TCL’s 6-Series 4K HDR Roku TVs, the follow-up to last year’s excellent P-Series, will be available by May 1st. The company announced a release timeframe today, but stopped short of confirming pricing; TCL has said that the 55-inch model 6-Series will retain the price point of the P-Series ($650), but the cost of the larger 65-inch set isn’t yet known.
The 6-Series improves on the P-Series in a number of ways. Picture-wise, it increases the number of full-array local dimming zones to 120 in the 65-inch model and 96 in the 55. (The P-Series had 72.) That gives the TV much greater and more precise control over backlighting, so it can produce deeper blacks on one part of the screen even when something bright is elsewhere in the image. TCL also says the P-Series reaches a higher peak brightness than the P-Series. It continues to support HDR content in both Dolby Vision and HDR10.
The exterior design has also been upgraded with a new brushed aluminum finish. The P-Series was the best TV you could buy for under $1,000 in 2017, but this time around TCL is trying to make the 6-Series look and feel like something that should cost more.
And the 6-Series continues to run Roku’s TV software, which gives users a simple interface, easy access to streaming apps, and built-in support for OTA programming when you plug in an antenna. Roku’s new Entertainment Assistant voice control will debut in soundbars and other speaker products over the coming months, as well.