TCL 50S450F 50 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The TCL 50S450F is a 50-inch 4K UHD smart LED TV that delivers a high-quality viewing experience at a very affordable price point. This 2021 model from TCL's S-Series line features an impressive 4K resolution for incredibly detailed and sharp visuals. The HDR technology ensures colors are vibrant and lifelike.

With the inclusion of Roku TV, the 50S450F gives you convenient access to hundreds of streaming apps and channels. Gaming on this TV is smooth and responsive thanks to the Auto Game Mode. For the budget-conscious buyer looking for a big-screen 4K smart TV, the 50S450F is a great option that doesn't sacrifice performance or features.

Design

The TCL 50S450F TV has an attractive minimalist design with thin bezels and a slim profile. The TV's plastic frame and thin metal stand give it a sleek, modern look that blends nicely into any living room.

TCL designed the 50S450F to be as slim as possible, measuring just 2.28 inches thick. That slender depth allows the 50-inch screen to take up more space on your wall or TV stand without jutting out too far. It has a narrow black bezel framing the display that tapers down to just 0.31 inches along the sides. This creates a nearly bezel-less aesthetic when viewing content, so you see more picture and less frame.

The included stand has a low-profile L-shaped metal design with plastic accents matching the TV's rear casing. The stand's footprint is quite small, requiring just a 7.4 inch width to support the large 50-inch screen. If wall mounting, the TV is compatible with industry standard VESA 200x200 brackets. Overall the 50S450F cuts a trim, minimalist profile whether placed on a stand or hung on a wall.

While the TCL 50S450F has an attractive minimalist design, some other 50-inch TVs like the LG 50UQ7570PUJ offer a more premium look and feel. The LG model has an ultra-thin aluminum frame and sleek metal stand that give it a high-end aesthetic. The nearly bezel-less screen features an elegant brushed metal back panel rather than plain plastic. This results in a TV that looks like it belongs in an upscale living room despite having a similar size and price point as the TCL.

Of course design preference is subjective, but the LG does offer more stylistic flourishes compared to the pared-back utilitarian look of the TCL model. Those wanting a TV that makes a bolder design statement may want to consider the metal/glass construction and razor-thin bezels of the LG 50UQ7570PUJ. However, for shoppers focused purely on value for money, the TCL 50S450F delivers solid performance and smart features in an attractive minimalist package.

In the end, both these 50-inch 4K TVs have merits when it comes to aesthetics and design. The TCL opts for simplicity with its plastic body and thin bezels, while the LG goes for sophistication with premium materials and finer details. Your own tastes and room décor will determine which design ethos you prefer between these two quality televisions.

Display Quality

The TCL 50S450F features a 50-inch 4K UHD display with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, producing stunningly sharp images. Images on the screen appear vibrant and crisp, with meticulous details. The 50S450F supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) content including HDR10 and Dolby Vision. With both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the TV can display a wider color gamut, with enriched contrast and increased brightness levels up to 600 nits for striking highlights in supported content. Overall, the 4K resolution and HDR support result in a remarkably immersive viewing experience whether you are watching movies, TV shows, sports or gaming. The 50-inch screen provides an expansive viewing area well-suited for most living rooms.

The 4K Ultra HD resolution gives you a staggeringly beautiful picture with over 8 million pixels - four times the resolution of Full HD. See refined detail, remarkable clarity and expanded contrast in every scene. With PurColor you can enjoy millions of shades of color, fine-tuned to create an incredibly vibrant picture. The Ultra HD engine even upscales lower resolution content to near 4K quality so you get the best viewing experience. In addition, HDR technology uncovers a wider range of color and detail that other TVs miss. It reveals shades of light and dark that bring entertainment to life before your eyes. The TCL 4-Series TV redefines television with 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capability.

For comparison, the SAMSUNG UN50TU7000FXZA is another popular 50-inch 4K UHD TV. It features a Crystal Processor 4K for crisp 4K upscaling and PurColor technology for a wider range of colors. The Samsung UN50TU7000FXZA supports HDR content in HDR10+ format. It has a rated peak brightness of 500 nits and supports automatic low latency mode for gaming. Overall, the Samsung UN50TU7000FXZA provides a solid 4K viewing experience at an affordable price point. However, the TCL 50S450F offers comparable 4K picture quality with Dolby Vision support at an even lower price. So if you're looking for premium 4K visuals on a budget, the TCL 50S450F is an excellent option to consider.

Smart TV Features

The TCL 50S450F runs the intuitive Roku TV interface, providing easy access to thousands of streaming channels and apps. The home screen has shortcuts for popular services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. You can also add the apps you want through the Roku Channel Store, which has options like HBO Max, YouTube, Apple TV, and countless others.

Voice control makes navigating content a breeze. The included Roku voice remote allows you to launch apps, search for titles, switch inputs, control TV volume, and more completely hands-free. Just press the microphone button and speak naturally to get things done quickly.

For smart home integration, the TV works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Use voice commands to turn the TV on or off, change volume, switch inputs, and launch content. This allows you to control the 50S450F as part of your broader smart home ecosystem.

Roku TV receives regular software updates to improve performance and add new features. The simple, customizable interface paired with robust voice control and smart home support make it easy to access a world of streaming entertainment on the TCL 50S450F.

Audio Quality

The TCL 50S450F TV has decent sound quality from its built-in speakers. It comes equipped with 2 stereo speakers that provide ample volume to fill up smaller rooms.

The speakers deliver clear audio for both TV shows and movies. Dialogue comes through crisp and intelligible from the center channel. There is decent stereo separation which helps widen the soundstage a bit. However, bass response is lacking so explosions and action sequences won't have much thump or impact.

For a budget 4K TV, the TCL 50S450F provides passable audio performance right out of the box. But to truly take advantage of the 4K video resolution, investing in a soundbar or external speakers is recommended. The built-in speakers get the job done for everyday TV watching but lack the full-range sound needed for an immersive home theater experience.

Overall, the TCL 50S450F includes basic stereo speakers capable of decent sound quality. They can handle daily TV audio needs but fall short of premium sound.

Ports & Connectivity

• HDMI - The TCL 50S450F includes multiple HDMI ports, which allow you to connect the TV to various media devices like Blu-ray players, streaming media players, and more. This lets you enjoy high-definition video and audio from those devices on the large 50-inch screen.

• USB - For connecting USB flash drives or external hard drives that contain your personal media library. You can play videos, music, and view photos directly from the drive. There are multiple USB ports for added convenience.

• Ethernet - For connecting to your home network via wired Ethernet cable. This ensures a more reliable and faster network connection, especially for 4K streaming and gaming.

• WiFi - Also includes built-in WiFi so you can connect to your home wireless network. This allows smart TV functions like streaming apps and software updates to work without running cables. The WiFi is dual-band for better performance on congested networks.

Gaming Performance

The TCL 50S450F is a solid option for gamers looking for a budget 4K TV thanks to its low input lag and Auto Game Mode feature.

Input lag refers to the delay between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action happen on screen. Lower input lag is crucial for competitive online multiplayer games where every millisecond counts. The 50S450F has very low input lag at just 15ms in Game Mode. This beats out many pricier gaming TVs and ensures your actions translate almost instantly without any noticeable delay.

TCL's Auto Game Mode automatically switches the TV into low latency Game Mode whenever it detects a game console input. This saves you from having to manually enable Game Mode every time you start gaming. The TV recognizes when a PlayStation, Xbox or Switch is connected and optimizes itself for the best responsiveness.

Overall the 50S450F provides a great gaming experience for the price. The low input lag and Auto Game Mode allow you to game competitively and react quickly during fast-paced action. Casual gamers will also appreciate the smooth, lag-free visuals.

Ease of Use

The TCL 50S450F has a very simple and intuitive user interface thanks to Roku TV. The home screen provides quick access to installed apps, inputs, and settings. Navigation is straightforward with the included remote which has dedicated buttons for popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.

Roku TV makes it easy to search for content across different services just by typing a title into the search function. You can control the TV through the Roku mobile app as well which allows private listening by plugging headphones into your phone.

Setting up the initial connection to WiFi is simple with the on-screen prompts. Beyond that, there aren't complicated settings to deal with. The Roku TV platform handles updates automatically in the background so you always have the latest software and features.

Overall the simplicity of Roku TV makes the TCL 50S450F easy to start enjoying out of the box without needing to be technically savvy. It provides a smooth smart TV experience for accessing entertainment and apps.

Pros

• The TCL 50S450F offers an excellent 4K UHD picture quality at an affordable price point. The 4K resolution and HDR support result in sharp, vibrant images with good color accuracy. The 50-inch screen size is ideal for most living rooms.

• This TV has a simple and intuitive Roku TV interface that makes it very easy to navigate and find content from various apps and streaming services. The remote is also basic and straightforward to use.

• There are plenty of smart features built-in, including access to hundreds of streaming channels through Roku TV. You can quickly launch Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max and more. It also supports Apple AirPlay for easy streaming from iOS devices.

• The voice search functionality via the remote makes it simple to find content across different services just by speaking into the remote. This is a lot more convenient than typing search queries.

• Overall, the TCL 50S450F provides a premium 4K viewing experience without breaking the bank. The Roku platform and voice control offer great smart TV features for the price. It's an excellent choice for shoppers looking for a mid-range 4K TV that doesn't compromise on picture quality or usability.

Cons

The TCL 50S450F has a few downsides to consider:

• Only 2 HDMI ports - With just 2 HDMI ports, the 50S450F doesn't allow many external devices to be connected at once. This can be limiting for home theater setups or if you need to attach multiple gaming consoles, streaming sticks, etc. Adding an HDMI switcher helps, but more built-in ports would be better.

• No local dimming - Local dimming allows the TV to selectively dim just parts of the backlight behind dark areas of the screen, improving contrast. Without local dimming, blacks appear more washed out and gray. This reduces picture quality for dark scenes in movies and games.

• Basic sound - The built-in speakers lack bass and sound tinny at higher volumes. Dialogue can also sound hollow and difficult to understand at times. Using a soundbar greatly improves the audio experience. The set lacks Dolby Atmos support too.