The TCL R655 generally offers better picture quality and performance, particularly for movies, sports, and gaming, due to its higher brightness and more advanced features such as a higher refresh rate. This makes it a solid choice if you're looking for an enhanced viewing experience. On the other hand, the TCL S546 is a more budget-friendly option with adequate performance for everyday TV and news viewing, and it may be sufficient if you're in a less sunny room. However, for a bright room, the TCL R655's superior brightness will provide a clearer image where the S546 might struggle. 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 R655 (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Good for use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S546 (LCD)
The TCL S546 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL R655 (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R655 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S546 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9/10
7.0/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both good for movies & TV, though the TCL R655 (LCD) is somewhat better.
Gaming
8.6/10
6.6/10
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 is considered very good for gaming primarily because it has both a very good response time and input lag performance, making it responsive for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the TCL S546, while still performing well with input lag, has a lower response time indicating it's not as quick to display image changes, which is less ideal for gaming experiences where timing is crucial.
Cartoons & Animation
8.7/10
6.6/10
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 displays cartoons and animation with more vibrant and accurate colors straight out of the box compared to the TCL S546, also offering a wider range of colors. Although the S546 has good color reproduction, it falls short in providing colors as appealing as the R655, which can make a noticeable difference when watching colorful content like animation.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2/10
6.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 performs better in upscaling and SDR brightness, making it a good choice for watching news and TV programs, which often don't come in high-definition quality. On the other hand, the TCL S546 is considered fair in these aspects, with less impressive upscaling of lower-resolution content and SDR brightness that can affect its performance in these viewing scenarios.
Bright Room
9.5/10
7.2/10
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is good.
The TCL R655 is better for bright rooms because it has excellent SDR brightness, very good HDR brightness, and handles reflections very well, meaning it can maintain picture quality despite room lighting. In comparison, the TCL S546, while still good, offers lower SDR and HDR brightness and is less effective at handling reflections, which could result in a less optimal viewing experience in well-lit environments.
Cost
$700
$420
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL R655 (LCD) has a price of $700 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $420.
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R655 and TCL S546 are both fair for watching sports because they share similar scores in key factors like gray uniformity, viewing angles, and reflection handling; however, the TCL R655 has a better response time, which is very important for fast-moving sports, while the TCL S546 has lower motion processing capabilities, meaning sports might not be as smooth. Both models face challenges in handling reflections and maintaining color accuracy at wide viewing angles, affecting the viewing experience in bright rooms and when watching with a group spread out across different angles.
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How the TCL R655 (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"It has an excellent Roku interface, isn’t too expensive, has quantum dots and mini LED backlighting, and looks genuinely fantastic playing everything. If you’re in the market for a new TV, you should still start here. Gamers will like that it has a 120-Hz refresh rate at 4K, which is the maximum that a modern Xbox or Playstation 5 will put out—meaning the smoothest possible gaming and sports viewing in general. We’re no longer in the days of having to spend over $1,000 and spending a few hours on setup for decent black levels and great color accuracy and HDR"
Get a great deal on the TCL R655 (LCD) or the TCL S546 (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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