TCL 50S425 Review
TCL 50S425 Review | Learn More | Check Price
- TCL 50S425 50 Inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV, Direct lit LED
- Produces great picture quality, Compatible with Alexa
- And Google Assistant, Dual-band Wi-Fi & Ethernet port
- TV Dimensions, Without Stand 44.1″ W x 25.7″ H x 3.2″ D
- With Stand 44.1″ W x 28″ H x 8″ D Stand Separation 39.6”
- And Wall mount 200 millimeter x 200 millimeter VESA
- Refresh rate 120 Hz CMI, Panel resolution 3840 x 2160
- And Pairs 4K ultra HD picture clarity with the contrast
- Color and detail of HDR for the most life like picture
- Smart functionality delivers all your favorite content
- With over 500,000 movies, TV episodes and TV Shows
- Accessible through the simple and intuitive Roku TV
- Inputs/outputs: HDMI 3, USB 1, Ethernet 1, RF Input 1
- SPDIF Digital Audio Optical 1, Audio Output Headphone 1
- And Also AV Input Composite Video + L&R Audio In
TCL 50S425 50 Inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV (2023)
We check hundreds of products every day for the best prices for TCL’s Roku TVs, with only a few exceptions, best known for offering the best quality TVs at extremely affordable prices. Our review unit, the TCL 50S425 is a 55-inch Roku TV made by TCL, and in smaller sizes, it sells at more affordable prices than many bargain 4K smart TVs.
But there’s most additional to the TCL 4 Series, from the superb Roku smart TV experience to quick response times, which will be a positive hit with gamers. Sure, it does have some rough edges, like flawed motion handling and mediocre HDR performance, but overall, it’s a great 4K TV that you can get at a low price.
Technical Details
| Brand Name | TCL |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 22.5 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 44.1 x 28 inches |
| Item model number | 50S425 |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries are required. |
| Color Name | Black |
| Number of Component Outputs | Optical |
Design
As for modern TV designs, the TCL 50S425 is pretty basic, with minimal black bezels around the display, a pair of simple plastic feet for the stand, and a matte-black panel at the rear of the chassis. The black back panel is accented with a row of tessellated triangles at the top and a strip of ridges just above the component box that makes up the bottom half of the TV chassis. Ideally, these are purely aesthetic adornments, with no functional purpose.
Measuring 49 x 28.4 x 3.1 inches without the stand, the TCL 4-Series is small enough that one person can assemble and move the set, but the 26.7-pound weight is still big enough that a second person is recommended. Its 3.1-inch-thick design may have persevered a wall with a 200 x 200 millimeter VESA mount, however, it’s going to stick out a couple of inches from the wall.
Ports & Inputs
TCL 50S425, Port and input selection comes in the way of three HDMI ports, including HDMI ARC for connecting a soundbar without running an additional audio cable. You also have an ethernet jack for wired web connectivity, while 802.11ac Wi-Fi is obtainable for wireless connections.
There’s a single USB 2.0 port for viewing digital media files or powering a streaming stick, whereas an RF connecter allows you to attach an HDTV antenna for over-the-air broadcasts. additional ports include a composite video input, optical digital output for surround, and a 3.5-millimeter jack for headphones or a stereo patch cable.
Roku TV & Remote
The included Roku TV remote is a standard, infrared-only model. You shouldn’t confuse this with the enhanced Roku TV remote equipped with a high-end microphone that allows you to use Roku’s voice search features. It’s a small plastic stick with a curved end and a separate direction pad. The Roku app for Android and iOS lets you use voice search if you want, though the functions of Roku are still comparable to the Amazon Alexa found on Amazon Fire TV, Google Assistant on Android TV devices, and Siri on Apple TV. are limited.
With the Roku TV platform, the TCL 50S425 will access a large range of streaming services. Major players here embody Amazon Prime Video, DirecTV currently, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Netflix, Vue, Sling, Vudu, and YouTube. As expected, Apple is missing from the list and Google Music isn’t even available, but you still have access to Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, and many other streaming services.
Many other satellite providers have Roku apps that allow you to access their VOD libraries and even TVs directly through the TV, without necessarily having to connect a set-top box. If you don’t want to subscribe to a service, the Roku channel offers its own library of free movies and TV shows.
Performance
The TCL 50S425 features a 4K display that fires up a full 3840 x 2160 resolution, with direct backlighting and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support. The result is a relatively gooey (if basic) viewing experience and a better viewing experience than you’d expect in this price range.
TCL 4K Roku TVs register 97.4% of Rec. 709 color gamut, which is better than the Vizio V505-G9 (96.65%) but not as wide as the 98.3% we saw on the Samsung 40-inch NU7100. However, while we’d like to see 4K TVs measure closer to 100%, the TCL is within the range we’d expect for lower-cost models.
The TCL 50S425 is no different when it comes to brightness, even in Bright (HDR) mode with the backlight on; It maxes out at 244.05cd/m2, which is half of the 488.01cd/m2 peak brightness on the 6-series. Again, it lacks the local dimming that’s available on the 6-Series, and its Dynamic Contrast settings can only illuminate or dim the entire screen at once.
When watching the BBC’s Planet Earth II, the visuals look great, though you can easily spot the TV’s dimmer screen and smaller color range than the 6-Series or more expensive sets like LG’s OLED55C9PUA or Samsung’s QN55Q70RAFXZA. Nevertheless, the trees and blue-green colors on the “Island” episode look clear and natural, although fine textures such as fur and bark are crisp when well-lit. That said, shadows do get a bit blurry, and fairly dim screens don’t look as vibrant as they do on brighter panels.
Gaming Performance
Unlike other sets, the TCL 4 Series TVs don’t offer any type of automatic switching to game modes or detection of a game console, such as the Xbox One X. When you switch to game mode, it’s a bit intuitive, as the mode isn’t offered in the regular selection of picture modes, and requires navigating to a separate menu of advanced picture settings to activate.
The 50S425 supports 4K gaming, and you can stream content at 24Hz with 10-bit color support. However, this panel doesn’t support additional frame rates for streamed content, nor does it support HDR mode for gaming or streaming. It’s okay if HDR content isn’t at the top of your list, but that doesn’t mean games will look any less impressive than on other 4K sets.
And, while this TV doesn’t offer HDR support when gaming, it does offer great response times, an essential feature in fast-paced games. If there’s an area this set is lacking, it has to be audio. With a pair of 8-watt speakers juicing up the audio, the overall volume is heavy and relatively weak, and not suitable for rooms that have a lot of ambient noise.
Input Lag
Input lag is the time it takes for the display to update after receiving the signal, and it’s one of the few areas in which the 50S425 advances a modest score. The HDTV showed an input lag of 32.4 milliseconds, which is better than most budget sets we reviewed.
If you enable Game Mode, input lag improves at the slightest cost of picture quality, dropping to an excellent 15.3 ms. For watching HD movies and videos, it’s all about the best 4K performance you can get on a budget TV.
Our Rating | Excellent
The TCL 50S425 may be a solid selection for anyone trying to grab a 4K TV while not breaking the bank, particularly if you are looking to jump to 4K and HDR10 while not spending a great deal of money.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Fairly accurate colors
- Roku smart TV platform offers lots of features
Cons
- Mediocre panel lighting
- Narrow color range
Conclusion
The TCL 50S425 may be a solid selection for anyone trying to grab a 4K TV while not breaking the bank, particularly if you are looking to jump to 4K and HDR10 while not spending a great deal of money. In this TCL 50S425 HD Smart LED Roku TV review we conclude that the TCL 50S425 is an affordable 50-inch 4K Roku TV that offers good value and capability for its small price, but our recommendation comes with a few caveats. Is. For example, the lack of local dimming means HDR content won’t look as dynamic on this TV, and there are some noticeable flaws in its motion handling. This won’t be a problem during slow-motion plays, but you’ll certainly see it on action movies and other dynamic content that will look less impressive on this set than on competing 4K sets.
But those competitors cost more, some nearly double, and for most buyers, the TV’s defining feature doesn’t support the HDR format or the accuracy of the backlight; It all comes down to the price. With the current price of the 50-inch, it’s hard to find a 4K set at all in this price range, and the TCL 50S425 offers great resolution, good color quality, and, of course, it supports HDR — albeit, only native HDR. Format.
The TCL 50S425 is also a great option for gamers who aren’t very much after format support and will certainly appreciate the set’s quick response.
As a value-focused Roku TV, the TCL 50S425 offers some of the best value we’ve seen on cheap 4K TVs. This is our newest budget-favorite 4K Roku TV, and a great deal for anyone shopping on a budget.
