TCL F35 Series 43F35 42.5"

A dirt-cheap 4K TV that punches above its weight on smart features and color vibrancy. Dolby Vision at this price was a genuine win, but it's out of stock everywhere right now. If you find one used at a fair price, it's still a decent secondary screen. Just don't overpay.

Picture quality lands in the lower third of our database, which sounds harsh but makes sense for a budget panel. The direct LED backlight helps with uniformity, and owners rave about vibrant colors and surprisingly deep blacks for the price. HDR formats are well covered with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG, though the peak brightness won't make HDR content truly pop the way it does on pricier sets. Gaming is a mixed bag. You get Auto Low Latency Mode for responsive play, but you're capped at a 60Hz panel with HDMI 2.0 ports, so current-gen console owners won't see 120Hz or VRR. Motion Rate 240 is marketing speak for motion smoothing, not a true 240Hz refresh rate. Audio is decent on paper with Dolby Atmos decoding, but in practice, the built-in speakers are thin. Multiple owners mention a soundbar is the way to go for anything beyond casual viewing.

The competitive field has shifted hard. The top five now includes the LG OLED evo C5, Samsung QN990F, Sony BRAVIA 9, TCL QM8K, and Hisense U8 Series. These are all flagship or near-flagship sets that make the 43F35 look like a toy in terms of brightness, contrast, and gaming features. That's not a fair fight, and it was never meant to be. The 43F35's real competition remains other ultra-budget panels and older 1080p sets. But with the Hisense U8 Series now sitting in the top five, the gap between budget and premium has never been more obvious. If you can stretch your budget, the Hisense U8 is a massive upgrade. If you can't, and you can actually find a 43F35 in stock, it's still a decent bottom-shelf option.

The 43F35 used to be a steal at $114 to $150, but right now it's out of stock everywhere. That changes the math. If you find one used or refurbished at a decent price, it's still a solid budget pick. But don't overpay just because it's scarce. The budget TV market moves fast, and newer options are already filling the gap.

The TCL 43F35 is a budget 4K TV that knows exactly what it is. It's not trying to blow your mind with next-gen brightness or 120Hz gaming, but it nails the basics for a bedroom or secondary setup. You get a sharp 4K picture, Dolby Vision support, and the full Fire TV smart platform built right in, no extra dongle required. Setup is dead simple, and the direct LED backlight keeps the screen looking more uniform than a lot of edge-lit sets at this price. Just don't expect it to light up a sun-drenched living room, its brightness is firmly in the 'dim room' category.

Skip this if it's going in your main living room with lots of windows. The low peak brightness will struggle against daylight, and the off-angle viewing isn't great. Serious gamers should also look elsewhere since the 60Hz cap and lack of VRR will hold back a PS5 or Xbox Series X.

The TCL 43F35 is a 'good enough' TV that overdelivers on smart features, but right now it's out of stock everywhere. That makes it hard to recommend as a new purchase. If you find one used or refurbished at a fair price, it's still a solid pick for a secondary space. Just keep your expectations in check on brightness and audio, and don't overpay for scarcity.