If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Samsung CU7000 might suit you since it is significantly less expensive. However, it has lower picture quality and brightness levels, making it less ideal for very bright rooms and darker settings where it won't perform as well.
On the other hand, if you prefer higher picture quality and are willing to pay more, the TCL R646 could be a better option. It offers better performance in bright rooms and delivers better contrast and high dynamic range (HDR) support. The TCL R646 also provides a better experience for movies and series with higher quality sound, but may not be as impressive for regular news, talk shows, or as a computer monitor as the Samsung model. Keep in mind, both TVs have limitations with viewing angles, and neither has great speakers. 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 CU7000 (LCD)
Very good motion processing
Advantages of the TCL R646 (LCD)
Very good for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Good for movies & TV
Good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Good for use as monitor
Very good reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
6.2/10
7.9/10
5.82/10
CONTRAST
8.43/10
5.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.6/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
miniLED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R646 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.8/10
7.8/10
5.82/10
CONTRAST
8.43/10
6.6/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
6.6/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) is poor.
Gaming
6.0/10
8.2/10
6.5/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
5.3/10
30.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
70.0/100
5.9/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 offers a very good gaming experience due to its higher response time and input lag performance, important for a smooth and responsive gameplay, while the Samsung CU7000, despite solid input lag, is held back by fair response time, which might not be as suitable for fast-paced gaming actions.
Cartoons & Animation
5.7/10
8.4/10
5.9/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
5.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.6/10
6.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
6.0/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.2/10
6.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.0/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R646 displays cartoons and animation very well due to its good colors out of the box and good color gamut, which are essential for the vibrant and varied colors typically found in such content. In contrast, the Samsung CU7000 performs poorly with cartoons and animation because its colors out of the box and color gamut are both rated as poor, leading to less accurate and less vivid color representation.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.0/10
7.5/10
6.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
6.6/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) is only fair.
Bright Room
5.8/10
8.9/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
6.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.1/10
5.4/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.1/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung CU7000 performs poorly in bright rooms mainly because it has lower SDR and HDR brightness and struggles more with reflections compared to the TCL R646, which exhibits higher brightness levels and better handling of reflections, making it very good for viewing in well-lit environments. Additionally, while contrast along with color volume and gamut are less critical, the TCL R646 still holds an advantage in these areas, contributing to its overall superior performance in bright rooms compared to the Samsung CU7000.
Cost
$549
$600
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Samsung CU7000 (LCD) has a price of $549 and the TCL R646 (LCD) costs $600.
The Samsung CU7000 (LCD) and TCL R646 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Samsung CU7000 and TCL R646 both have fair response times, suitable for watching sports, but they differ in motion processing where the TCL R646 is less capable, affecting the smoothness of fast-moving content. Both TVs handle reflections decently, but the Samsung CU7000 might struggle more in bright rooms; for sports viewers partly positioned off to the side, neither TV offers wide viewing angles, which could compromise the picture quality from certain seats.
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How the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) and the TCL R646 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Samsung CU7000 (LCD)
TCL R646 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$549
$600
Brand
Brand
Samsung
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
April 3, 2023
August 1, 2021
Full name
Full name
UN55CU7000
55R646
Screen Size
Screen Size
55"
55"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
LED VA
miniLED FALD VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Tizen
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
5.9/10
10/10
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, HDR10+, HLG
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
Voice Commands
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
6.2/10
7.9/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
5.8/10
9/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
6/10
8.2/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
5.9/10
7.8/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
6.6/10
6.6/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
6/10
7.5/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
5.8/10
8.4/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
6.3/10
7.3/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
27.8" x 48.4" x 2.4"
28.5" x 48.3" x 3.6"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
30.8" x 48.4"
30.9" x 48.3"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
30.6 lbs
42.3 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
200 x 200
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
5.8/10
8.4/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
4.1/10
6.5/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
3/100
7/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
5.9/10
8.8/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
6.3/10
9.1/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
5.4/10
8.4/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
6/10
8/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
6.6/10
6.9/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
5.4/10
5.3/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
5.9/10
8.1/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
6.7/10
5.9/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
5.3/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
5.9/10
7.7/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
5.6/10
7.7/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
6.6/10
8.1/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
8.8/10
7.7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
6/10
7.3/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8/10
7/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
7/10
7.5/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.0
2.0
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
20 W
30 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
Yes, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the Samsung CU7000 (LCD) or the TCL R646 (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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TVs stats compiled
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Proprietary TVs ratings developed
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Recommendations made
19,760
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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.