The 50-inch TCL C6KS proves that large TVs don’t have to break the bank. Better still, with this set, you don’t even have to compromise on quality.
Achieving a much-coveted five-star rating, the C6KS offers a superb level of brightness and contrast alongside comprehensive HDR support. It’s an impressive visual feast, especially at this price point.
It normally retails at £549, but you can now snap it up for just £399 at Amazon.
Need more convincing? One of the main draws of TCL’s model is its Mini LED backlighting with 160 dimming zones, which helps to provide arguably the best picture quality we have seen on a set at this price.
The panel features TCL’s new HVA technology, which provides deep blacks, refined shadow details, and better halo control than cheaper TVs can normally manage.
We say in our review: “The brightness feels very organic to the 50C6KS’s picture [...] by which we mean that, as well as not generally straining the TV’s black levels and local dimming controls, it doesn’t cause the brightest colours to start looking faded or washed out.”
It’s not perfect, of course. We find that motion can look a little soft, while very bright HDR highlights sometimes suffer from clipping or colour banding.
Sonically, we were happy to find that it supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual-X playback, delivering these premium audio formats with more volume and power than expected.
It doesn’t manage to beat the performance of even the most affordable soundbars, however, so we recommend that you head to our best budget soundbars page to find a suitable sonic partner.
In terms of connectivity, the TCL model offers three HDMI ports, which might be slightly limiting for some users, plus two media-capable USB ports. It also supports all four main HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
Despite some drawbacks, the C6KS manages to overdeliver in pretty much every area where you would normally think you might have to compromise with a budget TV.
All of that means that the C6KS earned itself a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, and currently holds the top spot as the best 50-inch model in our best TVs under £1000 guide. And, at a bargain price of £399 at Amazon, it’s a deal well worth another look.
MORE:
Read our full TCL C6KS review
Check out the best Mini LED TVs on the market right now
And these are the best cheap TVs we recommend
