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Updated January 10, 2024·
The TCL S546, while generally a bit pricier than the TCL S435, offers better overall performance. The S546 improves picture quality in both dark and bright rooms and it has a higher score for watching movies, sports, and all types of TV content. Its local dimming feature enhances contrast and it supports advanced HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, providing superior color and brightness in high dynamic range content. It also boasts a lower input lag, making it a better choice for gaming. On the other hand, the S435 is less expensive and still performs well for cartoons and animation viewing. However, it lacks local dimming, doesn't support Dolby Vision or HDR10+, and doesn't do as well in bright environments. If you're looking for cost savings and mainly watch animated content, or if advanced HDR support isn't critical for you, the S435 could be sufficient. In summary, for a better overall viewing experience with enhanced gaming performance and superior HDR support, choose the TCL S546. If saving money is your main concern and your viewing preferences are less demanding, the TCL S435 is a viable option. 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 S435 (LCD)
- Good for cartoons & animation
Advantages of the TCL S546 (LCD)
- Good for bright room
- Good for dark room
- Good for movies & TV
Key differences
Picture Quality
6.6
7.4
7.50/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
6.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL S546 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.1
7.0
7.50/10
CONTRAST
8.21/10
6.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S546 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S546 offers better contrast and effective local dimming which enhances the depth and quality of movie and cinematic TV scenes compared to the TCL S435, which lacks local dimming and has a lower contrast ratio. Additionally, the S546 provides improved black uniformity, which is critical for consistent dark scene reproduction, whereas the S435 performs less optimally in this regard, potentially affecting the viewing experience of darker content.
Gaming
5.5
6.6
6.2/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
5.8/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
3.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
60.0/100
5.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.9/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 has a lower input lag score, which means it is slower to react to user input, important for gaming, and its response time is also rated lower, resulting in slower transitions between images. On the other hand, the TCL S546 has better response time and input lag scores, leading to a smoother visual experience and more responsive gameplay.
News, Talk, & Other TV
5.8
6.4
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 has better SDR brightness, which is important for watching in well-lit environments, and accepts a wider color gamut than the S435, offering better color reproduction for TV programs. Although both models have similar upscaling capabilities, the S546's good color gamut coupled with fair contrast and local dimming features provides overall better image quality which is why it is rated higher for watching news and talk shows compared to the S435's poor SDR brightness and contrast without local dimming.
Bright Room
5.6
7.2
5.0/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
5.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 struggles in bright rooms due to its poor SDR and HDR brightness performance and difficulty handling reflections. In contrast, the TCL S546 is better suited for bright environments with very good SDR brightness, fair handling of reflections, good color gamut, and very good color volume, which contribute to a superior viewing experience in well-lit spaces.
Cost
$700
$398
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The TCL S435 (LCD) has a price of $700 and the TCL S546 (LCD) costs $398.
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Key similarities
Sports
5.9
6.3
3.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
5.8/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S546 (LCD) to be only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 is rated lower than the TCL S546 for watching sports mainly due to the S435's poorer response time and motion processing capabilities, which are especially important factors for capturing sports' fast action clearly. The TCL S546 outperforms in these aspects but has only a modest improvement in handling reflections, which are notable when watching in bright rooms, and a slightly better viewing angle, making it more suitable for larger groups viewing sports together.
Cartoons & Animation
7.0
6.6
6.0/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.8/10
6.6/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
5.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
9.0/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
4.4/10
5.9/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S435 (LCD) to be good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S435 delivers excellent colors out of the box, meaning it represents the vibrant hues commonly found in cartoons and animation well without much adjustment, but has a fair color gamut which means its range of colors is more limited. In contrast, the TCL S546 is reported to have poor colors out of the box, requiring adjustment for optimal viewing, but it offers a good color gamut, providing a wider range of colors that enhances the overall vibrancy and variety of hues on display.
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How the TCL S435 (LCD) and the TCL S546 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL S435 (LCD) | TCL S546 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $398 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 4, 2020 | August 3, 2021 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 65S435 | 65S546 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 65" | 65" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Roku TV | Android TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 5.9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 4 | 3 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 6.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 5.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 6.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 33.2" x 57.4" x 3.3" | 32.9" x 56.9" x 3" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 35.3" x 57.4" | 34.8" x 56.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 37.9 lbs | 47.4 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 300 x 300 | 300 x 300 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 10 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | No | Yes | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | No | Yes | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 7.5/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 2.5/10 | 5.7/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 16 W | 16 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Dolby Digital Plus Bypass Only | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | No | |
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TCL S435 (LCD)
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Geoffrey Morrison | June 2021
"The TCL 4-Series is so inexpensive and capable you might start to question why there are any multithousand-dollar TVs at all. The 4-Series setup is intuitive and easy. If you're just looking for an easy-to-use TV with decent picture, this is an excellent place to start."
Get a great deal on the TCL S435 (LCD) or the TCL S546 (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.
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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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