The TCL 6-Series has consistently been a top choice for those seeking great value in a TV, offering fantastic picture quality, exciting features, and a budget-friendly price. The 2022 edition of the TCL 6-Series (R655) pushes the envelope even further, raising the bar for what a mid-range TV can deliver for entertainment and even for gaming. With the constant push to buy the best TV you possibly can, is the TCL 6-Series 2022 still a great choice in the age of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and 4K entertainment?
Sporting a visually appealing design, the TCL 6-Series 2022 strikes a balance between aesthetics and functionality. Its sleek, modern look features slim bezels that encircle the screen, making for an immersive viewing experience with minimal distractions. This design aspect allows viewers to focus on the content, leading to a more captivating and enjoyable experience.
The TV’s brushed metal frame adds a touch of sophistication and elegance, enhancing its overall visual allure. This choice of material not only imparts a premium feel to the TV but also bolsters its durability and sturdiness. As a result, the TCL 6-Series 2022 seamlessly fits into various living room décors, effortlessly complementing a diverse array of interior design styles. While it is a minor change from past iterations, TCL has done a good job of making the 6-Series look far more expensive than it actually is.
“When it comes to stability, the TCL 6-Series 2022 boasts a sturdy single metal base that not only supports the TV but also maintains a minimalist appearance.”
In terms of stability, the 2022 TCL 6-Series showcases a robust, single metal stand that provides support and enhances the TV’s minimalist aesthetic. The stand is designed to balance the TV’s weight evenly, resulting in a secure and stable installation. Its sleek design harmonizes with the overall aesthetics of the TV, contributing to a unified and visually appealing setup. While I’ve been fond of the dual-foot design in previous TCL 6-Series models, I must admit that the new single-stand design is much more streamlined. It not only simplifies the setup process but also gives the entertainment space a cleaner, more minimalistic feel, which I always appreciate.
One of the key features of the 2022 TCL 6-Series is its array of size options, including 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch models. This variety allows buyers to choose the ideal size that matches their personal needs and space limitations. Whether you’re situated in a compact apartment or a spacious living room, there’s a TCL 6-Series 2022 model that will fit perfectly. For the purpose of this review, we’re evaluating the 65-inch model, which is absolutely spectacular when powered on. After viewing different sizes of the same model, I believe there’s no wrong choice; just ensure the size you pick aligns with your space.
The 2022 TCL 6-Series features a 4K resolution screen equipped with Quantum Dot (QLED) technology, which delivers a wider range of colours and increased brightness compared to traditional LED TVs. This model for the year also incorporates Mini-LED backlighting technology that enables more accurate local dimming and superior contrast levels. The 6-Series 2022 upholds its reputation for providing some of the best contrast levels amongst LED TVs, and the 2022 model certainly doesn’t disappoint. The image displayed is crisp, clear, and vibrant, with both games and multimedia content appearing exceptionally stunning on the TV when all settings are optimally adjusted.
“The TCL 6-Series 2022’s built-in speakers offer adequate sound quality for daily use, but they might not meet the expectations of audiophiles or those looking for an immersive home theatre experience.”
4K has become commonplace in the modern age of gaming, but the high-resolution picture looks even better when you throw High Dynamic Range (HDR) into the mix. The TCL 6-Series 2022 is compatible with HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision formats, ensuring it works well with an extensive range of HDR content. The TV delivers excellent HDR performance, simultaneously showcasing bright highlights and deep blacks. Games like Elden Ring come to life on the screen, with all the beauty of the world feeling all the more dynamic with HDR at 4k.
The 2022 TCL 6 Series also incorporates TCL’s AiPQ engine. This technology leverages machine learning algorithms to fine-tune colour, contrast, and clarity dynamically, ensuring consistently remarkable picture quality regardless of the content being displayed. It’s worth noting that the 6 Series 2022 does exhibit minor motion handling inconsistencies, including occasional judder during high-speed scenes. However, such an issue is relatively common among LED TVs and unlikely to affect the overall viewing experience substantially. Even while actively looking for this issue during testing, I found it to be barely noticeable.
The TCL 6-Series 2022’s built-in speakers offer adequate sound quality for daily use, but they might not meet the expectations of audiophiles or those looking for an immersive home theatre experience. The TV comes with two down-firing 8-watt speakers that produce clear dialogue and a well-balanced audio profile. However, the TV’s built-in speakers do not provide the punch needed for an optimal movie or gaming session. While it is better than I have seen in the past, for anyone serious about media, even a Sonos Beam would elevate the viewing experience and make games and movies deliver a much more immersive experience.
The TCL 6-Series 2022 features the Roku TV platform, giving you access to an extensive range of streaming services and apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more. The Roku interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it a breeze for users of all ages to locate and enjoy their favourite content. I will say while Roku works for most things, I do find it is feeling a bit dated when compared to the likes of Apple TV and Google TV, but for most people’s needs, it gets the job done well.
“The TCL 6 Series 2022 offers incredible value for the price…”
Beyond streaming, the TCL 6-Series 2022 offers various smart features, including voice control through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri. The TV also supports Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, allowing for smooth integration with other Apple devices and smart home systems.
The TCL 6-Series 2022 comes with four HDMI 2.0 ports (one of which supports eARC for high-quality audio pass-through to compatible soundbars or AV receivers), a USB port, an Ethernet port, a headphone jack, an optical audio output, and an RF connector for antenna or cable connections. This assortment of connectivity options ensures that you can effortlessly connect a range of devices to the TV.
A noteworthy absence in the 2022 model is HDMI 2.1 support, which means the TV cannot support features like 4K at 120Hz or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for gaming. While this may disappoint some gamers, the TV still provides a commendable gaming experience due to its low input lag and support for Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
The TCL 6-Series 2022 delivers a solid gaming experience with low input lag and support for ALLM, which automatically switches the TV to its low-latency Game Mode when a compatible console is connected. Gaming on the TCL 6-Series 2022 is, for the most part, fantastic. The colours are vibrant, the HDR and picture make everything feel incredibly crisp and lifelike, and the viewing angles make it a fantastic choice for a friendly game night.
There is one caveat to all of this, and that is the lack of HDMI 2.1, and with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X pushing visual fidelity and quality, the lack of the ability to go past 60 Hz at 4K is disappointing.It is getting to the point where this is no longer acceptable, especially on a TV that has gaming as a selling point. That being said, the picture quality and vibrancy of the colours will make up for this limit, at least for most people.
The TCL 6 Series 2022 offers incredible value for the price, delivering premium features such as mini-LED backlighting, QLED technology, and an intuitive smart TV platform at a fraction of the cost of competitors. The 55-inch model is priced at approximately $900, while the 65-inch and 75-inch models are priced at approximately $1,300 and $2,000, respectively.
The TCL 6 Series 2022 is a highly impressive TV that manages to pack a wide range of premium features into an affordable package. With its sleek design, outstanding picture quality, and user-friendly smart features, the 6-Series 2022 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a powerful TV without breaking the bank.
While the TV does have some minor drawbacks, such as average built-in sound quality and a lack of HDMI 2.1 support, these issues are easily outweighed by the TV’s many strengths. If you are in the market for a new TV that offers top-notch performance and features at a competitive price, the TCL 6-Series 2022 should be at the top of your list.
