Roku devices when the factory reset is complete.
Who Makes Tcl TVs Is Tcl A Good Brand
TCL is still one of the bestselling TV brands, even with the budget TV market saturation. The company has successfully balanced the picture quality with pricing and therefore attracting more customers across the world.
Due to unprecedented pricing and improved technology, the question of who makes TCL TVs is often a focus of discussion when comparing their expensive TVs with those from other global companies.
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The Best Roku TVs In 2021
ByBrian Westover02 September 2021
The best Roku TVs combine great smart TV features with value prices, but not all Roku TVs are created equal
The best Roku TVs prove that one of the best names in smart TVs isn’t a TV maker at all. With a superb blend of smart features and apps, it offers a smart TV experience that matches some premium sets. But for all their functionality, Roku TVs are some of the most affordable smart TVs around, and among the best values of any 4K TVs you can buy.
So what are the best Roku TVs? Of all the models we’ve reviewed, including Roku TVs from TCL, Hisense and the Walmart store brand Onn, there are plenty to choose from. Here are the best Roku TVs we’ve reviewed.
- Save with the best cheap TV deals
Re: Tcl Roku TV Overheating
My TCL TV just started displaying that same phrase tonight. Weve had the TV for close to 5 months and this is the first time weve seen this. We have another TCL TV in our bedroom and have never seen it on that TV and it gets morning sun on it. The other is hanging in our living room and gets no outside light on it.
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Whats The First Thing That Breaks In A TV
The first thing that usually breaks in any TV, regardless of brand, is the backlight.
- The backlights of a TV burn out over time as they illuminate the screen.
- Like lightbulbs, these panels heat up, which causes deterioration as time passes by.
That is why it is important to set the brightness at a level thats enough to remove glare and reflection on the screen, but not so high that you burn through your backlights too quickly.
Is Tcl More Superior To Samsung
TCL TVs offer more value than Samsungs prices. TCL TVs are cheaper than Samsung sets in three areas: lower refresh rate, inconsistent color accuracy, and local dimming.
As you get to the newer models, the differences between the brands blur.
Why is TCL so affordable compared to Samsung? TCL has complete control over manufacturing and design. TCL reduces production costs by removing the need for additional players in the manufacturing process.
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Turn The TV Off When Not In Use
When you use your TV, you are slowly degrading its components, which is why you need to turn off the TV when not in use.
- While turning off the TV does not totally stop degradation, you get to slow down the process and get more hours from crucial components.
- Such components, like the backlight, burn out over time with use. Turning off the TV when not in use preserves the backlights lifespan.
- Many TV has timers that let you turn off the TV after a set period, and these can help you efficiently manage power consumption.
- You may also take advantage of smart home systems to turn off the TV.
An added benefit of turning off the TV? You save more from your electricity bill!
Where Are Tcl TVs Made
In the TV market, TCL offers quite a few TV models. TCL is a Chinese company specializing in the production of electronics. Using an aggressive pricing policy, it offers televisions with large screens, but at an affordable price. Applying new technologies in TVs, for example, TCL is releasing a TV model with a QLED screen in 2019, buying screens from Samsung. TCL has become a leader in the number of televisions produced and produces about 30 million televisions a year. Some televisions are assembled by other brands under an outsourcing scheme.
TCL televisions are manufactured by TCL Corporation of China, TCL has a full production cycle of televisions, from the electrical boards to the screens. Production plants are located in China, Poland, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Brazil, Mexico.
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Its A Tcl Inside & Out
TCL is vertically integrated, which means we make our own components and control the entire production process. What does this mean to you? Being able to manufacture the most expensive parts of a product ourselves allows us to pass savings on to you. So, with TCL youll enjoy more quality, more technology, and more value.
$30 BILLION INVESTED
TCL has invested over $30 billion in state-of-the-art facilities where we create innovative display technologies and develop new production techniques for phones and TVs.
TCL IS B.I.G.
TCL owns the largest major appliance factory in the world. Plus, being one of the top TV brands in the world also requires mighty manufacturing facilities. Our latest panel factory measures 11,129,882 ft². That’s nearly 260 acres!
BUILT TO PERFORM
We mold our own cabinets, produce our own boards, and even our speaker drivers are made by TCL, all to ensure consistent performance and quality.
BEYOND ENTERTAINING
Last year, TCL produced over 40 million phones, nearly 10 million air conditioners, and more than 30 million TVs globally. That scale helps grow TCL’s importance as a major tech supplier.
The Best Roku TVs For 2021
If youre in the market for a new TV, youve probably already had to deal with trying to sort through all the smart TVs as well as the streaming media options available. Theres no shortage of different ways to watch the content you want, but not all of them are equal.
Its not surprising if you prefer Roku, an old and generally respected name for managing your TV content. However, there are still plenty of different kinds of TVs within the Roku brand to consider such as the TCL 6-Series since it has the best picture quality.
If youre looking for a sale, take a look at some of the best TV deals and Roku deals.
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Put Enough Space For Ventilation
Electronic devices emit heat with use, especially during prolonged periods.
- That is why your TV needs to have sufficient space to let air circulate.
- The back of the TV needs at least two inches of space, and the sides need at least four inches of space for air to circulate.
- For those who plan to use a cabinet for the TV, there should be more spaces around the TV for air circulation. It also helps to have cooling fans inside to improve heat dissipation.
Sound And Picture Quality
Although sound and picture quality differs from one model to another, all TCL TVs have better sound and picture integration.
The screens vibrancy is unmatched, especially compared with other budget-friendly options. However, you should not expect the same quality as Samsungs latest models.
Also, the TCL sets are synonymous with good-sounding speakers. If you are into gaming, you may need to invest in better headphones or external speakers for a better experience.
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What Are The Best Roku TVs
Without a doubt, when it comes to Roku TVs, the best and most prominent models are those made by TCL. The manufacturer’s close partnership with Roku means that TCL models represent the top Roku TVs on the market.
The TCL 6-Series Roku TV R635 is one of the best TVs we’ve reviewed, period. It combines quantum-dot displays with mini-LED backlight to offer a level of quality that goes toe-to-toe with more expensive big-name brands and wins.
The TCL 5-Series Roku TV S535 may not reach the same heights as the slightly more expensive 6-Series, but it shows that Roku software can still power a great TV experience regardless of the feature set, with the TCL 5-Series offering one of the best quantum dot-enhanced budget TVs on the market.
We also really loved the Hisense R8F Roku TV. With the 65-inch model selling for less than $700, the Hisense R8F is a better-than-average mid-range TV, and the Roku operating system had plenty of smart features and services to the mix.