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TCL Updates Roku 6-Series TV to R6 With Brighter Mini-LED

Editor's Choice: The new model touts increased brightness and more local dimming zones than its predecessor, along with a new 144Hz variable refresh rate.

Sarah Lord Writer
Sarah Lord covers TVs and home entertainment. Prior to joining CNET, Sarah served as the tech and electronic reviews fellow at Insider, where she wrote about everything from smart watches and wearables to tablets and e-readers. She began her career by writing laptop reviews as an intern and subsequent freelancer at Tom's Hardware. She is also a professional actor with many credits in theater, film and television.
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Sarah Lord
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a 65-inch TCL Roku R6 TV on a blue background

The TCL Roku R6 TV comes in 55-, 65- and 75-inch models.

 TCL

One of the best TVs for the price is getting an upgrade: TCL has unveiled the newest model in its popular 6-Series line, the Roku R6. The company claims that the new mini-LED TV will be brighter and have more local dimming zones than existing models, while also adding a 144Hz variable refresh rate at 4K and an ambient light sensor for Dolby Vision IQ compatibility. It's available now in a 55-inch model for $699, a 65-inch size for $999 and a 75-inch screen for $1499. 

TCL also announced increased availability for its 98-inch, 120Hz R7 Series TV. The massive set lacks mini-LED and other picture-enhancing technology, but could be a good option for those who are just looking for a huge screen. It is currently on sale for $8,000.

The R6 immediately replaces the 2020 Roku 6-Series TV in the TCL lineup, though the 6-Series running Google TV released in 2021 will remain on sale.   

The 2022 R6 model now comes with up to 360 local dimming zones compared to the 240 zones on the 75-inch 2020 model version. Dimming zones improve picture quality by allowing different areas of the screen to dim or illuminate independently of the rest of the TV. This leads to more precise illumination, which helps to increase contrast and picture quality. Of course, we'll have to wait until we can review the TV ourselves to see how much of a difference it makes here.  

The R6 also improves gaming by adding a 144Hz variable refresh rate at up to 4K resolution and AMD Free-Sync Premium Pro for even more performance. This upgrade should help PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X users get the most out of their games, as the previous model lacked the ability to game in 4K at 120Hz with HDR. 

Also new for this year is the inclusion of a height-adjustable center stand that makes it easier to set up a sound bar, along with an ambient light sensor and Dolby Vision IQ. This helps to automatically adjust the picture based on the brightness of the surrounding room. 

The TCL 6-Series has long been one of the most popular and well-reviewed on the market. It's currently our Editors' Choice model and our pick as the best TV for the money due to its excellent image quality and reasonable price. Like its predecessor, the new R6 continues to offer Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10 Plus support, but looks to build on the 6-Series success by adding a few extra bells and whistles. 

While the TCL 6-Series has a lot to offer, it does have some competition. The recently released Vizio MQX is cheaper and also has good picture quality, but lacks mini-LED technology. The Samsung QN90B matches most of the specifications of the 6-Series, but is more expensive.