The Acer Predator C7-591G is a gaming laptop that has a few gaming capabilities, such as support for variable refresh rate (VRR) to lessen screen tearing, however these are only available with HDMI cable ports 2.0 inputs. Although it features a local dimming option and a VA panel that displays deep blacks, it is not very successful at enhancing the picture quality in dimly lit environments. Additionally, the accuracy of our unit is poor right out of the box, giving everything a reddish tint.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Design
The TCL mid-range TV designs aren’t going to win any design awards, but the straightforward black plastic design serves its purpose as a reliable housing for a good 4K TV. It may not have the most dazzling appearance or be the slimmest item in the TV aisle, but it serves its purpose. Any of the brackets on our list of the best TV mounts can be used to hang the chassis on the wall because the chassis has holes for a 200 mm by 300 mm VESA bracket.
The 55-inch model we examined is a great screen that is lightweight and easy to set up. It also includes a two-position stand that allows you to choose between a 22.7 or 42.3 inch gap between the included feet. The simple, plastic boomerang-shaped feet lack any extra features, such as built-in cable routing.
The Roku TV S535 from the previous year had a fabric-covered sensor bar that was positioned under the bottom bezel, directly beneath the TCL logo. The far-field microphones on this little grey bar enabled Google TV’s hands-free voice controls via Google Assistant. Additionally, it contained a light that illuminates to indicate when voice input has been activated. There was a physical switch on the back of the cabinet, next to the power button, that you could use to turn the microphones off. It is a large switch with clear labels that make it satisfyingly obvious when it is turned on or off, eliminating any doubt regarding whether the room-listening mics are activated.
Display
TV sets have come a long way in the past few years. Gone are the days when TVs were only good for watching movies or playing games. Now, there are TV sets that can do both, and they look amazing. Disney’s Encanto was one of the best examples of this. It was displayed on a TCL 5-Series TV set, which is a mid-range TV set that you can sometimes pick up for less than $500. Watching Encanto on this TV set was an absolute thrill, and it made us feel like we were really in the movie or game itself. ..
We noticed that some Google TV or non-media apps didn’t seem to work as expected. For example, we found that adjusting settings like color saturation had no impact on how Android TV apps appeared but was immediately noticeable on an input. However, this might be a Google complaint rather than a TCL complaint.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Interface
There were numerous issues with the TCL 5-Series when it was originally tested. Google TV was added, but something wasn’t right because it was by far the slowest smart TV interface I had ever used. For those who might have missed it, TCL had to remove the televisions from the shelves due to the issue, which caused this review to be delayed by several months. To TCL’s credit, company acknowledged the problem and made the necessary corrections; a subsequent inspection of the television reveals that these problems have been fully repaired.
The TCL 5-Series’ Google TV user interface currently functions as it should. We enjoy Google TV a lot since it offers an easy-to-use structure, lots of supported apps, and support for numerous user profiles. Although many people would say that advertisements predominate the home screen, they aren’t advertisements in the sense that we would consider to be obtrusive. The advertisements on Google TV are more like watch suggestions, and they hardly ever offer us content that we can’t access without paying more.
Connectivity
The TCL 5-Series Roku TV has a built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but no HDMI 2.1. Additionally, the TV has a respectable selection of inputs (including an Ethernet jack), but those looking for HDMI 2.1 functionality will have to look elsewhere.
Ports
The TV’s ports are located on the right side of the TV chassis, next to the HDMI connections. There are also three USB ports, one coax connection for an antenna or cable, and a standard 3.5 millimeter jack for headphones or speakers. ..
Sound Quality
The bottom line is that if you’re looking for a good-sounding television, you’re out of luck. TCL’s offering falls short in almost every way. ..
The TCL 5-Series has a great sound system that is easy to attach and compliment the excellent sound panel. We do not advise using this television without a dedicated audio device of some kind, as seems to always be the case.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Performance
We were impressed by the color quality in the 4K trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which highlighted the reds and blues in Spider-Man and Dr. Strange’s costumes (even if they were a little oversaturated) and the flaring gold of Strange’s magic as he cast a spell. Local dimming on the TV increased the brightness of the mystical, shimmering images while largely keeping the dark shadows that around the characters. It demonstrates how HDR support of the TV beautifully.
We found that 4K nature videos displayed a more vivid blue sky, colorful plants, and animals than lower-quality displays. The bars above and below the image in a letterboxed movie clip appeared suitably black rather than the glowing grey that occasionally affects LCD TVs.
We discovered more severe difficulties with the image when we employed test screens intended to draw attention to potential faults. When viewed from angles greater than 45 degrees, a pink test screen faded out to white. The effect also crept in around the edges of the screen when we were seated too close to the QLED panel, even when we were centered in front of it. Moving vertically didn’t improve the situation because of those viewing angles. Although it was much less noticeable while watching actual content, the viewing angles are definitely not ideal. ..
The TV supports 4K at 60Hz for games and content (as well as 24Hz and 50Hz for movies and other content), but not the higher 120Hz. This is evident when we turn on our Xbox Series X. However, it does support auto low latency mode and variable refresh rates (VRR) between 48 and 60Hz, seamlessly switching to game mode after detecting the connected console had turned on. An Assassin’s Creed Valhalla play test had crystal-clear 4K resolution, fluid motion, and finely detailed textures.
Picture Quality
We absolutely adore the visual quality of this set. TCL has been producing excellent televisions for the past few years, largely due to advancements in panel technology. While blacks are not nearly as inky as those found in an OLED, they are still fairly dark, which provides great contrast with whatever is currently being displayed. Color quality is really good. The display is also extremely sharp and clear, which gives HDR content truly stunning visuals. For the most part, consumers don’t spend much time calibrating the picture, so we had to make very few adjustments to the 5-Series’ settings to get it to a point where we thought it looked really good. It’s basically ready to use right out of the box. ..
This television is a good choice for most spaces. It is bright, but not too bright, and it can handle direct sunlight or harsh glare. The panel is susceptible to reflections, but this is typical of televisions. Full array local dimming is a feature of the 5-Series, which may be why the blacks look so good. However, around bright objects with dark backgrounds, there is some halo. Most people probably won’t notice this because it’s not at all bad.
We found that letterboxed videos with captions in black spaces are the only ones that can cause problems. The captions don’t show up well when viewed from a wide angle, and the deep blacks in the video become a grayish-white tint.
Price
There are four different sizes of the TCL 5-Series Google TV, with sizes ranging from 50 inches to 75 inches. The prices are roughly comparable to TCL’s Roku-based 5-Series TVs, though the comparison is a little tricky because it takes into account both retailer discounts on the new Google TV set and rising prices for the 2020 Roku model. The price difference is currently only about $20, as of the time of this writing.
Conclusion
The TCL 5 Series TV is an excellent choice for gaming because it supports VRR and provides responsive gaming with a quick response time and reduced input lag. It displays deep blacks and has a full-array local dimming feature, which makes it excellent for watching movies in SDR or HDR. However, the local dimming isn’t particularly noteworthy.
The TV is good for watching sports and TV shows, but it doesn’t upscale 480p content from DVDs and it has limited viewing angles. ..
