What to look for in a ROKU TV in 2021
Aside from the platform that's built into the TV, Roku Smart TVs aren't that different from other TVs on the market. If you are looking for a great Roku TV, you want the TV to be great overall as well as come with Roku built in. One of the most important things to consider with any television is the quality of the picture. You want your TV to deliver a sharp, vibrant picture with an excellent contrast ratio. Since there is no
Oled Roku TVs on the market, features like
quantum dot Of
Local arenation of the complete matrix , and
Mini-led become very important. These technologies help
LED TV Improve your multi-fold image performance. If you're buying a Roku TV for gaming, there are additional features you need to look for, such as low input lag, fast response time,
HDMI 2.1 support, and
Variable refresh rate (RRV). These not only make sure you get a fantastic gaming experience, but also ensure that your TV is future proof. Budget and television size also play a role in your purchase decision. As such, our recommendations include the best Roku TVs in a variety of budgets. For screen size,
Rtings has a great tool that can help you figure out the right TV size for your room. For a deeper dive into which TV features matter most, we've got a great explainer at
Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy a TV. . Now, let's jump to our recommendations.
RELATED: How to buy a TV:what you need to know Overall Best Roku TV:TCL 6-Series R635
In recent years, TCL has managed to carve out its place in the crowded smart TV market. The company did this by providing quality TVs like the TCL 6-Series R635. It's hands down the best overall ROKU TV on the market, offering excellent value for money and excellent picture quality. Priced at $849 for the 55-inch model, the R635 is a 4K TV enhanced by DOT Quantum DOT technology and mini-LED backlighting for a bright, vibrant picture. There is also support for
Dolby Vision From
HDR10 , and
Hlg So you'll get a deeper picture whether you're watching HDR content on Netflix or streaming TV. While there is no
HDMI 2.1 Port on the R635, the TV comes with a THX certified gaming mode, a 120Hz panel, VRR support and Auto Latency Mode (ALLM) for a good and responsive gaming experience. ALLM detects your game console and automatically switches to built-in game mode. While the TCL 6 series is good albeit for a top-of-the-line gaming experience, check out Our Game Picks later in the article. The TCL R635 also looks great and has a good build quality. Plus, you get
EARC Support in one of the four HDMI 2.0 capable ports on the television, so it will allow you to pass through high-quality audio on your sound bar or speaker system.
RELATED: What is EARC? But the TCL 6-Series 635 is not perfect. Uses a
Vertical Alignment (VA) type Display Panel So the TV has excellent native contrast. However, the presence of a VA panel means that the TV will have narrow viewing angles. The set also suffers from blooming and
black crush Due to a limited number of local dimming zones. But if you're okay with these compromises, the R635 is one of Roku's best TVs. You can buy the TCL R635 in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes.
Best Roku TV under $500:HEENSE 50R6090G
Although Hisense mainly sells.
Android TV Models The company has some good Roku TV models in its portfolio, like the 50R6090g. The R6090G is one of Hisense's entry levels.
4K TVs . Despite its relatively lower price, this set looks decent and has slim bezels, so it'll look great in your home. The TV offers excellent contrast with deep black levels, thanks to the VA panel. Hisense has also included support for
Dolby Vision and HDR10, so you will have a great time watching movies and TV shows. Also, it handles light reflections well and can easily exclude 720p and 1080p from 4K content. Unfortunately, there's no quantum dot technology or local dimming, both of which are available in Hisense's more expensive counterparts. The 50R6090G also doesn't have much in the way of next-gen gaming features. But at this price range, some sacrifices have to be made. You'll still get extremely low input lag and decent response time, which should be fine for casual gaming. If you can afford to spend a bit more, the TCL 50S535 (which is our pick for Best Roku TV for Movies) is another great budget option to consider. It has an MSRP of $599, but it usually goes on sale so you can get it cheaper. Additionally, the 50S535 has quantum dot technology and local dimming, which help it provide vibrant colors and excellent contrast ratio, if you can stretch your budget, it alone is worth the upgrade.
Best Roku TV under $300:HISENSE 43R6E3
The HISENSE 43R6E3 is one of the most affordable 4k Roku TVs on the market. If you're looking for an inexpensive Roku TV for a guest room or bedroom, it's your best bet. The TV looks decent and has narrow bezels, but other than that it's mostly a practical design. Thanks to the TV's VA panel, its native contrast ratio is good, and the company has also included Dolby Vision and
Hdr10 support for. However, the 43R6E3 doesn't get very bright to make effective use of HDR support. Still, the 43R6E3 offers a decent viewing experience for its price, and you won't be disappointed. As expected, there are no advanced gaming features, but Hisense has included a game mode that offers relatively low input lag and good response time. If you can spend a little more money, the TCL 43s435 is another excellent budget Roku TV. It has an MSRP of $349, but you can get it for as low as $305. The TV offers excellent contrast ratio and can display deep blacks, making it an upgrade from Hisense's set. If you can wait until the TCL model is on sale, you won't regret it.
Best Roku TV for Gaming:TCL 6-Series R648
The TCL 6-Series R648 is your best bet for a gaming-specific ROKU TV on the market right now. It has everything you need in a
Gaming TV -
low input lag , fast response time,
Vrr Support, and ALLM mode. It also comes with a 120Hz panel with HDMI 2.1 ports and support for 4K gaming at 120 FPS. Also, like 8K TV, you can also play games in 8k at 60fps. This is perfect for PlayStation 5 or Xbox series consoles. TCL has also added support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG on this 6-series TV. So you can enjoy both games and video content in HDR. Netflix, disney+ and other
Streaming Services they have tons of HDR content to watch. But TCL's impressive feature set doesn't end there. The R648 uses
quantum dot technology, mini-led backlighting, and
Local Dimming To provide exceptionally bright and vibrant images with deep blacks. As a result, the television offers arguably the best picture quality in the entire TCL TV lineup. The R648 looks great too. Its centralized metal bracket is a nice change from the increasingly common wide legs. The TV is a bit chunky, and TCL could have done a better job of refining its borders. But considering all that it offers technology, you can't complain about what seems like a lot. Although we recommend the TV for your gaming chops, not the 8k resolution, some of you may think that's a bit too much and whether it's wise to spend money for a feature you don't necessarily need. Sure, you may not need an
8k tv But even without its 8k resolution, the TCL R648 is a great TV that's stellar at up-scale 4K content. The TV also costs less than some of the 4K OLED TVs, so that's a great argument for future-proofing your home theater setup. Still, if you're not sure, you can always choose from our
Best Game TV Picks and use a Roku
casting device To get the Roku OS experience, even if the built-in smart TV platform is different. The TCL 6-Series R648 is available in 65-inch and 75-inch sizes.
Best Roku TV for Movies:TCL 5-Series S535
If you like to watch a lot of movies, the TCL 5-Series S535 is a great 4k Roku TV to buy. Like most TCL TVs, it offers excellent value for money and easily beats competing budget models. This set uses
Quantum DOT Technology And it comes with full-array local dimming, so you get vivid, true-to-life colors thanks to its exceptional contrast ratio. There is also very little bloom to affect the image. Also, TCL has added support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, so you can enjoy
HDR contents. It's also very cool, which will come in handy, which will come in handy if you're watching cable or broadcast TV. Although TCL S535 TCL has a pretty nice design that uses metal for decent build quality. There are four HDMI 2.0 ports on the TV, and one of the ports also supports EARC to pass through uncompressed, high-quality audio to your sound bar or speaker system. While losing
HDMI 2.1 And the TV panel only has 60Hz refresh rate, it is suitable for casual gaming with its low input lag, excellent response time and ALLM mode. Unfortunately, the TCL S535 struggles on the brightness front. The TV doesn't get too bright, which hampers its HDR performance. Higher brightness is generally needed to bring out the highlights in HDR scenes. But if you're looking for a ROKU TV to watch movies, the S535 is the set to get. You can buy the TCL 5 S535 series in 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes.
