The TCL 6-Series Roku TV has big shoes to fill. For two years running it's been my favorite TV for everyday buyers, with excellent image quality, class-leading smarts and an affordable price. The 2020 version adds a new backlight system powered by mini-LED, improved gaming features and a 75-inch size, yet keeps the cost affordable. The result is the best picture quality for the money I've tested this year.

The new TCL 6-Series R635 continues to shine as a beacon for budget TV buyers out there. The inclusion of Mini LED technology boosts contrast of the 6-Series and the AiPQ Engine does a great job upscaling HD video. Motion handling still isn't flawless and it's not the brightest LED-LCD TV, but overall it's a great value.

Frankly, it breaks my heart not to give this TV 4.5 or even 5 out of 5 stars. It gets so close, and if TCL can address what I feel is an extremely complex picture settings process, I will adjust my score. Otherwise, the TCL 6-Series is an exceptional TV, seriously undercutting the competition, and bringing premium-tier picture quality to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

The TCL 6-Series of TVs for 2020 offers the best picture for the line yet, with fantastic color and contrast for a reasonable price.

The new TCL 6-Series R635 is the real deal for budget TV buyers out there. It represents enormous value for its affordable price and offers premium picture quality than the competition. The inclusion of Mini LED technology greatly boosts contrast of the 6-Series and the AiPQ Engine does a great job upscaling HD video.

The TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635) offers enormous value for it's affordable price, offering premium picture quality and a great smart TV experience for much less than the competition.

The TCL 65R635 mini-LED LCD TV is among the strongest values still on the market for a well-featured, reasonably strong performing 4K Ultra HD TV. The mini-LED system does a very good job of presenting bright HDR specular highlights and deep black, while avoiding issues with image retention.

It's great for watching movies in dark rooms thanks to its fantastic contrast ratio, but sadly its local dimming feature causes blooming around bright objects. HDR content looks great as the TV displays a wide color gamut, and it gets bright enough to make highlights pop. It also has great gaming features like a quick response time and VRR support, but it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 support. It's good for watching sports and shows in bright rooms, but it has narrow viewing angles if you have a wide seating arrangement.