The TCL 5 Series 2020 is a mid-range TV in TCL's 2020 lineup and a good upgrade over its predecessor, the TCL 5 Series/S525 2019. The TCL S535 is a QLED TV that displays an excellent wide color gamut for HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough in HDR to deliver a true HDR experience. Its VA panel has an exceptional contrast ratio, so it displays deep blacks when viewed in the dark. It has a full-array local dimming feature that improves the contrast a bit and performs fairly well overall. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles, so you quickly lose image accuracy when viewing from the side. Unlike the TCL 6 Series/R635 2020 QLED, it doesn't have variable refresh rate (VRR) support and is limited to a 60Hz panel, but it has a good response time and incredibly low input lag. Although it has decent reflection handling, it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. On the upside, it removes 24p judder from any source, which is rare for a 60Hz TV. This TV has been replaced in 2022 by the TCL 5 Series/S555 2022 QLED.
Our Verdict
The TCL S535 is a good overall TV. With a VA panel, it has an exceptional contrast ratio that displays deep blacks, making it a great choice for watching movies. Despite not having many extra gaming features like VRR support, it's a great gaming TV because it has an incredibly low input lag and a quick response time. Unfortunately, it isn't the best for watching shows or sports with a large group of people because it has narrow viewing angles. Lastly, it displays a wide color gamut for HDR content but doesn't get bright enough in HDR to bring out highlights.
- Exceptional contrast ratio.
- Decent full-array local dimming feature.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- No VRR support.
The TCL 5 Series 2020 is impressive for watching movies. It has an exceptional contrast ratio, displaying deep blacks. It has a full-array local dimming feature that performs fairly well and there isn't much blooming around bright objects. This TV upscales 1080p content without any issues and it removes 24p judder from any source, which is rare for a 60Hz TV. Sadly, because it has a quick response time, lower-frame rate content may appear to stutter at times.
- Exceptional contrast ratio.
- Removes 24p judder from any source.
- Decent full-array local dimming feature.
- Lower frame rate content may appear to stutter.
The TCL 5 Series 2020 is decent for TV shows. It doesn't have any issues upscaling lower-resolution content, such as from cable boxes. Even though it has decent reflection handling, it's not the best choice for a well-lit room as it doesn't get very bright. Also, it has narrow viewing angles, so it's not ideal for watching your favorite show with the entire family.
- Upscales lower-resolution content well.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Doesn't get very bright.
The TCL 5 Series QLED is decent for sports. Motion looks good because of its quick response time that results in minimal motion blur, and it has a Black Frame Insertion feature. However, it has narrow viewing angles, so you don't get the same accurate image when viewing from the side. It doesn't perform well in well-lit rooms as it doesn't get bright, but the reflection handling is decent.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Very good response time.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Doesn't get very bright.
The TCL 5 Series is great for gaming. It has an incredibly low input lag, quick response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature to help reduce motion blur. Sadly, it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and doesn't support any VRR technology. It's great for dark-room gaming because of its exceptional contrast ratio and good black uniformity, but it doesn't get very bright, so it's not the best for gaming in bright rooms.
- Exceptional contrast ratio.
- Very good response time.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Black Frame Insertion feature.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- No VRR support.
The TCL 5 Series 2020 is good for HDR movies. It displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, but doesn't get bright enough to truly bring out highlights. It has an exceptional contrast ratio and decent full-array local dimming feature that helps further deepen any blacks. Also, it can remove 24p judder from any source, which helps with the appearance of motion.
- Exceptional contrast ratio.
- Decent full-array local dimming feature.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Lower frame rate content may appear to stutter.
- Doesn't get very bright.
The TCL 5 Series 2020 is good for HDR gaming, mainly due to its great gaming performance. It has a very good response time and incredibly low input lag, but it doesn't support any VRR technology. It displays an excellent wide color gamut for HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop the way they should.
- Exceptional contrast ratio.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- No VRR support.
The TCL S535 is a good choice to use as a PC monitor. It has a very low input lag to provide a responsive desktop experience, and fast-moving content looks smooth thanks to the quick response time. It displays chroma 4:4:4, which is important for reading text clearly. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles and the edges of the screen may appear inaccurate if you sit too close.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Doesn't get very bright.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55 inch TCL 5 Series QLED (55S535), and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 50 inch, 65 inch, and 75 inch sizes too. There's also a 65 inch variant sold only at Walmart, known as the 65S531. We expect our review to be valid for that model as well. TCL's lineup outside of North America is very different, so we're not aware of any equivalents outside Canada and the United States.
| Size | US | Canada | Dimming Zones | VESA Mount |
| 50" | 50S535 | 50S535-CA | 40 | 200x200 |
| 55" | 55S535 | 55S535-CA | 48 | 300x200 |
| 65" | 65S535 | 65S535-CA | 56 | 400x200 |
| 75" | 75S535 | 75S535-CA | 80 | 400x200 |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their TCL 5 Series doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The TCL 5 Series 2020 is a good overall TV and it offers great value for its price. It displays a much wider color gamut than other TVs in its price range, such as the Hisense H8G, but it's outperformed but some newer budget models, like the Hisense U6G. Although some slightly more expensive options perform better overall, such as the TCL 6 Series/R635 2020 or the Hisense H9G, most people should be happy with this TV. Also see our recommendations for the best TVs, the best 55 inch TVs, and the best budget TVs.
The TCL S535 is better overall than the Samsung TU8000. The TCL has a full-array local dimming feature, which the Samsung doesn't have, and it displays a much wider color gamut, so it's a better choice for watching HDR content. Other than that, the TVs are very similar with a 60Hz panel, quick response time, and low input lag for gaming.
The Hisense U6G is much better than the TCL S535. The Hisense is a lot brighter, has slightly better reflection handling, better black uniformity, and better gray uniformity. On the other hand, the TCL has better contrast, although this isn't a very noticeable difference, and it can remove judder from 60Hz sources, like a cable box.
The TCL S535 is much better than the TCL 4 Series/S435 2020. The S535 has a better contrast ratio, a full-array local dimming feature, and it gets brighter. It also displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, has a much quicker response time, and lower input lag. However, the 4 Series has better out-of-the-box color accuracy and better reflection handling.
The TCL S535 is a big improvement over its predecessor, the TCL S525. The S535 has a full-array local dimming feature, it displays a much wider color gamut, it has a Black Frame Insertion feature, and it's better built. However, the S525 gets a bit brighter, and it has better out-of-the-box color accuracy, but this may vary between units.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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