The TCL Q6 offers a decent experience overall but might show its weaknesses in dark rooms due to suboptimal contrast and black uniformity. It may cost a bit more than the S546, and its performance in bright rooms is respectable, making it a good choice if you'll watch TV in well-lit spaces.
On the other hand, the TCL S546, although slightly older, generally offers better picture quality and performance for gaming, movies, and sports, making it a good all-around option. It's also typically less expensive than the Q6 and has better dark room performance, but comparable performance in bright rooms.
If you prioritize movie watching and gaming in dimmer environments and are looking to save some money, the S546 could be the better choice for you. 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 Q6 (LCD)
The TCL Q6 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL S546 (LCD).
Advantages of the TCL S546 (LCD)
Good for dark room
Good for movies & TV
Key differences
Movies & TV
5.9/10
7.0/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
9.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
6.3/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S546 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL Q6 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 offers a better movie and cinematic TV experience largely because of its superior black uniformity and local dimming features which enhance contrast, while the TCL Q6 despite its fair performance in contrast, falls short due to poor local dimming and black uniformity, crucial for deep blacks and shadow detail.
Gaming
5.8/10
6.6/10
6.4/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
19.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
8.1/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the TCL Q6 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 has a good response time and very good input lag, making it more suitable for gaming, while the TCL Q6 has a fair response time and the best input lag, where the difference in response time might be noticeable in fast-paced gaming situations.
Cost
$700
$398
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL Q6 (LCD) has a price of $700 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $398.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S546 (LCD) to have good picture quality, while the TCL Q6 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Sports
6.2/10
6.3/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
8.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S546 (LCD) and TCL Q6 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL Q6 and TCL S546 both have fair response times, which is important for watching fast-moving scenes in sports; however, their ability to handle reflections is not ideal, which can be problematic in bright rooms. Additionally, they have similar viewing angles, making them less suitable for wide seating arrangements, and their gray uniformity is only somewhat important but still decent enough to avoid distracting uniformity issues during sports viewing.
Cartoons & Animation
6.6/10
6.6/10
7.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
5.8/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
6.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
The TCL Q6 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both only fair for cartoons & animation.
The TCL Q6 displays colors decently out of the box but just falls short with its color gamut, which affects the vibrancy and range of colors displayed, important for animations. On the other hand, the TCL S546, while also decent with colors right out of the packaging, offers a better color gamut, allowing it to reproduce a wider range of colors, making cartoon and animation viewing more immersive.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.2/10
6.4/10
8.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
6.3/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) and TCL Q6 (LCD) are both only fair for news, talk, & other TV.
The TCL Q6 has decent upscaling and SDR brightness, making it suitable for watching standard definition content like news and talk shows, yet its fair color accuracy straight out of the box and mediocre contrast might not give the most vibrant or deep image. Conversely, the TCL S546 also provides fair performance for daily TV programs due to its adequate upscaling and brightness for SDR content, with its color gamut and local dimming capabilities offering a little more depth and color richness than the Q6, albeit still within a fair range.
Bright Room
7.2/10
7.2/10
5.4/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
8.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
7.6/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) and TCL Q6 (LCD) are both good for bright room.
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How the TCL Q6 (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"If you’re looking for a good overall viewing experience without spending a lot, the TCL Q6 fits the bill. With its good color reproduction, the image on the screen will do just fine, especially for HDR content."
Get a great deal on the TCL Q6 (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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CEO and TVs Editor
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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TVs Expert
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