The Samsung QN90A comes at a premium price but offers excellent gaming compatibility and a very good display for bright rooms. For watching movies and sports, it is also strong, especially in dark rooms.
The TCL R655 is less expensive, offering great gaming performance, but it may not be as satisfying for sports fans. Its capabilities in bright rooms is decent; however, in dark rooms it performs slightly less impressively than the Samsung.
If you prioritize gaming and have a flexible budget, the Samsung is a compelling choice. If saving money is key or you're an avid gamer, consider the TCL R655. 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)
Very good for movies & TV
Good for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for use as monitor
Very good for upscaling
Very good motion processing
Excellent reflections
Advantages of the TCL R655 (LCD)
Very good for dark room
Key differences
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.9/10
7.2/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A is highly regarded for watching news and TV programs due to its excellent upscaling and SDR brightness, delivering clear and bright images, which is crucial for daytime viewing and detailed content quality. In contrast, the TCL R655 is also good for these types of content, but its performance in upscaling and SDR brightness, while still excellent, is not on par with the Samsung, which may affect clarity in complex visual scenes.
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) both have very good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.0/10
7.9/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90A (LCD) to be very good for movies & TV, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A is very good for watching movies and cinematic TV due in part to its superior local dimming, black uniformity, and color accuracy out of the box, which enhance contrast and color portrayal for a lifelike viewing experience. On the other hand, the TCL R655 offers good performance in these areas with an even higher contrast ratio and good color volume, but suffers from a narrower viewing angle and slightly less effective local dimming, which might affect viewing experience from off-angles and in scenes requiring precise lighting control.
Sports
7.0/10
6.6/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90A (LCD) to be good for sports, while the TCL R655 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90A is better for watching sports than the TCL R655 primarily because it has superior motion processing and reflection handling, which are crucial for fast-paced action and reducing glare in bright rooms. The QN90A also has wider viewing angles, making it a better fit for group viewing, whereas the R655, while having good gray uniformity, falls behind in these very important factors for sports enthusiasts.
Gaming
8.3/10
8.6/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
85.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.8/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) and Samsung QN90A (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Samsung QN90A stands out for gaming due to its exceptional response time and input lag, making it very responsive for fast-paced action. In comparison, the TCL R655 also offers very good gaming capabilities with strong response time and input lag, although not quite at the same level as the QN90A, alongside a higher refresh rate for potentially smoother motion during gameplay.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.7/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.2/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
6.4/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.2/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung QN90A provides an optimal experience for watching cartoons and animation due to its exceptional colors straight out of the box, ensuring vibrant and accurate hues without the need for calibration, and its good color gamut that delivers a wide range of colors. On the other hand, the TCL R655, while also offering good color performance out of the box and a good color gamut, doesn't match the Samsung's level of color accuracy and range right away, making the Samsung the superior choice for content that relies heavily on bold and varied colors.
Bright Room
9.7/10
9.5/10
6.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.2/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.8/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and TCL R655 (LCD) are both best in class for bright room.
The Samsung QN90A outshines the TCL R655 in both SDR and HDR brightness, which means it can maintain a clearer picture under bright conditions, as well as handling reflections slightly better, thus minimizing distractions from ambient light sources. Although both TVs offer commendable color volume and color gamut, the superior contrast on the TCL R655 ensures deeper blacks, which might offer a more vivid viewing experience, but in a bright room, the benefits of higher brightness and better reflections handling from the Samsung QN90A usually prevail.
Cost
$1,498
$1,452
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) has a price of $1,498 and the TCL R655 (LCD) costs $1,452.
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How the Samsung QN90A (LCD) and the TCL R655 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"It has an excellent Roku interface, isn’t too expensive, has quantum dots and mini LED backlighting, and looks genuinely fantastic playing everything. If you’re in the market for a new TV, you should still start here. Gamers will like that it has a 120-Hz refresh rate at 4K, which is the maximum that a modern Xbox or Playstation 5 will put out—meaning the smoothest possible gaming and sports viewing in general. We’re no longer in the days of having to spend over $1,000 and spending a few hours on setup for decent black levels and great color accuracy and HDR"
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90A (LCD) or the TCL R655 (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.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
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21
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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.