TCL 4-Series 55S425 55"

The TCL 55S425 scores a 4.6/5 from over 44,000 buyers, putting it in the 88th percentile for social proof. But the display sits in the 22nd percentile and audio in the 13th, so you're buying Roku convenience and a big screen, not picture quality. At $342 USD, it's a fine budget streaming TV for secondary spaces.

Let's talk about that 120Hz CMI number first, because it's a bit of marketing sleight of hand. CMI is TCL's motion interpolation trick, not a true 120Hz panel. The actual panel resolution is 3840 x 2160, which is proper 4K, but the display quality overall sits in the 22nd percentile in our database. That's near the bottom of the pack. Direct LED backlighting helps with uniformity compared to edge-lit sets, but you're not getting local dimming or any of the fancy panel tech that pushes pricier TVs up the charts.

Gaming lands in the 61st percentile, which is actually the strongest performance area here besides social proof. The 120Hz CMI marketing helps on paper, but without HDMI 2.1 or variable refresh rate support, this is a 60Hz panel doing its best impression of something smoother. HDR support is present but sits in the 36th percentile, so expect a checkbox feature rather than a transformative one. Audio is the real weak spot at the 13th percentile, one of the worst we've seen. Budget for a soundbar if you care about sound.

Stacked against the LG C5 OLED55C5PUA or the Sony BRAVIA 5 K65XR50, the 55S425 looks like it's playing a different sport. Those sets are OLED and premium LED panels with real HDR performance and high refresh rates. The TCL's 22nd percentile display ranking puts it nowhere near that conversation. The Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG and Samsung Neo QLED QN70F also outclass it on picture quality, though they cost significantly more. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is the most interesting comparison, same Roku platform but with better panel tech. The 55S425 wins on price and familiarity, loses on everything else that matters for picture quality.

At $342 USD, the 55S425 is cheap for a 55-inch 4K TV. But cheap is doing a lot of work here. The picture quality percentile of 36 and display percentile of 22 mean you're paying for size and smart features, not image performance. The Roku platform is genuinely good, and the 88th percentile social proof suggests most buyers feel they got their money's worth. If you just want a big screen for streaming in a bright room, this is a reasonable deal. If you care about contrast, HDR pop, or audio, you'll spend more elsewhere and probably be happier.

The TCL 55S425 is a 55-inch 4K TV that leans hard on its Roku smarts and a 4.6/5 rating from over 44,000 buyers. That social proof sits in the 88th percentile in our database, which means people really do like this thing. But the spec sheet tells a more complicated story. You get a Direct LED panel, HDR support, and a claimed 120Hz CMI refresh rate, all wrapped in a 2019-era package that's still floating around at $342 USD in the US.

For a budget 4K set, the 55S425 covers the basics. Three HDMI ports, dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and voice assistant support through Alexa or Google Assistant. It's not going to blow anyone away on picture quality, which lands in the 36th percentile, but it's a functional, friendly TV that gets out of your way and lets you watch stuff.

Skip this if you care about picture quality or audio. The 22nd percentile display ranking means blacks are gray, HDR is barely there, and the 13th percentile audio means you'll need a soundbar immediately. Gamers wanting HDMI 2.1, VRR, or true 120Hz should look elsewhere. If this is your main living room TV and you watch movies in a dark room, spend more on something with better contrast and real HDR performance.

The TCL 55S425 is a budget TV that knows what it is. A 4.6/5 rating from 44,392 buyers says most people are happy with it, and for $342 USD, that's a fair trade. But the 22nd percentile display and 13th percentile audio are hard to ignore. This is a streaming box with a big screen attached, not a home theater centerpiece. Buy it for a bedroom, a kids' room, or a secondary space where convenience beats performance.