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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the TCL S435 is typically much less expensive and offers good performance for movies, cartoons, and animations, as well as a solid gaming experience. However, it doesn't perform as well in bright rooms and for viewing sports. On the other hand, the TCL R745 is at a premium price point and provides a better experience for gaming and handles reflections well, making it more suitable for bright rooms. This model also supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, which enhances the viewing experience for HDR content. It comes equipped with better sound quality as well, but it's not as strong a performer in dark room settings. Consider which features align with your preferences and viewing habits when making your decision. 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 R745 (LCD)
- Good for gaming
- Good for upscaling
- Good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S435 (LCD)
- Good for cartoons & animation
Key differences
Picture Quality
5.6
6.6
4.97/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
5.8/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL S435 (LCD) has only fair picture quality, while the TCL R745 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
5.2
6.1
4.97/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
5.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The TCL S435 (LCD) is only fair for movies & TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 offers a better movie and cinematic TV experience due to its higher contrast and better black uniformity, which are crucial for dark scenes, compared to the TCL R745, which has lower contrast and worse black uniformity, thus not providing as deep blacks. However, the R745 offers wider viewing angles, which might be preferable in a wide seating arrangement, though it does not compensate for the lower contrast and black levels that affect picture quality.
Gaming
7.4
5.5
6.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
5.7/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.3/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) is good for gaming, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 has a fair response time and poor input lag, which makes it less suitable for gaming where fast response is crucial. In contrast, the TCL R745 offers a fair response time and the best input lag, providing a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.
Cartoons & Animation
5.9
7.0
6.5/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.0/10
5.8/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
5.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.7/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
5.9/10
The TCL S435 (LCD) is good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 is good for watching cartoons and animation because it delivers excellent colors out of the box and has a fair color volume, which makes animated content vibrant and consistent. In contrast, the TCL R745, despite its good color out of the box performance, offers a poorer color volume, which may result in animated content appearing less vivid and potentially less engaging.
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Key similarities
Sports
6.4
5.9
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
3.2/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
5.8/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
5.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL R745 (LCD) to be only fair for sports, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 suffers in sports viewing partly due to its poor response time, resulting in more motion blur, and weak reflections handling, which can be problematic in bright rooms. The TCL R745 fares better with a superior response time for clearer motion and good reflections handling, though its wider viewing angle and slightly better gray uniformity also contribute to a fair sports watching experience.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.1
5.8
5.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
5.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL R745 (LCD) to be only fair for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL S435 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S435 performs poorly watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs mainly because it struggles with upscaling lower resolution content and has lower SDR brightness, which is very important for clear visibility in such content. The TCL R745 offers a fair performance due to slightly better upscaling and higher SDR brightness, enhancing clarity and detail in standard dynamic range content typical for news and talk shows, even though other aspects like colors and contrast are also influential.
Bright Room
5.8
5.6
6.8/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.0/10
5.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.2/10
5.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.1/10
7.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) and TCL S435 (LCD) are both poor for bright room.
The TCL S435 struggles in bright rooms partly due to weak SDR and HDR brightness, along with poor reflections handling, affecting its ability to counteract glare. Conversely, the TCL R745, despite also having poor SDR and HDR brightness, handles reflections better, which might give it a slight edge in bright environments, but it's still not ideal.
Cost
$1,700
$1,800
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL R745 (LCD) has a price of $1,700 and the TCL S435 (LCD) costs $1,800.
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How the TCL R745 (LCD) and the TCL S435 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL R745 (LCD) | TCL S435 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,800 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2021 | September 5, 2020 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 85R745 | 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 | 6.1/10 | 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 | 5.7/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 5.8/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 5.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.4/10 | 6/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 42.8" x 75.6" x 3.7" | 43.1" x 74.9" x 3.9" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 46.7" x 75.6" | 46.8" x 74.9" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 110.7 lbs | 101.4 lbs | |
VESA Mount | |||
VESA Mount | 600 x 400 | 600 x 400 | |
DISPLAY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Color Depth | |||
Color Depth | 11 bit | 10 bit | |
Black Frame Insertion | |||
Black Frame Insertion | Yes | No | |
Auto Low Latency Mode | |||
Auto Low Latency Mode | Yes | No | |
Contrast | |||
Contrast | 5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 2.5/10 | 2.5/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.1 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 50 W | 30 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Dolby Digital Plus Bypass Only | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | Yes, Bypass only | No | |
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TCL S435 (LCD)
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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 R745 (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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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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