TCL 43P638K: 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TV TCL - Review 🏆

TCL has become one of the fastest growing TV brands worldwide in recent years. Founded in China in 1981, it has expanded globally and established itself as a major player in the budget and mid-range 4K TV market.

TCL TVs are known for offering good specifications and features at relatively affordable price points. They aim to make cutting-edge display technologies more accessible to the average consumer.

The TCL 43P638K is one of their 2022 LED 4K Android smart TV models. It sits in the mid-range of their lineup and promises strong performance and features for the price.

This review will take a close look at the key aspects of this 43-inch 4K TV to see how it performs and help you decide if it's a good option for your home entertainment needs.

Overview

The TCL 43P638K is a 43-inch 4K LED TV with smart capabilities powered by Android TV. This mid-range model offers decent picture quality and features for its price point.

With its 43-inch screen size, the TCL 43P638K is well-suited for smaller rooms where a large, immersive TV is not needed. The 4K Ultra HD resolution and LED backlighting provide a sharp, vibrant picture. While not the brightest for HDR content, it still renders colors and details well.

Running Android TV 9.0, the 43P638K provides access to popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+ and more. It also has built-in Google Assistant for hands-free voice control. The TV comes with 16GB of storage to install additional apps if desired.

Overall, the TCL 43P638K hits a sweet spot of price and performance with its 43-inch 4K screen, Android smart platform and decent HDR handling. It makes a good option for buyers seeking an affordable mid-size 4K TV for mixed usage.

For those looking for a larger screen with superior display technology, consider the TCL 85C645K: 85-Inch QLED 4K Ultra HD Smart TV. This top-of-the-line model features QLED technology for enhanced color accuracy and brightness, making it ideal for watching HDR content. The expansive 85-inch display creates an immersive viewing experience, perfect for home theaters and larger living rooms.

Design

The TCL 43P638K has an attractive and modern design with thin bezels around the display that allow for a more immersive viewing experience. The TV has a simple yet elegant stand design composed of two feet that provide stability without taking up too much space.

The overall build quality feels solid and durable. The TV is not the thinnest at 3.2 inches thick, but still manages to look slim from the front. The rear plastic casing has a matte black finish that resists fingerprints and scratches.

Some notable design elements include the small TCL logo located at the bottom bezel, and the minimalist feet which are finished in glossy black plastic. There are no buttons on the TV itself, with all controls located on the included remote.

Overall, the TCL 43P638K features a well-constructed design with thin bezels and discreet styling that will look great in any living room. The high-quality materials and solid construction give the impression of a premium television despite its affordable price point.

Alongside the TCL 43P638K, another impressive model is the TCL 40SF540K: 40-Inch FHD Smart TV. This 40-inch TV delivers Full HD resolution for crisp, clear visuals and comes with smart features that allow you to stream your favorite content from popular platforms. With its budget-friendly price and robust performance, it’s a great choice for those looking to upgrade their home entertainment system.

Display Quality

The TCL 43P638K has an impressive 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution that delivers crisp, detailed images with 4 times the resolution of Full HD. The high pixel density results in a sharper picture with smoother gradients and reduced pixelation.

This TV supports HDR technology including HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats. This expands the color gamut and contrast ratio, allowing for brighter highlights and increased detail in shadows. HDR content looks incredibly vivid and lifelike.

With a high peak brightness of 500 nits, the 43P638K can truly make HDR content shine. The bright highlights pop from the screen and help reveal nuances in the brightest parts of the image. This overcomes a common complaint with cheaper HDR TVs that lack sufficient brightness.

The TV also provides wide viewing angles so the picture retains accuracy when viewed from the side. It uses an IPS panel which prevents color shifting that can occur on VA panels.

In terms of color performance, the 43P638K covers over 90% of the DCI-P3 color space. This allows for richer, more saturated colors that look strikingly realistic for both SDR and HDR content. The 10-bit panel also eliminates color banding in gradients. Overall, the display quality enables an immersive viewing experience whether you're watching movies, TV shows, sports, or gaming.

Audio Quality

The TCL 43P638K has decent audio quality for a budget TV. It features a 2.0 channel speaker setup with two 10W speakers. While it doesn't have a dedicated subwoofer, the speakers are able to produce decent bass response.

The overall sound quality is good, especially considering the price point. Dialogue in movies and TV shows sounds clear and understandable. There's even some stereo separation that gives a sense of left and right channel differentiation. Music also sounds decent, with enough clarity in the mids and highs. However, the bass lacks punch and depth compared to higher-end TVs.

The maximum volume is reasonably loud but not overpowering. It can easily fill a medium to large room. However, at max volume there is some distortion, so it's best to keep it around 80-90% volume for clean audio playback. The speakers don't have any advanced audio enhancement features like virtual surround sound. Overall, the audio is sufficient for everyday TV watching and casual music/movie playback. But audiophiles would likely want to pair it with a soundbar or speaker system for a more immersive experience.

Smart Features

The TCL 43P638K runs on Android TV, providing access to the Google Play store and a wide range of apps. It comes with popular streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video pre-installed so you can start watching your favorite shows right away.

The Android TV interface is smooth, intuitive and easy to navigate. You can organize all your streaming apps on the customizable home screen. Voice search with Google Assistant allows you to find content easily by speaking into the remote.

Built-in Chromecast lets you cast movies, shows, apps, photos and more to the TV directly from compatible mobile devices. This provides an easy way to view content from your smartphone on the big screen.

Overall, the TCL 43P638K offers a great smart TV experience with Android TV and Chromecast providing lots of flexibility. The interface is responsive, app selection is excellent, and casting from mobile devices is simple.

Remote

The TCL 43P638K comes with a sleek and simple remote that makes it easy to control the TV's various functions. The remote has a minimalist design that fits nicely in the hand. The button layout is straightforward, with separate buttons for power, volume, channel changing, settings, and navigation. There's also a dedicated button for quickly launching Netflix.

For voice control, the remote has a built-in microphone. Press and hold the mic button to speak commands to Google Assistant. You can search for content, launch apps, adjust settings, control smart home devices, and more using just your voice. The voice recognition works well for basic commands. The remote can also be used to control other devices like a soundbar if you program it. Overall, the uncluttered remote design along with voice control functionality make it simple to operate the TV.

Performance

The TCL 43P638K delivers excellent overall performance for its price range. The picture quality is sharp and vivid thanks to the 4K Ultra HD resolution and HDR support. Fast action scenes come across smoothly without any blurring or ghosting effects.

The TV feels very responsive when navigating the interface and switching between apps. Inputs are detected quickly and there is minimal lag, making this a decent option for gaming. Streaming quality is consistently good with no major buffering issues.

The 4K upscaling does a nice job at improving HD content. Colors appear more vibrant and details look crisper. HDR content really shines on this TV with heightened contrast and expanded color gamut. Dark scenes retain good shadow detail. Motion handling is also solid with minimal judder or blur during fast motion.

Gamers will appreciate the low input lag which provides a responsive gameplay experience. The TV supports major gaming features like Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rate. Overall the TCL 43P638K delivers smooth streaming and lag-free gaming performance that exceeds expectations for its class.

Pros & Cons

The TCL 43P638K TV has several pros that make it a great option for buyers on a budget:

Pros

• Good 4K picture quality with HDR support
• Smooth Android TV interface
• Built-in Google Assistant for voice controls
• Low input lag for gaming
• Decent sound with Dolby Atmos support

However, there are some downsides to consider:

Cons

• Mediocre off-angle viewing angles
• Not very bright in HDR mode
• Only 2 HDMI ports
• Remote lacks dedicated buttons

Overall, the TCL 43P638K provides very good 4K picture quality and features considering its affordable price point. The pros like Android TV, Google Assistant support, and low input lag make it suitable for both entertainment and gaming. The main drawbacks are the limited viewing angles and lack of brightness in HDR. For budget-focused buyers, the pros likely outweigh the cons.

Conclusion

Overall, the TCL 43P638K is a great mid-range 43-inch 4K TV that offers good value for money. The design is clean and modern with slim bezels, although the plastic construction feels a bit cheap. The 4K picture quality is very good for the price, with vibrant colors, deep blacks and great contrast. Motion handling is also solid thanks to the 50Hz MEMC technology.

The Android TV interface provides access to a wide selection of apps and streaming services. The remote is basic but easy to use. Sound quality from the built-in speakers is just average, so you may want to pair it with a soundbar. Gaming performance is decent but not optimal due to the 50Hz refresh rate panel.

For the price, the TCL 43P638K punches above its weight in terms of features and performance. It's a great option for buyers looking for an affordable mid-size 4K TV for mixed usage. Unless you need more advanced gaming features, this TCL model is easy to recommend for most households looking for good value.