If you frequently watch movies in darker environments and appreciate high picture quality, the Samsung QN90A will offer a better experience, as its display provides superior contrast and brighter highlights well-suited for HDR content. The Samsung TV also sports a higher refresh rate desirable for fast-moving sports and gaming, plus it performs better in bright rooms. However, the TCL S546 might be sufficient if your priority is a more affordable option for casual viewing and you mainly consume content in a typical living room setting with some ambient light. The TCL is a budget-friendly alternative with decent overall performance, but it doesn't reach the brightness levels or contrast of the Samsung QN90A and has a lower refresh rate, which may not be as smooth for action-packed scenes or gaming. 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 Samsung QN90A (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
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
Excellent reflections
Advantages of the TCL S546 (LCD)
The TCL S546 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Samsung QN90A (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.1/10
7.4/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S546 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.0/10
7.0/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A's superior local dimming and contrast make it exceptionally good for watching movies and cinematic TV, providing deep blacks and preventing blooming, hence enhancing picture quality in dark scenes. On the other hand, the TCL S546, while offering a decent contrast and good black uniformity, falls short with less effective local dimming and colors out of the box, making it less suitable if you're looking for cinematic display qualities that more closely mimic a theater experience.
Sports
7.0/10
6.3/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is good for sports, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90A excels in sports watching as it has superior motion processing and response times which are crucial for fast-paced scenes, whilst also managing reflections well and offering decent viewing angles. The TCL S546, while handling reflections and viewing angles less effectively, still delivers fair performance in sports viewing due to its adequate motion processing and response time capabilities.
Gaming
8.3/10
6.6/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90A is superior for gaming due to its very good response time and the best input lag performance, ensuring smoother gameplay and faster reaction to on-screen action. In contrast, while the TCL S546 also performs well in input lag, it has only a good response time, which may result in slightly more blur during fast-paced games.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
6.6/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
6.4/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90A provides excellent colors right out of the box, which makes animations look vibrant from the get-go, and it also has a good color gamut, ensuring a wide range of hues are accurately displayed. In contrast, the TCL S546 is considered fair at displaying cartoons & animation primarily because its performance in colors out of the box is poor, which can lead to less accurate color representation, despite having a good color gamut as well.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.9/10
6.4/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90A is very good for watching news and other TV programs due to its excellent upscaling and bright screen, which benefits viewing in bright rooms, and it has good quality colors out of the box which add to a vibrant and true-to-life picture.
Bright Room
9.7/10
7.2/10
6.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A excels in SDR and HDR brightness, and also handles reflections extremely well, making it ideal for bright rooms. The TCL S546, while having good SDR brightness and capable HDR performance, doesn't handle reflections as effectively as the Samsung, which may reduce viewing quality in well-lit environments.
Cost
$1,470
$398
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) has a price of $1,470 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $398.
How the Samsung QN90A (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Samsung QN90A (LCD)
TCL S546 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$1,470
$398
Brand
Brand
Samsung
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
February 4, 2021
August 3, 2021
Full name
Full name
QN65QN90A
65S546
Screen Size
Screen Size
65"
65"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
miniLED FALD VA
LED FALD VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Tizen
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
8.3/10
5.9/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
Yes
No
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
3
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120Hz
60Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
8.2/10
7.4/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
9.8/10
7.2/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
8.4/10
6.7/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
8.1/10
7/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
7/10
6.4/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
9/10
6.5/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.8/10
6.6/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
8.2/10
6.6/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
32.6" x 56.9" x 1"
32.9" x 56.9" x 3"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
35.2" x 56.9"
34.8" x 56.9"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
53.8 lbs
47.4 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
400 x 300
300 x 300
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
10 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
7/10
8.2/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
8/10
5.7/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
7/100
6/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
9.3/10
6.9/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
9.4/10
8.2/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
9.3/10
6.8/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
6.4/10
7/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
7/10
6.9/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
6.5/10
5.4/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
9.1/10
6/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
8/10
5.9/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
4.6/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
7.9/10
7.9/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
8.2/10
8/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
8.4/10
7.6/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
10/10
8/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
9.5/10
4.4/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8/10
6.3/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
8/10
7/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
4.2.2
2.0
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
60 W
16 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Bypass only
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
No
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90A (LCD) or the TCL S546 (LCD)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
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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