TCL 4-Series 55S451 55"

The TCL 4-Series 55S451 is a 55-inch 4K Roku TV for $335, and that's the whole story. Roku built in is genuinely great, and you get AirPlay plus voice control support. But picture quality is below average and gaming is a non-starter with a 60Hz panel and no gaming features. Buy it for a bedroom or guest room, not for a home theater.

The 55S451 runs a 60Hz panel, which is fine for movies, TV shows, and casual viewing but a dead end for serious gaming. There's no VRR, no 120Hz mode, and no gaming-specific features worth mentioning. The gaming score of 18th percentile tells the story: this TV will display your console games, but it won't do them any favors. Input lag isn't listed in our data, but the lack of gaming features alone puts this firmly in the "play casually or don't bother" category.

HDR support is technically here with HDR10 and HLG, but the 64th percentile HDR score is a bit misleading. This is an edge-lit LED panel without local dimming, so HDR content won't have the contrast or brightness to really shine. You'll get the metadata and the compatibility checkmark, but the visual impact will be modest. For SDR content, which is most of what people actually stream, the picture is solid enough for the price. Just don't expect it to compete with sets costing twice as much.

Stacked against the Roku Pro Series 55R8C5, the 55S451 looks like the budget sibling. The Roku Pro has better picture quality and likely better HDR performance, but it also costs more. If you're already sold on the Roku ecosystem and want a step up in image quality, the Pro Series is the move. If you just want Roku and don't care about the finer points of contrast and brightness, the 4-Series gets you there for less.

The LG C5 OLED and Sony BRAVIA 5 are in another universe entirely. OLED gives you perfect blacks and incredible contrast, while the Sony brings superior processing and motion handling. But you'll pay two to three times the price for those sets. The Hisense U8 Series is the interesting middle ground, offering mini-LED backlighting and much better HDR for a price that's higher than the TCL but far below the OLEDs. If you can stretch your budget, the Hisense is the value sweet spot. If you can't, the TCL 4-Series is a perfectly reasonable consolation prize.

At $335, the 55S451 is one of the cheapest ways to get a 55-inch 4K smart TV from a recognizable brand. That's the whole pitch. You're not paying for premium picture tech, you're paying for size and convenience. The Roku platform alone saves you from buying a separate streaming stick, which is a real $30 to $50 value baked into the price.

Compared to the competition, this is a value play in the truest sense. The LG C5 OLED and Sony BRAVIA 5 are in completely different leagues, both in performance and price. The Hisense U8 Series and Samsung Neo QLED also outclass this set on picture quality, but they cost significantly more. If your budget is tight and you want the biggest screen possible, the 55S451 delivers. Just know that every dollar you save comes out of the picture quality and gaming performance.

The TCL 4-Series 55S451 is the kind of TV you buy when you want a big screen without a big headache. It's a 55-inch 4K LED panel with Roku TV built in, which means setup takes about five minutes and you'll spend more time picking what to watch than figuring out how to watch it. At $335, this is firmly in budget territory, and TCL has made a name for itself by packing decent specs into aggressively priced sets.

Who's this for? Cord cutters, dorm rooms, guest bedrooms, and anyone who wants a simple smart TV that just works. The Roku platform is the star here. It's clean, fast, and gives you access to thousands of streaming channels without needing an external box. You also get AirPlay support, plus voice control through Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, which is more flexibility than you'd expect at this price.

But let's be real about what this isn't. The 4-Series sits near the bottom of TCL's lineup. Picture quality lands in the 36th percentile among TVs we track, and gaming performance is even rougher at the 18th percentile. If you're looking for deep blacks, high refresh rates, or HDR that makes your eyes pop, this isn't the set. If you're looking for a dependable 55-inch screen for everyday streaming, it might be exactly what you need.

If you're a serious gamer, skip this. The 60Hz panel and lack of gaming features put it in the 18th percentile for gaming, which means you'll be leaving performance on the table with a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Look for a set with 120Hz, VRR, and HDMI 2.1 instead. The Hisense U8 Series or a mid-range Samsung are better starting points.

If you care about picture quality, especially for movies in a dark room, this isn't the TV for you. The 36th percentile picture quality score and lack of local dimming mean blacks will look gray and HDR won't impress. The LG C5 OLED or Sony BRAVIA 5 are the obvious upgrades, but even the Hisense U8 with mini-LED will be a massive step up. If you're building a home theater, spend the extra money. The 55S451 is a utility TV, not a centerpiece.

For a guest room, a kid's room, or a first apartment, the TCL 55S451 is a solid pick. It's big, it's cheap, and the Roku interface means anyone can use it without a manual. The 4 HDMI ports give you room for a console, a streaming box, a soundbar, and a cable box, which is more than enough for most setups. The eARC port is a nice touch if you want to add a soundbar later.

For a main living room TV where you'll watch movies in a dark room or game seriously, look elsewhere. The picture quality and gaming limitations will frustrate you over time. Spend a bit more on the Hisense U8 or save up for an OLED. The 55S451 is a great second TV or a fine first TV if your expectations are realistic. Just don't buy it expecting it to punch above its price class, because it doesn't.