TCL - 40" Class S3 S-Class LED Full HD Smart TV with Google TV

TLDR: OK cheap TV I’ve made peace with this TV after a month or so but it wasn’t an easy trip. You get a quick start guide but there no multi page user manual and your left with more questions than answers. I set it up on Thanksgiving so there was no one answering the TCL helpline. The first obstacle was the non-optional acceptance of the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You hit this screen early on and there is no back button nor option to do anything but Accept (under duress). You kids are probably used to giving up everything but your first born (and TCL leaves the option open to make any and all changes so that might be included at some point) but Geez. Actually read it and you’ll see any legal problems must be solved in Chinese courts (really!). Anyway, if I wanted to actually use my new TV I had no choice but to accept it but every time I make a selection I know it’s being recorded somewhere. I was keeping a list of questions for TCL support but being a guy, I never got around to calling them when they were available. Attempting to use TCL’s website for assistance left me looking at solutions that were not for my TV. After a few weeks of futzing with it I managed to stumble across a lot of solutions, sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally. The remote is ridiculously simple which is good and bad. A bunch of options are hidden a few menus down but are there nonetheless. But my wife still hands me the remote if she wants to do anything more than a channel or volume change. So after a few weeks I’m not sorry I bought it with the exception of Big Brother TCL watching my every move. We don’t use the Smart TV Google features so I can’t speak to that. The TV reception and picture is good, and although the side view is worse than any other TV or monitor we own, it’s still not onerous. The built in speakers are less than optimal although onboard adjustments can make them better (if you can you find them ;-) We use external wall and ceiling speakers so it’s not a problem in our room. The TV has 10gb of onboard storage so I can’t understand why the channel guide constantly shows “No Information” and needs to load from apparently nothing on every power up. This TV was appealing because it was one 40” TV that would fit in our wall recess and TCL had gotten some decent review chatter and the ridiculously low price made it a small risk. Now that it’s mounted and we’ve lived with it and learned more of its features it’s been a good investment.

This TV has excellent picture quality and was very easy to set up… I have it in the bedroom and it’s the perfect size…

Its a smart TV for dumb TV money. I would recommend to friebds for a great bedroom/dorm/ or for a TV cabinet that used to house a 32" or 36" CRT...tbis 40" is a perfect size. I needed a apecific set of measurements and this TV replaced my Insignia 40" open box which in no way could compete with this unit. It is a little hard to get used to. But once it is ready you are too. A+++ for a new brand.