The TCL S555 is a solid choice if you're on a budget and need a TV for general viewing, including movies and TV shows, with decent performance in both dark and bright rooms. It's also a good pick for watching sports and gaming, though not the best for fast-paced action due to its response time. The Sony X95L, on the other hand, is a premium option that excels in picture quality, especially in bright rooms, and offers superior motion handling and a wider color gamut, making it ideal for watching movies and sports, as well as gaming on the latest consoles. However, it comes at a higher price point and isn't as friendly to tighter budgets. Both TVs have good upscaling capabilities, but the Sony has better sound quality and supports advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision, enhancing the viewing experience for compatible content. Consider the Sony if you prioritize top-tier picture quality and are willing to invest more; otherwise, the TCL is a more economical choice for everyday viewing. 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 Sony X95L (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for sports
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Good for use as monitor
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S555 (LCD)
The TCL S555 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Sony X95L (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.6/10
7.8/10
8.00/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
9.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Sony X95L (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S555 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.4/10
7.9/10
8.00/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
8.5/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
10.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X95L (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The Sony X95L is considered very good for watching movies and cinematic TV because it has a high contrast ratio, effective local dimming, and superior black uniformity which are crucial for deep blacks and detailed dark scenes, whereas the TCL S555, while still good, has a moderate local dimming performance and lower black uniformity which might not produce as dark blacks or as detailed dark scenes. Both TVs offer good colors out of the box, but the Sony X95L extends its advantage with better color volume and gray uniformity compared to the TCL S555, ensuring more vibrant and consistent images across the screen; however, both struggle with limited viewing angles which could affect the picture quality when viewed from the side.
Sports
8.2/10
6.3/10
10.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
7.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
10.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X95L (LCD) is very good for sports, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X95L provides a superior experience for watching sports with very good motion processing and fast response time, which are crucial for smooth action without blurring. In contrast, the TCL S555 has fair motion processing and slower response time, which may result in less clear images during fast-paced sports. Additionally, the Sony has better handling of reflections and a wider viewing angle, enhancing viewability in diverse seating arrangements and well-lit rooms.
Gaming
8.3/10
6.7/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
10.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
90.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
9.2/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The Sony X95L (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X95L is considered very good for gaming mainly due to its impressive response time and sufficiently low input lag, which are crucial for a responsive gaming experience. On the other hand, the TCL S555, despite having the lowest input lag, which is excellent for gaming, is held back by its response time, which is only fair, making fast-paced action less smooth.
Cartoons & Animation
9.1/10
8.4/10
8.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
9.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
8.3/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
8.5/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The Sony X95L (LCD) is excellent for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is very good.
The Sony X95L is excellent for watching cartoons and animation because it displays vibrant and accurate colors right out of the box and supports a wide color gamut for rich and varied hues. In comparison, the TCL S555 is also very good with colors out of the box, but it doesn't reach the same level of color gamut or color volume, which means some shades may not be as vivid or accurately represented.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.2/10
7.0/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
10.0/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The Sony X95L (LCD) is excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The Sony X95L is better suited for watching news, talk shows, and TV programs due to its superior upscaling capabilities and very good colors out of the box, ensuring clearer images and accurate colors even in lower resolution content. In contrast, the TCL S555, while offering good performance in these areas, does not match the Sony in terms of picture refinement and color accuracy, which are crucial for enjoying typical broadcast content.
Bright Room
9.7/10
7.3/10
5.9/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Sony X95L (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The Sony X95L excels in bright room performance due to its high SDR and HDR brightness levels and better handling of reflections, making it a strong choice for well-lit environments. On the other hand, the TCL S555, while offering decent brightness, struggles more with reflections, which could compromise its visibility in bright rooms.
Cost
$4,498
$600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
The Sony X95L (LCD) has a price of $4,498 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $600.
"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 Sony X95L (LCD) or the TCL S555 (LCD)
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
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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