The TCL 6 series is upon us! (55R615, 65r615)

Sails · May 19, 2018

My 65R615 is doing this thing at the top of the screen only on my WiiU. It happens only with Game Mode On and any combination of picture settings on the TV on any port with any wire. It works fine on my other TVs/monitors and appears if I crop or not. Ideas?

Edit: After playing for a bit... This stopped? Suddenly? Maybe some weird bug, but it persisted through reboot before.

CelestialAtom · May 19, 2018

Mine had uniformity issues, but it still looks incredible 98% of the time, so i will deal with it. I just watched Blade Runner 2049 in 4K & Dolby Vision and sweet mother of Christ what a looker.

Tap In · May 19, 2018

PrynceKee said:
Do the RTings expert settings need to be input on both HDR content and SDR? I just did it and noticed when I went back to SDR they weren't saved there. Switching back and forth between SDR and HDR content is really messing with the TV. The colors will be super washed out sometimes in HDR and in. SDR it is really dark with the colors off. Not sure what's going on, but I basically have to restart my Xbox to fix it. I have my SDR/HDR settings how I like them, but for some reason once I stop watching or playing something in HDR and go back to reg SDR they look to be changing even though the settings look the same.

yes the settings for HDR and SDR are saved independent of one another. So you need to run each one on each input to set up color, brightness, backlight, sharpness color temp etc...properly. however, if you look at the white balance settings they are Saved across all picture modes all inputs and all color temps.

The roku app custom color settings are only saved for each Color temperature and can be selected separately for SDR content or HDR content so you need to check the Roku app for each input In both SDR n HDR And set the color to auto, native or custom for each one based on the color temp you want

Also another little trick is when you come out ofan Xbox game And go to the dash or another game or what not yes sometimes I get a black crushed or washed out screen. I have found that simply switching inputs going back to the Roku home screen and back to Xbox usually solves it without having to restart. But ymmv

Deleted member 1120 · May 19, 2018

Uniformity issues happen even on high end TV's. Don't feel bad if you have them.

TangoAlphaLima · May 20, 2018

Best Buy has the 65" on sale, a whopping $30 discount.

But I got lucky and scored an open box for $787. Apparently this unit was a display model for the few weeks this TV has even been on the market. Recently LG paid a bunch of money to remodel a section of the Best Buy to show off their OLEDs, and this TV had no place to go, so they marked it down as an Open Box item.

MaximusPayne · May 20, 2018

sold out everywhere...boo

Zelus · May 20, 2018

Anybody have issues with getting the TV to pass Dolby Digital through optical? Last year's model just started having this issue as well so it makes me think it's a recent update to the Roku OS. I can pass DD through HDMI ARC but it's delayed...

mattysaurus · May 21, 2018

Dissent said:
My 65R615 is doing this thing at the top of the screen only on my WiiU. It happens only with Game Mode On and any combination of picture settings on the TV on any port with any wire. It works fine on my other TVs/monitors and appears if I crop or not. Ideas?

Edit: After playing for a bit... This stopped? Suddenly? Maybe some weird bug, but it persisted through reboot before.

I had this same issue, but I haven't experienced it since the latest firmware update. When I was experiencing it, I found that turning game mode off then on fixed it.

I did report the issue to TCL with video so maybe it was an easy fix.

On a similar note, is anyone getting video/audio dropout on their PS4 pro with YouTube videos? Or a green flashing screen with Hulu in between commercial breaks?

MaximusPayne · May 21, 2018

Zelus said:
Anybody have issues with getting the TV to pass Dolby Digital through optical? Last year's model just started having this issue as well so it makes me think it's a recent update to the Roku OS. I can pass DD through HDMI ARC but it's delayed...

I to want to know this. I'm about to press the button to get one and have a Bose Cinemate that uses optical.

Vade · May 21, 2018

Is the 60 hz a non issue? I do watch a lot of sports and have a Samsung 240hz TV now...but It's only 1080p. I think I'm willing to give up the high refresh rate for a 4k hdr. I'm not willing to upgrade to OLED for 1.5k.

Doctre81 · May 21, 2018

Vade said:
Is the 60 hz a non issue? I do watch a lot of sports and have a Samsung 240hz TV now...but It's only 1080p. I think I'm willing to give up the high refresh rate for a 4k hdr. I'm not willing to upgrade to OLED for 1.5k.

Actually you have a 120hz tv. There is no such thing as a 240hz tv. Mine says the same. Its marketing fluff.

OldLogos · May 21, 2018

So I've hooked my 55r615 up to my windows 10 pc through the HDMI port on my 970. I've heard Windows 10 has had some issues with HDR and I've got a couple questions.

When I'm in HDR mode in the display settings, should i also change my ICC profile in the color management settings? I've downloaded the rec.2020 profile from the ICC website and I'm using that in HDR mode, and switching back to the default sRGB profile when I'm in SDR because I haven't found any ICC profiles online for this TV.

I've done a lot of TV color grading in the past and when I'm working on a high end reference monitor, your ICC profile should always match your monitor, or ideally you should be creating your own ICC profile through a calibration app. I might try hooking up my Spyder 4 pro tonight and running the calibration program, but I'm wondering if it will even be an accurate calibration for HDR

henhowc · May 21, 2018

Metalingus said:
Uniformity issues happen even on high end TV's. Don't feel bad if you have them.

yep. vertical banding is seemingly a dirty little secret of oleds that i feel like reviewers don't give LG Display enough flack over. its a bit of a shock when you first see it when these things get praised to the moon. makes me scratch my head when people fuss over burn-in but often don't mention uniformity issues.

Terryfromyokosuka · May 21, 2018

Tap In said:
Good God those rtings settings for white balance and color have just brought this TV to a new high for me.
Movie content in HDR/DV is beautiful but playing Xbox X Games with HDR dark, warm temperature and their settings are stunning in a dark room, backlit tv.
I was amazed at the subtle colors and details I had been missing.
Just spent some time walking through the flowers in Assassin's Creed Origins anf watching the sun rise on a powder blue building.
NBA 2K 18 has always been a good looking game but these settings make the court and players come alive in a way that I have never seen.
The additional brightness of HDR in the subtle highlights of this compared to the p605 has really pleased me.
Have been considering the Vizio p55 F1, but I think this gets just as bright and with the low lag this is to me the ultimate HDR, gaming TV for the price bar none.

Can you link it? I always thought they said not to follow their calibration settings due to differences in TVs.

KyngKee · May 21, 2018

Vade said:
Is the 60 hz a non issue? I do watch a lot of sports and have a Samsung 240hz TV now...but It's only 1080p. I think I'm willing to give up the high refresh rate for a 4k hdr. I'm not willing to upgrade to OLED for 1.5k.

I'm coming from a Vizio with 120hz refresh and watch a lot of sports also and I'll say I watched the NBA this weekend and some college softball and didn't notice it. In the back of my head I hate it's only 60hz, but so far I haven't ran into issues...

TangoAlphaLima · May 21, 2018

Played God of War on the 65" tonight.

Wow.

impact · May 21, 2018

TangoAlphaLima said:
Played God of War on the 65" tonight.

Wow.

Try Wipeout Omega Collection and Gran Turismo Sport. INSANE

Uncharted Lost Legacy is also blowing me away right now. Glad I waited to play it.

Smash-It Stan · May 21, 2018

impact said:
Try Wipeout Omega Collection and Gran Turismo Sport. INSANE

Uncharted Lost Legacy is also blowing me away right now. Glad I waited to play it.

What settings should I have for God of war and Gran Turismo? I already spent so much time in menus and now these games have their own menus I dont know what to set!

These are my settings so far

SDR

Darker
Movie

Local Contrast: High(uniformity is bad on these tv's, my uniformity is good but I have bad clouding in 2 quadrants of my tv and this makes them disappear entirely.)
Backlight: 70
Brightness: 48
Contrast: 100
sharpness: 0
Colour: 50
Tint: 0
Temperature: Warm
Game Mode: On

HDR

Darker
Normal HDR(Dark looks washed out, adds like a grey screendoor, brighter is ugly)

backlight: 100
brightness: 50
rest is same as above

Both have expert settings on from rtings.com

impact · May 21, 2018

For GoW I think I use 50brightness 45contrast ingame. GT:S either 5 or 6 iirc

FWIW I don't think GoW looks consistently that great outside of the last level. The hub/big water area honestly looks pretty bad.

Romac1314 · May 22, 2018

Got a B.B. birthday coupon so scored the 65" last Friday for $899. We've been consistently shocked by the picture quality when watching movies and those crazy 12k YouTube videos. And I've finally felt like I didn't waste money picking up my Pro. God of War is pretty jaw dropping but honestly for me so far GT Sport has taken the cake, the colors and shadows in this at a higher res and with HDR are just really insane to look at.

Very pleased so far. I'm a Panasonic plasma holdout so I haven't bought a new TV in almost 8 years. We're having a house built currently and wanted a newer, bigger tv to go in what will be our much larger living room. I'm trying to figure out a way to squeeze a purchase of the 55" model into the budget now for my to-be little game room lol.

Edit - I should note that I too have uniformity issues. On a grey screen between streaming a movie or a loading screen for GT there's some definite light banding, and all four corners have some shadowing. Obviously I'd prefer that they weren't there at all but in the grand scheme of things it's livable, I'm more than pleased with the performance in real, usable settings and I wouldn't want to get stuck in a bad cycle playing the panel lottery by returning it for another. I'm a not a tv snob, but I do notice things and I am a bit ocd about it. My wife never noticed it and after pointing it out still doesn't really get or care what I'm talking about. This set is going to make a killing to the average buyer. I'm not complaining at all though, This tv is mind blowing for the price overall and I'm super pleased with what I got for the money, it's punching way above its weight in picture quality.

truncated_pachyderm · May 22, 2018

Trying to use my PS4 Pro with this TV but receiving the following message when trying to launch Horizon Zero Dawn:

"This application supports 4K HDR (high dynamic range), but it will be displayed in 2K HDR because of your TV's settings. If your TV supports 4K HDR, try changing your TV's settings.

To see the color format and HDR type of the video signal that the PS4 is sending to the TV, select [Settings] > [Sound and Screen] > [Video Output Settings] > [Video Output Information]."

When I do what it asks, I see:

Current Video Output Signal
Resolution: 3840x2160 60hz
Color Format: YUV420
HDCP 2.2

Information for Connected HDMI Device
HDR Supported
Available Frequencies for 4K Output
- Not Using HDR: 24hz, 30hz, 60hz (YUV420)
- Using HDR: 24hz (YUV422), 30hz (YUV422)

Your TV might support a higher quality color format and 4K HDR if you change its settings. Check your TV's settings.

I should note that for the TV Inputs menu > HDMI mode, it is set to HDMI 2.0 exclusively.

I am connecting my PS4 Pro to a Yahama RX-V381 receiver with an HDMI cable (which I believe/hope is HDMI 2.x but I'm not sure how to know for sure), and the receiver outputs to the TV with another HDMI cable (same belief/hope that it's HDMI 2.x).

The manual for the receiver (link here, page 62) says that there are two modes for 4K: "MODE1" which inputs/outputs 4:4:4, 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. "MODE2" only inputs/outputs 4:2:0.

A couple of questions:

1. Is there any way I can tell definitively whether I am using the correct HDMI cables? Or can I be certain I am somehow?

2. Is it possible that my receiver is just somehow incapable of passing through the HDR signal that is necessary from my PS4?

3. Is it possible this has to do with the 4K mode setting on my receiver? If so, what's the difference between 4:4:4, 4:2:2, and 4:2:0 in the context of my TV, PS4 Pro, and receiver showing Dolby Vision/HDR?

Thanks in advance ERA.

KyngKee · May 22, 2018

truncated_pachyderm said:
Trying to use my PS4 Pro with this TV but receiving the following message when trying to launch Horizon Zero Dawn:

"This application supports 4K HDR (high dynamic range), but it will be displayed in 2K HDR because of your TV's settings. If your TV supports 4K HDR, try changing your TV's settings.

To see the color format and HDR type of the video signal that the PS4 is sending to the TV, select [Settings] > [Sound and Screen] > [Video Output Settings] > [Video Output Information]."

When I do what it asks, I see:

Current Video Output Signal
Resolution: 3840x2160 60hz
Color Format: YUV420
HDCP 2.2

Information for Connected HDMI Device
HDR Supported
Available Frequencies for 4K Output
- Not Using HDR: 24hz, 30hz, 60hz (YUV420)
- Using HDR: 24hz (YUV422), 30hz (YUV422)

Your TV might support a higher quality color format and 4K HDR if you change its settings. Check your TV's settings.

I should note that for the TV Inputs menu > HDMI mode, it is set to HDMI 2.0 exclusively.

I am connecting my PS4 Pro to a Yahama RX-V381 receiver with an HDMI cable (which I believe/hope is HDMI 2.x but I'm not sure how to know for sure), and the receiver outputs to the TV with another HDMI cable (same belief/hope that it's HDMI 2.x).

The manual for the receiver (link here, page 62) says that there are two modes for 4K: "MODE1" which inputs/outputs 4:4:4, 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. "MODE2" only inputs/outputs 4:2:0.

A couple of questions:

1. Is there any way I can tell definitively whether I am using the correct HDMI cables? Or can I be certain I am somehow?
I would just hook the PS4 straight into the TV and see if 4K HDR works. If so more than likely they're 2.0 cables. But, it won't hurt to buy new ones. I had issue with my TV and entertainment center wall cut outs and bought new cables even though I didn't need them in the end. Just make sure to buy the ones with the premium HDMI sticker on them. Sometimes you can look on your hdmi cables and see the version must do the time it's not on there and they just say high speed.

2. Is it possible that my receiver is just somehow incapable of passing through the HDR signal that is necessary from my PS4?
Yes

3. Is it possible this has to do with the 4K mode setting on my receiver? If so, what's the difference between 4:4:4, 4:2:2, and 4:2:0 in the context of my TV, PS4 Pro, and receiver showing Dolby Vision/HDR?

I don't think you can do 4:4:4 4K hdr on gaming consoles. Think it only does 4K. But, don't quote me on that. On PS4 you might want to set it to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0.

Thanks in advance ERA.

nihilence · May 22, 2018

Tonight I noticed that sometimes going between a game and dashboard, the output would sometimes be washed out or crushed. Like it wouldn't adjust the mode.

KyngKee · May 22, 2018

nihilence said:
Tonight I noticed that sometimes going between a game and dashboard, the output would sometimes be washed out or crushed. Like it wouldn't adjust the mode.

If you look back a few posts I said the same thing and was told to go back to the main Roku menu and then back into the input. It fixes it. Depending on the source the TV sometimes has issues going back to SDR from HDR content and vice versa. I've only noticed it on my Xbox One X. It'll wash out the picture or crush the blacks.

Deleted member 10560 · May 22, 2018

Going the rounds with TCL Support to get my panel replaced. Check out these videos, especially the "without local contrast". Very, very bad. With local contrast on, it's better, but I get white spots on the screen, especially around the black bars on top and bottom. My panel is seriously screwed.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgLv6KAKTxw2lesOkug4918bPJKdZQ

TLZ · May 22, 2018

Again, I don't understand, why is there no international equivalent to this? Just make one for the rest of the world without Roku fgs.

truncated_pachyderm · May 22, 2018

So I ended up making the change on my receiver, it was set to MODE 2 which apparently only supported 4:2:0. After changing it to MODE 1, I can play Horizon Zero Dawn at "4K" (is it checker boarded?) and HDR. Huzzah!

Interestingly, I've noticed that YouTube on my PS4 is not activating HDR. I'm curious whether YouTube for PS4 Pro even supports HDR? The native Roku TV YouTube app certainly does, and it's a noticeable difference over what's displayed on PS4 Pro.

mattysaurus · May 22, 2018

truncated_pachyderm said:
So I ended up making the change on my receiver, it was set to MODE 2 which apparently only supported 4:2:0. After changing it to MODE 1, I can play Horizon Zero Dawn at "4K" (is it checker boarded?) and HDR. Huzzah!

Interestingly, I've noticed that YouTube on my PS4 is not activating HDR. I'm curious whether YouTube for PS4 Pro even supports HDR? The native Roku TV YouTube app certainly does, and it's a noticeable difference over what's displayed on PS4 Pro.

My YouTube on PS4 has occasional video dropouts for me. The TCL tech said it was probably YouTube's fault, but I didn't have problems with it before this TV. Probably a HDCP issue.

elzeus · May 22, 2018

LuvOfThaGame said:
Going the rounds with TCL Support to get my panel replaced. Check out these videos, especially the "without local contrast". Very, very bad. With local contrast on, it's better, but I get white spots on the screen, especially around the black bars on top and bottom. My panel is seriously screwed.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgLv6KAKTxw2lesOkug4918bPJKdZQ

Isn't local contrast TCL's term for local dimming?

MaximusPayne · May 22, 2018

Has anyone used the optical on this tv? What should I expect come Friday when my unit gets delivered?

Vade · May 22, 2018

Doctre81 said:
Actually you have a 120hz tv. There is no such thing as a 240hz tv. Mine says the same. Its marketing fluff.

This is what I have now from 2014. Samsung UN65H7150. Was the best budget 1080p back then because I didn't want to invest in 4k at the time. Now I'm ready lol. The 60hz is scaring me, but I think it's mostly a non issue since I'm going to skip the oled generation for a few more years.

mattysaurus · May 22, 2018

MaximusPayne said:
Has anyone used the optical on this tv? What should I expect come Friday when my unit gets delivered?

Yep. It works? It's pretty automatic, I just turned off internal speakers.

What to expect? Most likely a really nice picture with some pretty bad DSE, maybe even banding. I'm on my fourth panel, and it's certainly the best one I've received, but I'm still considering returning it and maybe getting the new P series 55".

MaximusPayne · May 22, 2018

mattysaurus said:
Yep. It works? It's pretty automatic, I just turned off internal speakers.

What to expect? Most likely a really nice picture with some pretty bad DSE, maybe even banding. I'm on my fourth panel, and it's certainly the best one I've received, but I'm still considering returning it and maybe getting the new P series 55".

Ok, cool. Yeah I have really bad DSE/banding on the Vizio I have now. So I'm used to it. If it's any better than that I'll be fine for an under $1000 65" 4k/hdr set.

mattysaurus · May 22, 2018

MaximusPayne said:
Ok, cool. Yeah I have really bad DSE/banding on the Vizio I have now. So I'm used to it. If it's any better than that I'll be fine for an under $1000 65" 4k/hdr set.

Out of curiosity, what model Vizio do you have?

tommy7154 · May 22, 2018

How would this compare to a KS8000? Anyone know what would be better/worse with one of these TCL sets?

Are there any good reviews out for these TCLs?

SevenOfRhyme · May 22, 2018

Just got my 65 inch and I'm so pumped!! Gonna tinker with it for the rest of the day before work. Have to invert the legs but ah well.

Deleted member 10560 · May 22, 2018

elzeus said:
Isn't local contrast TCL's term for local dimming?

Yes

MaximusPayne · May 22, 2018

mattysaurus said:
Out of curiosity, what model Vizio do you have?

2016 D series 65"
I was an early adopter to 4k and it was cheap for a 4k set. :( Now that I look back, I should have just waited.

impact · May 22, 2018

tommy7154 said:
How would this compare to a KS8000? Anyone know what would be better/worse with one of these TCL sets?

Are there any good reviews out for these TCLs?

rtings has the KS8000 rated higher than the TCL

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/ks8000
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/tcl/6-series-2018-r617

Zutrax · May 22, 2018

Are 60 inch TV's just not a thing anymore? I want to upgrade my old 60 inch TV really badly since it doesn't have HDR, but my entertainment system is just barely big enough to house it. So a 65 inch will more than likely not fit at all, but a 55 inch would feel like a downgrade to me. Kind of a bummer that this seems to be the standard.

Doctre81 · May 22, 2018

Vade said:
This is what I have now from 2014. Samsung UN65H7150. Was the best budget 1080p back then because I didn't want to invest in 4k at the time. Now I'm ready lol. The 60hz is scaring me, but I think it's mostly a non issue since I'm going to skip the oled generation for a few more years.

I was worried about it too but apparently its not a big deal. I dunno.

TangoAlphaLima · May 22, 2018

SevenOfRhyme said:
Just got my 65 inch and I'm so pumped!! Gonna tinker with it for the rest of the day before work. Have to invert the legs but ah well.

Is it stable with legs inverted? I'm thinking I should just cut a wood board to put on top of my entertainment center.

It's pretty nuts that they make the base so dang wide. Not everyone wants to wall mount, and there aren't many entertainment centers wide enough to handle a 65" TV with the base on the ends.

SevenOfRhyme · May 22, 2018

TangoAlphaLima said:
Is it stable with legs inverted? I'm thinking I should just cut a wood board to put on top of my entertainment center.

It's pretty nuts that they make the base so dang wide. Not everyone wants to wall mount, and there aren't many entertainment centers wide enough to handle a 65" TV with the base on the ends.

Perfectly stable as far as I can tell. No wobble or anything. Was a bit of a pain to get the legs on cause the screw input of the legs is slightly slanted so I thought I fucked something up.

Gassy_N0va · May 22, 2018

Can anyone tell me how wide the legs are? I'm getting my unit on thursday morning and beginning to get paranoid that my entertainment center table wont be wide enough. Why invert the legs, SevenOfRhyme ?

TangoAlphaLima · May 22, 2018

Teegs said:
Can anyone tell me how wide the legs are? I'm getting my unit on thursday morning and beginning to get paranoid that my entertainment center table wont be wide enough. Why invert the legs, SevenOfRhyme ?

Something like 57" to 58" from end-to-end. It's very wide.

Inverting the legs will save you a lot of width, probably more than 12", but it will be less stable than with the legs uninverted.

xxx shiv xxx · May 22, 2018

#481
↑
Actually you have a 120hz tv. There is no such thing as a 240hz tv. Mine says the same. Its marketing fluff.
This is what I have now from 2014. Samsung UN65H7150. Was the best budget 1080p back then because I didn't want to invest in 4k at the time. Now I'm ready lol. The 60hz is scaring me, but I think it's mostly a non issue since I'm going to skip the oled generation for a few more years.

I have this same set and am trying to decide what to get next for a 65" and this sounds tempting

nihilence · May 22, 2018

What's acceptable for things like color banding?

I see some for example on Wolfenstein, The New Colossus, on the title screen.

Set to 4k, 10 bit.

Spasm · May 23, 2018

Rtings' 5-series review is up.

Vade · May 23, 2018

Let me know what you decide because I'm still on the fence. I have to go see this tv in person.

Chan · May 24, 2018

TCL 6 or a refurb Samsung MU800D for $520?

The TCL 6 series is upon us! (55R615, 65r615)

Mambo Number PS5

user requested account closure

nøthing but silence

nøthing but silence