The LG A1, an OLED TV, excels in overall picture quality, especially for movies and series, and offers superior performance in dark rooms due to its perfect black levels. However, it has a lesser bright room performance compared to its peers, meaning it might not be ideal in very well-lit environments.
On the other hand, the TCL R745 is an LCD TV with better gaming capabilities due to a higher refresh rate, which could be beneficial if you are an avid gamer. Its larger screen size can be more immersive for sports and movies, but it lacks the dark room performance of an OLED, resulting in less impressive black uniformity and contrast.
If you prioritize top-notch picture quality for cinematic content and can control room lighting, the LG A1 could be more satisfying. If gaming and a larger screen size are your priority and you can compromise on dark room performance, the TCL R745 may be more suitable. 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 LG A1 (OLED)
Very good for dark room
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Very good for use as monitor
Very good for upscaling
Very good motion processing
Very good viewing angle
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL R745 (LCD)
The TCL R745 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the LG A1 (OLED).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.2/10
5.6/10
10.00/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
7.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
WOLED
PANEL TYPE
LED
WBC
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The LG A1 (OLED) has very good picture quality, while the TCL R745 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.9/10
5.2/10
10.00/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
10.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The LG A1 (OLED) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The LG A1 OLED provides exceptional contrast, perfect black uniformity, and a wide color volume for a rich viewing experience in movies and cinematic TV. In contrast, the TCL R745 LCD falls short with lower contrast, less effective local dimming, and inferior black uniformity, which can detract from the immersive experience expected in cinematic content.
Sports
8.0/10
6.4/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The LG A1 (OLED) is very good for sports, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is only fair.
The LG A1 boasts an excellent response time and very good performance in handling reflections along with wide viewing angles, making it ideal for watching fast-paced sports. The TCL R745, while offering good reflections handling, has a fair response time which may lead to more motion blur, somewhat diminishing the clarity of sports action, especially from wide angles.
Cartoons & Animation
8.0/10
5.9/10
8.0/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.5/10
7.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
7.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
9.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The LG A1 (OLED) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The LG A1 OLED TV displays cartoons and animation more vibrantly due to its very good color reproduction out of the box and a very good color gamut which ensures a wide range of accurate colors. In contrast, the TCL R745 LCD struggles with these types of content as it has fair color reproduction out of the box and a limited color gamut, resulting in less precise and varied colors.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.4/10
6.1/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The LG A1 (OLED) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is only fair.
The LG A1 excels at watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs due to its exceptional upscaling quality and fair SDR brightness, which ensures clear and consistent picture quality across varied content. In contrast, the TCL R745, which is fair in both upscaling and has poorer SDR brightness, may not provide as sharp an image, especially in brighter viewing environments or with lower resolution sources. Both TVs have goods colors out of the box and color gamut, but the superior contrast and local dimming features of the LG A1 enhance the viewing experience for typical TV programming.
Bright Room
6.6/10
5.8/10
8.8/10
VIEWING ANGLE
6.8/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
6.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The LG A1 (OLED) is only fair for bright room, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The LG A1, with its superior reflection handling, performs better in bright rooms despite its fair SDR and HDR brightness levels, while the TCL R745 struggles due to its poor SDR and HDR brightness and only good reflection handling. Since contrast, color volume, and color gamut are somewhat important, the OLED technology of the LG A1 excels in contrast and does well in color volume, but the LCD-based TCL R745 has lower contrast and poor color volume, adding to its challenges in bright room viewing.
Cost
$1,100
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The LG A1 (OLED) has a price of $1,100 and the TCL R745 (LCD) costs $1,700.
The TCL R745 (LCD) and LG A1 (OLED) are both good for gaming.
The LG A1 boasts excellent response time and best input lag, making it very responsive for gaming on its OLED screen, while the TCL R745 has fair response time and also best input lag, supported by its 120Hz LCD screen which could be better suited for fast-paced gaming content.
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How the LG A1 (OLED) and the TCL R745 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
LG A1 (OLED)
TCL R745 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$1,100
$1,700
Brand
Brand
LG
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
March 3, 2021
April 1, 2021
Full name
Full name
OLED65A1
85R745
Screen Size
Screen Size
65"
85"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
OLED
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
WOLED WBC
LED VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
webOS
Roku TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
6.6/10
6.1/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
No
No
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
3
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
No
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
8.3/10
5.7/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
6.7/10
5.8/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
7/10
7.4/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
8.9/10
5.3/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
8/10
6.4/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
8.4/10
6.2/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8/10
6/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
8.1/10
6.6/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
32.7" x 57" x 1.8"
42.8" x 75.6" x 3.7"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
35.1" x 57"
46.7" x 75.6"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
52.2 lbs
110.7 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
300 x 200
600 x 400
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
11 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
No
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
10/10
5/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
10/10
2.5/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
10/100
0/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
6.4/10
5.8/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
6.4/10
5.8/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
6.1/10
5.6/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
9.3/10
6/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
10/10
5.1/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
8.8/10
6.8/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
8.8/10
7.9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
8/10
7.5/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
4.6/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
8/10
6.6/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
7.1/10
5.9/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
9/10
6.1/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
10/10
10/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
7.2/10
7.7/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8.8/10
7/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
7/10
7/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.0
2.1
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
20 W
50 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
Yes, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the LG A1 (OLED) or the TCL R745 (LCD)
About LG
LG, a prominent TV brand from Korea, has played a significant role in popularizing OLED TVs. OLED technology is hailed as the future of TV technology. Their TVs employ WebOS, a proprietary smart TV software that not only offers seamless functionality but also includes gaming-specific features, earning praise from players worldwide. Often regarded as the gateway to unparalleled viewing experiences, LG's mid-range OLEDs come highly recommended, making them a worthwhile investment for those willing to stretch their budget for superior quality.
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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CEO and TVs Editor
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