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TCL 55" class S-series 4k und HDR LED smart tv with roku tv

“A rock-solid budget 4K TV that punches well above its price.”

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Check $346.98 on Amazon open_in_new

7.6

Inside Scoop Score

Buy · 7.6 / 10

auto_awesome INSIDE SCOOP

The Inside Scoop

THE VERDICT

The TCL 55-inch S-Series 4K Roku TV delivers a genuinely vibrant picture, an outstanding smart TV interface, and a generous port selection for well under $350 — a combination that's hard to beat at this price point. Roku's software alone is a differentiator: it's intuitive, free of mandatory subscriptions, and the phone-as-remote feature actually works. The main honest caveat is that the native refresh rate is 60Hz dressed up in marketing language, and without local dimming, dark scenes in a dim room will look flat.

Anchored by Consumer Tech Review's review

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Roku software is genuinely excellent

Roku is widely considered one of the best smart TV platforms available — intuitive channel switching, labeled HDMI inputs, no forced subscription, and a phone app that controls everything over Wi-Fi.

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Vivid, bright 4K panel

The reviewer describes the 5-Series panel as brighter and more vibrant than the competing 4-Series and considers it a step above Samsung's comparable offerings at this price point.

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Four HDMI ports plus ethernet

The TV includes four HDMI ports, a USB port, optical audio out, headphone jack, and an ethernet port — a port loadout that rivals TVs costing significantly more.

Owner Reception

Verified owner data

shopping_cart Amazon 23,500 ratings

91% loved 6% critical

Critical reviews ≈ 1,410

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Before You Buy — What Nobody Tells You

Most owners are happy — only 6% of 23,500 Amazon ratings are 1–2★. These are the specific gripes worth weighing before you buy:

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Refresh rate marketing is deliberately misleading

TCL advertises '120Hz CMI' or similar motion-processing labels, but the panel's native refresh rate is 60Hz — motion enhancement is software trickery, not real hardware frames, which matters for fast gaming or sports.

— from top reviewer (Consumer Tech Review)

lightbulb If true 120Hz is critical for gaming, budget up to a model like the QM6K which lists 120-144Hz natively.
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No local dimming means gray blacks

RTINGS found that without local dimming, blacks look gray whenever bright highlights also appear on screen, which significantly hurts contrast in dark or mixed-lighting scenes — something you won't notice on a bright store demo floor.

— from RTINGS.com editorial review

lightbulb Keep the room lights on during movies to mask the gray-black issue, or step up to a QLED/Mini-LED model for true dark-room viewing.
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Power cable is surprisingly short

The included power cable runs only about five to six feet, which can be a real constraint when positioning the TV away from an outlet or rearranging a room.

— from top reviewer (Consumer Tech Review)

lightbulb Pick up a 10- to 15-foot power extension cord before setup so you're not locked into one wall placement.

groups VERDICT

Who it's for

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Best For

Budget-conscious buyers who want a reliable, good-looking 4K TV for a living room or bedroom with normal ambient light and don't need elite dark-room contrast or true 120Hz gaming.

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Skip If

Dedicated home theater enthusiasts, serious gamers who need native 120Hz, or anyone who watches movies in a fully darkened room and cares about deep, accurate black levels.

smart_display VIDEO REVIEWS

Video reviews

9:16

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TCL 55 Inch 4k Roku TV Review

Consumer Tech Review • 131840

"Amazon Link: US: https://amzn.to/3h3h7hc CA: https://amzn.to/2UlvHH8 TCL 55 Inch 4k Roku TV Review. Today I'm doing a ..."

7:14

person

I Bought the CHEAPEST 55" TVs from Walmart!

FishBee Productions • 65568

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