For the first time, TCL has released a 4K television line that gives consumers the choice between the Roku operating system or Google TV at the point of purchase. The introduction of Google TV should have been something to celebrate, but at least in the case of the 2021 TCL 5-Series, the road was pretty bumpy. For several months, TCL’s Google TV-equipped sets struggled to work right as the interface was marred by bugs. But now in 2022, the company has fixed the issue, and we’re happy to report that TCL is once again a safe buy.
The 5-Series is a great choice for gamers who don’t play competitively and just enjoy narrative-driven games.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Design And Build
The design and layout of the 2021 5-Series is what I’d call “adequate but not exemplary.” For an $800 65-inch QLED 4K television, I think that’s probably a safe choice by the company.
Design-wise, the TCL 5-Series is as unexciting as it is inoffensive, and while it doesn’t take any big risks, it likewise doesn’t suffer from any notable gaffes.
The 5-Series has a very thin bezel, simple base, and straightforward legs. While it technically even has some cable management, it’s not the best. TCL included a set of very small plastic loops that cables can be run through and down the inside of each foot, which reduces how much clutter you’ll see from the front, but doesn’t go above and beyond. Like the entire television’s design, it’s just fine but doesn’t stand out compared to the excellent cable management of either the Vizio OLED or LC C1.
As far as ports are concerned, the TCL 5-Series features composite video inputs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, one RF input, an Ethernet port, a single USB 2.0 port, one digital audio input, and three HDMI 2.0 ports, one of which supports eARC for your audio devices. Basically, most casual buyers will find everything they need here, but PS5 and Xbox Series X owners will miss the lack of HDMI 2.1 support.
For wireless connectivity, the television supports dual-band WiFi and Chromecast. If you were hoping to find AirPlay, I’m sorry to disappoint: the Google TV version I reviewed does not support it at all. If you are dead set on AirPlay, pick up the Roku version which does support it. That might not be the only reason to get that version either, but more on that later.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Remote
This is the first remote from TCL that I’ve used that is quite different from the rest, mainly due to the fact that it’s driving Google TV and not Roku. The remote is a bit ugly, though I wager most will not be bothered by it. If anything, it’s super simple by design. There are only 13 total buttons along with the navigation circle in the middle and the volume rocker on the right side. It actually took me a bit to realize that volume control, as well as the mute button, were located on the side of the remote and not the front. This feels like a bit of a carry-over from the Roku system that has powered these TVs for years but is a departure from any other Android or Google TV remote that I’ve ever used.
TCL includes four shortcut buttons – only three of which will ever be useful to anyone, at least on the model I have. Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video are joined by the TCL Channel which, let’s be honest, few will ever even recognize exists due to its truly sub-par selection of television and movies. I know why TCL included it – gotta include the TCL Channel on a TCL TV – it just feels like a wasted button.
Thankfully it is a voice remote, so you don’t need to type anything out when searching for something to watch.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Interface and User Experience
When the TCL 5-Series first arrived for testing, there was a lot wrong with the experience. Something didn’t go right with the addition of Google TV, and it was by far the slowest smart TV interface I had ever used.
For those who may have missed it, the problem was bad enough that TCL had to pull the televisions off shelves, delaying this review by several months. To its credit, TCL recognized the issue and fixed it, and a second evaluation of the television shows that these issues have been wholly resolved.
The Google TV interface on the TCL 5-Series works exactly as it should now. I really like Google TV because it presents a format that is easy and approachable, with a plethora of supported apps and support for multiple user profiles. While many would consider the home screen to be dominated by ads, they aren’t ads in the sense that I feel would be bothersome. Google TV’s ads are more like watch recommendations and rarely offer me something I don’t have access to watch without paying more. As a Google product, you’ll definitely see promotions for content on Google platforms like YouTube, but they’re not invasive and I find them easy enough to ignore.
The simplicity of the TCL remote works well on Google TV, and I actually like navigating the interface more with the pared down remote than with something like the comically large Sony remotes on the X90J or A80J. Everything you need is here, and getting to it is simple and easy.
Google TV has a lot of channel options, and I’d equate it to what is offered by Roku. While there are sure to be some differences in app support, they’re likely fringe as I’ve not had a problem looking for anything from mainstays like Netflix, YouTube TV, and Discovery+ to more fringe options like Funimation and Crunchyroll.
For gaming, the television recognizes when a console is plugged in and automatically switches to Game Mode. This optimizes the display to provide a fast, snappy gaming experience. That said, there isn’t a lot to optimize since the 5-Series doesn’t support 120Hz, but it’s still a seamless and pleasant experience nonetheless.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Picture Quality
TCL has been making very good televisions for the last several years thanks mainly to the panel technology, and that doesn’t change here: I absolutely love the picture quality of this television.
Color quality is really nice and while blacks are not quite as inky as you’ll find in an OLED, they still are quite dark, which offers lovely contrast with whatever is currently displayed. The display is also very sharp and crystal clear, which makes HDR content look really stunning. I honestly had to make very few changes to the settings on the 5-Series to get it to a place I thought looked really good, which is an excellent sign for most consumers who don’t spend much time calibrating the picture. Basically, nearly out of the box it’s ready to enjoy.
This television isn’t exceedingly bright but it’s also not what I would say is dim. It’s certainly enough for most rooms, and while you won’t be able to overcome super bright glare or direct sunlight, it does fine in a brightly lit room. The panel is a bit prone to reflections though, but this is not uncommon among televisions.
The 5-Series has full array local dimming which is likely the reason blacks look so good, but it’s not without a few flaws. There is some halo around bright objects set against dark backgrounds. It’s not terrible by any means and most will likely not notice it. I think that the only time it might be an issue is in the case of letterboxed content with captions that appear in the black areas. Otherwise, when viewing most other content, I did not notice any real consequences of the halo.
If there is one knock on this panel, it’s the very narrow viewing angle. From dead on straight, the 5-Series looks great. But from even a slight off-center angle, colors start to wash and the dark blacks that I just piled praise on become a washed out gray.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Gaming Performance
From the get-go, know that the 5-Series is not going to be a good pick for hardcore gamers, as the panel maxes out at 60Hz. That cap means it won’t serve as a particularly good computer monitor nor will it be able to reach the maximum frame rates the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X can support.
What it can do, however, is offer a great 4K HDR 60Hz experience. I tested A Plague Tale: Innocence, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and Metro: Exodus Complete on the 5-Series and found the experience to be great. While first-person shooters suffer the most from the inability to crank beyond 60Hz, especially in PvP experiences like Destiny 2, single player story games will do just fine on this television.
The TCL 5-Series supports both auto low-latency mode (ALLM) and variable refresh rate (VRR), but bear in mind the latter is a rather limited range of 48 to 60Hz in 4K.
Overall though, gaming is a pleasant if not outstanding experience for the price on the 5-Series. Just like the design, it’s adequate without being noteworthy.
TCL 5-Series 2021 – Audio Quality
Pretty much no modern flatscreen television is winning many points in this category since there simply isn’t enough room in the chassis to support anything close to a respectable set of speakers, so I don’t hold it against TCL for my experience here.
In short, it’s bad. Like most televisions, the lower registers are pretty much completely absent and as a result, audio sounds weak and hollow. Music is a pretty terrible experience as a result, but even voices can sound like they are being diffused through a set of empty soup cans.
Luckily, TCL supports eARC which means a good sound system can easily be attached to the 5-Series and bring excellent quality audio to the party and pair nicely with the aforementioned very good panel. As seems to always be the case, I do not recommend using this television without a dedicated audio device of some sort, even if it’s just a simple sound bar.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/3Ayx7Sh
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