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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Samsung AU8000 is often slightly more expensive than the TCL S555 and it performs better in bright rooms. It has a higher reflections score, which means it handles ambient light well, making it suitable if you often watch TV in a well-lit environment. However, it has a lower overall picture quality compared to the TCL S555. The TCL S555 generally costs less and offers better picture quality, better performance in dark rooms, and has superior color accuracy out of the box. It's also a newer model with better sound quality. If you prioritize a great viewing experience for movies and gaming, the TCL S555 is a strong choice. It also supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision for enhanced HDR content, while the Samsung AU8000 does not. In conclusion, if your viewing environment is bright and you are sensitive to screen reflections, you might prefer the Samsung AU8000. If you are looking for better picture quality, especially in darker environments, and value advanced HDR support, the TCL S555 would be the better option. 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 AU8000 (LCD)
- Good for upscaling
- Good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S555 (LCD)
- Good for bright room
- Good for dark room
- Good for movies & TV
- Good for news, talk, & other TV
- Very good for cartoons & animation
Key differences
Picture Quality
6.6
7.8
6.71/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL S555 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.9
7.9
6.71/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.9/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S555 is considered good for movies and cinematic TV due to its higher contrast and better local dimming, which contribute to deeper blacks and better shadow detail, key factors in producing a more immersive viewing experience. Conversely, the Samsung AU8000's lower contrast and lack of local dimming result in less impressive black levels and uniformity, making it less suitable for those types of content.
Gaming
5.8
6.7
5.9/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
6.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
5.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung AU8000 is rated poor for response time which is critical for fast-paced gaming, although its input lag is considered the best, making it responsive to gaming inputs. The TCL S555, on the other hand, has a good response time which means it handles motion better, and it also matches the Samsung in having the best input lag, offering a good balance for gaming responsiveness.
Cartoons & Animation
6.9
8.4
6.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
6.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 excels in displaying cartoons and animation because it has vibrant colors straight out of the box and a wider color gamut, which enhances the overall viewing experience. On the other hand, while the Samsung AU8000 provides decent color performance, it can't match the TCL S555 in terms of color richness and range, making it less ideal for content that relies heavily on bold and varied colors.
Bright Room
6.3
7.3
5.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.7/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
7.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 exhibits stronger performance in bright rooms compared to the Samsung AU8000 because it has superior SDR and HDR brightness, despite its poorer handling of reflections. While the AU8000 manages reflections more effectively, it can't match the TCL's brightness capabilities, which is crucial for good visibility in well-lit environments, although both TVs offer similar color volume and color gamut, which are somewhat important for overall picture quality.
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Key similarities
Sports
6.5
6.3
6.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Samsung AU8000 has slower response times and less effective motion processing, which might not handle fast-paced sports scenes as well, but it performs better in well-lit rooms due to its good reflection handling. The TCL S555, although offering good response time which is beneficial for sports, struggles with reflections which can be bothersome in bright rooms and both TVs have limited viewing angles meaning the picture may look washed out from the side.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.7
7.0
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S555 (LCD) to be good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 outperforms the Samsung AU8000 in areas significant for watching news and talk shows due to its superior SDR brightness and upscaling capabilities, which contribute to clearer picture quality in standard dynamic range content. Additionally, the TCL S555's better color accuracy out of the box and contrast provide a more vibrant and diverse color display, enhancing the viewing experience for general TV programming.
Cost
$448
$430
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has a price of $448 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $430.
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How the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) and the TCL S555 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung AU8000 (LCD) | TCL S555 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$448 | $430 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 2, 2021 | September 1, 2022 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | UN50AU8000 | 50S555 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 50" | 50" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Tizen | Roku TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.1/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 3 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 6.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 6.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 5.9/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 25.4" x 44" x 1" | 25.3" x 43.8" x 3" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 27" x 44" | 27.2" x 43.8" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 25.4 lbs | 24.5 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 200 x 200 | 200 x 200 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 10 bit | 11 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | Yes | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | Yes | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 6.7/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 2.5/10 | 6.1/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 20 W | 20 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Bypass only | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | No | |
Shopping
Samsung AU8000 (LCD)
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Dig into reviews and images
USA Today
Michael Desjardin | April 2023
"To put it directly: you’d never see a mid-range 4K TV hitting this black levels half a decade ago. AU8000 plays the part of a higher-end TV thanks to its sleek design. If you’re upgrading to a smart TV for the first time, the software is a great way to dip your toes in the streaming water."
TCL S555 (LCD)
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Dig into reviews and images
digitaltrends
Caleb Denison | December 2022
"It looks great out of the box and the picture quality it is rock-solid for the price. (...) What really makes this a decent gaming TV, though, is the very low input lag. (...) But if you want to save a little money, the TCL S555 strikes a great balance between cost and performance – the kind of performance that’s impressive enough to deliver some wow to your eyes. (...)"
Get a great deal on the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) or the TCL S555 (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.
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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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