One of the most important things to consider with any television is picture quality. You want the television to offer a sharp and vibrant image with an excellent contrast ratio. As there are no OLED Roku TVs on the market, features like quantum dot, full-array local dimming, and Mini-LED become very important. These technologies help LED TVs improve their picture performance multi-fold.
If you are buying a Roku TV for gaming, there are additional features that you need to look for, like low input lag, fast response time, HDMI 2.1 support, and variable refresh rate (VRR). These not only ensure you get a fantastic gaming experience but also ensures your TV is future-proof.
Budget and TV size also play a significant role in your purchase decision. As such, our recommendations include the best Roku TVs for a variety of budgets. For screen size, Rtings has an excellent tool that can help you figure out the right TV size for your room.
For a deeper dive into which TV features are most important, we have a great explainer on everything you need to know before buying a TV. Now, let’s jump into our recommendations.
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Best Roku TV Overall: TCL 6-Series R635
Over the last few years, TCL has managed to carve its place out in the crowded smart TV market. The company did this by providing quality televisions like the TCL 6-Series R635. It’s undoubtedly the best overall Roku TV on the market, offering excellent value for money and fantastic picture quality.
✓ Excellent contrast ratio✓ Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG support✓ Quantum dot technology helps with vibrant colors
✗ Narrow viewing angles✗ Underwhelming local dimming performance
Priced at $849 for the 55-inch model, the R635 is a 4K TV enhanced by quantum dot technology and Mini-LED backlighting for a bright and vibrant picture. There is also support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, so you’ll get a punchier image whether you are watching HDR content on Netflix or broadcast TV.
While there is no HDMI 2.1 port on the R635, the television does come with a THX-certified game mode, a 120Hz panel, VRR support, and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for a good and responsive gaming experience. ALLM detects your gaming console and automatically switches to the built-in game mode. While the TCL 6-Series is good, for a top-of-the-line gaming experience, check out our gaming pick later in the article.
The TCL R635 also looks excellent and has a good build quality. In addition, you get eARC support on one of the four HDMI 2.0-capable ports on the television, so it’ll allow you to pass through high-quality audio to your soundbar or speaker system.
But the TCL 6-Series 635 is not perfect. It uses a Vertical Alignment (VA) type display panel, so the TV has excellent native contrast. However, the presence of a VA panel means that the TV will have narrow viewing angles. The set also suffers from blooming and black crush due to a limited number of local dimming zones.
But if you are okay with these compromises, the R635 is one of the best Roku TVs around. You can purchase the TCL R635 in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes.
Best Roku TV Under $500: Hisense 55U6GR
Part of Hisense’s 2021 ULED lineup, the 55U6GR is a very capable yet affordable Roku television. It offers quite a few features that are typically unavailable in the sub-$500 price bracket. For example, it uses quantum dot technology to provide lifelike colors and a wide color gamut. There is also full-array local dimming that helps enhance the already excellent contrast ratio of the TV’s VA-type LCD panel.
✓ Fantastic native contrast ratio and FALD support✓ Quantum Dot tech for vibrant colors✓ Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support✓ VRR and ALLM available
✗ Issues upscaling 480p content✗ No HDMI 2. 1 ports✗ Mediocre motion handling
The U6GR shines on the brightness front. So even if you are planning to put it in a room with lots of ambient light, it will be able to counter the glare. HDR content also looks good, and there is support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
Among other features, the TV packs four HDMI 2.0 ports, including one that doubles as an eARC port and one USB port.
Although the Hisense television has a very low input lag for responsive gaming, its display is limited to 60Hz. So if you own the latest-generation Xbox or PlayStation consoles, you won’t be able to enjoy 4K gaming at 120Hz. That said, it supports VRR to handle refresh rates between 48Hz and 60Hz. And gamers will appreciate the presence of ALLM.
The television handles its upscaling duties very well, barring one exception—it can’t correctly upscale 480p content. If you frequently watch movies on DVDs or standard definition (SD) cable channels, you will be better off with TCL’s 55S535. It costs around the same as 55U6GR and has no issues upscaling 480p content. The TCL TV is also better at motion handling than the Hisense television, as the latter has a faster response time. However, the S535 has lower brightness and doesn’t support VRR.
Best Roku TV Under $300: Hisense 43R6E3
The Hisense 43R6E3 is one of the most affordable 4K Roku TVs on the market. If you’re looking for an inexpensive Roku television for a guest room or a dorm room, it’s your best bet.
✓ Good native contrast ratio and deep blacks✓ Dolby Vision and HDR10 support✓ Excellent value for money
✗ Low HDR brightness✗ Average performance
The television looks decent and has narrow bezels, but apart from that, it’s mostly a practical design. Thanks to the TV’s VA panel, its native contrast ratio is good, and the company has also included Dolby Vision and HDR10 support. However, the 43R6E3 doesn’t get very bright to make effective use of the HDR support.
Still, the 43R6E3 offers a decent viewing experience for its price tag, and you won’t be disappointed. As expected, there are no advanced gaming features, but Hisense has included a game mode that offers relatively low input lag and okay response time.
If you can spend a little more money, TCL 43S435 is another excellent budget Roku TV. It has an MSRP of $349, but you can get it for as low as $305. The TV offers an excellent contrast ratio and can display deep blacks, so it is an upgrade from Hisense’s set. If you can wait until it the TCL model is on sale, you won’t regret it.
Best Roku TV For Gaming: TCL 6-Series R648
The TCL 6-Series R648 is your best bet for a gaming-specific Roku TV on the market right now. It has everything you need in a gaming TV—low input lag, fast response time, VRR support, and ALLM mode.
✓ Two HDMI 2. 1 ports and 120Hz panel✓ Support for both 4K@120 and 8K@60 gaming✓ Vibrant colors and bright picture✓ Support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG
✗ TV struggles in upscaling 1080p and 720p content✗ Expensive than other Roku TV models
It also packs a 120Hz panel with HDMI 2.1 ports and support for 4K gaming at 120 fps. Moreover, as an 8K TV, you can also game in 8K at 60fps. This is perfect for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series consoles.
TCL has also added support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG on this 6-series TV. So you can enjoy both games and video content in HDR. Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services that have tons of HDR content to watch.
But TCL’s impressive feature-set doesn’t end here. The R648 uses quantum dot technology, Mini-LED backlighting, and local dimming to provide exceptionally bright and vibrant pictures with deep blacks. As a result, the TV arguably offers the best picture quality in the entire TCL TV lineup.
The R648 also just looks great. Its centralized metal stand is a nice change from the increasingly common wide legs. The TV set is a bit thick, and TCL could have done a better job of refining its borders. But considering everything that it offers tech-wise, you can’t complain about the looks much.
Although we recommend the TV for its gaming chops, not the 8K resolution, some of you may think that’s a bit too much and whether it’s wise to spend money for a feature you don’t necessarily need. Sure, you may not need an 8K TV, but even without its 8K resolution, the TCL R648 is a great TV that’s stellar at upscaling 4K content.
The TV also costs less than some of the 4K OLED TVs, so it’s a great argument for future-proofing your home theater setup. Still, if you are unsure, you can always choose from our best gaming TV picks and use a Roku streaming device to get the Roku OS experience, even if the built-in smart TV platform is different.
The TCL 6-Series R648 is available in 65-inch and 75-inch sizes.
Best Roku TV For Movies: TCL 5-Series S535
If you like to watch a lot of movies, the TCL 5-Series S535 is an excellent 4K Roku TV to purchase. Like most TCL televisions, it offers great value for money and easily outperforms many competing budget models.
✓ Superior contrast with deep blacks✓ Vibrant and lifelike colors✓ Apple AirPlay support
✗ Low HDR brightness✗ No next-gen gaming features✗ Poor viewing angles
This set uses quantum dot technology and comes with full-array local dimming, so you get vivid and lifelike colors thanks to its exceptional contrast ratio. There is also very little blooming to affect the picture.
In addition, TCL has added support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, so you’ll be able to enjoy HDR content. It also upscales Full HD and HD content very well, which will come in handy if you’re watching cable or broadcast TV.
Although thick, TCL S535 has a fairly nice design that uses metal for decent build quality. There are four HDMI 2.0 ports on the TV, and one of the ports also supports eARC to pass through uncompressed high-quality audio to your soundbar or speaker system.
While you miss out on HDMI 2.1 and the TV panel only has a 60Hz refresh rate, it is suitable for casual gaming with its low input lag, excellent response time, and the ALLM mode.
Unfortunately, the TCL S535 struggles on the brightness front. The TV doesn’t get too bright, which hampers its HDR performance. Higher brightness is generally needed to bring out the highlights in HDR scenes.
But if you’re looking for a Roku TV to watch movies on, the S535 is the set to get. You can buy the TCL 5-Series S535 in 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes.
