The TCL S3/S350G is an entry-level 1080p TV and sits below the 2024 4k entry-level TCL S5/S551G. Even though it's a basic TV, it supports HDR10 alongside Google TV 11. While it doesn't support any advanced gaming features, it does come with a Game Mode. It comes with the same remote as some of TCL's other 2024 models, which has an integrated microphone with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support. It also comes with Chromecast built-in, providing easy casting from an Android device. We reviewed the 32-inch model, but it also comes in 40 and 43-inch model sizes.
Our Verdict
The TCL S3 is a disappointing TV overall. It doesn't excel in any usage due to its underwhelming peak brightness in SDR and HDR, inadequate image processing, narrow viewing angle, and low-resolution options. Its worst feature, however, is its awful response time: it's high enough to provide an unpleasant viewing experience when watching sports and also impacts the TV's ability to provide an adequate gaming or PC monitor experience.
Good reflection handling.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Inadequate image processing features.
Narrow viewing angle.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
The TCL S3 is a mediocre TV for watching shows. While it has good reflection handling, it is extremely dim in SDR, so it can't handle rooms with any lights. It also has a narrow viewing angle, so it's not a good choice for any wide seating arrangement. It does have a wide array of smart features, including access to a huge selection of streaming apps, so you can easily find your favorite shows. Unfortunately, its image processing is disappointing at best, so it can't clean up low-bitrate or low-resolution shows.
Good reflection handling.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Inadequate image processing features.
Narrow viewing angle.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
The TCL S3 is a poor choice for watching sports. While its reflection handling is good, it is simply too dim in SDR to be used in any room with lights or windows. Plus, it has a narrow viewing angle, so it's not a good choice for a wide seating arrangement. Its gray uniformity is inadequate, so there's visible dirty screen effect when watching sports with large areas of bright uniform color, like hockey. Its most glaring issue, however, is its awful response time; there is an extremely noticeable motion blur behind fast-moving players, making for an unpleasant viewing experience.
Good reflection handling.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Inadequate image processing features.
Narrow viewing angle.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
Inadequate uniformity with large areas of bright, uniform colors.
The TCL S3 is inadequate for playing games. It has a few redeeming features, such as input lag that is low enough for a pleasant, if unimpressive, gaming experience. It also has good reflection handling, but it doesn't matter much due to the TV's very low SDR brightness; turn off any lights when gaming on this TV. The TV's biggest issue, however, is its awful response time, which introduces a ton of motion blur behind fast-moving objects. This makes it almost unusable for action games. It's also limited to 1080p @ 60Hz on its two HDMI 1.4 ports, with no VRR.
Good reflection handling.
Relatively low input lag.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Inadequate image processing features.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
Limited to 1080p on its two HDMI 1.4 ports.
The TCL S3 is a disappointing TV for watching movies. Its contrast is mediocre, but it makes for relatively deep blacks when no highlights are present. Unfortunately, the entire screen is blue whenever bright highlights are there, which is unpleasant when viewed in a pitch-black room. When paired with the TV's disappointing HDR brightness, it results in a rather underwhelming HDR presentation. The TV's pre calibration accuracy in SDR is barely mediocre, so it's not a good TV to watch SDR content if you care about image accuracy.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Inadequate image processing features.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
Limited color gamut.
Mediocre pre calibration accuracy in SDR.
You shouldn't buy the TCL S3 for HDR gaming. Its HDR peak brightness is extremely low, making for a dull HDR experience overall. It doesn't matter much anyhow, as this TV's response time just isn't good enough for gaming; there's a noticeable motion blur behind any fast-moving elements of the scene. It's even worse in dark titles, as there's an overwhelming amount of black smearing during dark transitions. Finally, it's also limited to 1080p @ 60Hz on its two HDMI 1.4 ports, with no VRR.
Relatively low input lag.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
Limited to 1080p on its two HDMI 1.4 ports.
Limited color gamut.
The TCL S3 shouldn't be bought to be used as a PC monitor. It caps out at 1080p, resulting in a very low pixel density when used as a monitor. It's also not quite bright enough in SDR to overcome any lights from an office, even with its good reflection handling. It also has a narrow viewing angle, so the sides of the screen are not uniform with the center when you're sitting close to it. Its most glaring weakness, however, is its awful response time, which results in a ton of motion blur behind fast-moving objects, such as a mouse cursor. It's even worse during dark transitions, so moving bright windows on a dark background will result in an inordinate amount of black smearing, making for a very unpleasant user experience.
Good reflection handling.
Relatively low input lag.
Dim TV in HDR and SDR.
Narrow viewing angle.
Awful response time leads to substantial motion blur behind fast moving objects.
Limited to 1080p on its two HDMI 1.4 ports.
Inadequate uniformity with large areas of bright, uniform colors.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the TCL 32S350G, which is also available in 40- and 43-inch sizes. Our model uses the Google TV smart OS, but the TV is also available with Roku TV as well as Fire TV. While all variants share a similar feature set, there are some differences: the Fire TV variant doesn't come with a Game Mode, while the Roku variants have three HDMI ports instead of two and come with Apple HomeKit and Airplay2 support. In Canada, only the Roku and Google TV variants are available.
| Size | Google TV model (US/Canada) | Roku TV model | Fire TV model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32" | TCL 32S350G/32S350G-CA | TCL 32S350R/32S350R-CA | TCL 32S350F |
| 40" | TCL 40S350G/40S350G-CA | TCL 40S350R/40S350R-CA | TCL 40S350F |
| 43" | TCL 43S350G/43S350G-CA | TCL 43S350R/43S350R-CA | - |
Our unit was manufactured in February 2024, as shown on the label.
Popular TV Comparisons
You shouldn't buy the TCL 32S350G. While it's a very cheap television, its performance leaves a lot to be desired. It is dim in SDR and HDR, has inadequate image processing, and is limited to 1080p on its two HDMI 1.4 ports. Worse of all, however, is its awful response time, which makes the TV almost unusable for sports, gaming, or use as a PC monitor. You really should consider the similarly priced but much better Hisense A6N and Roku Select Series 2023, as they'll both offer a vastly better experience overall.
See our recommendations for the best budget TVs, the best TVs under $300, and the best smart TVs.
The Roku Select Series is much better than the TCL S350G. The TCL does one thing better than the Roku: upscaling, and not by much. Otherwise, the Roku is the brighter TV in HDR and SDR, with slightly better contrast, offering a more impactful viewing experience in all content. It's also much better for gamers due to its vastly faster response time and up to 4k @ 60Hz resolution support; the TCL is limited to 1080p @ 60Hz on its two HDMI 1.4 ports.
The Hisense A6N is better than the TCL S350G. While the TCL has the better contrast of the two, the Hisense is brighter in HDR and SDR, with a wider color gamut, delivering a more impactful viewing experience overall. It's also the more accurate of the two TVs. The Hisense is vastly better for gamers due to its far quicker response time. Finally, it offers a wider range of resolutions to users, as the TCL is limited to a maximum of 1080p @ 60Hz.
The Samsung DU6900 is better than the TCL S350G. While the TCL has the better contrast, the Samsung is brighter in HDR and SDR, with a wider color gamut, offering a more impactful viewing experience with all content. The TCL is the more accurate of the two TVs in SDR out of the box, but inversely, the Samsung is more accurate in HDR content. The Samsung is also the better option for gamers due to its wider resolution range, barebones VRR feature, and faster response time. The TCL, for its part, is limited to 1080p, has no VRR, and has a truly awful response time.
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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