The TCL S555 is a more affordable option offering good overall picture quality, impressive color accuracy, and performs well in bright rooms. It's suitable if you enjoy various content types like movies, cartoons, and reality TV. On the other hand, the TCL R745 is a premium-priced TV that excels in gaming with a higher response time and low input lag but has a lower picture quality score. This TV might not perform as well in dark rooms. The R745 has a larger screen and better build quality, supporting technologies like Dolby Atmos, but doesn't have local dimming, which can affect picture contrast. 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 S555 (LCD)
Good for bright room
Good for dark room
Good for movies & TV
Good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Advantages of the TCL R745 (LCD)
Good for gaming
Good for upscaling
Good reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.8/10
5.6/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
7.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
LED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL S555 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL R745 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9/10
5.2/10
9.07/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.0/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S555 has a much higher contrast and better black uniformity, making it more suitable for movies and cinematic TV, as these features provide deeper blacks and more defined shadows. In contrast, the TCL R745 has poorer contrast and black uniformity, leading to less impressive dark scenes, which could impact the viewing experience for content that relies on these visual elements.
Gaming
6.7/10
7.4/10
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.1/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
80.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
7.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) is good for gaming, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 is considered fair for gaming because, while it has very low input lag, desirable for gaming, it doesn't excel in response time and has a 60Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the TCL R745 offers very low input lag and better response time, plus a higher 120Hz refresh rate, making it good for gaming.
Cartoons & Animation
8.4/10
5.9/10
7.4/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.5/10
7.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
8.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
6.4/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S555 excels in watching cartoons & animation because it offers very good color performance straight out of the box and a good color gamut, which means cartoons will appear vibrant and true to the intended colors. On the other hand, the TCL R745 has less impressive color performance out of the box and only a fair color gamut, leading to less accurate and less vivid colors when viewing animated content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.0/10
6.1/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 has very good SDR brightness, which is crucial for a clear picture in watching news and talk shows, along with very good upscaling that ensures lower-resolution content from TV broadcasts is displayed clearly. In contrast, the TCL R745 has poor SDR brightness which could result in a less vivid picture in bright rooms and its upscaling, despite being good, is not on par with the TCL S555, which may affect the clarity of standard definition content.
Bright Room
7.3/10
5.8/10
5.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
6.8/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
7.0/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The TCL S555 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S555 performs well in bright rooms due to its very good SDR and HDR brightness and despite its poor handling of reflections, whereas the TCL R745 struggles in bright rooms with both poor SDR and HDR brightness although it has good reflection handling. Contrast, color volume, and color gamut, although somewhat important, are less critical factors in this context, favoring the TCL S555 for brightly lit environments.
Cost
$600
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL S555 (LCD) has a price of $600 and the TCL R745 (LCD) costs $1,700.
The TCL R745 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL S555 is not suitable for bright rooms due to its poor reflection handling, and although it has a good response time, which is essential for displaying fast-moving sports content without blur, its narrow viewing angles can be limiting if you often watch with a large group. On the other hand, the TCL R745 handles reflections well, making it a better choice for well-lit spaces, but similar to the S555, its fair response time may still result in some motion blur, and its limited viewing angles can affect the viewing experience from the side.
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How the TCL S555 (LCD) and the TCL R745 (LCD) compare to other TVs
"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 S555 (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.
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