TCL 65S450F 65 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The TCL 65S450F is TCL's 65-inch 4K TV model from its S450 lineup. As a mid-range 4K TV, the TCL 65S450F aims to provide good overall performance and features at an affordable price point.

With its large 65-inch screen size, the TCL 65S450F is well-suited for living rooms and home theater setups where you want a big, immersive viewing experience. The 4K Ultra HD resolution delivers sharper, more detailed images compared to 1080p Full HD screens. HDR support allows for a wider range of colors and contrast for a more vibrant picture.

At its core, the TCL 65S450F focuses on delivering a solid 4K viewing experience and smart features for an approachable price. It's not loaded with every bell and whistle, but hits many of the key specs and capabilities most buyers look for in a mid-range, big-screen 4K TV option.

Design

The TCL 65" 65S450F 4K UHD Smart Roku TV has an attractive, modern design with a thin profile and minimal bezels. The TV is framed by thin black plastic bezels on the top, sides, and bottom. This creates a nearly all-screen look when viewing content, allowing you to focus on what's on the display rather than thick bezels.

The rear of the TV also has a thin profile. At its thickest point, the TV measures just 2.4 inches deep. This slim design allows the 65S450F to mount flush to the wall for a streamlined, built-in look. The rear plastic panel has a brushed finish that resists fingerprints and smudges.

Overall, the minimalist design of the 65S450F is perfect for contemporary homes and spaces. The thin bezels and slim depth provide a light, airy aesthetic that doesn't dominate or clutter the room. While the TCL 65S450F has an attractive modern design, other TVs like the SAMSUNG UN65CU8000 65-inch 4K UHD Smart TV also feature premium, sleek designs. The Samsung UN65CU8000 has an ultra-slim depth of just 0.9 inches, making it one of the thinnest LED TVs available. This allows it to mount completely flush to the wall. Additionally, the Samsung TV has a nearly invisible 1.7mm bezel for a boundless infinity screen effect when viewing content.

Both the TCL 65S450F and Samsung UN65CU8000 utilize slim, minimalist designs to create an immersive viewing experience. However, the Samsung goes a step further with an even slimmer depth and smaller bezels. This provides an especially modern, seamless aesthetic. So while the TCL has an attractive contemporary design, the Samsung UN65CU8000 takes it to another level. Those wanting the absolute thinnest, most minimalist TV should consider the Samsung.

In terms of build quality, the TCL 65S450F has a plastic construction which keeps it lightweight and easy to set up or wall mount. The plastic rear panel has a nice brushed, metallic finish that resists unsightly fingerprints. However, some may prefer the more premium build of the Samsung UN65CU8000. This TV has a three-sided boundless design formed by an aluminum outer frame. This gives it a very sleek, high-end look and feel. The aluminum is also more durable than the plastic shell of the TCL.

When looking at the rear of the TVs, both have a clean, streamlined appearance. The TCL 65S450F has all ports and inputs neatly arranged in a recessed area on the back panel. This provides a flush mount for wall installation. The Samsung UN65CU8000 also consolidates its inputs and ports to a single location on the rear panel. This allows for tidy cable management whether setting on a TV stand or mounting on the wall. Overall, both TVs emphasize seamless, minimalist designs to suit modern decor.

Display Quality

The TCL 65S450F has a high quality display that delivers a great viewing experience. The TV has a 65-inch screen with 4K Ultra HD resolution. With over 8 million pixels, 4K UHD provides stunning clarity and detail in the image. Even up close, the picture remains razor sharp.

4K resolution allows you to see all the fine details in content. It makes images look more lifelike and immersive. When watching 4K videos or movies, the extra resolution adds depth and realism to the picture.

In addition to 4K resolution, the TCL 65S450F supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology. With HDR, the TV can display a wider range of colors and brightness levels. This enhances details in the dark and bright parts of an image. HDR content shows intricate differences between shades of the same color. It also makes bright elements like sunlight, flames and special effects look more dazzling. Overall, HDR takes the viewing experience to the next level with added contrast and superior color reproduction.

The brilliant 4K resolution and HDR support ensure that the TCL 65S450F can reveal the full detail and visual splendor in movies, shows and games. The display quality of this TV provides an immersive viewing experience that makes content come alive. You'll be amazed by the vibrant colors, sharp details and high contrast when watching your favorite entertainment.

If you're looking for a 65-inch TV with exceptional display quality, the TCL 65S450F is an excellent option to consider. With its 4K Ultra HD resolution and HDR support, this TV delivers breathtaking image quality. It's perfect for watching the latest movies, TV shows, sports and gaming in stunning 4K. The lifelike picture will draw you in and make you feel part of the action.

Another great 65-inch 4K TV choice is the Sony KD65X80K. This model also has a 65-inch screen with 4K resolution and HDR capability. The Sony 4K processor provides excellent clarity and color. It upscales lower resolution content to near-4K quality. Motionflow XR technology ensures smooth action scenes with minimal motion blur. The Sony also supports Dolby Vision for enhanced HDR performance.

Both the TCL 65S450F and Sony KD65X80K deliver stunning 4K image quality with HDR. The Sony has more advanced video processing while the TCL is more budget-friendly. When choosing a 65-inch TV, consider your viewing habits, entertainment preferences, and budget. The display resolution, HDR format support, smart TV platform, and other features will impact your experience. Make sure to compare different models to find the perfect fit.

Smart TV Features

The TCL 65S450F comes with Roku TV, which provides easy access to a wide range of streaming services and apps right on the TV. The intuitive Roku TV interface makes it simple to find and watch content from popular services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, and many more.

One major advantage of the Roku platform is the huge selection of streaming channels available. Roku provides access to over 5,000 streaming channels covering virtually any streaming service or content provider you could want. The Roku Channel Store makes it easy to browse, search, and add new streaming channels to your TV.

The Roku TV interface is very user-friendly. The home screen provides quick access to your favorite streaming channels, inputs, and connected devices. Searching for movies, shows, actors etc. is very fast and intuitive with Roku's universal search feature. You can even search using your voice by pressing the voice button on the remote.

Roku TV comes with several handy features like private listening, which lets you listen to your shows via headphones connected to your remote or smartphone for private, quiet viewing. You also get the Roku mobile app, which allows using your iOS or Android device as a remote and even stream shows from your phone right to the TV.

Overall, the excellent Roku TV platform with its great selection of streaming apps and simplicity of use is a major highlight on the TCL 65S450F 4K TV. It provides seamless access to virtually any streaming service or content you could want.

Audio Quality

The TCL 65S450F comes equipped with decent built-in speakers, providing solid audio performance right out of the box. The 8-watt stereo speakers are positioned to direct sound at an angle towards the viewer for better audio rather than directing sound straight back. While the sound won't blow you away, it gets loud enough to hear in various sized rooms without issue. Voices come through clearly and music isn't terribly distorted at higher volumes. There's enough bass to give sound effects some oomph without getting overly muddy. The speakers handle busy action scenes without sounding too harsh. Overall, the built-in speakers perform well for casual TV watching or listening to music and podcasts. But to really take advantage of the 4K visuals, connecting the TV to an external soundbar or home theater system is recommended. The audio jack and optical digital port provide easy connectivity options for audio enhancements.

Ports

The TCL 65S450F comes with a great selection of ports. On the back of the TV, you'll find 3 HDMI inputs. The HDMI ports support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, allowing you to connect 4K devices and game consoles. All of the HDMI inputs are placed on the left side of the back panel, making them easily accessible.

There are also 2 USB ports, with 1 USB 2.0 port and 1 USB 3.0 port. The USB ports allow you to plug in external devices like hard drives and flash drives to view media files. The USB 3.0 port provides faster transfer speeds for large files. Both USB ports are located on the right side of the back panel.

Overall, the port selection covers everything most people need. With 3 HDMI inputs, you can connect a Blu-ray player, game console, and cable box simultaneously. And the USB ports give you options for accessing videos, photos, and music from a thumb drive or external hard drive.

Remote

The TCL 65S450F comes with a basic plastic remote that gets the job done. The remote is lightweight and fits comfortably in the hand.

The remote has a simple button layout with separate buttons for power, input source, settings, directional buttons, and playback controls. There's also a Netflix button and dedicated buttons to quickly access the Roku smart TV interface.

While the remote lacks advanced options like voice control, it does have some nice shortcuts. Holding down the home button brings up sleep and picture mode options, while holding volume lets you quickly mute. There are also dedicated buttons for controlling TV power and volume.

The remote runs on two AA batteries and has an efficient design that doesn't seem to drain batteries quickly. Overall the remote is functional and gets the core tasks done, though it lacks some of the advanced features found on more expensive remotes. For most users the included remote will be perfectly adequate for day to day TV control.

Performance

The TCL 65S450F delivers a good overall performance for its price range. The 4K Ultra HD resolution produces a crisp, detailed picture on the 65-inch screen. Colors appear vibrant and accurate thanks to the HDR technology, providing an immersive viewing experience whether you're watching movies, TV shows, sports or gaming.

The TV's quad-core processor ensures smooth navigation through the menus and built-in apps. Switching between inputs or streaming content is quick with minimal lag. The Roku TV interface is intuitive and responsive, allowing you to find content easily without any sluggishness. Apps launch rapidly so you can start streaming movies in seconds.

The TCL 65S450F handles fast motion well for sports and gaming. While not as low latency as a dedicated gaming monitor, the input lag is decent enough for casual gameplay. The TV upscales lower resolution content to 4K smoothly and effectively. Overall the performance is reliably good for the price.

Pros

The TCL 65S450F 65-inch 4K TV offers a lot of value for its affordable price point. If you're looking for a budget-friendly 4K TV with good picture quality and smart features, this model is worth considering.

• Affordable 4K TV: At well under $500, the 65S450F delivers 4K resolution at a very wallet-friendly price. 4K TVs used to cost over $1000 for this size just a few years ago, so getting 65-inches of Ultra HD for this cheap is impressive.

• Easy to Use: TCL's Roku TV operating system provides a simple and intuitive smart TV interface. The home screen lets you quickly access streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+, while the included Roku remote makes navigating menus easy. The remote also has voice control via Google Assistant or Alexa built-in.

Overall, if you want a big-screen 4K TV that won't break the bank, the TCL 65S450F is a great option with very few downsides given the price. It provides good 4K picture quality, smart features, and usability all at an affordable cost.

Cons

While the TCL 65S450F offers good overall performance and value for its price point, it does have some downsides to consider.

• Mediocre sound quality. The built-in speakers on the 65S450F are fairly basic and lack power and bass. While they get loud enough for most rooms, the audio quality is just mediocre and lacks depth. For better sound, you'll likely want to pair the TV with a soundbar or speaker system.

• Limited smart TV platform. The smart TV platform on the 65S450F, called Roku TV, is easy to use but lacks some of the apps and capabilities offered on higher-end smart TVs. There is no web browser, limited gaming options, and it misses some major apps like HBO Max. While Roku TV covers the essentials, it lacks the full suite of features some may want in a smart TV system.

So if you're looking for booming sound and a wide range of smart TV capabilities, the 65S450F leaves something to be desired. But given its affordable price point, these cons are understandable. Just factor them in if premium sound and smart features are important to your TV experience.