The TCL S555 offers a better overall viewing experience compared to the TCL S435, with higher scores in picture quality, gaming, and viewing in both dark and bright rooms. It possesses superior contrast and brightness, better uniformity, and supports more HDR formats, which is beneficial for movie enthusiasts and gamers seeking a more immersive experience. However, it is usually more expensive than the TCL S435.
The TCL S435 is a budget-friendly option that, while not as high-performing as the S555 in terms of picture quality and brightness, is still capable of providing an enjoyable viewing experience for general content and casual gaming at a lower price point. If cost is a significant factor and your viewing needs are basic, the S435 might be the right choice. 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 S435 (LCD)
The TCL S435 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL S555 (LCD).
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
6.6/10
7.8/10
7.50/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.6/10
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 TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.1/10
7.9/10
7.50/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 offers better performance for movies and cinematic TV due to its higher contrast, more effective local dimming, and better black uniformity, which are crucial for dark scene performance. Meanwhile, while the TCL S435 is satisfactory, it falls short in these areas, which might lead to less impressive dark scenes and overall picture quality.
Gaming
5.5/10
6.7/10
6.2/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
3.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
5.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
Cartoons & Animation
7.0/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
6.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
9.0/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
5.9/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is good.
The TCL S555 is considered very good for watching cartoons & animation because it displays a wider range of colors with a more vivid picture, as indicated by its 'very good' rating in colors out of the box and 'good' in color gamut. In contrast, the TCL S435 has an 'excellent' rating in colors out of the box but only a 'fair' color gamut, suggesting that while its initial color settings are highly accurate, it doesn’t display as wide a range of colors as the S555.
News, Talk, & Other TV
5.8/10
7.0/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 has poor SDR brightness and its colors out of the box aren't as good, which can make news or talk shows look less vibrant and harder to see in bright conditions. On the other hand, the TCL S555 offers much better SDR brightness and very good colors right out of the box, making it a better option for clearly viewing these types of content, especially in well-lit environments.
Bright Room
5.6/10
7.3/10
5.0/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 struggles in bright rooms due to its poor SDR and HDR brightness, and lack of effective reflection handling, while the TCL S555 performs well even in well-lit environments because it offers very good SDR and good HDR brightness, along with better management of reflections. Despite their similar contrast, color volume, and gamut, the S555's superior capabilities in key areas affecting bright room performance make it the more suitable option.
Cost
$470
$430
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The TCL S435 (LCD) has a price of $470 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $430.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S555 (LCD) to be only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S555 has better response time and motion processing, which reduces blur in fast-moving scenes making it more suitable for sports; whereas, the TCL S435's poor response time and motion processing can result in more motion blur. Both TVs struggle with reflections and have limited viewing angles, but the TCL S555 slightly outperforms the TCL S435, resulting in a fair experience for sports relative to the poor experience on the S435.
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How the TCL S435 (LCD) and the TCL S555 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"The TCL 4-Series is so inexpensive and capable you might start to question why there are any multithousand-dollar TVs at all. The 4-Series setup is intuitive and easy. If you're just looking for an easy-to-use TV with decent picture, this is an excellent place to start."
"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 TCL S435 (LCD) or the TCL S555 (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.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
120,330
Recommendations made
18,050
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
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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
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TVs Expert
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