TCL 55-Inch 6-Series 4K Google TV 55R646: Excellent Value

TCL’s best value, now with Google TV

- WILL GREENWALD

TCL 55-Inch 6-Series 4K Google TV 55R646

$949.99

TCL has consistently impressed us with its 6-Series TVs, which offer strong performance at reasonable prices. These TVs have all exclusively run on the Roku TV platform, which is an accessible and simple interface, but not the most feature-heavy one. Now TCL offers an alternative in the form of its Google TV 4K 6-Series TVs. They’re priced around same as the Roku TV 4K 6-Series models—the 55-inch 55R646 we tested retails for $949.99—and offer strong app and service support, Google Cast screen mirroring, and hands-free Google Assistant (though they give up the Apple AirPlay support included in Roku TV). And they seem to pack a few engineering improvements over the Roku models, with stronger contrast performance and lower input lag. The Hisense U8G series is brighter, but otherwise, TCL’s Google TV 6-Series packs the same excellent features for about the same price, earning our Editors’ Choice award alongside the Hisense model.

TCL 55-Inch 6-Series 4K Google TV 55R646

PROS Excellent contrast and color performance. Google TV with Google Cast and hands-free Google Assistant. Low input lag.

CONS No AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync. No Apple AirPlay.

BOTTOM LINE The TCL 4K 6-Series with Google TV offers more features and better performance than the Roku-based 6-Series, and all you’re giving up is Apple AirPlay.

STYLISH AND STREAMLINED