If you prefer a TV with better overall picture quality, including superior contrast and brightness, as well as better performance for gaming and watching movies in various lighting conditions, the TCL R648 is a suitable choice. However, this comes at a premium price.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, the TCL S446 could be a good fit. This model will offer decent performance for watching news, TV shows, and cartoons, especially in well-lit rooms and from wide viewing angles. It is less suited for watching movies in dark rooms and has a lower quality when it comes to picture performance. 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 R648 (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 S446 (LCD)
Good for upscaling
Good viewing angle
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.7/10
5.8/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
5.37/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.0/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
IPS
The TCL R648 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL S446 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.6/10
5.4/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
5.37/10
6.5/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
4.8/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The TCL R648 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R648 offers better performance for movies and cinematic TV as it has higher contrast and more effective local dimming which boost depth and detail in dark scenes, whereas the TCL S446 has lower contrast and ineffective local dimming resulting in grayer blacks and less refined details in shadows. Additionally, the R648 displays a wider color volume and better black uniformity, contributing to a more vibrant and consistent viewing experience, compared to the S446 which is limited in these aspects, diminishing the overall movie-watching experience.
Gaming
8.2/10
5.8/10
8.2/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
8.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.6/10
The TCL R648 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R648 is better suited for gaming due to its faster response time and higher refresh rate, which results in clearer motion. In contrast, the TCL S446 has a poorer gaming performance with slower response time and only a 60Hz refresh rate, thus less capable of handling fast-paced action without blurring or lag.
Cartoons & Animation
8.6/10
6.4/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.8/10
7.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.0/10
9.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
9.0/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.1/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The TCL R648 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R648 is very good for cartoons and animation because it boasts excellent colors right out of the box and a good color gamut, ensuring that colors appear vibrant and accurate. In contrast, the TCL S446, while having excellent colors out of the box as well, is only fair in this area due to its poor color gamut which leads to less vibrant and less diverse colors.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.5/10
6.4/10
9.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL R648 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R648 is better suited for watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs due to its excellent SDR brightness, providing clear visibility even in well-lit environments, along with effective upscaling for lower resolution content. In contrast, the TCL S446 has fair SDR brightness and lacks local dimming, which means it may not perform as well in bright rooms and might not handle varying content resolutions as effectively.
Bright Room
8.1/10
5.8/10
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
7.5/10
9.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
7.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.4/10
8.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.2/10
The TCL R648 (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
Cost
$2,000
$400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL R648 (LCD) has a price of $2,000 and the TCL S446 (LCD) costs $400.
The TCL R648 (LCD) and TCL S446 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R648 and S446 both have fair performance in sports due to their moderate response times and motion processing capabilities, important for fast-moving content. However, the R648 has better handling of reflections which is beneficial in bright rooms, while the S446 offers wider viewing angles, making it more suitable for group viewing.
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How the TCL R648 (LCD) and the TCL S446 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
TCL R648 (LCD)
TCL S446 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$2,000
$400
Brand
Brand
TCL
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
May 1, 2021
September 4, 2021
Full name
Full name
65R648
65S446
Screen Size
Screen Size
65"
65"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
8K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
miniLED FALD VA
LED IPS
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Roku TV
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
8/10
6/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
No
No
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
3
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120Hz
60Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
No
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDR10, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
7.8/10
5.8/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
8.2/10
5.8/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
8.3/10
5.9/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
7.7/10
5.5/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
6.6/10
6.4/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
7.6/10
6.4/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.6/10
6.5/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
7.5/10
6.6/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
32.7" x 57" x 3"
33.2" x 57.4" x 3.3"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
35.1" x 57"
35.3" x 57.4"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
70.1 lbs
37.9 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
400 x 400
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
7/10
5.4/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
6.5/10
2.5/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
7/100
0/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
8.3/10
5.6/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
9/10
6/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
7.9/10
5.5/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
7/10
6/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
6.5/10
4.9/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
5.2/10
7.5/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
8/10
7.3/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
5.9/10
7.5/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
5.3/10
4.6/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
7.9/10
5.9/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
7.7/10
6/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
8.3/10
6.3/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
7.7/10
8/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
9/10
9.2/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
7/10
6/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
8.8/10
7/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.1
2.0
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
50 W
16 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Bypass only
DTS:X
DTS:X
Yes, Bypass only
No
Get a great deal on the TCL R648 (LCD) or the TCL S446 (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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