TCL A3G Designer Series 65A3G 64.5"

A gorgeous lifestyle TV that's smarter than it is pretty. Buy it for the art mode and the flush mount, not the picture quality.

The A3G's smart features are genuinely best-in-class. It's in the 99th percentile for smart performance, which means Google TV flies here. Apps open instantly, voice control works, and the whole interface feels snappy. Gaming is also a standout at the 91st percentile, with 144Hz, FreeSync Premium, and ALLM making it a solid choice for console players. But here's the surprise: the display itself is only at the 45th percentile. For a QLED with Dolby Vision IQ, that's underwhelming. The edge-lit backlight holds it back, and the matte anti-glare screen, while great for the art mode, slightly softens the picture. It's a TV that's smarter than it is pretty, which is a weird thing to say about a Designer Series.

The Samsung Neo QLED QN70F and Sony BRAVIA 5 K65XR50 both beat the A3G on raw picture quality, no contest. Samsung's mini-LED backlight and Sony's processing are just better. But neither of them looks as good on your wall when they're off. The Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG is the value play, with better HDR brightness for less money, but it's a chunky black rectangle. The A3G is for people who want their TV to be furniture first and a display second. If you're a cinephile, get the Sony. If you're a gamer on a budget, get the Hisense. If you want your living room to look like a gallery, get this.

Pricing is all over the place right now. We're seeing listings from USD 199 to USD 696, which is a massive USD 497 spread. At the low end, this is an absolute steal for a 65-inch QLED with this feature set. At the high end, you're paying a premium for the design and the art features, and you could get better picture quality elsewhere for less. If you can find it under USD 400, grab it. If it's over USD 600, think hard about whether you actually care about the art mode.

The TCL A3G Designer Series is a TV that cares as much about how it looks on your wall as how it looks on screen. And honestly, it nails the lifestyle angle. The off-white bezel, the flush wall mount, the art library, it's all designed to make your TV disappear into your decor when you're not watching it. But the real question is whether it's still a good TV when you actually turn it on. The answer is mostly yes, with a few caveats. This is a smart TV first, a pretty picture frame second, and a gaming monitor third.

If you're a home theater enthusiast who wants deep blacks and high peak brightness for HDR movies, this isn't your TV. The edge-lit backlight just can't compete with mini-LED or OLED. Go get the Sony BRAVIA 5 or a Hisense U8 instead. Also skip it if you already have a VESA mount installed, since this TV won't fit on it.

The TCL A3G Designer Series is a niche product that knows exactly what it is. It's not the best TV for movie nights, and it's not the best value for gamers. But it's the best-looking TV you can buy for under USD 700, and the smart features are genuinely excellent. If you care about aesthetics and you want a TV that blends into your home, this is the one. If you just want the best picture for your dollar, look elsewhere.