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Updated January 10, 2024·
The TCL R655 offers higher overall picture quality, better gaming capabilities, and improved performance in both dark and bright rooms compared to the TCL S435. However, the R655 is typically much more expensive. If having a top-notch gaming experience and vibrant picture quality in various lighting conditions is important and you are willing to spend more, the R655 would be a better choice. On the other hand, the TCL S435 is budget-friendly, but it may not perform as well with content like sports and in brightly lit environments. If cost-saving is a priority and your viewing conditions are not demanding, the S435 could 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 S435 (LCD)
- The TCL S435 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the TCL R655 (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.0
6.6
9.07/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL R655 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.9
6.1
9.07/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
6.1/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.7/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
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 S435 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R655 is favored for movies and cinematic TV due to its superior local dimming and better black uniformity which heightens contrast, critical for dark scenes, while its miniLED technology enhances brightness and color volume for a more immersive experience. Meanwhile, the TCL S435, lacking local dimming and with lower black uniformity, offers weaker contrast and less vivid colors, making it less suitable for the same content.
Sports
6.6
5.9
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R655 (LCD) is only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 is better suited for sports due to its good response time and very good motion processing, which reduces blur during fast-moving scenes, and its handling of reflections is also better, providing clear visibility even in brighter rooms. On the other hand, the TCL S435 struggles with sports content as its response time and motion processing are rated poorly, leading to more blur; plus, it does not handle reflections well, making it less ideal for well-lit environments.
Gaming
8.6
5.5
7.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
8.7/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
5.3/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
85.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.3/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
Cartoons & Animation
8.7
7.0
7.6/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.0/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is good.
The TCL R655 excels in showing cartoons and animations because it displays colors well right out of the box and offers a good color gamut, creating vibrant and varied colors which are very important for this content. On the other hand, the TCL S435 is capable but less impressive, with excellent colors out of the box but only a fair color gamut, meaning it won't deliver the same range or depth of colors as the R655.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2
5.8
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
5.4/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 delivers excellent SDR brightness, which makes it suitable for watching news and other TV shows in different lighting conditions, and its colors out of the box are good, providing a pleasant viewing experience without the need for professional calibration. In contrast, the TCL S435 is rated poorly for SDR brightness, which can hinder its performance especially in well-lit rooms, although its out-of-the-box colors are rated as excellent, likely requiring less adjustment for accurate color reproduction.
Bright Room
9.5
5.6
5.2/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
9.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.1/10
8.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL R655 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL R655 is better suited for bright rooms due to its excellent SDR and very good HDR brightness, as well as very good reflections handling, which reduces the impact of ambient light on the screen. In contrast, the TCL S435 performs poorly in bright settings with inferior SDR and HDR brightness and poor handling of reflections, causing the image to get washed out in well-lit environments.
Cost
$2,000
$1,800
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL R655 (LCD) has a price of $2,000 and the TCL S435 (LCD) costs $1,800.
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How the TCL R655 (LCD) and the TCL S435 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL R655 (LCD) | TCL S435 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,800 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 4, 2022 | September 5, 2020 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 85R655 | 85S435 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 85" | 85" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Roku TV | Roku TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 4 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 9.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 7.9/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.6/10 | 6/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 42.8" x 74.5" x 3.1" | 43.1" x 74.9" x 3.9" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 45.8" x 74.5" | 46.8" x 74.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 88.4 lbs | 101.4 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 600 x 400 | 600 x 400 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 10 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | No | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | No | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 9.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 7/10 | 2.5/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 20 W | 30 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Dolby Digital Plus Bypass Only | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | No | |
Shopping
TCL R655 (LCD)
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Dig into reviews and images
wired
Parker Hall | January 2023
"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"
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 R655 (LCD) or the TCL S435 (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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