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What we think
The PerfectRec TV team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Samsung CU8000 is more affordable and performs better in bright rooms. It offers good reflections handling and a satisfactory experience for news and reality TV. However, gaming, color performance, and sound quality are modest, and it's not as well-suited for dark rooms. On the other hand, the TCL R745 is pricier but has superior gaming performance and speaker power. It also supports more HDR formats, which enhances movie viewing. The viewing angles and dark room performance are similar to the Samsung, but it may not perform as well in bright rooms and is not ideal for kinds of content with fewer colors, like news and reality shows. 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 CU8000 (LCD)
- Very good motion processing
Advantages of the TCL R745 (LCD)
- Good for gaming
- Good for upscaling
- Good reflections
Key differences
Gaming
5.5
7.4
4.9/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.1/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
5.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) is good for gaming, while the Samsung CU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung CU8000 has a poorer response time compared to the TCL R745, which can lead to more prominent motion blur during fast-paced games. Additionally, while the Samsung CU8000 has very good input lag making it responsive to game inputs, the TCL R745 is rated as the best in input lag, providing an even more responsive gaming experience.
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Key similarities
Picture Quality
5.8
5.6
4.92/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
6.9/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) both have poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.3
5.2
4.92/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.0/10
6.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both poor for movies & TV.
The Samsung CU8000 and the TCL R745 both provide lackluster movie and cinematic TV experiences because they have subpar contrast, no local dimming, and poor black uniformity, which are crucial for deep blacks and rich picture quality in dark scenes. Additionally, both TVs also struggle with gray uniformity and have limited viewing angles, factors that can detract from the viewing experience, especially when not sitting directly in front of the TV.
Sports
6.4
6.4
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
6.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
6.7/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The Samsung CU8000 has poor reflections handling which can be an issue in well-lit rooms, and its response time is rated as poor, potentially resulting in motion blur during fast action sports. The TCL R745, on the other hand, has good reflections handling, making it a better option for bright rooms, but its motion processing is not as fast, which means it might not be as smooth when tracking fast-moving objects. Both TVs have similar viewing angles and gray uniformity that are somewhat important for sports viewing.
Cartoons & Animation
5.9
5.9
7.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.5/10
6.9/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
6.7/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
6.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
6.6/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both poor for cartoons & animation.
When watching cartoons and animation, the Samsung CU8000 delivers colors out of the box that are just fair and has a good color gamut, which might not provide the vibrant and varied hues typically desired for animated content. The TCL R745, while also being scored as good for colors out of the box, is limited by its fair color gamut, potentially resulting in less accurate and less vivid colors for animated visuals.
News, Talk, & Other TV
5.7
6.1
6.7/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
6.0/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL R745 (LCD) to be only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung CU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung CU8000 has a fair upscaling capability and fair SDR brightness, which may result in less-than-ideal picture quality when viewing standard definition content like news and talk shows, especially in bright rooms due to subpar handling of reflections. The TCL R745 offers good upscaling and poor SDR brightness; this means while it can better enhance lower resolution broadcasts, its dimmer screen may struggle in well-lit environments but offers better color accuracy out of the box, adding to a more vibrant viewing experience.
Bright Room
5.9
5.8
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
6.8/10
6.7/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
5.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both poor for bright room.
The Samsung CU8000 struggles in bright rooms mainly due to its inadequate SDR and HDR brightness and poor handling of reflections, while the TCL R745, although handling reflections better, also falls short with insufficient SDR and HDR brightness for such environments.
Cost
$1,698
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Samsung CU8000 (LCD) has a price of $1,698 and the TCL R745 (LCD) costs $1,700.
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How the Samsung CU8000 (LCD) and the TCL R745 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung CU8000 (LCD) | TCL R745 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,698 | $1,700 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 6, 2023 | April 1, 2021 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | UN85CU8000 | 85R745 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 85" | 85" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Tizen | Roku TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 7/10 | 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 | 5.8/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 6/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 5.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 42.8" x 74.8" x 1.1" | 42.8" x 75.6" x 3.7" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 44.5" x 74.8" | 46.7" x 75.6" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | Unknown | 110.7 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 600 x 400 | 600 x 400 | |
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 | 4.9/10 | 5/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 2.5/10 | 2.5/10 | |
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 Samsung CU8000 (LCD) or the TCL R745 (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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