TCL has launched the latest upgrades to its 5- and 6-series TVs. These screens are mainly iterative upgrades in terms of specs, although the OEM has made a potentially significant change in terms of their smart platform. Both lines are still 4K HDR across the board, although the still-QLED 5 series now support all main forms of HDR used in markets such as the US.
They include HDR10, meaning that streamed content that comes in this format might show up as such on a 2021 TCL 5-series TV. Their images might also be enhanced with the OEM's new AiPQ Engine, rated to deploy Smart HDR, Smart 4K Upscaling and/or Smart Contrast as applicable.
The 5 series also benefits from an Auto Game Mode, as well as a variable refresh rate (VRR) in their latest SKUs, as do the mini-LED/Quantum Dot 6-series for 2021. These higher-end models also reprise the THX Certified Game Mode introduced in 2020. On that note, all the new TCL models also bring the OEM's Contrast Control Zone technology, bumped up to a maximum of 240 local-dimming zones in the 6 series.
TCL's 2021 5-series comes in 50- to 70-inch options (50S546, 55S546, 65S546 or 75S546) again, which can be pre-ordered for US$600, $650, $800 or $1,300 in the US from now. The 55- and 65-inch 6-series models (55R646 and 65R646) are also up for pre-sale at $950 and $1,300 respectively. There is also a 75R646 priced at $1,800, although it has yet to be released.