Our Verdict
Slightly above average overall performance. Performs well in dark scenes. Above average picture quality. Unfortunately can't get very bright. Slightly better than average motion handling. Picture quality degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle.
- Great contrast ratio for dark scene performance
- Roku smart platform works well
- Visible dirty screen effect
- Picture quality degrades at an angle
- Can't get very bright
Better than average for movies in a dark room. Dark scene performance is good. No local dimming feature to improve performance. Colors are quite accurate.
Below average for TV in a bright room. Picture quality is above average but degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle. Can't get bright to overcome glare. Average at dealing with reflections. Smart platform works well for casual viewing.
Average for sports. Picture quality is above average, but degrades rapidly when viewed at an angle. Motion blur is slightly better than average. Uniformity is not good, so dirty screen effect is visible.
Good for gamers. Picture quality is above average, and motion handling is good. Unfortunately for serious gamers, input lag is average but this should not be an issue for most people.
Doesn't support HDR. Picture quality is above average, but highlights can't get bright and only supports a limited range of colors.
Below average PC monitor. Motion blur is slightly better than average. Input lag is average which may be noticeable to some. Picture quality is above average but degrades when viewed at an angle.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55" (55UP130). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 50" (50UP130) and 43" (43UP130).
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their TCL UP130 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.
Note that the 43" model has a slightly different VESA mount (100x200).
| Size | Model |
| 43" | 43UP130 |
| 50" | 50UP130 |
| 55" | 55UP130 |
Popular TV Comparisons
The TCL UP130 is a budget TV, providing average performance. The biggest strength is the Roku smart platform, and would be the main reason for choosing the TV at this price point. Other similarly priced 4k TVs offer better picture quality or more features. Keep that in mind when viewing our recommendations below.
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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