TCL 50S425 50 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

TCL is a global electronics company and one of the world's largest TV manufacturers. The Chinese brand has made major inroads in the US market in recent years with its budget-friendly TVs that pack premium features.

The TCL 50S425 is a 50-inch 4K LED Smart TV that delivers good overall performance and value. This 2019 model features an ultra HD 4K display with HDR support, integrated Roku smart platform, and robust connectivity options. As part of TCL's S425 series, it sits at the entry-level for the brand's 4K lineup.

Key specs of the 50-inch TCL 50S425 include:

• 4K UHD LED display
• HDR support (HDR10, HLG)
• Roku TV smart platform
• Dual band WiFi
• 3 HDMI ports

With its affordable pricing and solid features, the TCL 50S425 targets budget-focused buyers looking for a big screen 4K TV option. This review provides an in-depth look at the design, display quality, features, performance and overall value of the 50-inch TCL 50S425 4K UHD Roku Smart TV.

Design

The TCL 50S425 has an attractive, slim design with thin bezels around the display for a more immersive viewing experience. The TV measures 44.1 x 28.2 x 3.2 inches without the stand attached and has a total weight of 38.2 pounds with the stand.

The included stand has a simple two-legged design with a brushed black finish. It provides sturdy support for the TV while leaving plenty of room for placing other AV components or a soundbar underneath. The stand's feet can be positioned more widely or narrowly to accommodate different furniture sizes.

A key aspect of the TCL 50S425's design is its ultra-thin bezels, which measure just 0.31 inches thick. This creates a frameless effect around the screen that looks premium and allows the display to take center stage in your living room. The slim bezels combined with the flat back panel give the 50S425 a streamlined, contemporary style.

Overall, the TCL 50S425's mix of thin bezels, understated stand, and slim depth create an appealing TV design that blends easily into modern decors. The minimalist look keeps attention focused on the viewing experience.

Compared to other 50-inch 4K TVs like the INSIGNIA NS-50F301NA24, the TCL 50S425 stands out for its ultra-slim bezels and streamlined profile. The Insignia model has thicker 1-inch bezels that give it a more dated look. It also lacks the refined, high-end aesthetic of the TCL with its basic plastic construction and large rear protrusion for inputs. If you're looking for a 50-inch TV that makes a design statement in your living room, the TCL 50S425 is a better choice over the bulkier Insignia NS-50F301NA24.

With dimensions of 44.5 x 28 x 3.1 inches without the stand, the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 has a very similar footprint to the TCL 50S425. However, the Insignia weighs a couple pounds more at 40.8 lbs total due to its thicker plastic body. While not a dealbreaker, the extra heft makes the Insignia slightly more difficult to lift and install on a wall mount or TV stand.

The stand design is one area where the Insignia NS-50F301NA24 does beat the TCL 50S425. It has a three-legged stand with brushed metal finish that provides great stability and allows for flexible placement of other components. The stand also has hidden cord management to help keep cables neatly tucked away. This adds to the clean, streamlined look.

Overall, the TCL 50S425 comes out ahead in design with its ultra-thin bezels and slimmer depth. It has a more premium, contemporary style compared to the thicker, plastic-heavy build of the Insignia NS-50F301NA24. Those wanting a 50-inch 4K TV that makes a statement will appreciate the TCL's refined minimalist aesthetic.

Display Quality

The TCL 50S425 features a 50-inch LCD display with an Ultra HD 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160. This level of 4K clarity and detail allows you to view content with over 8 million pixels for a lifelike viewing experience.

In terms of high dynamic range capabilities, this TV supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR. This allows you to enjoy enhanced color, contrast, and brightness on HDR-enabled content from sources like 4K Blu-ray players or streaming platforms. The expanded range of colors and detail really make HDR content come alive.

The LED panel on the 50S425 delivers vibrant colors and solid contrast. With a peak brightness of 300 nits, images appear sharp and colors pop nicely. The native contrast ratio is an impressive 4000:1 for deep blacks and bright highlights. This creates a balanced picture regardless of lighting conditions in your viewing environment.

Viewing angles are also very good on this TCL model. You can sit to the side of the screen and still see a clear, undistorted image. The quality stays consistent even at wide angles of around 170 degrees off center, so more seats around the room can enjoy the big screen. Overall, the display quality delivers a great 4K HDR viewing experience.

If you're looking for an alternative 50-inch 4K TV, the LG 50QNED75URA is also an excellent choice. This LG Nanocell model features a QNED display with Quantum Dot and NanoCell technology for vibrant, accurate colors. It supports Dolby Vision IQ HDR for optimized picture quality. Gaming performance is superb with HDMI 2.1 inputs, ALLM, and VRR. The smart TV platform is webOS for easy access to popular streaming apps. With its sleek, modern design, the 50QNED75URA fits nicely into any living room or home theater setup. While it costs more than the TCL, the LG does deliver better overall picture quality and smart features. But the TCL 50S425 is still a great budget 4K TV under $500 if you want UHD resolution without breaking the bank.

Smart TV Features

The TCL 50S425 comes with the user-friendly Roku TV platform built-in, providing quick access to thousands of streaming channels. The well-organized home screen makes finding entertainment easy with customizable rows like "My Channels" for your favorites.

The Roku Channel Store features over 500,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, Sling TV, and thousands more. Roku's search feature allows you to find shows across top channels just by title, actor or director.

For voice control, the TV is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant devices. Ask your voice assistant to launch channels, search for entertainment, control playback, switch inputs, change volume and more.

The TV also works with popular smart home devices and systems like Nest, Ring, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, and Control4. Using the Roku mobile app, you can turn your smartphone into a fully functioning remote with voice capabilities.

Overall, the robust Roku platform offers excellent app selection, intuitive navigation and voice control features to simplify your smart TV experience.

Audio Quality

The TCL 50S425 has decent audio quality for a budget 50-inch TV. It has a 2-channel speaker configuration with 8W power output. The maximum volume is reasonably loud but lacks bass due to the lack of a dedicated subwoofer.

The TV has DTS TruSurround sound mode to simulate surround sound effects from the two speakers. It helps widen the soundstage for a more immersive audio experience especially for content like movies and sports. However, the simulation is not as good as having a real surround sound speaker system.

Overall, the audio is clear for dialogues in TV shows and movies. But it lacks punch for action sequences and music playback. The bass is weak given the small speaker drivers. If audio quality is a priority, considering pairing the TV with a dedicated soundbar or speaker system.

The TV has a standard set of audio connections including HDMI ARC, optical, analog audio out, and a headphone jack. So you can easily connect external audio devices like soundbars if needed.

Connectivity

The TCL 50S425 has a decent selection of connectivity options, making it easy to connect your devices and stream content.

HDMI

The TV has 3 HDMI inputs, which is fairly standard for this price range. The HDMI ports support HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) on HDMI port #1, allowing you to send audio from the TV back to a soundbar or AV receiver using just the one HDMI cable. The HDMI inputs are HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2, providing enough bandwidth for 4K video at 60Hz and HDR content.

USB

There is 1 USB 2.0 port on the side of the TV. This can be used to play multimedia files like photos, music, and videos from a USB flash drive or external hard drive.

Ethernet

For the fastest and most reliable internet connection, the TCL 50S425 has an Ethernet port so you can connect directly to your home network with a LAN cable.

WiFi

The TV has built-in WiFi (802.11ac) for wireless internet connectivity. It connected quickly and reliably in testing to a 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless network.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth allows you to pair wireless headphones, speakers, or other audio devices to the TV. The TCL 50S425 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard.

Ease of Use

The TCL 50S425 offers excellent ease of use thanks to its simple setup process, intuitive remote, and user-friendly menu system.

Setup Process

Getting the TV up and running is very straightforward. Simply attach the stand or mount, plug in the power cord, connect your devices, and follow the on-screen setup prompts. The initial setup takes less than 10 minutes. TCL pre-activates the Roku TV so you can start streaming right away without a lengthy account linking or activation process.

Remote Control

The included Roku remote keeps things simple with just 20 buttons. There are dedicated buttons for popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Sling. The remote is very intuitive and easy to use even for people who aren't tech savvy. It utilizes IR so you need to point it at the TV, but this helps prevent accidental button presses.

Menu System

The Roku TV menu is focused on streaming content providers rather than inputs or complex settings menus. It provides quick access to add/remove streaming channels, search content, adjust display settings, and more. The menus have large text and icons making navigation effortless. There are helpful explanations for each setting so you always know what option you're adjusting.

Voice Controls

You can control the TV through the Roku mobile app or by using a compatible smart speaker. Ask it to launch apps, search for entertainment, switch inputs, adjust volume, and more. This hands-free voice control makes operating the TV simple and convenient.

Performance

The TCL 50S425 delivers good overall performance for its price range.

Picture Quality

The 4K resolution and HDR support produce a sharp, detailed picture. Colors look vibrant and accurate out of the box. The image remains clear and consistent across different content, with deep blacks and bright highlights in HDR mode. Fast action scenes have minimal motion blur.

Motion Handling

The 50S425 handles motion very well. It has a fast response time that keeps fast-moving action smooth and free of distracting motion artifacts. There is an optional Motion Clarity setting that can further reduce blur.

Upscaling

Lower resolution content is upscaled to 4K smoothly and naturally. The upscaling avoids introducing artifacts or softening of detail. Shows and movies at 1080p maintain excellent clarity.

HDR Brightness

HDR performance is decent for the price, achieving about 300 nits peak brightness on a 10% window in HDR mode. This brings out highlights well in most scenes. The set supports HDR10 but not Dolby Vision.

Lag Time

Input lag measures around 15ms in game mode, which is very low and should satisfy most gamers. There is no noticeable delay controlling games or using the Roku interface.

Pros & Cons

The TCL 50S425 50-inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV has several strengths as well as some weaknesses to consider:

Pros

• Excellent picture quality with 4K Ultra HD resolution and HDR support
• Easy to use Roku TV platform with access to thousands of streaming apps
• Built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to the internet without cables
• Affordable price point compared to other 4K TVs
• Voice controls with compatible devices and Roku mobile app
• Wide viewing angles thanks to direct LED backlight

Cons

• Only 60Hz refresh rate, lower than more expensive gaming-oriented 4K TVs
• Mediocre built-in audio quality and volume
• Limited number of HDMI and USB ports
• Basic motion processing not ideal for fast action sports/movies
• Lacks advanced smart TV capabilities like web browser

Overall, the TCL 50S425 provides very good 4K picture quality and smart TV features considering its reasonable price point. The pros like great HD and 4K image quality make it a compelling option for buyers looking for an affordable mid-size 4K TV option. However, users looking for robust gaming performance or premium audio may want to consider alternatives.

Conclusion

The TCL 50S425 is a solid mid-range 50-inch 4K TV that offers good overall performance for an affordable price. It has a sleek and modern design with decent build quality. The 4K UHD display looks sharp with vibrant colors, good contrast and solid viewing angles. Motion handling is also good with low input lag, making the TV responsive for gaming.

The Roku TV platform is easy to use with all the most popular streaming apps. It has basic smart features like voice control. Sound quality from the built-in speakers is passable but adding a soundbar is recommended for an immersive experience. Connectivity options like HDMI, USB, Ethernet and WiFi are standard.

For the price, the TCL 50S425 provides very good value. It's one of the more affordable 50-inch 4K TVs from a major brand. Comparable options include the Vizio V-Series and Samsung NU6900. The TCL edges both for better smart features and a more refined design. Overall the 50S425 hits the sweet spot of price versus performance and is easy to recommend for shoppers on a budget.