TCL R646 (LCD)
TCL R646 (LCD)
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PICTURE QUALITY: Good—7.9/10
MOVIES & TV: Good—7.8/10
GAMING: Very Good—8.2/10
SPORTS: Fair—6.6/10
CARTOONS & ANIMATION: Very Good—8.4/10
NEWS & TALK: Good—7.5/10
BRIGHT ROOM: Very Good—8.9/10
The TCL R646 is an LCD TV with a midrange price, offering good overall picture quality and very good gaming performance. While it performs well in dark rooms, it excels in bright rooms, making it suitable for varied lighting conditions. It's ideal for movies, cartoons, and animation with respective good scores, and it's also solid for gaming, with low input lag and a very good response time. However, its performance is fair for sports, which may impact those who frequently watch fast-moving content. This TV features very good brightness capabilities for both standard and high dynamic range (HDR) content, contributing to its strong showing in bright environments. With a mini-LED backlight and full-array local dimming, it provides high contrast and deep blacks. Despite having a good viewing angle for an LCD, it may not be the best choice for wide seating arrangements. Its speaker setup is standard and may not satisfy those seeking an exceptional audio experience without external speakers or sound systems. The TCL R646 supports popular HDR formats including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, catering to a broad range of content. With 4 HDMI ports and compatibility with high-frame-rate 4K content, it's a good fit for newer gaming consoles and high-definition devices. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Very bright in bright rooms
- Supports multiple HDR formats
- Good for movies and series
- Excellent contrast with deep blacks
Cons
- Limited viewing angles
- Average sound quality
- Reflections may be noticeable
- Not ideal for sports content
Ratings by Category
Bright Room:4.7
PerfectRec’s bright room score is a proprietary score of a television's performance in a bright environment, taking into account the following factors: screen brightness, reflections, and color volume. A higher score indicates better TV performance in bright conditions, minimizing glare and producing a more pleasant viewing experience.
Brightness is crucial in how well the image displays in direct sunlight, and low reflections reduce glare. Color volume contributes to color vibrancy and depth, which are vital in a bright environment.
Gaming:4.5
PerfectRec’s gaming score measures a TV's performance when it comes to playing video games. It is based on several factors that can significantly impact the quality of the gaming experience, including screen response time, input lag, and refresh rate. Screen response time is a critical factor that determines how quickly the TV can transition from one color to the next, while input lag measures the delay between the gaming console output and the TV display. Refresh rate refers to the number of times per second that the TV displays a new frame, which can impact the smoothness of the gaming experience. The gaming score also takes into account two other features: local dimming in gaming mode, which can enhance contrast and picture quality, and black frame insertion, which can reduce screen brightness and create a smoother gaming experience.
Cartoons & Animaton:4.5
PerfectRec’s cartoons & animation score places great importance on several crucial aspects of TV picture quality, such as color gamut, color volume, brightness, and out-of-the-box color accuracy, in addition to good gray uniformity and contrast, to ensure that you can fully enjoy your favorite animated content. Cartoons and animation are characterized by vibrant and colorful imagery, however, accurately displaying this type of content can pose a challenge for TVs, particularly during scenes with complex lighting or subtle color variations.
Overall Picture:4.4
The TCL R646 boasts impressive contrast with deep blacks due to its high contrast ratio and good black uniformity, enhancing dark scene viewing, while its wide color gamut and color volume ensure vibrant and accurate colors. Additionally, the high SDR brightness means it can handle well-lit rooms, preventing the picture from appearing washed out.
Movies & TV shows:4.3
The TCL R646 is well-suited for movies and cinematic TV due to its high contrast ratio, which ensures deep blacks and distinct shadow details, combined with effective local dimming that enhances the picture quality in darker scenes. However, it has limited viewing angles, so the image quality may diminish when viewed from the side, which is something to consider for wide seating arrangements.
News, Talk & Reality TV:4.2
The TCL R646 performs well for watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs because it has excellent SDR brightness, ensuring clear display in bright rooms, and its upscaling capabilities sharpen lower resolution content which is common in regular broadcasts.
Sports:3.6
The TCL R646 has a very good response time that keeps motion blur to a minimum, which is crucial for fast-paced sports, but its subpar viewing angles can cause colors to look washed out from the side, limiting the view for larger groups spread out across a room.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $600 | ||
Brand | TCL | ||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | ||
Full name | 55R646 | ||
Screen Size | 55" | ||
Screen Resolution | 4K | ||
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | Android TV | ||
Sound Quality Score  | 10/10 | ||
NextGen Ready | No | ||
HDMI Ports | 4 | ||
Coax Ports | 1 | ||
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | 7.9/10 | ||
Bright Room Score | 9/10 | ||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | ||
Movies & TV Score | 7.8/10 | ||
Sports Score | 6.6/10 | ||
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 28.5" x 48.3" x 3.6" | ||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 30.9" x 48.3" | ||
Weight without Stand | 42.3 lbs | ||
VESA Mount | 300 x 300 | ||
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | 10 bit | ||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | ||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | ||
Contrast | 8.4/10 | ||
Local Dimming | 6.5/10 | ||
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | ||
Speaker Power | 30 W | ||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | ||
DTS:X | Yes, Bypass only | ||
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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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