If you frequently watch movies in a dark room and desire excellent picture quality, the TCL QM8 would be an excellent choice due to its strong dark room performance and overall superior picture quality. For gaming, too, it provides a better experience with lower input lag and faster response time. However, this comes at a higher price point.
On the other hand, if your budget is a concern and you're looking for a more affordable option, the TCL S435 might be suitable. It's a decent choice for casual viewing like news or cartoons, but it won't perform as well in bright rooms or provide the same level of picture quality for movies and gaming as the QM8. 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 QM8 (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Good for use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S435 (LCD)
The TCL S435 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL QM8 (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.5/10
6.6/10
8.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL QM8 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.3/10
6.1/10
8.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.5/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.7/10
4.8/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL QM8 delivers superior contrast with deeper blacks and better local dimming which enhances the watching experience for movies and cinematic TV, whereas the TCL S435, despite having decent contrast, lacks a local dimming feature, leading to poorer black uniformity and a less immersive viewing experience.
Sports
6.5/10
5.9/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
4.8/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL QM8 offers a very good response time and motion processing, which results in clearer motion, making it more suited for sports; however, its viewing angle is limited, meaning the picture quality may degrade when viewed from the side. In contrast, the TCL S435 has poorer motion handling capabilities and response time, leading to potential motion blur during fast action, which is less ideal for sports, and it also struggles with reflections handling, though these shortcomings come at a lower price point.
Gaming
8.3/10
5.5/10
8.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
90.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.3/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL QM8 boasts very good scores for both response time and input lag, which are crucial for smooth and responsive gaming experiences, while the TCL S435 exhibits poor performance in these areas, leading to slower and potentially less engaging gameplay. Additionally, the QM8 has a higher refresh rate that can provide a more fluid visual experience, which is particularly important for fast-paced gaming, compared to the S435, which has a lower refresh rate and may not keep up as well with rapid movements on screen.
Cartoons & Animation
8.9/10
7.0/10
8.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.0/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is good.
The TCL QM8 is favored for cartoons and animation due to its very good color gamut and excellent color volume, which enhances the vibrancy and variety of colors. In contrast, the TCL S435, while offering good colors out of the box, falls short in color gamut and volume, making it less ideal for the rich visuals typically found in animated content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.8/10
5.8/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
4.8/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL QM8 is rated higher in upscaling and SDR brightness, which enhances the clarity of standard definition content and provides better visibility in well-lit rooms, making it more suitable for news and talk shows. In contrast, the TCL S435's poor performance in these areas, along with its lack of local dimming and lower quality of colors out of the box, results in a less optimal viewing experience for such programs.
Bright Room
9.9/10
5.6/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.1/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL QM8 performs exceptionally well in bright rooms due to its high SDR and HDR brightness levels and very good reflection handling, making it suitable for environments with lots of ambient light. In contrast, the TCL S435 struggles in bright conditions because it has both poor SDR and HDR brightness, coupled with inadequate management of reflections.
Cost
$1,545
$478
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The TCL QM8 (LCD) has a price of $1,545 and the TCL S435 (LCD) costs $478.
"The TCL 4-Series is so inexpensive and capable you might start to question why there are any multithousand-dollar TVs at all. The 4-Series setup is intuitive and easy. If you're just looking for an easy-to-use TV with decent picture, this is an excellent place to start."
Get a great deal on the TCL QM8 (LCD) or the TCL S435 (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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