Choose the TCL R655 if you're looking for improved picture quality in both well-lit and dark rooms, better gaming features, and a higher refresh rate which is great for sports and action-packed content. However, it's notably more expensive. Conversely, the TCL S455 is less expensive but has lower picture quality, fewer gaming features, and a standard refresh rate, which might not be as smooth for fast-paced scenes or gaming. If you prefer to save money and don't need top-tier picture performance or gaming features, the S455 will suffice. 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 S455 (LCD)
Good for upscaling
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.0/10
6.5/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
6.43/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R655 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S455 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9/10
6.0/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
6.43/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
9.2/10
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 S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 is better for movies and cinematic TV due to its excellent contrast, effective local dimming that enhances its very good black uniformity, and good colors out of the box. On the other hand, the TCL S455, while fair for movies and cinematic TV, falls short with lower contrast, minimal local dimming impacting its black uniformity, and less impressive color performance.
Gaming
8.6/10
5.7/10
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.0/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
10.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 excels in gaming because it offers good response time and very good input lag, ensuring fast and responsive gameplay, whereas the TCL S455's poor gaming performance is due to its fair response time and best input lag, which may still result in less than ideal game responsiveness. Additionally, the R655's high refresh rate provides smoother motion, making it better suited for fast-paced gaming compared to the S455's lower refresh rate.
Cartoons & Animation
8.7/10
6.0/10
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.9/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
6.6/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.8/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 has good colors out of the box and good color gamut, ensuring that cartoons & animation look vibrant and life-like. In contrast, the TCL S455 has fair colors out of the box and poor color gamut, which can lead to less vivid and accurate colors when watching animated content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2/10
6.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 offers excellent upscaling and SDR brightness, providing clear images and good visibility even in brighter rooms which enhances the experience when watching news and talk shows. On the other hand, the TCL S455's upscaling and SDR brightness are only fair, which may result in less clarity and lower visibility under the same conditions, making it less ideal for such content.
Bright Room
9.5/10
6.0/10
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.1/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.6/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S455 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 provides a brighter image in both standard and high dynamic range content, making it a better fit for well-lit rooms, and it handles reflections more effectively than the TCL S455, which has lower brightness and mediocre reflection handling, leading to a less optimal viewing experience in bright environments. Contrast, color volume, and color gamut are also important to the overall picture quality, and the superior performance of the R655 in these areas can enhance the viewing experience with deeper blacks and more vivid colors compared to the S455.
Cost
$1,000
$542
$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 S455 (LCD) costs $542.
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S455 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R655 has motion processing rated as good which makes it responsive for fast-moving sports scenes but has a fair response time, meaning some motion blur may be noticeable. The TCL S455 also suits watching sports with fair motion processing, but its poor response time suggests more visible blurs during fast action, potentially diminishing the viewing experience for sports enthusiasts. Both models exhibit challenges with reflections handling and have fair viewing angles, so they might not be optimal for brightly lit rooms or wide-seating arrangements, but the R655's superior motion processing gives it a slight edge for sports viewing. Gray uniformity is somewhat important for sports viewing, as it affects the appearance of playing fields or courts, and both these TVs offer satisfactory performance in this regard.
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How the TCL R655 (LCD) and the TCL S455 (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"
"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 R655 (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.
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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