TCL FS3750  TV Review

Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31am
Tested using Methodology v1.0 
TCL FS3750
6.7
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.1
Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.8
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.2
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.5
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

5.2
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

4.7
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

4.9
PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

 0
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by TCL S Series/S305 2018
The TCL FS3750 1080p Roku Smart LED TV offers a good picture quality and one of the best smart TV platform around. Its very simple interface is also part of its strengths which makes this TV appealing to a very broad audience. Unfortunately, it's picture deteriorates when viewed from the side.

Our Verdict

6.7
Mixed Usage 

Average performance for a range of usages. Picture quality is decent but lacks advanced features found on higher end TVs. Fast motion is well handled and even low quality content appears quite clear. Unfortunately the picture quality degrades even at a slight angle.

Pros
  • Great for video games.
  • Excellent smart platform with tons of apps.
  • Good basic picture quality.
Cons
  • Picture deteriorate when watched from the side.
  • Average uniformity.
6.1
Movies 

Movie performance is average. The picture quality is okay but lacks more advanced features such as local dimming. Blacks appear deep. Colors are decent but can't be adjusted.

6.8
TV Shows 

TV shows in a bright room appear average. Not bright enough to counteract strong glare. Good upscaling of low quality content. Picture quality is decent but degrades quickly when viewed from the side. Great app support for a range of content.

7.2
Sports 

Above average sports performance. Motion is handled very well. Uniformity is average with some dirty screen effect visible.

7.5
Video Games 

Great for gamers. Very good motion handling for fast camera movements. Good input lag so feels responsive. Decent picture quality.

5.2
HDR Movies 

Doesn't support HDR. Limited colors only suitable for SDR content. Can't get very bright highlights. Average picture quality.

4.7
HDR Gaming 
4.9
PC Monitor 

Slightly worse than average as a PC monitor. Doesn't support a wide range of resolutions or 120Hz content. Lack of chroma support means some text appears blurry.

  • 6.7
    Mixed Usage
  • 6.1
    Movies
  • 6.8
    TV Shows
  • 7.2
    Sports
  • 7.5
    Video Games
  • 5.2
    HDR Movies
  • 4.7
    HDR Gaming
  • 4.9
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
    2.  Updated May 11, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
    3.  Updated May 09, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

    Check Price

    40"40FS3750
    Amazon.com
    48"48FS3750
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    55"55FS3750
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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 48" (48FS3750). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for other sizes of the FS3750.

    If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their TCL FS3750 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

    Size Model
    40" 40FS3750
    48" 48FS3750
    55" 55FS3750

    Popular TV Comparisons

    Comparison picture

    Top row, from left: Sony W600D (KDL32W600D), TCL FS3750 (48FS3750), TCL FS3800 (40FS3800). Bottom: Sony R510C (KDL48R510C), Vizio D Series 1080p (D50-D1), LG LF5500 (49LF5500). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

    TVs in the same price range of the TCL FS3750 usually don't offer as much smart features which makes the FS3750 kind of unique and somewhat hard to compare. Something is clear though, that amount of features combined with a picture quality this good is really hard to beat for the price.

    How We Test TVs
    How We Test TVs

    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 are done with 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

    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    6.0
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The TCL FS3750 doesn't look bad but its added labeling at the bottom part of the television frame and its fair thickness doesn't make it stand out.

    Stand

    The two plastic stands are quite stable, the television does not wobble when being pushed.

    Footprint of the 48" TV stand: 37" x 9.5"

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 200x200

    The back of the television is bulky and unattractive. If wall mounted you may not be able to have access to the composite inputs.

    Borders
    Borders0.67" (1.7 cm)

    The borders are made with reflective plastic.

    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.75" (7 cm)

    The television is thick, but light at the same time. It might not be ideal to wall mount it as it will stick out.

    Picture Quality
    8.1
    Contrast
    Native Contrast
    3,390 : 1

    The contrast ratio is average-good on this television. Although not the deepest, blacks appear good even in a low light environment.

    0.0
    Local Dimming
    Local Dimming
    No
    Backlight
    Direct

    There is no local dimming feature on this TV.

    6.9
    SDR Peak Brightness
    SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    209 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 2% Window
    280 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 10% Window
    278 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 25% Window
    277 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 50% Window
    273 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 100% Window
    272 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 2% Window
    280 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 10% Window
    278 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 25% Window
    277 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 50% Window
    273 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 100% Window
    272 cd/m²

    Decent peak brightness values but cannot get extra bright like a TV that supports HDR.

    0.0
    HDR Peak Brightness
    HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    N/A
    HDR Peak 2% Window
    N/A
    HDR Peak 10% Window
    N/A
    HDR Peak 25% Window
    N/A
    HDR Peak 50% Window
    N/A
    HDR Peak 100% Window
    N/A
    HDR Sustained 2% Window
    N/A
    HDR Sustained 10% Window
    N/A
    HDR Sustained 25% Window
    N/A
    HDR Sustained 50% Window
    N/A
    HDR Sustained 100% Window
    N/A

    This TV does not support HDR.

    6.5
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    3.039%
    50% DSE
    0.234%

    The TCL FS3750 has an average screen uniformity. When watching sports, dirty screen effect (DSE) can be seen (darker spots) when camera pans over playing fields of uniform color.

    4.1
    Viewing Angle
    LCD Type
    VA
    Color Shift
    20°
    Brightness
    30°
    Black Level
    11°

    Even from a slight angle, the color of the TV shifts considerably, blacks look more grayish and the whole screen gets a yellow tint.

    Update: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results.

    8.5
    Black Uniformity
    Native Std. Dev.
    1.218%

    A totally black screen show several faint clouding spots. This isn't a big issue when watching regular content.

    8.5
    Gradient
    Color Depth
    8 Bit

    The TCL FS3750 has an 8 bit panel as can be noticed in the shift of colors in our gradient test pattern. This won't be an issue in regular content even though 8 bit banding can be seen in some scenes.

    9.2
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    1.57
    Color dE
    1.3055
    Gamma
    2.27

    Very good color and white balance dE for an out of the box state. Impressive for a low end TV like this one.

    9.2
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    1.59
    Color dE
    1.3911
    Gamma
    2.25

    No white balance or color fine tuning possible on the FS3750. Increasing contrast to 100 is the only change we made so the TV can get a little brighter.

    8.0
    480p Input

    The TCL FS3750 delivers great details whatever the resolution used. Despite their lower resolution, DVDs looks great and detailed.

    8.0
    720p Input

    Cable TV also looks very good when upscaled.

    10
    1080p Input

    When playing greater quality content like Blu-rays, the picture also looks very crisp.

    0.0
    4k Input
    6.5
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    No
    DCI P3 xy
    71.17%
    DCI P3 uv
    78.67%
    Rec 2020 xy
    51.09%
    Rec 2020 uv
    57.47%

    The range of colors the TCL FS3750 can display is good enough for Rec. 709 content.

    5.1
    Color Volume
    Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
    56.178%
    10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
    31.207%
    Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
    40.941%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
    22.7724%

    The FS3750 can't produce saturated colors at any luminance level.

    10
    Image Retention
    IR after 0 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 2 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 4 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 6 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 8 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 10 min recovery
    0%
    8.0
    Reflections
    Reflection
    2%
    Screen Finish
    Semi-gloss

    The TV handles reflections correctly and can get bright enough to fit for most living rooms.

    0.0
    3D
    3D
    No
    3D Type
    No
    2D to 3D
    No
    Pixels
    TypeLED
    Motion
    8.8
    Motion Blur
    Refresh Rate60 Hz
    Response Time
    12 ms
    Overshoot
    0.8 ms

    Pixels response time is good which doesn't produce a lot of blur on fast action sequences. Fast moving objects or players stays defined.

    2.8
    Image Flicker
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    120 Hz
    BFI
    No
    BFI Frequency
    120 Hz
    BFI In Game Mode
    No
    7.1
    24p Playback
    Judder-free 24p
    Yes
    Judder-free 24p via 60p
    No
    Judder-free 24p via 60i
    No

    There is no judder when a movie is playing at 24p (blu-ray, DVD). However over 60p as well as 60i, judder is present.

    0.0
    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    No
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    No

    There is no motion interpolation option on the TCL FS3750.

    Inputs
    8.4
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    30.3 ms
    1080p With Interpolation
    N/A
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    31.4 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz + HDR
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
    N/A

    Whether you put 'Game Mode' on or off, the television has a similar input lag across all settings. Your gaming experience with this television will be responsive.

    0.0
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution1080p
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    No
    1080p @ 120Hz
    No
    4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
    No
    4k @ 60Hz
    No
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    No

    4:4:4 isn't supported at all. When using the TV as a PC monitor, text sometimes appear blurry.

    Side Inputs
    Rear Inputs
    Total Inputs
    HDMI3
    USB1
    Digital Optical Audio Out1
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mm1
    Analog Audio Out RCA0
    Component In0
    Composite In1
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)1
    Ethernet0
    DisplayPort0
    IR In0
    SD/SDHC0
    Inputs Specifications
    HDR10
    No
    5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
    Yes
    Dolby Vision
    No
    5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
    No
    5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
    Yes
    5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
    No
    HDMI 2.0 Full BandwidthNo
    ARCYes (HDMI 3)
    USB 3Yes (1)
    HDCP 2.2No
    CECNo
    MHLNo
    Variable Analog Audio OutYes
    Sound Quality
    6.7
    Frequency Response
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    3.35 dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    3.08 dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    4.56 dB SPL
    Max
    89.1 dB SPL
    Low-end Cutoff
    160 Hz

    Very poor low-end cut off, even for a TV. This TV doesn't produce much bass. However, the frequency response is decent, especially at moderate volumes. At higher volumes, pumping and compression may be present.

    3.1
    Total Harmonic Distortion
    Distortion @ 70
    0.044
    Distortion @ 80
    0.4
    Distortion @ Max
    6.28

    Poor distortion overall. At lower volumes the amount of harmonic distortion is acceptable. However, at moderate to high volumes, there is a big jump in harmonic distortion and noticeable amounts of aliasing may be present.

    Smart Features
    Apps

    Literally tons of apps available, more than on any other TV smart platforms.

    9.0
    Interface
    Smart OSRoku

    With the integration of the Roku platform, the TCL FS3750 delivers excellent smart features with an overwhelming amount of available apps and very straightforward menu navigation. Even the TV settings, although scarce, are very simple to use and understand. The remote also helps with the simple experience with its minimalist design. People that likes to fiddle with a lot of options might be turned down by this approach but for the others, even the non-techy ones, the experience is great.

    10
    Ads
    Ad-free
    Yes
    Opt-out
    N/A
    TV Controls

    Controls on the TV are hidden behind the television near the left stand. They can be hard to access if the TV is wall mounted.

    Remote
    RemoteBasic

    The remote for the television feels comfortable in the hand. It is easy to navigate through menus with the remote and it has four quick access buttons dedicated to 'Netflix', 'Amazon', 'Radio' and 'Vudu'.

    In The Box

    - Remote
    - Batteries
    - Manuals

    Misc
    Power Consumption44 W
    Power Consumption (Max)99 W
    Firmware7.1.0