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Updated January 10, 2024·
The TCL R646 offers superior overall performance, particularly for watching movies, sports, and gaming due to its higher brightness, better local dimming, and 120Hz refresh rate, making it well-suited for a living room with varying lighting conditions and fast-moving content. On the other hand, the TCL S546 is significantly less expensive and still provides good performance for general TV and movie watching, but with a lower refresh rate of 60Hz and less effective local dimming, it's not as well-suited for bright rooms or fast-paced action as the R646. 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
- 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 R646 (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.9
7.4
8.43/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) both have good picture quality, though the TCL R646 (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.8
7.0
8.43/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both good for movies & TV, though the TCL R646 (LCD) is somewhat better.
The TCL R646 offers very good local dimming, excellent contrast, and good black uniformity, making it a strong choice for movies and cinematic TV. In contrast, the TCL S546, while still providing very good image quality with good contrast and black uniformity, has poor local dimming, which makes it less ideal than the R646 for these uses.
Gaming
8.2
6.6
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
8.7/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 boasts better response time and input lag which are crucial for gaming, providing a smoother and more responsive gaming experience compared to the fair gaming capabilities of the TCL S546 which has lower response time and input lag performance. Additionally, the TCL R646 supports a higher refresh rate, further enhancing gaming fluidity and minimizing motion blur, a feature that is not as advanced in the TCL S546.
Cartoons & Animation
8.4
6.6
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
7.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
8.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 performs better for cartoons and animation due to its good color performance right out of the box and solid color gamut, both very important factors for animated content. On the other hand, the TCL S546 is rated lower, particularly in its ability to display colors as intended by the creators, which impacts the overall viewing experience for colorful and vibrant content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.5
6.4
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 performs better when watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs because it has superior upscaling and better performance in standard dynamic range (SDR) brightness, which are very important for these types of content. On the other hand, the TCL S546 is rated lower in these aspects, as well as in local dimming, which affects its ability to maintain consistent screen brightness and contrast, making its performance only fair in comparison.
Bright Room
8.9
7.2
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
8.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
8.1/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is good.
The TCL R646 excels in both SDR and HDR brightness and handles reflections better, making it ideal for bright rooms, while the TCL S546, though good in SDR brightness, is not as bright in HDR and is less effective at handling reflections. Contrast, color volume, and color gamut, while still important, are less impactful on the viewing experience in well-lit environments compared to these brightness and reflection handling capabilities.
Cost
$800
$398
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL R646 (LCD) has a price of $800 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $398.
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Key similarities
Sports
6.6
6.3
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R646 has better motion processing and faster response time, which are key for watching fast-paced sports, though its limited viewing angles may not suit a wide seating arrangement. Conversely, the TCL S546 is not as good at handling motion and has a slower response time, which could result in more blur during fast sports action, but it shares similar viewing angles, making it also less ideal for groups spread out across a room. Both TVs handle reflections well but neither excels at gray uniformity, with the R646 being slightly better, which might be noticed in sports with uniform backgrounds like hockey or soccer.
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How the TCL R646 (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL R646 (LCD) | TCL S546 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$800 | $398 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 2, 2021 | August 3, 2021 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 65R646 | 65S546 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 65" | 65" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android TV | Android TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 10/10 | 5.9/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 4 | 3 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 7.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 9/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.6/10 | 6.4/10 | |
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" | 32.9" x 56.9" x 3" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 35.7" x 56.9" | 34.8" x 56.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 63.5 lbs | 47.4 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 300 x 300 | 300 x 300 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 10 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | Yes | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | Yes | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 8.4/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 6.5/10 | 5.7/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 30 W | 16 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | Yes, Bypass only | No | |
Get a great deal on the TCL R646 (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.
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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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