A formidable performer and a good value

I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).

TCL introduces mini-LED backlighting to its already-excellent 6-Series 4K Roku TV, bringing it in line with top-notch Google TV competitors.

After introducing mini-LED backlights on its Editors’ Choice-winning 6-Series Google TV from 2021, TCL is at last bringing the same tech to its 6-Series 4K Roku TV lineup. That lighting system helps the 65-inch model we evaluated ($999.99) earn excellent scores in testing and outclass its predecessor. The TV also works well for gaming because of its low input lag and support for AMD FreeSync Pro. That said, it can’t quite match its sibling’s color accuracy or get as bright as the Hisense U8H ($1,399.99 for 65 inches), our current overall Editors’ Choice winner. Those slight weaknesses aside, the 6-Series is still the best set you can get with Roku built in.

Editors' Note: This review is based on testing performed on the 65-inch 65R655. Apart from the screen-size difference, the $699.99 55-inch 55R655 is identical in features, and we expect similar performance.

In line with most current TVs, the TCL R655 looks simple and unassuming. A narrow metallic band frames the screen, while only a thin gunmetal bezel defines the bottom edge. The lower bezel features the TCL logo in the center, along with a trapezoidal protrusion below that houses the infrared sensor. It isn’t a particularly slender TV at 2.7 inches deep, but the curved plastic casing on the back ensures that you likely won’t notice any chunkiness when you view the it from the front.

A flat, rectangular metal base supports the TV. Two sets of mounting holes allow you to change its height if needed to accommodate a short soundbar. Just note that the screen sits only about three inches above your TV cabinet's surface at its highest setting. Alternatively, you can mount it on a wall.

The power cable connects to the left side on the back, while all other connections sit on the right. They include four HDMI ports (two 144Hz, one eARC), one USB port, one Ethernet port, a 3.5mm composite video input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an optical audio output, and an antenna/cable connector.

The box includes a standard Roku TV voice remote. It's a simple, short black wand with rounded corners and Roku’s signature large, purple, plus-shaped navigation pad. Home, back, and power buttons sit above the pad, along with a pinhole microphone. Playback controls and dedicated service buttons for Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix are below the pad. The right edge holds a volume rocker and a mute button. The remote doesn’t have a headphone jack for private listening or a mid-field microphone for controlling the TV without hands, but you can replace it with the Roku Voice Remote Pro if you want those features.

The R655 uses the Roku TV smart TV interface just like its predecessor. It’s a simple and accessible platform that provides access to most major video streaming services including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube, though Twitch remains absent. Roku TV also supports Apple AirPlay, which means you can stream to your screen directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

You can search for anything to watch with the remote by pressing the microphone button and speaking into the pinhole mic. Voice commands also work for opening apps and controlling the TV. The voice search feature is fast and useful, but it doesn’t have the same broad functionality as a full voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. In other words, it can’t control smart home devices, check your schedule, or provide weather forecasts.

The TCL 65R655 is a 4K TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log gamma (HLG). It does not have an ATSC 3.0 tuner.

We test TVs with a Klein K-80 colorimeter(Opens in a new window) , a Murideo SIX-G signal generator(Opens in a new window) , and Portrait Displays’ Calman software(Opens in a new window) . Like the TCL 6-Series 4K Google TV before it, the new 6-Series Roku TV uses a mini-LED backlight system that offers significantly better contrast performance for HDR content than the previous 6-Series Roku TV (which is about a year older than the Google TV model).

We started our tests with an HDR signal: In HDR Normal mode and with color temperature set to Warm, the 65R655 showed a peak brightness of 523 nits with a full-screen white field and a much brighter 1,297 nits with an 18% field. Its 0.003cd/m^2 black level results in a fantastic contrast ratio of 432,333:1. The 6-Series Google TV has a higher contrast ratio of 594,597:1 because of its slightly lower black level (0.002cd/m^2), but it isn’t quite as bright (1,189 nits). The Hisense U8H gets much brighter at 1,877 nits with an 18% white field, though its contrast ratio is slightly lower at 187,730:1. Once you get into contrast ratios of six digits, however, the difference becomes almost impossible to spot with the human eye. All three TVs use mini-LED backlights, but so far only the far more expensive Samsung QN90B ($2,599.99 for a 65-inch model) has OLED-like contrast performance with effectively perfect blacks. That's because of the latter's LED control and lack of any noticeable light bloom.

Note that the full-screen peak brightness of the 65R655 is a bit lower than both the 6-Series Google TV (923 nits) and the U8H (842 nits), though it’s still quite good. Oddly, in our tests, both the HDR Bright and HDR Dark modes showed slightly higher peak brightness at around 600 nits for a full-screen white field and 1,480 nits for an 18% white field, but we recommend the HDR Normal mode between the three because it offers better visual color performance. 

The newer 6-Series actually showed a slightly dimmer picture in our tests with an SDR signal in Movie mode than either of the other models, with a 310-nit full-screen peak brightness and 755-nit peak brightness with an 18% field. This is still decent performance for an SDR signal, which most TVs typically display much less brightly than HDR signals.

The above charts show the 6-Series’ color performance as dots and target color levels as squares. It compares an SDR signal in Movie mode against Rec.709 broadcast standards and an HDR signal in HDR Normal mode with color temperature set to Warm compared against DCI-P3 digital cinema standards. In both cases, whites run a bit warmer than ideal, while cyans and magentas skew a bit green and red respectively. Primary colors are generally quite accurate. The TV’s green reach with an HDR signal drifts a bit, but not significantly. The TCL 6-Series Google TV and the Hisense U8H both also skew colors slightly, but not quite to the extent of the 65R655. Out of the three, the 6-Series Google TV has the most accurate whites, while the U8H has the best and most-balanced primary color reach.

The HDR Normal setting with the color temperature set to Warm mode is your best bet for most content; even with the same color temperature settings, HDR Dark and HDR Bright respectively tend to look subdued and oversaturated.

HDR Normal seemed just about right when we watched BBC’s Planet Earth II. The greens of plants look vivid without appearing unnatural, while the blues and teals of water show sufficient tone variations. Fine detail like fur comes through well both under direct sunlight and in shade. Off-angle viewing is notably stronger than on the Hisense U8H; we note some slight desaturation from side angles, but the panel shows good saturation levels otherwise.

The red of Deadpool’s costume in the overcast opening scenes of Deadpool also looks vibrant and balanced, not faded nor purplish. Later, in the burning lab fight, the flames look bright and plenty of shadow details come through with full contrast.

In the party scenes of The Great Gatsby, black suits look properly dark, while cuts and contours are still easy to discern. The whites of balloons and shirts stand out with lots of contrast and highlight detail.

Though its panel is 120Hz, the 65R655 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) at up to 144Hz. It also features AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, but not Nvidia G-Sync.

The TV is quite responsive in our tests. Using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix(Opens in a new window) , we measured an input lag of 4.2 milliseconds in Gaming mode, less than half of the 10ms threshold we use to determine if a TV is among the best for gaming.

TCL’s latest 6-Series Roku TV turns in excellent performance overall and should please gamers with its low input lag. If you want a TV with Roku built in, this is currently our favorite. You just have to ignore that TCL’s 6-Series Google TV ($1,299 for 65 inches) offers more accurate colors and that the Hisense U8H is brighter. If you can give up the Roku platform, those are likely better choices, especially because discounts often bring their price down closer to the Roku. For much less, consider the Hisense U6H ($899.99 for 65 inches, but often available for closer to $600). It gets only half as bright as the 6-Series and shows a more limited range of colors, but still has lots of budget appeal. Otherwise, the LG C2 Evo OLED ($2499.99 retail for 65 inches, but currently $1,899.99) remains our high-end pick because of its fantastic color performance and sleek design, though it doesn’t get as bright as high-end LED TVs like the 6-Series.

TCL introduces mini-LED backlighting to its already-excellent 6-Series 4K Roku TV, bringing it in line with top-notch Google TV competitors.

Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

© 1996-2022 Ziff Davis. PCMag Digital Group

PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.