The TCL S446 is typically much less expensive and offers a good balance for general content like news, talk shows, reality TV, and animation, performing well in bright rooms. However, in dark rooms, its picture quality is limited, and it has no local dimming to improve contrast.
The TCL R745, on the other hand, is typically much more expensive. It provides a superior gaming experience and supports advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision and HLG. This TV comes with more HDMI ports and better sound quality but shares the same performance in bright rooms as the S446. It doesn't excel in dark room settings either.
Both models struggle with picture quality in dark environments and offer comparable bright room performance. If gaming and advanced HDR support are priorities and you're willing to pay more, go with the R745. However, for regular TV watching and a budget-friendly choice, the S446 would 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 S446 (LCD)
Good viewing angle
Advantages of the TCL R745 (LCD)
Good for gaming
Key differences
Gaming
5.8/10
7.4/10
6.2/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.1/10
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
5.6/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) is good for gaming, while the TCL S446 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S446 has a fair response time and very good input lag, which may not be enough for fast-paced gaming that demands quick screen transitions without delays. On the other hand, the TCL R745, while having similar response time, offers the best input lag, making it more suitable for gaming as it can handle rapid inputs more effectively and reduce delay during gameplay.
Cost
$400
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL S446 (LCD) has a price of $400 and the TCL R745 (LCD) costs $1,700.
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) both have poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.4/10
5.2/10
5.37/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
4.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both poor for movies & TV.
The TCL S446 struggles with movies and cinematic TV due to its fair contrast and lack of local dimming, leading to poor black uniformity, which is crucial for dark scenes. Meanwhile, the TCL R745 also performs poorly in the same content due to its similarly modest contrast and lack of local dimming, contributing to subpar black uniformity and color volume that make it less ideal for vibrant, high-contrast viewing experiences.
Sports
6.4/10
6.4/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL S446 and the TCL R745 both have fair response times which are critical for watching fast-moving sports, but their viewing angles are different with the S446 having wider angles, better for group viewings, whereas the R745 has narrower angles leading to color washout when seen from the side. While both handle reflections decently well, neither has an advantage in gray uniformity, which is somewhat important for displaying an even color across the screen such as when watching sports with large areas of uniform color like a football field.
Cartoons & Animation
6.4/10
5.9/10
5.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.5/10
6.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
9.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
6.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S446 (LCD) to be only fair for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.4/10
6.1/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both only fair for news, talk, & other TV.
The TCL S446 delivers fair performance for watching news and talk shows since it provides excellent upscaling to enhance lower-resolution content, and its IPS screen ensures good viewing angles. However, its performance might suffer from lacklustre SDR brightness and limited color gamut. Meanwhile, the TCL R745, with a similar fair evaluation for these programs, offers an improved experience for fast-moving content with superior motion processing, but its lower contrast ratio might result in less deep blacks compared to other TVs.
Bright Room
5.8/10
5.8/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
6.8/10
6.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
5.4/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
7.2/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The TCL S446 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both poor for bright room.
The TCL S446 struggles in bright rooms due to its fair SDR brightness and lack of local dimming, which leads to lower peak brightness, while its good reflections handling is not enough to overcome these shortcomings. Similarly, the TCL R745, despite having good reflections handling, is also poor for watching in bright rooms because of its poor SDR and HDR brightness and the absence of local dimming to enhance contrast.
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How the TCL S446 (LCD) and the TCL R745 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
TCL S446 (LCD)
TCL R745 (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$400
$1,700
Brand
Brand
TCL
TCL
Release Date
Release Date
September 4, 2021
April 1, 2021
Full name
Full name
65S446
85R745
Screen Size
Screen Size
65"
85"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
LED IPS
LED VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Android TV
Roku TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
6/10
6.1/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
No
No
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
3
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
No
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, HLG
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
5.8/10
5.7/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
5.8/10
5.8/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
5.9/10
7.4/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
5.5/10
5.3/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
6.4/10
6.4/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
6.4/10
6.2/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
6.5/10
6/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
6.6/10
6.6/10
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"
42.8" x 75.6" x 3.7"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
35.3" x 57.4"
46.7" x 75.6"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
37.9 lbs
110.7 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
300 x 300
600 x 400
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
11 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
5.4/10
5/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
2.5/10
2.5/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
0/100
0/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
5.6/10
5.8/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
6/10
5.8/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
5.5/10
5.6/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
6/10
6/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
4.9/10
5.1/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
7.5/10
6.8/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
7.3/10
7.9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
7.5/10
7.5/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
4.6/10
4.6/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
5.9/10
6.6/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
6/10
5.9/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
6.3/10
6.1/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
8/10
10/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
9.2/10
7.7/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
6/10
7/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
7/10
7/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.0
2.1
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
16 W
50 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Bypass only
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
Yes, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the TCL S446 (LCD) or the TCL R745 (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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TVs evaluated
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TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
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Recommendations made
19,760
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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
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.