TCL's 2020 TVs Serve Up QLED, Roku TV And Aggressive Pricing

TCL is a company that's been aboard the Roku TV train since the very start, and today, we're seeing it launch several new TVs that support the OS. TCL today announced new TVs for 2020 in its 5-series and 6-series lineup. All of these TVs use Roku TV, and for the first time, TCL says that it's using QLED tech in its 5-series lineup.

In all, TCL says that QLED tech will be featured in three of the five TV lineups it's offering this year, which likely means that we won't see it in the 4-series and 3-series. In any case, the new TVs TCL is introducing today output in 4K resolution and support Dolby Vision HDR. They'll also use TCL's own AiPQ engine to bolster HDR, 4K upscaling, and contrast.

That seems to cover the similarities, but of course, there are some key differences between the two series as well. In the 6-series, for instance, we'll see TCL use mini-LED backlighting to give the three TVs "up to 240 contrast control zones," compared to the 80 control zones in the 5-series with its standard LED backlighting.

The TVs in the 6-series will support Dolby Atmos sound and a THX-certified game mode, which promises a variable refresh rate that ranges from 48Hz to 120Hz. The game mode on these TVs also touts "low-latency" gaming, but in looking at the spec sheet for the 6-series TVs, we couldn't find any mention of input lag.

As far as the 5-series is concerned, it seems that these are the the TVs for those who don't mind a somewhat diminished feature set in return for a lower price tag. Though the TVs in this series still use quantum dot tech and Dolby Vision, they don't use Dolby Atmos and they don't seem to support the THX Game Mode found in the 6-series. As previously stated, they also have fewer contrast zones than the 6-series, so that's something to keep in mind if you're interested in picking up one of these TVs.

The 6-series is launching in limited availability beginning today, with a total of three models in the lineup: 55 inches ($649.99), 65 inches ($899.99) and 75 inches ($1,399.99). The 5-series, on the other hand, has a grand total of four models: 50 inches ($399.99), 55 inches ($449.99), 65 inches ($629.99) and 75 inches ($1,099.99). All TVs in the 5-series are presently available "from your favorite retailer" according to TCL.