After introducing mini-LED backlights on its Editors’ Selection-winning 6-Sequence Google TV from 2021, TCL is eventually bringing the similar tech to its 6-Sequence 4K Roku TV lineup. That lights device is helping the 65-inch type we evaluated ($999.99) earn supreme rankings in checking out and outclass its predecessor. The TV additionally works smartly for gaming on account of its low enter lag and give a boost to for AMD FreeSync Professional. That stated, it could actually’t somewhat fit its sibling’s colour accuracy or get as vivid because the Hisense U8H ($1,399.99 for 65 inches), our present general Editors’ Selection winner. The ones slight weaknesses apart, the 6-Sequence remains to be the most efficient set you’ll get with Roku in-built.
Editors’ Be aware: This assessment is in response to checking out carried out at the 65-inch 65R655. With the exception of the screen-size distinction, the $1,499.99 75-inch 75R655 is similar in options, and we think an identical efficiency.
A Same old, Easy Design
Contents
Consistent with most modern TVs, the TCL R655 appears to be like easy and unassuming. A slender steel band frames the display screen, whilst just a skinny gunmetal bezel defines the ground edge. The decrease bezel options the TCL emblem within the heart, in conjunction with a trapezoidal protrusion underneath that homes the infrared sensor. It isn’t a in particular narrow TV at 2.7 inches deep, however the curved plastic casing at the again guarantees that you just most likely received’t understand any chunkiness whilst you view the it from the entrance.
A flat, oblong steel base helps the TV. Two units of mounting holes let you alternate its top if had to accommodate a brief soundbar. Simply notice that the display screen sits most effective about 3 inches above your TV cupboard’s floor at its perfect atmosphere. On the other hand, you’ll mount it on a wall.
The ability cable connects to the left aspect at the again, whilst all different connections sit down at the proper. They come with 4 HDMI ports (two 144Hz, one eARC), one USB port, one Ethernet port, a three.5mm composite video enter, a three.5mm headphone jack, an optical audio output, and an antenna/cable connector.
(Photograph: Will Greenwald)
The field comprises a normal Roku TV voice faraway. It is a easy, brief black wand with rounded corners and Roku’s signature huge, crimson, plus-shaped navigation pad. House, again, and gear buttons sit down above the pad, in conjunction with a pinhole microphone. Playback controls and devoted carrier buttons for Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix are underneath the pad. The fitting edge holds a quantity rocker and a mute button. The faraway doesn’t have a headphone jack for personal listening or a mid-field microphone for controlling the TV with out fingers, however you’ll exchange it with the Roku Voice Faraway Professional if you wish to have the ones options.
Roku TV: Available, However No Assistant
The R655 makes use of the Roku TV good TV interface similar to its predecessor. It’s a easy and obtainable platform that gives get entry to to maximum primary video streaming services and products together with Amazon High Video, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube, despite the fact that Twitch stays absent. Roku TV additionally helps Apple AirPlay, which means that you’ll circulate in your display screen at once from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
You’ll seek for the rest to observe with the faraway by means of urgent the microphone button and talking into the pinhole mic. Voice instructions additionally paintings for opening apps and controlling the TV. The voice seek characteristic is speedy and helpful, but it surely doesn’t have the similar vast capability as a complete voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. In different phrases, it could actually’t regulate good house gadgets, test your agenda, or supply climate forecasts.
Top Distinction and Vast Colour
The TCL 65R655 is a 4K TV with a 120Hz refresh charge. It helps excessive dynamic vary (HDR) content material in Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log gamma (HLG). It does no longer have an ATSC 3.0 tuner.
We check TVs with a Klein Okay-80 colorimeter(Opens in a brand new window), a Murideo SIX-G sign generator(Opens in a brand new window), and Portrait Shows’ Calman device(Opens in a brand new window). Just like the TCL 6-Sequence 4K Google TV sooner than it, the brand new 6-Sequence Roku TV makes use of a mini-LED backlight device that provides a lot better distinction efficiency for HDR content material than the former 6-Sequence Roku TV (which is ready a yr older than the Google TV type).
We began our assessments with an HDR sign: In HDR Commonplace mode and with colour temperature set to Heat, the 65R655 confirmed a top brightness of 523 nits with a full-screen white subject and a miles brighter 1,297 nits with an 18% subject. Its 0.003cd/m^2 black degree leads to an incredible distinction ratio of 432,333:1. The 6-Sequence Google TV has a better distinction ratio of 594,597:1 on account of its quite decrease black degree (0.002cd/m^2), but it surely isn’t somewhat as vivid (1,189 nits). The Hisense U8H will get a lot brighter at 1,877 nits with an 18% white subject, despite the fact that its distinction ratio is quite decrease at 187,730:1. When you get into distinction ratios of six digits, on the other hand, the adaptation turns into nearly unimaginable to identify with the human eye. All 3 TVs use mini-LED backlights, however thus far most effective the way more dear Samsung QN90B ($2,599.99 for a 65-inch type) has OLED-like distinction efficiency with successfully easiest blacks. That is on account of the latter’s LED regulate and loss of any noticeable gentle bloom.
Be aware that the full-screen top brightness of the 65R655 is a little less than each the 6-Sequence Google TV (923 nits) and the U8H (842 nits), despite the fact that it’s nonetheless somewhat excellent. Oddly, in our assessments, each the HDR Vibrant and HDR Darkish modes confirmed quite upper top brightness at round 600 nits for a full-screen white subject and 1,480 nits for an 18% white subject, however we propose the HDR Commonplace mode between the 3 as it provides higher visible colour efficiency.
The more recent 6-Sequence in truth confirmed a quite dimmer image in our assessments with an SDR sign in Film mode than both of the opposite fashions, with a 310-nit full-screen top brightness and 755-nit top brightness with an 18% subject. That is nonetheless respectable efficiency for an SDR sign, which maximum TVs generally show a lot much less brightly than HDR indicators.
(Credit score: PCMag)
The above charts display the 6-Sequence’ colour efficiency as dots and goal colour ranges as squares. It compares an SDR sign in Film mode towards Rec.709 broadcast requirements and an HDR sign in HDR Commonplace mode with colour temperature set to Heat when put next towards DCI-P3 virtual cinema requirements. In each instances, whites run a little hotter than excellent, whilst cyans and magentas skew a little inexperienced and crimson respectively. Number one colours are most often somewhat correct. The TV’s inexperienced achieve with an HDR sign drifts a little, however no longer considerably. The TCL 6-Sequence Google TV and the Hisense U8H each additionally skew colours quite, however no longer somewhat to the level of the 65R655. Out of the 3, the 6-Sequence Google TV has essentially the most correct whites, whilst the U8H has the most efficient and most-balanced number one colour achieve.
The HDR Commonplace atmosphere with the colour temperature set to Heat mode is your perfect wager for many content material; even with the similar colour temperature settings, HDR Darkish and HDR Vibrant respectively have a tendency to appear subdued and oversaturated.
HDR Commonplace gave the impression as regards to proper after we watched BBC’s Planet Earth II. The vegetables of vegetation glance shiny with out showing unnatural, whilst the blues and teals of water display enough tone permutations. High-quality element like fur comes thru smartly each beneath direct daylight and in colour. Off-angle viewing is significantly more potent than at the Hisense U8H; we notice some slight desaturation from aspect angles, however the panel presentations excellent saturation ranges another way.
The crimson of Deadpool’s gown within the overcast opening scenes of Deadpool additionally appears to be like colourful and balanced, no longer pale nor purplish. Later, within the burning lab battle, the flames glance vivid and numerous shadow main points come thru with complete distinction.
Within the birthday party scenes of The Nice Gatsby, black fits glance correctly darkish, whilst cuts and features are nonetheless simple to discern. The whites of balloons and shirts stand out with numerous distinction and spotlight element.
(Photograph: Will Greenwald)
Low Lag for Avid gamers
Even though its panel is 120Hz, the 65R655 helps variable refresh charge (VRR) at as much as 144Hz. It additionally options AMD FreeSync Top rate Professional, however no longer Nvidia G-Sync.
The TV is somewhat responsive in our assessments. The use of an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix(Opens in a brand new window), we measured an enter lag of four.2 milliseconds in Gaming mode, not up to part of the 10ms threshold we use to resolve if a TV is likely one of the perfect for gaming.
The Best possible Roku TV But
TCL’s newest 6-Sequence Roku TV turns in supreme efficiency general and must please players with its low enter lag. If you wish to have a TV with Roku in-built, that is recently our favourite. You simply need to forget about that TCL’s 6-Sequence Google TV ($1,299 for 65 inches) provides extra correct colours and that the Hisense U8H is brighter. If you’ll surrender the Roku platform, the ones are most likely higher alternatives, particularly as a result of reductions regularly convey their value down nearer to the Roku. For far much less, imagine the Hisense U6H ($899.99 for 65 inches, however regularly to be had for nearer to $600). It will get most effective part as vivid because the 6-Sequence and presentations a extra restricted vary of colours, however nonetheless has numerous finances enchantment. In a different way, the LG C2 Evo OLED ($2499.99 retail for 65 inches, however recently $1,899.99) stays our high-end pick out on account of its incredible colour efficiency and graceful design, despite the fact that it doesn’t get as vivid as high-end LED TVs just like the 6-Sequence.
TCL 75-Inch 6-Sequence 4K Roku TV (75R655)
The Backside Line
TCL introduces mini-LED backlighting to its already-excellent 6-Sequence 4K Roku TV, bringing it in keeping with top-notch Google TV competition.
Like What You might be Studying?
Join Lab Record to get the most recent critiques and height product recommendation delivered proper in your inbox.
This text would possibly include promoting, offers, or associate hyperlinks. Subscribing to a publication signifies your consent to our Phrases of Use and Privateness Coverage. You might unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
