If you're looking for a TV that delivers better overall picture quality and performs well for movies and in dark rooms, the Hisense U6H could be a good fit. It has great black uniformity, making it suitable for dark-room viewing, as well as a slightly higher overall picture quality.
However, if gaming is more important to you, then the TCL S546 is a stronger choice, offering a marginally better gaming experience. Additionally, while the TCL has a narrower viewing angle, it does have a higher contrast which can be crucial for enjoying a wide range of content.
Both TVs have similar bright room performance, but the Hisense might be a better option if you watch a lot of news, talk shows, or reality TV.
In terms of features, both TVs are quite similar, supporting various HDR formats, have multiple HDMI ports, and lack great built-in speakers, meaning you might consider an external sound system for the best audio experience.
Overall, it's about prioritizing what content you consume the most and where you'll be using the TV. The price point is similar for both, leaving performance and usage preferences as the main factors in your decision. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Hisense U6H (LCD)
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Good for upscaling
Advantages of the TCL S546 (LCD)
The TCL S546 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Hisense U6H (LCD).
Key differences
Movies & TV
7.7/10
7.0/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
6.3/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Hisense U6H (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both good for movies & TV, though the Hisense U6H (LCD) is somewhat better.
The Hisense U6H is praised for its excellent colors out of the box and good local dimming, contributing to an overall pleasing movie and cinematic TV experience by providing vibrant and accurate colors with decent contrast management. In comparison, the TCL S546 offers superior black uniformity and contrast, which results in deeper blacks for a more immersive viewing in dark scenes, although its colors out of the box are not as impressive, potentially requiring calibration for the best experience.
Cartoons & Animation
8.4/10
6.6/10
7.7/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
9.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
The Hisense U6H (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Hisense U6H is rated as 'excellent' for colors out of the box and has a 'good' color gamut, which contributes to vibrant and accurate colors when watching cartoons & animation. Conversely, the TCL S546 has a 'poor' rating for colors out of the box, meaning colors may not appear as accurate or vivid initially, despite its 'good' color gamut and 'very good' color volume.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
6.4/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The Hisense U6H (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Hisense U6H provides better performance for watching news and other TV programs mainly due to its excellent performance in upscaling lower-resolution content and more vibrant colors right out of the box, making the viewing experience more pleasant. In contrast, the TCL S546, while offering very good SDR brightness for viewing in brighter rooms, falls short with only fair upscaling and poor performance in rendering colors out of the box, which may lead to a less accurate and less engaging picture during casual viewing.
Cost
$498
$398
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Hisense U6H (LCD) has a price of $498 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $398.
The Hisense U6H (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) both have good picture quality.
Sports
6.0/10
6.3/10
2.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S546 (LCD) and Hisense U6H (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Hisense U6H has a poorer response time compared to the TCL S546, meaning the TCL might handle fast motion a bit better, which is important when watching sports. However, both televisions have similar challenges with reflections and limited viewing angles, meaning neither is ideal in bright rooms or for large groups spread out around the room.
Gaming
6.2/10
6.6/10
5.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
2.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
7.1/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) and Hisense U6H (LCD) are both only fair for gaming.
The Hisense U6H offers fair gaming performance with higher input lag, affecting fast-paced gaming synchronicity, whereas the TCL S546 has a better response time which is crucial for a seamless gaming experience, yet both have similar refresh rates which do not cater to high-frame-rate gaming.
Bright Room
7.0/10
7.2/10
5.6/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
6.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
6.6/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) and Hisense U6H (LCD) are both good for bright room.
The Hisense U6H is suitable for bright rooms due to its good SDR brightness and fair handling of reflections, but the TCL S546 outperforms it with very good SDR brightness ensuring better visibility in well-lit environments; however, both TVs have only a fair score for reflections handling, which could affect viewing when faced with direct light sources. While contrast, color volume, and color gamut play roles in picture quality, they are secondary to brightness and reflections in brightly lit rooms, so the TCL S546 may be preferred for those environments.
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How the Hisense U6H (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"A budget TV that exceeds expectations. (...) For a TV that costs as little as this one does, its brightness and color are above-average (...) The U6H may not get quite as bright as its splashier siblings, but for its class, it fares pretty well. (...) As far as input lag, the U6H is an impressive performer. (...) Costing less than most of its direct competitors, and matching or bettering them in several key areas, it’s an irresistible value proposition. (...)"
Get a great deal on the Hisense U6H (LCD) or the TCL S546 (LCD)
About Hisense
Hisense, a Chinese TV manufacturer, entered the US market in approximately 2011 and has since acquired TV divisions from various companies such as Toshiba, Sharp, Hitachi, and NEC. Currently ranking as the fourth largest vendor in terms of sales volume, Hisense aims to capture a wide range of TV budget segments. They offer exceptional value with TVs that often outperform their competitors at similar price points, making them a compelling choice for consumers. In the US, they use Google TV as their smart TV software which provides the largest app selection and a very modern user interface, however it is not as user friendly as the software from other vendors.
About TCL
TCL, the highly recognizable TV brand from China, has firmly established itself as the second-largest manufacturer in terms of sales volume. Renowned for striking an impressive balance between affordability, picture quality, and design, TCL TVs deliver a compelling overall package. While they have traditionally excelled in the low-end and midrange TV segments, TCL has recently made remarkable strides in the realm of high-end televisions, introducing impressive models that rival top competitors. Most TCL TVs use Roku software which is very user friendly and easy to use, but they have a few other models that use Google TV which has the largest app selection, but is not as user friendly as Roku.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
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