The TCL R655 is a midrange priced TV with better overall picture quality and especially excels in gaming, dark and bright room performance compared to the TCL S446. The R655's mini-LED technology offers higher contrast and brightness which is beneficial for watching movies and gaming in various lighting conditions. If budget is a key concern and your viewing is more casual, the S446 could suffice, but for a better overall experience with a focus on picture quality and gaming, the R655 is the preferable 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 R655 (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very 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
8.0/10
5.8/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
5.37/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.0/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
IPS
The TCL R655 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S446 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9/10
5.4/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
5.37/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
4.8/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The TCL R655 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
Gaming
8.6/10
5.8/10
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.6/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 is better for gaming due to its higher response time and lower input lag, importantly impacting the smoothness and responsiveness of gameplay, while the TCL S446 has a lower response time and higher input lag, leading to less responsive and potentially choppier gaming experiences. Additionally, the R655 has a higher refresh rate supporting up to 144Hz, providing a more fluid gaming experience, whereas the S446 is limited to 60Hz, which can result in more motion blur during fast-paced gaming.
Cartoons & Animation
8.7/10
6.4/10
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.8/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.1/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 displays more natural colors immediately upon setup and offers a wider range of colors, creating vibrant animations, while the TCL S446, despite excellent out-of-the-box colors, has a limited color range, making animations less dynamic. These attributes, alongside the R655's stronger color volume and contrast, contribute to a more captivating cartoon and animation viewing experience compared to the S446's fair performance in these areas.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2/10
6.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 performs better for watching news and TV programs due to its excellent upscaling capabilities and high SDR brightness, making it more suitable for bright room conditions and providing a clearer picture from lower resolution sources. In contrast, the TCL S446 has fair upscaling and SDR brightness, making it less optimal for such content, especially in well-lit environments.
Bright Room
9.5/10
5.8/10
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
7.5/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.0/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.4/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.2/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 is superior in bright rooms due to its excellent SDR and very good HDR brightness along with very good reflection handling capabilities, making it less susceptible to glare and maintaining picture quality. Conversely, the TCL S446 is rated lower for bright room use, with only fair SDR brightness and good—not very good—reflection handling, which may result in a less vibrant picture under bright lighting conditions.
Cost
$1,000
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The TCL R655 (LCD) has a price of $1,000 and the TCL S446 (LCD) costs $400.
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S446 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R655 is fair for watching sports primarily because it has good response time and very good motion processing which contribute to a clearer image during fast-moving scenes, but its reflections handling is only decent and it has a limited viewing angle that could affect group viewings in a well-lit room. On the other hand, the TCL S446 also offers fair performance for sports, with good reflections handling and a wider viewing angle that makes it better for group viewings, however, it has slower response time and worse motion processing which might not be as smooth for fast-paced action.
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How the TCL R655 (LCD) and the TCL S446 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"It has an excellent Roku interface, isn’t too expensive, has quantum dots and mini LED backlighting, and looks genuinely fantastic playing everything. If you’re in the market for a new TV, you should still start here. Gamers will like that it has a 120-Hz refresh rate at 4K, which is the maximum that a modern Xbox or Playstation 5 will put out—meaning the smoothest possible gaming and sports viewing in general. We’re no longer in the days of having to spend over $1,000 and spending a few hours on setup for decent black levels and great color accuracy and HDR"
Get a great deal on the TCL R655 (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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