The TCL S455 is a more budget-friendly option, but it generally offers lower performance in picture quality compared to the Vizio M-Series. If you are interested in a TV for gaming or watching movies and sports, the Vizio M-Series offers better experience. The Vizio also has superior performance in both dark and bright rooms. However, if cost is a significant concern and you're looking for a decent TV for general use including news or cartoons, the TCL S455 could be a suitable choice despite its lower performance in specific viewing scenarios. Both TVs have limitations with wide viewing angles and reflections, but the Vizio manages these issues slightly better. Sound quality is comparable on both models. If you want better dark room performance, HDR support with Dolby Vision and HLG, Vizio M-Series would be the better option, despite the higher cost. 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 S455 (LCD)
Good for upscaling
Advantages of the Vizio M-Series (LCD)
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
7.6/10
6.43/10
CONTRAST
7.88/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL S455 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.0/10
7.6/10
6.43/10
CONTRAST
7.88/10
9.2/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
6.6/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The Vizio M-Series performs better than the TCL S455 for movies and cinematic TV due to its higher contrast ratio, providing deeper blacks and local dimming feature that enhances scene-by-scene details, albeit with a subpar black uniformity compared to the TCL. The Vizio also offers more vivid and accurate colors right out of the box and maintains a larger spectrum of colors, which is beneficial for a more lifelike viewing experience, although both TVs have limited viewing angles and similar gray uniformity, impacting off-angle viewing and scenes with uniform colors.
Gaming
5.7/10
6.4/10
6.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.7/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
10.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
5.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S455 has a slower response time and worse performance in reducing blurring in fast-moving games compared to the Vizio M-Series, which offers better control of motion blur. However, the TCL S455 excels in input lag, delivering a more responsive experience for gaming than the Vizio M-Series, which has slightly higher input lag that could affect timing-sensitive gameplay.
Cartoons & Animation
6.0/10
8.3/10
5.9/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.1/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
6.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.3/10
5.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The Vizio M-Series displays cartoons and animation very well thanks to its strong performance with colors right out of the box, a very good color gamut, and good color volume, all of which are crucial for rich and vibrant imagery. On the other hand, the TCL S455 is only considered fair in this aspect because it has fair performance in colors out of the box, poor color gamut, and fair color volume, which may lead to less vivid and slightly less consistent colors in animated content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.4/10
7.6/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
6.6/10
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The Vizio M-Series is better for watching news and talk shows as it offers good SDR brightness and very good colors out of the box, enhancing clarity and vibrancy, while the TCL S455 provides only fair performance in these areas, which may result in less clear and vivid images. Additionally, the Vizio's better local dimming supports improved contrast, further distinguishing it in a typical TV viewing environment.
Bright Room
6.0/10
6.6/10
5.1/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
6.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
5.6/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
6.3/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.6/10
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) and TCL S455 (LCD) are both only fair for bright room, though the Vizio M-Series (LCD) is somewhat better.
The Vizio M-Series is more suitable in a bright room than the TCL S455 because it has better SDR brightness and similarly fair handling of reflections. However, both TVs struggle with HDR brightness, meaning neither is optimal for viewing high-dynamic-range content in well-lit environments.
Cost
$340
$600
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The TCL S455 (LCD) has a price of $340 and the Vizio M-Series (LCD) costs $600.
The Vizio M-Series (LCD) and TCL S455 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL S455 has a fair performance in sports due to its adequate response time and motion processing but has limited viewing angles which might be a concern in wide seating arrangements; it also handles reflections well, ensuring visibility in bright rooms although its gray uniformity is only somewhat consistent across the screen. Meanwhile, the Vizio M-Series also rates fair for sports, offering a similar response time and motion processing with marginally better gray uniformity yet shares the same challenge of restricted viewing angles and common handling of reflections.
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How the TCL S455 (LCD) and the Vizio M-Series (LCD) compare to other TVs
"A highly affordable but reliably kitted-out 4K Roku TV that, while far from perfect, still punches above its price and delivers a great user experience. If you want to soup up movie night for a bargain, the 4-Series won’t let you down. You may never need to plug in a set-top box or streaming device."
Get a great deal on the TCL S455 (LCD) or the Vizio M-Series (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.
About Vizio
Vizio is an American company. While they initially gained recognition for offering budget-friendly TVs, they have successfully expanded their product lineup to include high-end options as well. They manufacture TVs primarily in Mexico, China, and Vietnam. Similar to many Korean TV brands, Vizio developed its own smart TV software called SmartCast. In the past, SmartCast was not the best smart TV software, but it has evolved so that it is now good for using your TV and connecting to streaming services.
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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