Resolution
:
1080p (except 28", 32")
The TCL S305 1080p Roku TV is a passable budget LED TV. It has decent picture quality, and it sports some of the best smart features available. Unfortunately, it cannot get very bright, and its handling of motion could be better. Note that the 28" and 32" models are 720. For the 4k model of TCL S Series, see our review here.
- Blacks are well reproduced
- Excellent smart features
- Cannot get bright
- Picture quality deteriorates at an angle
- Picture settings are very limited
Update 3/12/2018:
Converted to
Test Bench 1.2. Learn more about our versioned test bench system
here.
Update 1/19/2018:
There is a problem with how the Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X detect the audio passthrough capabilities of TCL TVs; a workaround is detailed in the
Additional Review Notes.
Update 8/10/2017:
Converted to
Test Bench 1.1. Learn more about our new versioned test bench system
here.
Check Price
The design of the S305 is very basic. From the front it looks similar to the TCL FS3750 of last year, but with slightly nicer looking feet. The plastic feet are almost as wide as the TV, so a fairly wide table is required. The borders have an average thickness and the TV will stick out from the wall a bit if mounted.
The stand is almost as wide as the TV and so requires a fairly large table. The plastic feet do look alright due to the silvered coloring.
Footprint of the 40" TV stand: 7.7" x 30.0"
Wall Mount
:
Vesa 100x100
The rear of the TV is quite basic, but the top half is metal which feels quite nice. The only inputs on the back of the TV are composite, so the remainder are fairly easy to access if positioned close to a wall.
The borders of the TV have an average thickness, and don't really stand out at all. There is some gap between the edge of the bezel and the LCD panel.
Max Thickness
:
2.95" (7.5 cm)
The TV is a bit thicker than most, as the bottom of the TV has a slight lip. It will stick out from a wall a bit if mounted.
Maximum Temperature
:
99 °F (37 °C)
Average Temperature
:
93 °F (34 °C)
The S305 is a fairly cool TV, due to its low peak brightness. The heat is pretty uniform across the screen, and none of the edges get more than warm to the touch.
The build quality of the S305 is okay. It's certainly not going to fall apart with normal usage but all of the parts feel plasticy and cheap.
The TCL S305 TV has a decent picture quality. The native contrast and black uniformity are great and should provide a passable movie experience, especially when set in a dark room. When set in a bright room though, the picture quality won't be as good since the peak brightness is not that high. As a result, the TV won't be able to overtake the glare from a bright light of a sunny window, unfortunately. The viewing angle and gray uniformity are below average and wouldn't make this TV the best option to watch a sporting event with a large group of people since when sitting off center, the picture quality will be diminished.
Native Contrast
:
3519 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
:
N/A
The S305 has a very good contrast ratio. At around 3500:1, this makes for a good TV when set in a dark room since blacks look deep and dark scene look good with a lot of details.
The TCL S305 does not have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
:
158 cd/m
2
SDR Peak 2% Window
:
173 cd/m
2
SDR Peak 10% Window
:
181 cd/m
2
SDR Peak 25% Window
:
182 cd/m
2
SDR Peak 50% Window
:
182 cd/m
2
SDR Peak 100% Window
:
182 cd/m
2
SDR Sustained 2% Window
:
171 cd/m
2
SDR Sustained 10% Window
:
181 cd/m
2
SDR Sustained 25% Window
:
181 cd/m
2
SDR Sustained 50% Window
:
181 cd/m
2
SDR Sustained 100% Window
:
181 cd/m
2
Sub-par peak brightness. The TV never gets brighter than 182 cd/m², which makes it fairly dim when viewed in a bright room, and still not very bright when viewed in a dark room. The peak brightness does not change depending on the content shown, as all the tests show roughly the same brightness (the real scene brightness is measured at the edge of the TV, which is not as bright as the middle).
A plot of peak brightness over time is shown here.
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
:
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
The gray uniformity of the TCL S305 could be better. Looking at the 50% gray test picture, it is really easy to see that the 4 corners are darker than the center. There is also a dark arc going from the top corner to the bottom one and this from each side. The center of the screen is a bit brighter than the rest of the screen, but at least it is fairly homogeneous and the dirty screen effect is not be too bad since it is most noticeable at the center.
As for the 5% gray uniformity, beside the edges of the screen being a bit brighter, nothing really stands out.
Native Std. Dev.
:
1.304 %
The black uniformity of the S305 is average. Overall the screen is pretty even with only the right side being a bit darker, but with a standard deviation of 1.304% it is still within our good value range, which is under 2%.
Screen Finish
:
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
:
5.2 %
Indirect Reflections
:
0.5 %
The TV has a semi-gloss finish which diffuses reflections across the screen. This works to reduce the intensity of direct reflections. This should be ok for most rooms, but may present issues in bright rooms.
Color Temperature
:
6435 K
Out of the box, the TCL S305 has a great accuracy. Overall the screen is a bit warmer than what we aim for and the white balance dE is a bit high, but both the Color dE and the gamma are well under what an enthusiast would notice. So for a normal home use, This TV could be used 'as is' without any problems.
Color Temperature
:
6448 K
There is no calibration menu on the TCL S305 so it is not possible to make the S305 a bit more accurate, but luckily this TV is good enough out of the box for most people.
Our settings for calibration can be found here.
Upscaling of low quality content is good. Jagged edges are smoothed well, without losing too much detail.
720p content such as cable looks good. The image isn't too soft and details are preserved.
No issues can be seen with 1080p content such as Blu-rays.
The S305 is a 1080p TV with no support for 4k.
Standard color gamut, only good enough for non HDR content using the Rec 709 color space.
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
:
50.4 %
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
:
16.7 %
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
:
47.9 %
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
:
15.9 %
Poor color volume. The TV has only a standard color gamut, and is unable to make dark colors dark enough because it lacks local dimming.
Red (Std. Dev.)
:
0.124 dE
Green (Std. Dev.)
:
0.175 dE
Blue (Std. Dev.)
:
0.120 dE
Gray (Std. Dev.)
:
0.347 dE
The TCL S305 does show 8-bit gradation when displaying our gradient test image. Even though it is 8 bit, the gradient is fairly smooth and there is not too much tint problem in all 3 color shade.
10
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
:
0.00 %
IR after 2 min recovery
:
0.00 %
IR after 4 min recovery
:
0.00 %
IR after 6 min recovery
:
0.00 %
IR after 8 min recovery
:
0.00 %
IR after 10 min recovery
:
0.00 %
After running our image retention test on this TCL TV, we did not notice any image retention. This is in line with most VA TV we have tested before.
10
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
:
No
We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
The horizontal VA pixel structure looks very similar to the Sony W650D we tested in 2016.
The motion handling of the S305 is below average. Some motion blur is present when displaying fast paced content, and unfortunately the TV lacks a flicker feature to reduce visible blur. Movies played from a Blu-ray player are smooth, but some minor judder is present when watching movies via cable or a HTPC. This minor judder isn't noticeable to most people. The TV has a 60Hz panel which doesn't have options to interpolate lower frame rate content.
80% Response Time
:
5.3 ms
100% Response Time
:
30.1 ms
The response time of the S305 is average. Some overshoot is visible in the brighter trail following the logo, and a faint trail of blur extends outside the crop.
PWM Dimming Frequency
:
120 Hz
The TV uses PWM to dim the backlight, starting at 100/100 backlight setting. Lowering the setting shortens the duty cycle, while amplitude remains constant. Backlight PWM results in a 120Hz flicker, but it isn't noticeable to most people.
5.4
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Min Flicker for 60 fps
:
120 Hz
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
:
120 Hz
The S305 has no option to reduce its flicker frequency to 60 Hz, although its 120 Hz backlight does help somewhat to make motion look clearer.
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
:
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
:
No
The S305 has a 60Hz panel and doesn't provide any options to interpolate frames on lower refresh rate content.
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
:
11.6 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
:
0.0 ms
This TV is excellent at displaying content without stutter, even for very low frame rate content such as 24 fps movies. The response time of the TV helps to blur the transition between frames, which produces a smoother image.
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
:
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
:
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
:
Yes
The S305, like all the other TCL TVs we have reviewed so far, can only play movies without judder from 24p sources. This means movies playing over cable or satellite boxes will have a small judder. Note that few people notice judder, so this is not be a deal breaker for most people.
Native Refresh Rate
:
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
:
No
VRR Supported Connectors
:
N/A
The S305 has a 60Hz panel but doesn't support a variable refresh rate, which is typical of most TVs.
The S305 can only properly display simple input resolutions such as 1080p @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:2. This lack of chroma subsampling support is only really noticeable for PC use and not an issue for watching movies. On the bright side the TV has fairly low input lag in all picture modes, low enough to please most gamers.
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
:
28.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
:
N/A
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
:
N/A
4k With Interpolation
:
N/A
Variable Refresh Rate
:
N/A
This TV has the same low input lag in all picture modes. Surprisingly the 'Game mode' setting does not change the input lag.
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
:
No
Only basic resolutions are supported, such as 1080p @ 60 Hz @ 4:2:2. While the TV can accept a chroma 4:4:4 input it is unable to show chroma 4:4:4 properly; however this is only an issue when using the TV as a PC monitor (text may have colored artifacts around the letters).
Digital Optical Audio Out
:
1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm
:
1
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
:
Yes
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
:
No
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
:
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
:
No
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwith
:
No
HDMI 2.1 Full Bandwidth
:
No
Variable Analog Audio Out
:
Yes
Wi-Fi Support
:
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
To enable 5.1 passthrough, the 'S/PDIF and ARC' audio option must be changed from 'Auto Detect' to 'Dolby D+, DTS' or one of the other Dolby Digital options. DTS passthrough does not work, even though the TV lists DTS support. This may be fixed in a future software update.
Update 01/19/2018: There is a problem with how the Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X detect the audio passthrough capabilities of TCL TVs; a workaround is detailed in the Additional Review Notes.
The sound produced by the TCL S305 isn't good. It's comparable to competing TVs, but that isn't saying much. Most sound bars will probably be a nice upgrade over the internal speakers.
Low-Frequency Extension
:
134.54 Hz
Std. Dev. @ Max
:
6.90 dB
Dynamic Range Compression
:
4.15 dB
Subpar frequency response. Higher frequencies are very poorly represented, and some compression artifacts are noticeable at higher volumes. It does get pretty loud though.
Weighted THD @ 80
:
0.162
Weighted THD @ Max
:
15.154
The S305's speakers produce more distortion than average. It is relatively contained at lower volumes but quickly rises up past 80 dB.
The TCL S305 runs Roku TV, which is simpler and easier to navigate than some other smart OS's but still has all the features users expect in a smart TV. It has access to all the popular apps via the Roku 'Streaming Channels' store. Content can be cast to the TV from a smartphone or tablet, or played from a USB drive plugged into the TV's USB port. The included remote is fairly basic, but the Roku smartphone and tablet app has a lot of useful features for controlling the TV, and can even play the TV's audio through the phone or tablet.
Time Taken to Select YouTube
:
3 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
:
3 s
Suggested Content in Home
:
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
:
No
This TV has no ads in its main interface, but third party apps may have ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising for these ads by enabling the 'Limit Ad Tracking' option. The home screen has a large section for showing suggested content, which is a little annoying and cannot be disabled.
App Smoothness
:
Not Smooth
USB Drive HDR Playback
:
N/A
HDR in Amazon Video
:
N/A
Roku TV calls its apps 'Streaming Channels', but they work like normal apps. Most of the popular apps are available, such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Video.
Other Smart Features
:
No
The S305's remote is fairly basic, only providing basic buttons such as volume control, navigation and opening a few apps. However there is also a Roku app for smartphones and tablets that can act as the TV's remote, change between its apps and inputs, and can even play the TV's sound through the phone or tablet.
Launches Apps and Inputs
:
Both
Inputs Text in YouTube
:
No
Inputs Text in Netflix
:
Yes
Streams Device Files
:
Yes
Controls TV Settings
:
Some
There are three physical buttons on the TV that can change the volume, inputs and can power the TV on and off.
Power Consumption (Max)
:
61 W
Firmware
:
7.5.2 build 4063-08
Differences between Sizes and Variants
We tested the 40" (40S305). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 43" (43S305) and 49" (49S305) versions. The 32 inch (32S305) and 28 inch (28S305) versions have a 720p resolution.
Our review should also apply to the 43S305 found at Costco and other retailers, with only a few cosmetic differences.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their TCL S305 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.
| Size |
Model |
Resolution |
| 28" |
28S305 |
720p |
| 32" |
32S305 |
720p |
| 40" |
40S305 |
1080p |
| 43" |
43S305 |
1080p |
| 49" |
49S305 |
1080p |
Compared to other TVs
Top left:
TCL FS3750 (
48FS3750). Bottom left:
Samsung MU6300 (
UN55MU6300). Middle: TCL S305 (40S305). Top right:
LG UH6100 (
43UH6100). Bottom right:
Hisense H8C (
50H8C). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.
The S305 is a decent budget TV. It's so cheap that most of its competition is usually quite bad, and you rarely find TVs equipped with good smart features at this price.
TCL FS3750
40" 48" 55"
The TCL FS3750 is a slight step up in TCL's line of TVs. It's still 1080p, but it offers better motion and can be found in larger sizes. It's a better choice for gaming, and it does get a bit brighter as well.
Vizio E Series 1080p 2016
32" 40" 43" 48" 55"
The E Series 1080p 2016 is one of Vizio's entry-level TVs from 2016. Overall, it's a worse TV than the TCL. It doesn't really have any advantage over the S305. It's biggest shortcoming is its smart platform, which is a lot worse than the Roku TV features.
LG LH5700
43" 49"
The LG LH5700 IPS TV is one of their budget level TVs from 2016. Compared to the S305, it has much better handling of motion and retains its picture quality better at an angle. Picture quality from the front is worse though, and uniformity issues cause football fields and other sports too look dirty. Most people will be better suited with the TCL.
LG LH5000
43"
The LH5000 is one of the cheapest TVs LG makes and is in general pretty bad. Unlike the S305, it doesn't have any smart features. Its picture quality is poor, especially in a dark room. Most people will be much better off with the S305.
Passable TV for mixed usage. The S305 is a fairly basic TV overall, but its picture quality isn't bad. 1080p resolution is a downside, especially if the TV is going to be watched up close.
Unremarkable Movies performance. Black levels are good, but the TV doesn't support local dimming and has some uniformity issues. It also only has a 1080p resolution.
Decent TV for watching TV shows. Upscaling of lower resolution content is good, and the Roku platform provides all that is needed for online content. The S305 can be a bit dim though.
Average TV for sports watching. The S305 has decent motion performance and viewing angles. Unfortunately though, it cannot get very bright, which is an issue for weekend games in a well-lit room.
The S305 makes for a decent gaming TV. Input lag is good, and motion performance is better than average.
Poor choice for HDR. The TV does not get bright enough, and it isn't supported.
Since HDR is not supported, the S305 is not a good TV for newer systems such as the PS4 pro.
Inadequate PC monitor. Motion blur is a bit higher than preferred and essential resolutions are not supported, causing text to look fuzzy and hard to read.
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