Pros & Cons
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- Very affordable.
- Decent picture quality.
- Roku TV offers many media streaming options.
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- Middling black levels.
- Roku TV interface prevents any sort of deep calibration.
If you're on a tight budget, buying an HDTV requires some form of compromise. It used to be that you had to give up both picture quality and features. You still won't get the best picture without spending an appreciable amount of money, but thanks to Roku TV, you can get a full-featured, affordable big TV for a very low price. Last year's TCL FS4610R series performed well and offered a slew of online services through Roku, earning it our Editors' Choice. It's being replaced by TCL's FS3700 line, of which we tested the 55-inch 55FS3700. Its $598 retail price is a full $80 less than the price of the 55-inch 55FS4610R from last year, and it delivers the same solid performance and offers loads of streaming media thanks to its Roku TV core. It easily earns our Editors' Choice for budget HDTVs.
Editors' Note: This review is based on tests performed on the TCL 55FS3700, the 55-inch version of the series. Besides the screen-size difference, the 48-inch $429 48FS3700 is identical in features, and while we didn't perform lab tests on this specific model, we expect similar performance.
Design
The 55FS3700 showcases TCL's typical understated, functional design aesthetic. The screen is surrounded on all sides by half-inch, flat, glossy black plastic bezels marred only by TCL and Roku logos on the bottom edge, and an indicator light just beneath the TCL logo. The screen stands on a clear-and-black, rectangular glass base that holds it up steady but doesn't let it pivot. This HDTV won't catch anyone's eye, but it doesn't look particularly cheap, either; it blends well into wherever you place it.
View All Facing right on the back of thr screen you'll find three HDMI ports, along with a USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a cable/antenna connector, an optical audio output, and a pinhole Reset button. Beyond those connections, the 55FS3700 also has a composite video input facing straight back, and that's it. A small joystick sits behind the screen on the lower-right corner and serves as a Power button and a simple input device, but it's best treated as a backup, and you'll want to use the included remote whenever possible.
