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Updated January 10, 2024·
The TCL R646 offers better overall picture quality, gaming performance, and is brighter for both SDR and HDR content, making it a better choice for well-lit rooms and for watching movies that benefit from better contrast. It also has a local dimming feature which improves dark room viewing. The TCL S455, while more budget-friendly, doesn't perform as well in bright rooms or for gaming. It's not as bright and lacks local dimming, meaning it may not handle dark scenes in movies as well. However, it has excellent black uniformity, which can be great for dark rooms despite its other limitations. If you're looking for better performance in gaming and a better all-around TV with higher brightness suitable for a variety of content, including movies in bright rooms, the TCL R646 is worth the extra cost. If you're on a budget and mostly watch TV in a darker environment, or if high-level gaming and picture quality aren't as critical for you, the TCL S455 could be a satisfactory choice. 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 R646 (LCD)
- Very good for bright room
- Good for dark room
- Very good for gaming
- Good for movies & TV
- Good for news, talk, & other TV
- Very good for cartoons & animation
- Good for use as monitor
- Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S455 (LCD)
- Good for upscaling
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.9
6.5
8.43/10
CONTRAST
6.43/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R646 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL S455 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.8
6.0
8.43/10
CONTRAST
6.43/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
9.2/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The TCL R646 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 offers a high contrast ratio and effective local dimming, resulting in good black uniformity which is essential for watching movies and cinematic content, especially in dark scenes. The TCL S455, while offering an acceptable contrast ratio, has limited local dimming capability, leading to less impressive black uniformity and muted performance in darker viewing content.
Gaming
8.2
5.7
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.0/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
10.0/100
8.7/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R646 boasts a higher refresh rate and superior response time, making it very good for gaming, as these features allow for smoother motion and less blur during fast-paced gameplay. On the other hand, the TCL S455, with a lower refresh rate and only a fair response time, is rated poor for gaming because it can result in noticeable lag and motion blur, reducing the overall responsiveness and gaming experience.
Cartoons & Animation
8.4
6.0
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.9/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
7.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
6.6/10
8.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.8/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 is better for watching cartoons and animation because it displays colors more accurately straight out of the box and has a superior color gamut, which means it can show a wider range of colors. On the other hand, the TCL S455 has less accurate colors initially and a limited color gamut, which results in a less vibrant viewing experience.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.5
6.4
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 is better for watching news and other TV programs because it has excellent upscaling and very good SDR brightness, enhancing the quality of lower resolution content and ensuring visibility in brighter rooms. Conversely, the TCL S455's upscaling is fair and its SDR brightness is also fair, making it less effective at improving lower-quality content and less visible in well-lit environments. Additionally, the R646 has better colors out of the box, a wider color gamut, and more effective local dimming, resulting in a more vibrant and contrasting picture, whereas the S455 is less impressive in these areas.
Bright Room
8.9
6.0
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.1/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
8.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.6/10
8.1/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 is superior for bright rooms due to its excellent SDR brightness and very good reflections handling, ensuring a clearer picture even in well-lit environments. In contrast, the TCL S455 has only fair SDR brightness and reflections handling, which means it might struggle to overcome glare and maintain picture quality in the same settings.
Cost
$800
$584
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL R646 (LCD) has a price of $800 and the TCL S455 (LCD) costs $584.
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Key similarities
Sports
6.6
6.1
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S455 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
For watching sports, the TCL R646 has better response time and motion processing which are crucial for fast action, while its reflections handling is also superior, supporting viewing in well-lit rooms; however, its narrower viewing angles and fair gray uniformity can limit the experience in a wider seating area. The TCL S455, although slightly inferior in response time and motion handling compared to R646, shares similar challenges with viewing angles and reflections, and its gray uniformity is also only somewhat effective, affecting the uniformity of the playing field on screen.
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How the TCL R646 (LCD) and the TCL S455 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL R646 (LCD) | TCL S455 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$800 | $584 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 2, 2021 | May 5, 2022 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 65R646 | 65S455 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 65" | 65" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android TV | Roku TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 4 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 7.9/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 9/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 7.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 33.3" x 56.9" x 3.6" | 32.8" x 56.9" x 3.2" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 35.7" x 56.9" | 34.8" x 5.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 63.5 lbs | 30.9 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 300 x 300 | 200 x 200 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 10 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | No | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | Yes | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 8.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 6.5/10 | 3/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 30 W | 20 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | Yes, Bypass only | No | |
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TCL S455 (LCD)
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USA Today
Lee Neikirk | January 2022
"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 R646 (LCD) or the TCL S455 (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.
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