TVs have gotten incredibly affordable in recent years, but not every option is worth the cost savings. TCL, though, has built much of its success on affordable sets, and the 2023 TCL S Class S4 with Google TV is a testament to just how good of a TV you can get for an affordable price tag.
The TCL S Class sits in a place on the market that’s in between options. It’s super affordable, but also not going to compromise on a whole lot, and that’s how I’ve felt about my past couple of months on the 65-inch 65S450G set with Google TV – it’s not the best option out there, but it’s incredibly good for its price tag.
That starts, of course, with the screen itself.
The 65-inch LED panel is 4K UHD in its resolution, leading to sharp picture with the right content. With HDR support through HDR10 and Dolby Vision, I’ve had no complaints with the performance in Disney+ and Max, among other services I’ve used on the set. TCL’s panel here isn’t exactly top-of-the-line. You won’t find Quantum Dot or Mini-LED or any other fancy new technologies here – it’s just a 4K LED panel, but it’s not a bad one. Brightness is acceptable for all but the brightest rooms, it does a good job with glare, and viewing angles are great.
The only real complaint I had was with the lack of contrast in the panel.
TCL hasn’t equipped this set with any form of local dimming, which means blacks aren’t very deep, and the picture as a whole is a little less punchy. That said, you’ll really only feel this depending on the type of content you’re watching. Movies and TV shows with lots of dark scenes will suffer from the lack of local dimming, but content that’s brighter, such as sports, sitcoms, and more, will look just fine. Most of my use of the S4 was with that sort of content as well as tons of YouTube, and I was completely happy with how things looked. The only times I felt underwhelmed was when watching content that does lean on the darker and more cinematic side. As an example, in the leadup to the Ahsoka series, I rewatched Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian. The opening sequence is notoriously dark, and it doesn’t look anywhere close to ideal on the S4. The show as a whole highlights the dimming issue, as blacks just never look quite right, especially if you’re watching in a dark room. That said, it’s far from a deal-breaker. Blacks don’t necessarily look downright awful; they’re just a bit less than ideal, and that makes things look muddy.
Another place where you might feel the impact of the lower-end panel is in gaming. Input lag on the S4 is solid, but the 60Hz panel and lack of HDMI 2.1 means you lose out on the best features of consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most folks, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking to get the most out of your games. And, as mentioned with movies, dark portions of games will absolutely suffer.
For a deeper dive into how the Class S4’s panel stacks up to the competition and more intensive tests, I’d highly recommend checking out the folks over at RTings.com, who provide excellent insights there. While they haven’t reviewed the 2023 model, my verdict for this set lines up closely with theirs from the 2022 version – it’s a very good overall panel, especially at this price, but the lack of local dimming and contrast just sticks out as a sore point.
My bigger focus when trying out new TVs tends to be on how the software is handled as, even if you end up streaming everything through a console or a dongle, you’re still going to have to deal with the underlying operating system for the life of the TV.
The good news here is that TCL is using Google TV, which comes in handy for two reasons.
For one, Google TV itself is just a great platform for your entertainment. The recommendation-packed homescreen makes it easy to find something to watch, all while not completely drowning you in ads or burying your apps. Integration with Google Assistant only further sweetens the deal when it comes to avoiding on-screen keyboards and finding information and content quickly.
TCL also leaves Google TV plenty of room to breathe. There are several pre-loaded apps, including the “TCL Channel,” which provides live and on-demand content for free. The pre-loaded apps from TCL don’t really feel intrusive, but I’m not a huge fan of how they’re designed. Luckily, you really don’t ever have to use them because you can install all of the apps you’ll ever need from the Play Store, and if free content is what you’re after, the Google TV homescreen has hundreds of live channels baked right in.
TCL’s work on native TV menus is great, too, as it’s easy to understand and feels like it builds on Google TV rather than pushing against it.
Performance on the S Class S4 is something I did find a bit lacking, though. After the TV first wakes up from sleep, it tends to crawl through the interface, and you’ll often find yourself clicking things twice while waiting on the UI to catch up. This gets dramatically better the longer the TV is in active use. After even a few minutes, things are just faster overall, but that first little bit is always a struggle. I suspect that comes down to whatever processor is under the hood, but it’s not an uncommon issue. Even higher-end TVs and streaming dongles tend to struggle in this regard.
As far as software support goes, TCL has a mixed bag in its track record. Updates are installed automatically, so I didn’t really notice much through my review period, but as of when this review is going live, the S4 is running on the March 2023 security patch, with its last update having been delivered in June. Not too awful, but not great either.
When I asked, TCL offered no specific commitment to how long it would support this set with future software updates but reiterated how it works with partners to deliver new features. Google TV does do well here, as new features are typically delivered via app updates which means system updates aren’t as crucial. Still, I wish TCL had a specific promise here as to how long it would support security and such.
That said, there’s still a bit more to talk about with hardware.
The TCL S Class S4 has three HDMI ports on the back, one of which is capable of ARC. The internal speakers on the set are fine, but as with literally any other TV, you should absolutely get a soundbar to get the most out of the experience. I used a Polk Audio soundbar over ARC, and it worked out perfectly with no hiccups. Aside from that, you’ll also find standard inputs such as optical audio, Ethernet, USB, and more.
The TV is held up on two legs that are rather easy to install, though I will say they are a little tough to find in the box. My wife and I spent a bit too much time trying to figure out where they were when unboxing the TV, but otherwise, the unboxing and setup experience is pretty typical. I do wish TCL and other brands would put more of a focus on lessening the amount of plastic and Styrofoam in the box, but it’s a little easier to let go of on a cheaper model like this.
Finally, there’s the remote. The long and slender remote bucks the trend you often find on TVs with Roku on board, and there are pros and cons there. The fairly large remote is hard to lose and relatively comfortable to hold, but I also found myself readjusting my grip to push the buttons I wanted to hit. I do appreciate that TCL has moved back to a traditional volume button, though, as opposed to the side-mounted design it used on its previous generation of Google TV sets. The remote’s layout includes a directional pad and navigation buttons for getting around, as well as six content shortcuts for apps, including Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, TCL Channel, TCL Home, and Apple TV. There’s also a channel switcher for supported apps alongside a shortcut for TCL TV Plus, customizable color buttons, and an info button. If you don’t use TCL’s apps, a lot of these buttons will be wasted on you, which is quite a shame, honestly.
Verdict
For me, the TCL S Class S4 is a great all-around option for its price. The key selling point here is that affordability, but it reaches a low price without making big compromises. I’d personally prefer a TV in my living room to have better local dimming options, perhaps a faster refresh rate, and slightly better OS performance, among other upgrades. But here’s the thing – most folks aren’t even going to notice those changes because while they are absolutely meaningful upgrades, they’re just icing on the cake. The S4 nails the foundation of what a great TV should be, and as such, it can stand up to being your home’s central entertainment spot just as well as it shines in secondary spaces like a bedroom.
With an affordable price and the right foundation, I can’t help but give this one my recommendation. There’s not a single glaring flaw, and it’s just an outstanding deal.
TCL S Class S4 with Google TV starts at $279 for the 43-inch size, with the 65-inch model we reviewed coming in at $529. That said, these sets are constantly on sale, often for $100 or more off. At the time of publishing, the 65-inch model is down to $399. Best Buy usually has the biggest deals, but you can also purchase from Amazon.
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