TCL is one of the few manufacturers that sell TVs with Google TV pre-installed, but two of its TVs with the software have been pulled down from the only store where they can be bought in the U.S., no thanks to the less-than-stellar experience of users. The TCL 5 and TCL 6 series originally launched with Roku TV before TCL announced Google TV editions in August 2021.
There are only two streaming dongles powered by Google TV — the Chromecast with Google TV and the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick. Another option but a more expensive one for folks who want to experience Google’s new TV software is to buy a TV that comes pre-installed with it. Unfortunately, only a handful of TVs fit this description compared to the plethora of models that run Android TV. Now that TCL’s Google TV models have been yanked off Best Buy for software issues, buyers are now left with even fewer options.
There have been complaints about how the TCL Series 5 and Series 6 Google TV editions are slow and buggy. TCL itself acknowledged to The Verge that there are issues, and it has been rolling out multiple software updates to fix the performance problems. Some of the updates seem to have improved the user experience to an extent, but seeing as Best Buy has delisted them from its sites, it appears there are still some unresolved ones. For example, the buy link on the product pages for the two TVs on TCL’s site should take a buyer to Best Buy, where the TV can be purchased. Instead, the link opens to a page with a message that reads, “We’re sorry, something went wrong.”
Streaming Dongles/Boxes To The Rescue
Those who own either the TCL Series 5 or Series 6 Google TV edition and can’t live with the current state of the software will have to resort to other means such as a streaming dongle or box. There are many options available, some of which are inexpensive, that will make their $950 Series 6 TV ($599 for the Series 5) usable. Amazon’s line of Fire TV Sticks is available for as low as $30. And if they want the best, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max that launched in September 2021 costs $54.99. Walmart also sells streaming devices under its Onn brand, and interested buyers can pick up the model of the Android TV streaming device with 4K support for $19.88, while the Full HD version is down to $14.88 (as of the time of writing).
It is unclear when Best Buy will relist the TCL TVs for purchase. However, those who already own one can regularly check for updates to see if a new software that fixes the issues has been released.
