The TCL S446 is generally better for gaming with its faster response time and slightly better in bright rooms. It's also slightly more expensive than the S450G. The TCL S450G, on the other hand, offers better dark room performance, which can be beneficial for movies and supports newer HDR formats like Dolby Vision. The S446 is better for sports content and has slightly better speakers. Both TVs are budget-friendly options, so the choice comes down to whether you prioritize gaming and sports viewing or movie watching in darker environments. 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 TCL S446 (LCD)
Good for upscaling
Good viewing angle
Good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S450G (LCD)
The TCL S450G (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL S446 (LCD).
Key differences
Cartoons & Animation
6.4/10
5.8/10
5.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.9/10
6.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.2/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
9.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
6.2/10
6.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.6/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S450G (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S446 is considered fair for watching cartoons and animation as it displays colors quite well right out of the box; however, it has a poor color gamut which affects the range of colors it can display. On the other hand, the TCL S450G is rated poor in the same category, possibly due to a less effective combination of colors out of the box, color gamut, and other factors that are somewhat important like color volume and gray uniformity.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.4/10
5.6/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
6.0/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S450G (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S446 delivers better upscaling of lower-resolution content and brighter SDR content compared to the TCL S450G, making it more suitable for watching news and other TV programs that don't always come in high-definition. Additionally, the TCL S446 offers more accurate colors out of the box, which enhances the overall viewing experience for everyday content such as talk shows, whereas the TCL S450G struggles more in these areas.
Cost
$230
$250
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The TCL S446 (LCD) has a price of $230 and the TCL S450G (LCD) costs $250.
The TCL S450G (LCD) and TCL S446 (LCD) both have poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.4/10
5.6/10
5.37/10
CONTRAST
5.64/10
4.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
6.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S450G (LCD) and TCL S446 (LCD) are both poor for movies & TV.
Both the TCL S446 and TCL S450G display poor performance for watching movies and cinematic TV due to their subpar contrast, lack of local dimming to enhance deep blacks, and inadequate black uniformity, which are crucial for a good movie-watching experience. Additionally, factors such as colors out of the box, color volume, gray uniformity, and viewing angles, which are somewhat important for the overall picture quality, may not meet the standards needed for cinema-like viewing with these models.
Sports
6.4/10
6.1/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
6.0/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL S450G (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL S446 and TCL S450G both have fair gray uniformity, which is important for a clean look in sports, but they can struggle with viewing angles, meaning the picture quality may drop when viewed from the side. While reflections handling is good on the S446 and fair on the S450G, response time and motion processing are additional weaknesses in both models, which can affect how smooth the motion appears on your screen during fast-paced sports events.
Gaming
5.8/10
5.6/10
6.2/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
5.7/10
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
18.0/100
5.6/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL S450G (LCD) are both poor for gaming.
The TCL S446 and TCL S450G are considered poor for gaming because they have a slow response time and the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, which can result in motion blur and jagged edges in fast-paced games. However, the TCL S446 has a very good input lag score, meaning it is responsive to your actions, while the TCL S450G has the best input lag performance, making it extremely responsive, but this is overshadowed by the poor motion handling due to the slow response time and lower refresh rate.
Bright Room
5.8/10
5.7/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
5.4/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
7.2/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.6/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL S450G (LCD) are both poor for bright room.
Both the TCL S446 and the TCL S450G have subpar SDR and HDR brightness, which hampers their performance in bright rooms; their inability to get very bright means they can't overcome glare and reflections effectively. Additionally, while the S446 handles reflections well, its contrast, color volume, and color gamut are rated poorly, and the S450G, despite having slightly better contrast, still struggles with reflections, color volume and color gamut, further affecting its suitability for well-lit environments.
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How the TCL S446 (LCD) and the TCL S450G (LCD) compare to other TVs
"TCL, though, has built much of its success on affordable sets, and the 2023 TCL S Class S4 with Google TV is a testament to just how good of a TV you can get for an affordable price tag"
Get a great deal on the TCL S446 (LCD) or the TCL S450G (LCD)
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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