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One thing we have learned from our TCL TV reviews is that there is no denying the fact the 49S405 has taken the budget television industry by storm. This television has made Ultra-HD viewing more accessible and affordable. Now anyone who has about $500 to spare can watch their favorite shows and movies in 4K, and enjoy great clarity, picture quality and decent sound.
Let’s jump right into another one of our TCL TV reviews.
The TCL 49S405 measures about 43.7 inches wide x 25.3 inches high x 3 inches deep without a stand, and 43.7 inches wide x 27.7 inches high x 8.5 inches deep with a stand. At about 25.4 pounds, this television is quite light in weight. This TV meets Energy Star specifications for energy efficiency, and the remote requires two AAA batteries to operate.
Content Breakdown
TCL TV reviews: Part one
Who is the product designed for?
If you already have a large television for your living room and are looking for a smaller TV for your bedroom, the TCL 49S405 is the perfect pick. It is very affordable, and the size is appropriate for a second television. The great price also makes it ideal for anyone who wants a 4K television but does not have enough money to purchase a TV from one of the top-shelf brands.
This television is also ideal for people who are not very tech savvy since the remote is very basic and the Roku interface is user-friendly and intuitive. Furthermore, it is easy to use and has a lot of great features. The Roku television feature is also ideal for anyone who likes watching the latest movies from the comfort of their home or bed. Our TCL TV reviews are just getting started.
Product overview
Do you wish to enter the wonderful world of 4K television but are afraid that it would cost you an arm and a leg? There is no denying that Ultra-HD or 4K television offers clearer and sharper images and a better viewing experience. Fortunately, most consumers would be surprised to learn that this television does not have to put a dent in your wallet.
Because it is a budget television, you have to be ready to compromise on a few features. For starters, the overall design is pretty basic. Like other S-series televisions, the TCL 49S45 has a slightly curved plastic bezel with a glossy finish. The top and side bezels measure 0.6 inches, while the bottom bezel measures 0.8 inches. The center of the bottom bezel has the TCL logo and the lower right-hand corner has the Roku TV logo.
On the back of the TCL 49S405 television is the power connector, which sits towards the right side. All the other connections sit closer to the left side on the back of the television. Some of the ports and connectors include HDMI ports, a USB port, headphone jack, audio output and Ethernet port.
In terms of performance and display, this television delivers Ultra HD picture quality. This means that you can expect to enjoy up to four times the resolution of Full HD televisions. Fortunately, more and more channels and streaming sites are offering 4K content. The 4K creative pro upscaling feature allows you to watch HD programs and channels in near 4K quality.
That’s not all we discovered during our TCL TV Reviews.
This television also has Roku TV, which offers more than 4000 channels for the consumer’s viewing pleasure. The Roku remote is very simple yet functional, and the Roku app makes it easier to change channels using mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. This television is also antennae and cable friendly, making it ideal for anyone who does not want to stream their television shows. You can even use the built-in tuner to get free over-the-air channels.
I have had a great experience using this television to watch my favorite comedy and news shows. However, this might not be the best television if you like movies and shows with lots of fast action or dark scenes. We still have a lot left to cover for our TCL TV reviews. Let’s head into the second section of this article.
[Read what others are saying about the TCL 49S405]
TCL TV reviews: Part two
Product features
1. Display
The TCL 49S405 is an Ultra-HD television set with HDR10 support. Unfortunately, it does not support other HDR formats, including Technicolor HDR and Dolby Vision. Reviews reveal that this television has better color accuracy than most other televisions within its price range. This color is especially accurate in TV scenes of faces. In Deadpool, the main actor’s face look’s true to life in most scenes, and he looks appropriately ill in later scenes where he suffers from cancer. Due to the color accuracy, it is very easy to tell a healthy face from a sickly one.
Vibrant colors also look very good on this television. Blue skies are very blue, and red flowers are very red. However, there is some backlight inconsistency, as the corners are darker than the rest of the screen, though the difference is subtle.
Unfortunately, this television doesn’t perform too well when the scenes are too dark. For example, when viewing the inside of the alien ship in the movie ‘Arrival’, dark parts had lots of shadows and looked washed out. Brightly lit images in high contrast scenes also had a lot of unwanted halos around them. HDR does make the scenes a bit better, though the backlight inconsistencies reduce its ‘wow-factor’.
The TCL 492405 has a matte screen, which does a great job of reducing glare and reflections.
We weren’t kidding around when we said we would provide detailed TCL TV reviews.
2. Ports
The left hand of the television features most of the TCL 49S405’s connections. This television has three HDMI ports, including one that has ARC support with external audio and does not need a separate receiver. The left-hand side of the TV also features a USB 2.0 port, a digital audio port and a coaxial connector for the antenna.
Inputs for composite video and sound sit on the rear panel. This television has an Ethernet port for wired connection and built-in 802.11 Wi-Fi for wireless connection. The number of ports is sufficient for people who have few devices. However, if you have more than three external devices, including a soundbar, game console and Blu-ray player, you may have to purchase a cheap HDMI switcher.
3. Performance
This television has a basic refresh rate of 60Hz, though the manufacturer claims that the TV can achieve an effective refresh rate of 120Hz through processing to make the images appear smoother.
The TCL 49S405 offers a short lag time in Game Mode, with a response time of about 15.1 milliseconds. This is also quite good for any gaming enthusiast. The performance capabilities really stuck out during our TCL TV reviews.
4. Power consumption
Under normal viewing conditions, the TCL 49S405 consumes about 90 watts of electricity. However, you can cut down your power consumption to about 60 watts by setting your television to a darker backlight.
5. Smart features
TCL 49S405 has Roku television, which makes it a lot easier to browse the internet and stream your favorite movies and television shows. Roku puts thousands of apps at your fingertips, offering better coverage than other smart TV platforms. Examples include Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, Google Play Movies and TV, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, HBO Now and Showtime.
If any of the apps stream shows or movies in 4K or HDR, your Roku TV will deliver these two, with the exception of Vudu which is not yet available in HDR but is available in 4K. This TCL 49S405 also has a ‘4K spotlight’ feature, which identifies individual HDR and 4K television shows and movies across various providers, though it does not search through Netflix. The Roku television also has a ‘4K content available’ feature, which shows all available 4K apps on Roku.
One main benefit of Roku television is that it responds very quickly and serves up shows and movies without any delay. The user interface is also quite straightforward and intuitive, making it very easy to use. Roku also has a great search feature.
6. Audio
The TCL 49S405 features two-channel audio, with two 8-watt speakers for all the sound. Reviews reveal that the audio on this television does not have any significant distortion, unless at the very highest volume. Everything under 80% volume was quite clear.
The speakers are not of the highest quality, and the bass levels are pretty weak, especially at lower volumes. However, when you increase the volume, the bass levels are surprisingly great for a low-end TV.
7. Remote
The remote is very simple and basic. It features only 20 buttons for easier navigation. This means that the TCL 49S405 remote has about half the buttons of traditional remote so you never have to struggle to find the right button or understand what other buttons are for.
This remote features a very large directional pad with buttons that are clearly marked for home, settings, back and restart. The remote also has basic media-playback controls and a dedicated button for Netflix, CBS News, Sling TV and Amazon.
Unlike remotes for other TCL models, this one does not have a headphone jack or voice search. However, if you really need to use these features, you can download the Roku mobile app. The powerful app transforms your mobile phone or tablet into a streaming device. Use the app as a remote control or for search with your voice or keyboard. The app is also useful for sharing videos, music and photos to the TV, or casting web videos and movies to your TV with YouTube and Netflix mobile apps. If you want to listen to a show privately, you can plug headphones into your mobile device.
Just one more product feature to cover left for this TCL TV reviews.
8. Extra features
Like most Roku TVs, the TCL 49S405 has a few features that make viewing more enjoyable. One of the best features is Premiere+, which allows you to pause live TV from an antenna. Another very useful feature is ‘More Ways to Watch’. This feature suggests any streaming alternatives to movies and TV shows from cable, satellite, antenna or Blu-ray.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Great color accuracy
- Short lag time
- Roku TV is simple to use and features lots of channels and apps
- Simple and intuitive user interface
- Very energy efficient
Cons
- Lacks local dimming
- Audio quality is poor
- Remote is too basic and does not offer private listening or voice search capabilities
- The picture quality is not the best in the industry, even with 4K and HDR
- Could use more HDMI and USB ports
- Backlighting has unwanted shadows
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I connect my TCL 49S405 to Chromecast or Apple TV?
This television has three HDMI inputs and one USB port, which you can use to connect to various external sources such as Apple TV and Chromecast. However, this would be largely redundant, as the television comes with Roku TV. Roku TV has thousands of apps and streaming channels and gives you access to more than 500,000 shows and movies.
2. Can I connect this television to my Bose sound system?
Yes. Depending on the sound system you have, you can either connect it to this TV via digital optical audio out, HDMI ARC or analog audio out in the form of a 3.5 mm jack.
3. Can I use this television as a computer monitor?
Yes, you can.
4. Can I mount this TV on my wall? If yes, what VESA dimensions does it have?
Yes, you can mount this television on your wall. The TCL 49S405 TV uses the standard 200mm by 200 mm VESA pattern with M6 bolts.
5. I do not have a smart mobile device. Does this television have a complete remote?
The remote is pretty basic, but you can use it to access every setting, app and functions of the television. The only advantage of the Roku mobile app is it allows for private listening and voice search and adds the expert picture setting for calibration.
6. Does this television have Bluetooth?
No. This television does not have Bluetooth.
Wrapping up TCL TV reviews
If you are looking for a bargain television that has all the right features, then the TCL 49S405 is one of your best picks. You may have to compromise on audio or buy a soundbar, and the lack of local dimming and backlighting shadows may ruin certain movie scenes for you. However, the Roku smart TV feature will ensure you and your whole family are always entertained.
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