If you prioritize gaming performance and can afford to spend more, go for the Hisense U7K. It has a better overall picture quality and is well-suited for gaming, with good contrast and response times. However, it might not be the best option for very brightly lit rooms.
The TCL S435, on the other hand, is a budget-friendly option with satisfactory picture quality suitable for general use. Its performance for gaming and viewing in bright rooms is not as strong as the Hisense U7K. If you're not an avid gamer or need a TV primarily for casual watching and are on a tighter budget, this TV might suit your needs better. 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 U7K (LCD)
Very good for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Good for use as monitor
Good for upscaling
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S435 (LCD)
The TCL S435 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Hisense U7K (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.0/10
6.6/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Hisense U7K (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.1/10
6.1/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.7/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is only fair.
The Hisense U7K is very good for watching movies and cinematic TV because of its higher local dimming capability and better black uniformity, which enhances contrast and deepens blacks for a richer picture. In contrast, the TCL S435 is fair in this respect, with no local dimming and less impressive black uniformity, resulting in a less captivating viewing experience for dark scenes.
Gaming
8.8/10
5.5/10
8.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
3.5/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
8.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.3/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The Hisense U7K is better for gaming thanks to its very good response time and good input lag performance, making for smooth motion and responsive gameplay, while the TCL S435 has poorer scores in these areas, leading to less smooth motion and potentially more delayed responses to input, which can be a drawback for gaming.
Cartoons & Animation
8.6/10
7.0/10
8.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.0/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
8.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.9/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is good.
The Hisense U7K is very good for watching cartoons and animation because it offers very good performance in both colors out of the box and color gamut, translating to vibrant and accurate colors on screen. On the other hand, the TCL S435 is good for the same content with excellent colors out of the box but falls short in color gamut, meaning while colors are impressive initially, they don't span as wide a range of shades.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.3/10
5.8/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The Hisense U7K excels at upscaling lower resolution content and provides a brighter image for SDR content, making it suitable for viewing news and TV programs, while the TCL S435 struggles with these aspects, leading to a less optimal experience for these types of content. Additionally, the Hisense U7K boasts very good color performance right out of the box and a solid color gamut, enhancing the picture quality, whereas the TCL S435 falls short in these areas.
Bright Room
8.1/10
5.6/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
8.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.1/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Hisense U7K (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The Hisense U7K performs well in bright rooms due to its very good SDR and HDR brightness, coupled with very good handling of reflections which minimize glare. In contrast, the TCL S435 struggles in bright rooms with poor SDR and HDR brightness and poor reflection handling resulting in more noticeable glare and a dimmer picture.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Hisense U7K (LCD) to be only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The Hisense U7K is better for sports due to its very good response time, which minimizes motion blur during fast-paced scenes, while the TCL S435 has a fair response time, leading to more noticeable blur. Additionally, the Hisense U7K handles reflections much more effectively, providing a clearer image in bright rooms compared to the poor reflections handling of the TCL S435.
Cost
$678
$700
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Hisense U7K (LCD) has a price of $678 and the TCL S435 (LCD) costs $700.
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How the Hisense U7K (LCD) and the TCL S435 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"The TCL 4-Series is so inexpensive and capable you might start to question why there are any multithousand-dollar TVs at all. The 4-Series setup is intuitive and easy. If you're just looking for an easy-to-use TV with decent picture, this is an excellent place to start."
Get a great deal on the Hisense U7K (LCD) or the TCL S435 (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.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
120,330
Recommendations made
18,050
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.