If you're interested in a better experience for sports or gaming, and you have a bit more to spend, the TCL R646 could be a solid choice due to its higher refresh rate. However, it may not be the best for bright rooms. On the other hand, the TCL S555 is more budget-friendly and still offers decent performance for watching movies and series, but may not be as suitable for sports and gaming due to a lower refresh rate and a lower performance in bright environments. 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 use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S555 (LCD)
The TCL S555 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL R646 (LCD).
Key differences
Gaming
8.2/10
6.7/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
8.7/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R646 has a very good response time and good input lag, which are crucial for smooth gaming, whereas the TCL S555, although with a good response time, has the best input lag but only operates at 60Hz, limiting its ability to produce as fluid motion as the R646 which has a 120Hz screen.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.5/10
7.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both good for news, talk, & other TV, though the TCL R646 (LCD) is somewhat better.
The TCL R646 is well-suited for watching news and TV programs due to its excellent SDR brightness and high quality upscaling, ensuring clear images even from lower resolution sources; the sound quality is also the best among the two. Contrastingly, while the TCL S555 offers very good upscaling and SDR brightness, making it a capable choice for everyday content, its sound quality is fair, indicating a less immersive audio experience compared to the R646.
Bright Room
8.9/10
7.3/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
8.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL R646 (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The TCL R646 excels in a bright room due to its excellent SDR and very good HDR brightness levels, complemented by very good handling of reflections, making it ideal for well-lit environments. On the other hand, the TCL S555, while offering very good SDR brightness and good HDR brightness, falls behind in reflection handling, which could reduce viewing quality in bright rooms.
Cost
$800
$600
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL R646 (LCD) has a price of $800 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $600.
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) both have good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.8/10
7.9/10
8.43/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S555 (LCD) and TCL R646 (LCD) are both good for movies & TV.
The TCL R646 excels in watching movies and cinematic TV due to its high contrast, effective local dimming that enhances black uniformity, and respectable color reproduction immediately upon use. In contrast, while the TCL S555 also offers strong black uniformity and out-of-the-box colors, it may not handle different shades of gray as uniformly and its viewing angles are limited, making it less ideal for rooms with wide seating arrangements.
Sports
6.6/10
6.3/10
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
5.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R646 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R646 has a very good response time which is beneficial for watching fast-moving sports, but its reflections handling is rated only as very good, which could be a concern in very bright rooms. On the other hand, the TCL S555, while also having good response time, suffers more from reflections due to a poor rating in reflections handling, making it less suitable for brightly lit environments; however, both TVs have limited viewing angles which could affect the view from off-center positions.
Cartoons & Animation
8.4/10
8.4/10
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
8.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) and TCL R646 (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The TCL R646 and TCL S555 are both praised for their ability to display cartoons and animation with vibrant and accurate colors straight out of the box, ensuring that the content looks lively and engaging. Additionally, both TVs offer a wide color gamut, meaning they can reproduce a broad range of colors, which is crucial for the vivid, varied hues often found in animated content.
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How the TCL R646 (LCD) and the TCL S555 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"It looks great out of the box and the picture quality it is rock-solid for the price. (...) What really makes this a decent gaming TV, though, is the very low input lag. (...) But if you want to save a little money, the TCL S555 strikes a great balance between cost and performance – the kind of performance that’s impressive enough to deliver some wow to your eyes. (...)"
Get a great deal on the TCL R646 (LCD) or the TCL S555 (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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