Unboxing tips
Unboxing the TCL S305 TV is pretty simple since everything is stored at the top of the box. And remember that it’s always a smart idea to have a friend help you when setting up your TV — no matter what type of TV you are setting up.
What’s in the box
- Product and setup literature.
- Four screws.
- Two batteries.
- Remote.
- Power cable.
- Two plastic legs.
Items not included
Several items are not included with the TV. You will need to buy HDMI cables to connect your TV to other devices. The easiest way to ensure you have HDMI cables is to buy the AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI cables at the same time you buy your TV. If you do not buy the AmazonBasics HDMI cable, make sure that the HDMI cables are rated as “high speed” cables so they can accommodate the large amount of data 4K HDR content requires.
Additionally, the TV does not come with any wall mounting hardware. For information about wall mounting check out our wall mounting guide video.
TV setup
Setting up this TV requires very few steps. First, you want to attach the silver plastic legs to the TV. Carefully invert the TV so the bottom is facing up. Then match up the arrows on the bottom of the TV with the arrows on the legs to make sure the legs are going in the correct direction. As you fit the legs into place, they should splay out to the outer edges of the TV a little. Use two screws on each side to secure the legs to the TV. Once you get the TV set up on the entertainment stand, remove the plastic covering from the bezel.
Looking at the back of the TV, you will find a connections bay on the right side. The connections bay comes with three HDMI inputs, including one that supports ARC, one USB input, one antenna/cable input, and an AV input with the three RCA cable connections present instead of a breakout cable option. There is no Ethernet jack, however, because the TCL S305 TV is a Wi-Fi only television.
Design features
The TV looks very clean when viewed from the front. The glossy black bezel runs around the outer edge and is less than three quarters of an inch thick. There is a light amount of anti-reflective coating on the screen.
The remote for the TV performs simple cursor operations. Closer to the bottom there are four keys for easy access to Netflix, Amazon, HBO Now, and Sling. Unfortunately, the remote does not have a headphone jack for private listening. However, if you do want to listen wirelessly, you can attach headphones to your smartphone or tablet and listen through the Roku app.
Set up connections
As you turn on the TV, you will immediately be directed to connect to the internet. You will have to wait a couple minutes as the TV goes through several updates. Next, enter your Roku account — if you do not have a Roku account, you will be directed to create one. Once you have followed all the instructions on your TV, it is set up.
One of the nice things about the TCL S305 TV is that all the inputs are next to the streaming services when you are looking at the screen. This makes it extremely easy to move between, for example, your Blu-Ray DVD player and Netflix on your TV.
Adjusting settings
For picture settings on the TV, you won’t have to make many adjustments. We suggest using the movie setting in dim rooms. In terms of color temperature settings, the warm color temperature is the most accurate. Move the backlight up to maximum and the brightness down a couple notches to find the black color levels you prefer.
For more information, check out our full review of the TCL S305 TV.
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