For A/V enthusiasts and picture tweakers, the 6-Series is not a good TV for tinkering, apart from choosing a picture mode and fiddling with the backlight. But if you’re a set-it-and-forget-it type of viewer and don’t care about getting your hands dirty in the settings menu, the 6-Series is a terrific option. It’s bright enough for daytime viewing, its local dimming is seriously impressive, and its Roku software is easy to warm up to.

This TV performs extremely well for its price point. It offers solid HDR specular highlights and the local dimming is outstanding for a TV at this price, so you get incredibly deep blacks — albeit with a slight hit to really dark shadow details at times, though nothing to get upset about. Blooming is extremely well mitigated; I would happily put this TV in my bedroom or a dedicated, light-controlled viewing room. The color looks outstanding, rich when it needs to be, and vivid when it needs to be.

Among 2022 TVs I've tested, the 6-Series' closest competitor is the Hisense U8H, the only other TV in this price range with mini-LED technology. In my side-by-side comparison I found the Hisense brighter and more dynamic, and therefore a better choice for very bright rooms than the TCL 6-Series. On the other hand its home theater image isn't quite as accurate or refined as the TCL, which is still incredibly bright itself. And if you care about built-in smart TV systems, it's worth noting the TCL has Roku, which I prefer to Google TV on the Hisense.

TCL’s latest 6-Series Roku TV turns in excellent performance overall and should please gamers with its low input lag. If you want a TV with Roku built in, this is currently our favorite. You just have to ignore that TCL’s 6-Series Google TV ($1,299 for 65 inches) offers more accurate colors and that the Hisense U8H is brighter. If you can give up the Roku platform, those are likely better choices, especially because discounts often bring their price down closer to the Roku. For much less, consider the Hisense U6H ($899.99 for 65 inches, but often available for closer to $600). It gets only half as bright as the 6-Series and shows a more limited range of colors, but still has lots of budget appeal. Otherwise, the LG C2 Evo OLED ($2499.99 retail for 65 inches, but currently $1,899.99) remains our high-end pick because of its fantastic color performance and sleek design, though it doesn’t get as bright as high-end LED TVs like the 6-Series.

The TCL 6-Series Roku TV (65R655) costs less than $1,000, but with superior brightness and gaming capabilities, no one who watches it will ever know.

New pedestal stand! Easy to use Roku interface. Mini-LED backlighting and quantum dots adds up to excellent contrast and color. 144-Hz refresh rate is great for gaming. Easy-to-reach cable bay on side of TV. Mostly plug-and-play screen setup.

It's a versatile TV that looks great in both bright and dark rooms. It can easily overcome glare, making it a very good choice for watching sports or shows during the day, but it's a bit limited by its narrow viewing angle, as the image degrades from the sides. It's impressive for watching movies in the dark, thanks to its fantastic contrast ratio and decent local dimming. It has a wide color gamut and excellent gradient handling for HDR content. It also delivers an amazing gaming experience thanks to its low input lag, fast response time, and variable refresh rate support.