TCL 43S435: As Affordable as a New TV Gets

TCL is no stranger to budget-friendly TVs, and the company has consistently impressed us with its 6-Series, which offers excellent performance for a reasonable price.

- WILL GREENWALD

It’s one of the company’s more expensive lines, though, so it’s probably not the one to consider if you’re shopping with a tight budget. The TCL 4-Series can be had for about half the price (starting as low as $259.99 for the 43-inch 43S435 we tested), which is about as low as you’ll pay for a brand-new TV. Just note that it makes many compromises in performance to reach that price.

AN ORDINARY DESIGN

The S435 looks very plain, which is unsurprising for a budget TV. Its screen is surrounded on the top and sides by narrow, glossy-black plastic bezels. The bottom bezel thickens into a wider, brushed-texture area that holds a silver TCL logo in the middle. A combination power and input button can be found on the bottom edge of the TV, just behind the logo. The screen sits on two V-shaped glossy-black plastic feet that match the bezels and sides.

A power connector is located on the left side of the back of the TV, facing left. All other connections are on the right side of the back panel, facing right. They include three HDMI ports (as opposed to the more commonly found four), a USB port, an Ethernet port, a 3.5mm composite video port (an adapter is not included), a 3.5mm headphone jack, an optical audio output, and an antenna/cable connector.

The included remote is a standard Roku TV remote. It’s a short, thin black-plastic wand with a prominent purple plus-shaped navigation pad near the top. Home, Back, and Power buttons sit above the pad, while playback controls and dedicated service buttons for Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and Sling TV sit below it. The right edge of the remote holds a volume rocker and a mute button.