TCL 75R617 - 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2019 Model)

I wanted to spend a little time with the TV before writing a review. Now that I have had an opportunity to really give it some attention I can say that I am very pleased.First off, the reason you are reading this review is to know one thing. Is this a good 4K TV at this price point? The answer is an unquestionable YES. This TV is a good TV at any price point to be honest and the fact that it is so affordable only sweetens the deal.I should stress however that I have not owned a 4K tv before or had much time viewing any besides models set up in stores. I admit that I am a 4K newbie so with that in mind you could argue that seeing any 4K image at all would be impressive to me. To an extent that may be true but I did my homework and research on this one before purchasing and I can definitely say that the professional and customer reviews were all accurate. This truly is the best 4K picture you can get for under $1000 right now.So what makes it so great? Let's address the picture quality first. Out of the box the first thing you will notice is how vibrant the colors are. The tv applies these amazing colors to anything you happen to be watching. HD, 4K, video games - heck even SD sources look amazing if for no other reason than the colors. Where the TV really shines though is when viewing a 4K source with HDR or Dobly Vision (this tv supports both) applied. Breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe it. One of the first things I did was pull up some HDR demo videos on Youtube and was immediately blown away.Videos running in 4K look good to begin with, but when you watch one with HDR it truly is spectacular. This tv can get very bright and also handles blacks very impressively. So when HDR is applied you get deep, rich shadows and darks and very intense brights. Not to mention the color intensity is simply stunning.The fact that this tv supports Dolby Vision is another huge plus. Between Dolby Vision and HDR I find Dolby Vision to be the superior format. It isn't so much about trying to stun you as it is just subtle image enhancements in regards to color and lights/darks. Dolby Vision was a must have for me when shopping for a new tv because I planned to watch movies more than anything on it and I love what Dolby Vision does for films.There are plenty of settings so it may take you some time to tweak them to your liking. Once you do however, be prepared to be very satisfied with everything you watch. The Roku software is flawless and I have nothing bad to say about this tv's operating system.I have also seen some reviews that say that if you look at this tv from the side too far then some picture loss is noticeable. Personally I have not seen this happen but then again I do not have a large room and have not had to view anything from one extreme side or the other.I have also read that some sets have bad dirty screen effect. I must have been lucky in my panel since I have not noticed any issues with this either. I ran a dirty screen effect test video from Youtube and only barely noticed some small black areas here and there. To be honest, this is a problem that is simply part of owning an LCD tv, it may be impossible to eliminate it entirely simply because it is the nature of an LCD set.If I have to complain about anything it would be about the remote. It is just a little small for my tastes, but then again, Roku remotes have always on the small side.Other than that I honestly have no real negatives or gripes about this tv at all. Some have said that the sound from the tv speakers are not very good but I use a surround sound system using the very convenient ARC from the tv so I have not tested the tv speakers at all.Bottom line, this is an amazing tv at this price point and I highly recommend it.

The TCLs are a well-known commodity by now. Reliable, beautiful and affordable.The 6 series is my favorite for top of the line picture. Can't wait for the 85" 8K to come out. Somebody already called dibs on my 75" 5-series.But the wait has been much longer than anticipated. The ROKU aspect of these TVs is another strong point and yet a weak point as well.I absolutely despise the shape of these controllers. You'll be watching a sports event... rewind,set it on you knee for a second,it falls to the floor and bumps you out to main menu! ... You've just lost that 30 minute buffer you had built up.. Gone.I have found this very frustrating on multiple occasions.I try to train myself to always put the controller immediately back on the table, but, I just can't get completely there.The shape of these controllers just makes them prone to droppage. I have even had one shoot out of my hand like a missile.They need some type of gripping ridges and really, a more square design that will sit flat on a surface would be great. But apparently TCL inherited this faulty remote from the ROKU company. The ROKU interface is one of the better interfaces out there and they have added even more tuneability and features to it over the last couple of years. ROKU channel started out as a huge favorite. But now ROKU has added so many commercials and billed features to it that it is beginning to look like a lottery splash page. I am using the ROKU channel less and less as it gets busier and less focused on free TV and movies. Other than the remote,the Television has impressive 4k, color pallette and brightness.The sound is surprisingly loud and vibrant for a "budget" TV. That was truly surprising after having to add a sound bar to my old expensive Toshiba to get decent sound.The only downside I have noticed is an occasionally choppy picture with motion, but it is far from being a deal breaker. I have seen similar sheer on much more expensive TVs. I have purchased 3 of these so far for personal use and to install for friends. They love them as well.Here's to 2021 and a whole new lineup of hopefully budget friendly 8k models!! Cheers!