Last Updated: November 25, 2018 (Refresh Now)

Overview

Review Summary

Spam

Specs

Reco

Overview

Review Summary

Spam

Specs

Reco

TCL 28S305 28 Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV 2017 Model

Last Updated: November 25, 2018 (Refresh Now)

8.6

SCORE

/10

Total Reviews

1000

Old Reviews

Unverified

Spam Test

HDTV 720p

RESOLUTION

LED

TYPE

60 Hz

REFRESH RATE

Yes

HDMI

Review Analysis - 925 recent, verified reviews

Detailed Mode

Picture Quality

160

roku, crisp, 720p, sound, price

+93%

-7%

" ... We will see how long it last but so far its been easy to set up with decent picture ... "

" ... The picture is really nice, and I don't see the issue with black screens that others have mentioned. ... "

" ... The TV picture is fine . ... "

" ... The picture quality is sooooo much better than this old one. ... "

" ... So far so good, great picture for the price . ... "

" ... Decent picture, good sound, very easy to set up, both in terms of unpacking/assembling and software setup. ... "

" ... Clear picture and sound. ... "

Price

148

money, worth, beat, value, purchase

+97%

-3%

" ... Great TV for the price. ... "

" ... Incredible for the price ... "

" ... This is a must buy if you can get it at a good price. ... "

" ... For the price . ... "

" ... So far so good, great picture for the price . ... "

" ... great tv for the price. ... "

" ... we are waiting to see if the protection plan was worth the extra money. ... "

" ... great tv for the price. ... "

Ease of Use

easy to set, easy, easy to use, interface, setup

+95%

-5%

" ... All your favorite features in one box, with a easy to use interface and menu? ... "

" ... Very convenient interface! ... "

" ... Set up was a breeze also ... "

" ... Connected to WiFi easily, menus are intuitive. ... "

" ... Easy to use. ... "

" ... Easy to set up, easy to use, and the customer support is stellar. ... "

Marketplace

amazon, amazon prime, tcl, store, image

+88%

-12%

" ... The picture is really nice, and I don't see the issue with black screens that others have mentioned. ... "

" ... The TV picture is fine . ... "

" ... Thank you TCL, and excellent, expedited service by Amazon Prime! ... "

" ... Other than the delivery guys leaving it outside my house in the middle of the day during the holiday season (not Amazon’s fault), I was happy with the packaging and instructions. ... "

" ... Got this on a lightning deal on Cyber Monday. ... "

" ... Other than that the picture quality and materials are perfect. ... "

Setup

set, setup, easy to set, picture, easy to use

+94%

-6%

" ... However, my TV came undamaged, was easy to mount/set up, and is going strong. ... "

" ... Set up was a breeze also ... "

" ... Decent picture, good sound, very easy to set up, both in terms of unpacking/assembling and software setup. ... "

" ... Set up was easy and connects well to the internet, barring any other problems I would recommend the purchase (but not highly) . ... "

" ... Easy to set up. ... "

" ... Very simple set up. ... "

Product Reliability

ago, tcl, dies, vizio, long

+58%

-42%

" ... I have no complaints so far but as time goes on we shall see if there are any problems. ... "

" ... I haven't bought a TV in almost 4 years, I saw a deal on this and i was sold. ... "

" ... Ty working perfectly ... "

" ... Works great no complaints so far. ... "

" ... Excellent so far, but we've only had it for six months. ... Hoping it will long-lasting. ... "

" ... I've had it for several months and no complaints. ... "

Capacity

room, living room, perfect size, guest, wifi

+97%

-3%

" ... I have this and bought this for my mother in law. ... "

" ... Just opened this and put it up in my son's room. ... "

" ... We bought this during a lightening deal and are using in our bedroom. ... Wifi is plenty strong enough in our house, although router is not that far away (across hall in office). ... "

" ... The wifi get the signal from two rooms of distance and work great. ... "

" ... Works great, have been using in my kids room for over a month now and it still works great ... "

Software Platform

netflix, apps, app, roku interface, slow

+59%

-41%

" ... I really like the Roku interface. ... "

" ... It was so easy to activate all my roku apps. ... "

" ... The roku OS work so smooth. ... "

" ... It talks to my Netflix and Hulu accounts with ease. ... "

" ... The Roku interface is nice. ... It has all the native streaming apps you would expect (including one for Tablo! ... "

" ... The Roku software is intuitive to use and a great selection of online movies and TV shows. ... "

Remote

roku, volume, buttons, channels, app

+57%

-43%

" ... With the Roku we actually downloaded the apps onto her phone so if we can’t find the remote we have the remote directly on our phones. ... "

" ... Also can add to my phone and use my phone as a remote from the other room if my kids are watching something I don't want them to or turn it down :) . ... "

" ... The remote is well designed and while I miss the 0-9 buttons to directly select a station it is not a big deal if you are using either an antenna (smaller selection of channels) or just wifi. ... "

" ... ROKU is so much better I just can't believe it. ... "

" ... The remote buttons will turn on the set and take you directly into either Netflix or Amazon or whatever it is setup for. ... "

" ... Love this - the only negative I have is the remote has no ability to change cable channels, so a second remote becomes necessary. ... "

Apps

app, netflix, roku, youtube, slow

+68%

-32%

" ... With the Roku we actually downloaded the apps onto her phone so if we can’t find the remote we have the remote directly on our phones. ... "

" ... It was so easy to activate all my roku apps. ... "

" ... It talks to my Netflix and Hulu accounts with ease. ... "

" ... Changing inputs and/or apps is as simple as pressing the home button and choosing the appropriate item from the home screen. ... "

" ... It has all the native streaming apps you would expect (including one for Tablo! ... "

" ... REALIZE THERE IS NO YOUTUBE . ... "

Resolution

1080p, channels, streaming, 720p, tcl

+84%

-16%

" ... Roku TV rocks! ... "

" ... I love having the roku interface, especially since we dont have cable and just use streaming services. ... "

" ... The only thing I regret is that I had intended to get the 405 model with 4K and HDR and 120 refresh . ... "

" ... For movies I personally would have purchased a tv with higher resolution not the 720p this one has. ... "

" ... It's only 1080p, but unless you're stilling pretty close to it, your eyes can't tell the difference between 1080p and 4k (if you're in to all the nerdy comparisons, definitely check out RTings.com). ... I have an AppleTV that I used with my last TV, but if you don't have a streaming box you really don't need one with this TV. ... "

Product As Described

image, whish, vizio, picture is great, materials

+97%

-3%

" ... The picture is really nice, and I don't see the issue with black screens that others have mentioned. ... "

" ... The TV picture is fine . ... "

" ... Other than that the picture quality and materials are perfect. ... "

" ... Works great just as advertised ... "

" ... The picture is not as good as Vizio or Samsung, but better than expected. ... "

Sound Quality

picture, bar, surround, picture and sound, picture good sound

+78%

-22%

" ... Sound is better than expected from this type of TV. ... "

" ... Clear picture and sound. ... "

" ... Extremely easy to set up, amazing picture and decent sound quality. ... "

" ... Only downside is the sound, hence the 4 stars. ... "

" ... The picture is beautiful and the ROKU 4 has Dolby sound. ... "

" ... The sound isn't extremely great but the quality is good. ... I suppose you could buy a speaker system or a decent sound bar and this is a great set-up. ... "

For Kids

kids, son, young, year old mom, teenage son

+100%

" ... Amazing price for my teenage son. ... "

" ... I bought this TV for my wife for her birthday and she absolutely loves it. ... "

" ... Kids loved it ... "

" ... Nephew uses it for computer and gaming. ... "

" ... The kids are loving the Hello Song, Music Time and Goodbye Song on a screen that is MUCH bigger than the iPad we had been using previously. ... "

" ... My 73 year old mom loves it. ... "

" ... Also can add to my phone and use my phone as a remote from the other room if my kids are watching something I don't want them to or turn it down :) . ... "

Display Clarity

home screen, flat, picture, lines, tcl

+58%

-42%

" ... So now I can read the screen just fine. ... "

" ... This is all on-screen. ... "

" ... Screen is large and crystal-clear, with HD showing up very well. ... "

" ... Sometimes it will kick me out of what I'm watching and go back to the home screen, but overall it's really easy to use and works quickly to move between inputs. ... "

" ... And I love the Aquatic screen saver. ... "

" ... Now I need a wireless keyboard because I'm so close to the screen. ... "

" ... Perhaps if I had gotten a larger screen I would see something - but I'm not sure of that. ... I already have a perfectly good projection system with a 9 foot screen. ... I wanted to move to modern flat screens TV and avoid all the hassles. ... "

Device Compatibility

smart CAT, roku, netflix, computer monitor, wifi

+70%

-30%

" ... I'm using it as a computer monitor. ... "

" ... Connected to WiFi easily, menus are intuitive. ... "

" ... Great monitor for my work PC. ... "

" ... I never thought I would be able to afford a TV this big, let some a smart TV. ... "

" ... It was purchased as a TV and a computer monitor. ... "

" ... even better if i could hook-up my lap-top . ... "

Wifi

wi fi, internet, easy to set, wifi without, lost the wifi

+53%

-47%

" ... Our WiFi signal is strong, in fact we had our internet provider come to the house and test the strength of the signal. ... "

" ... We’ve ran diagnostics on our WiFi and have no problems ... "

" ... Connected to WiFi easily, menus are intuitive. ... "

" ... this TV is built around wifi great picture from 150 feet away from wifi source ... "

" ... Works great on a homeade, digital antenna and wifi. ... "

" ... Super easy to set-up just like the first television, typed in my Network information and was good-to-go. ... "

" ... Was easy to set up and it was already WiFi ready so had the internet connected within a few minutes. ... "

Network

signal, feet, antenna, internet, weakest

+57%

-43%

" ... this TV is built around wifi great picture from 150 feet away from wifi source ... "

" ... Works great on a homeade, digital antenna and wifi. ... "

" ... Wifi is plenty strong enough in our house, although router is not that far away (across hall in office). ... "

" ... The wifi get the signal from two rooms of distance and work great. ... "

" ... Or at least one that has a stronger signal than the one they provide. ... "

" ... Feet screwed on easy and set up was simple. ... "

Video Playback

movies, netflix, streaming, netflix hulu, prime video

+77%

-23%

" ... I absolutely love this tv it was a Christmas gift for my family and the picture is amazingly clear and we can stream movies ... "

" ... For movies I personally would have purchased a tv with higher resolution not the 720p this one has. ... "

" ... Streaming video apps work great with no signs of playback issues. ... "

" ... It works very well for watching Netflix, Hulu, or even browsing the web. ... "

" ... The Roku Channel isn't as in depth as other movie services but less movies to endlessly scroll through and the movies provided are actually all watchable and may be old, but were movies we watched when they were new, not like the endless dredge of "filler" movies on our other services that look barely better than VHS home movies. ... "

" ... Perfect size for a bedroom so you can put it across the room and don’t have to squint to watch your show/play video games. ... "

Controls

remote, buttons, roku, tcl, quality control

+52%

-48%

" ... no waiting like my smart TV easy to change input ... "

" ... I love how many settings this has under Menu. ... "

" ... Changing inputs and/or apps is as simple as pressing the home button and choosing the appropriate item from the home screen. ... "

" ... ), and the menu seems pretty responsive, though admittedly I've only streamed through my AppleTV so I can't speak to the watching experience through Roku. ... "

" ... The remote buttons will turn on the set and take you directly into either Netflix or Amazon or whatever it is setup for. ... "

" ... TV pause was a nice feature I had not read about. ... "

Cables

input, connector, satellite, qam, loosing

+76%

-24%

" ... Worked well wiand y existing Comcast cable box ... "

" ... I liked it so much im thinking of ordering one for each of our rooms and getting rid of our cable! ... "

" ... I use an antenna and stream with the roku apps, this tv is perfect for those who want to unplug from cable. ... "

" ... This device is in my garage and we have three game consoles plus cable TV hooked to it. ... "

" ... The tv works fine with cable tv. ... "

Delivery

delivered, arrived, delivery, shipped, tear

+92%

-8%

" ... And my package came earlier than expected! ... "

" ... Other than the delivery guys leaving it outside my house in the middle of the day during the holiday season (not Amazon’s fault), I was happy with the packaging and instructions. ... "

" ... I love this product, good quality and fast shipping ... "

" ... Television is great, but beware it ships without an outside box. ... "

" ... Excellent product that was delivered immediately. ... "

Color

colors, vibrant, color, darker, blacks

+82%

-18%

" ... LOVE LOve love this TV the color is so bright. ... "

" ... Awesome picture, watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and was shocked at how the colors popped. ... "

" ... The image is colorful and the contrast is better then expected. ... "

" ... Picture is bright and more saturated then my last Visio, which looked muted. ... "

" ... So far I like it, picture is decent but does seem to have trouble with some blacks in a darker setting, may need to adjust the picture some for that. ... "

Returns

returning, troubleshooting, 2 days, one back, new CAT

+45%

-55%

" ... I've had to update this review a couple times, ultimately ended up returning TV. ... Instead of calling tech support for the 5th time in 4 days, I decided to return the TV. ... "

" ... This is the second tv of this kind that I have received, because I had to return the first one, I could not get it to work, no customer service, they do not respond to calls or respond to emails even though they day they will, I will send this one back as soon as I get out of the the hospital & am able to purchase a new tv locally . ... "

" ... I am returning this and will never buy this again. ... "

" ... Ordered on June 17. ... "

" ... I purchased this tv because it happened to be the cheapest one on Amazon at the time, but I soon found out why. ... "

" ... I had to call 5 times to finally get them to return my money. ... "

" ... Would not connect to the internet so returned. ... "

Ports

ethernet port, cable, upgrade, unplug, oversize

+74%

-26%

" ... I love being able to have nothing else to install and plug into the outlet up there except the tv. ... "

" ... You can even set the default input for this so it automatically goes to your PC connected on HDMI port Everytime you power it up. ... "

" ... I really like how easy it is to use and switch between inputs. ... "

" ... This device is in my garage and we have three game consoles plus cable TV hooked to it. ... "

" ... There is a cable hookup on the back as well as the HDMI. ... "

" ... It has a USB hookup but I'm unsure if you could use it with an USB Ethernet adapter. ... "

Lagging

slow, day or two, nonsense, months, frequent

-100%

" ... 1) It reboots randomly when I'm in the middle of watching something. ... "

" ... I've had it for 3 months and its response time is starting to get pretty slow though. ... "

" ... The tv freezes continuously when I am streaming. ... "

" ... There’s pretty much always a 30-second delay whenever opening a new channel, too, which you get used to over time. ... "

" ... Done all the reset nonsense only works for a day or two. ... "

Size

size, relatively, surprisingly, slim, rv

+88%

-12%

" ... I just needed good mid sized TV. ... "

" ... Lightweight but has many useful add-ons. ... "

" ... Lightweight TV. ... "

" ... It has everything you could ever want for a great size. ... "

" ... Lightweight too, I'm using this in RV with PSW inverter, ... "

Features

function, smart CAT, roku, offers, timer

+100%

" ... I love all the built in features. ... "

" ... I love how many settings this has under Menu. ... "

" ... The features of the TV itself are fine. ... "

" ... Really nice picture with allot of features. ... "

" ... The best thing about the tv is the built in Roku and some of the other features. ... "

Volume

small room, loud, turns, suppose, suddenly

+47%

-53%

" ... Only issue I've had is that it sometimes turns off for no reason or the volume will suddenly mute. ... "

" ... Also the tv locks up say when loading a show and then hitting volume, only a few times though. ... "

" ... So 4 Stars for the lack of instructions or a clear way to find the tutorial, or the volume. ... "

" ... It's the kind of sound your family will be yelling for you to turn it down from two rooms away but you can't even understand what your listening to right in front of you. ... "

As Gift

loves, daughter, christmas, mom, bought this CAT

+100%

" ... I bought this TV for my wife for her birthday and she absolutely loves it. ... "

" ... We have been enjoying this TV so much at home that we decided to purchase one as a Christmas gift for my Pre-K classroom, too! ... "

" ... Christmas gift, hope my daughter loves it. ... "

" ... My son was thrilled to get this for a birthday gift! ... "

" ... got this for my mom, she loves it ... "

Gaming

games, visuals, sophisticated, king, app

+91%

-9%

" ... Nephew uses it for computer and gaming. ... "

" ... I would have gone with more sophisticated (and expensive) Samsung for things like live TV and gaming but this one is king for your streaming needs. ... "

" ... You can also play games, listen to music, search the web (download the app), etc. ... "

" ... It is not terribly noticeable, and I will give the TV 2 stars because it is decent for my playing games on my PS4, but in the end I am going to go for the refund because on top of this weird issue with the screen gap, the picture quality suffers heavily when any fast movement or action happens (my experience watching Netflix). ... "

" ... I am using it as a monitor for my Xbox One, Xbox 360 and my PC. ... "

Device Stand

mount, mounted, easy to mount, suggested, problematic

+82%

-18%

" ... It is mounted on the wall. ... "

" ... Mounted it using the VideoSecu TV Wall Mount (model # ML14B WS22). ... "

" ... very light easy to mount on a wall. ... "

Design

modern, lightweight, bright, surprisingly, spyware

+100%

" ... LOVE LOve love this TV the color is so bright. ... "

" ... I had an older, smaller smart TV that I finally replaced - this one is super easy to use and looks beautiful. ... "

" ... It's bright and colorful. ... "

" ... This is a much more elegant solution. ... "

" ... It is surprisingly lightweight, modern looking and relatively slim. ... "

Cooling

bedroom, really, huge

+100%

" ... Great TV huge for the bedroom. ... "

" ... Great bedroom TV. ... "

" ... My usage is in the bedroom . ... "

" ... cool tv. ... "

" ... Its really very cool TV. ... "

Build Quality

stand, wobbly, CAT is broke, tipping, screwed

+40%

-60%

" ... Yes the tv stand legs are a bit wobbly and cheap. ... "

" ... Tv is broke already ... "

Review Spam Test

In order to keep our review summaries as accurate as possible, we aggressively detect fake reviews. We use various signals to detect unnatural patterns and will gradually expose them here.

Spam Test could not be completed. Click here to retry.

Specifications

Connectivity

HDMI: Yes

Number of USB ports: 1

USB: Yes

Display

Resolution: HDTV 720p

Type: LED

Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

Recommendations

...

HDTV 720p

RESOLUTION

LED

TYPE

60 Hz

REFRESH RATE

Yes

HDMI

Recommendations

...