Choosing between the TCL S450R and the TCL S555 depends on what you value most in a TV. If saving money is your top priority and you're okay with fair picture quality across different types of content, then the more affordable TCL S450R could be right for you. However, if better overall performance is important, including superior contrast and black uniformity which enhances movie watching, and more consistent quality across content like sports and cartoons, the TCL S555 would be a better choice. Both models may struggle with gaming and are similarly equipped, but anticipate investing more for the TCL S555 if you prioritize a better viewing experience in both dark and bright rooms. 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 S450R (LCD)
Good for upscaling
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
6.5/10
7.8/10
6.428571429/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.3/10
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 S450R (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.0/10
7.9/10
6.428571429/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
9.2/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S450R (LCD) is only fair.
Gaming
5.7/10
6.7/10
6.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
10.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
5.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the TCL S450R (LCD) is poor.
Cartoons & Animation
6.0/10
8.4/10
5.9/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
6.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
5.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S450R (LCD) is only fair.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.4/10
7.0/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S450R (LCD) is only fair.
Bright Room
6.0/10
7.3/10
5.1/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.6/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the TCL S450R (LCD) is only fair.
Cost
$280
$430
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The TCL S450R (LCD) has a price of $280 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $430.
"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 S450R (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
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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
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Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
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