If you prioritize gaming performance and would like a TV that's better in bright rooms, you should consider the TCL R655. However, it is typically more expensive. On the other hand, if cost is a significant factor and you still want good overall performance, the TCL S555 may suit you, acknowledging it won't perform as well in bright conditions or for gaming as the R655. 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 use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S555 (LCD)
The TCL S555 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL R655 (LCD).
Key differences
Gaming
8.6/10
6.7/10
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 offers a very good gaming experience primarily because it has a high refresh rate of 144Hz, which allows for smoother motion in fast-paced games, and it has lower input lag, ensuring that the time between pressing a button and seeing the action on screen is minimal. In contrast, the TCL S555, while still providing a good gaming experience, operates at a lower refresh rate of 60Hz and has higher input lag, which might not be as suitable for competitive or fast-paced gaming.
Bright Room
9.5/10
7.3/10
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The TCL R655 is better suited for bright rooms due to its excellent SDR and HDR brightness and very good handling of reflections, meaning it's capable of maintaining visibility even in well-lit environments. In comparison, the TCL S555 has a very good SDR brightness, but its ability to handle reflections is poor, making it less optimal than the R655 when there's a lot of ambient light.
Cost
$1,000
$600
$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 S555 (LCD) costs $600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL R655 (LCD) to have very good picture quality, while the TCL S555 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9/10
7.9/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both good for movies & TV.
Sports
6.6/10
6.3/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL R655 has good response time, which is crucial for smooth motion in sports, and very good reflection handling which benefits viewing in a bright room, but its viewing angles are limited; the S555, while having fair response time, potentially causing more blurring in fast scenes, manages reflections well and has slightly wider viewing angles but less gray uniformity which may affect the look of the playing field.
Cartoons & Animation
8.7/10
8.4/10
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
Both the TCL R655 and the TCL S555 are favorable for cartoons and animation due to their strong performance in color reproduction; they both have 'Very Good' and 'Good' colors out of the box, ensuring vibrant and varied colors immediately upon setup. Despite having equivalent color gamuts, the R655 slightly outperforms the S555 in color volume, providing richer and more nuanced colors, which enhances the viewing experience for colorful content like animation.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2/10
7.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both good for news, talk, & other TV.
The TCL R655 excels in upscaling lower resolution content and provides excellent brightness for standard dynamic range (SDR) content, making it suitable for clear daytime viewing of news and talk shows. In contrast, the TCL S555, while offering very good performance for SDR brightness, shines with rich colors straight out of the box, enhancing the visual presentation of regular TV programs without additional tweaking.
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How the TCL R655 (LCD) and the TCL S555 (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"
"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 R655 (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.
By the numbers
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About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
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