The TCL QM8 offers higher picture quality, better gaming performance, and a brighter screen, making it suitable for bright rooms and immersive movie experiences. However, it's typically much more expensive than the TCL S555.
On the other hand, the TCL S555 comes at a lower price and still delivers decent performance for movies and casual gaming but isn't as bright, which can be a downside in well-lit environments. Its picture quality and gaming capabilities are not as advanced as the TCL QM8.
If budget is a concern and your viewing environment is typically not very bright, the S555 could be sufficient. Otherwise, for higher performance in gaming and bright room conditions, the QM8 would be a better choice. 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 QM8 (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
Good for use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL S555 (LCD)
Good for news, talk, & other TV
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
8.00/10
CONTRAST
9.07/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL QM8 (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the TCL S555 (LCD) has good picture quality.
Gaming
8.3/10
6.7/10
8.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
90.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL QM8 offers very good response time and good input lag, making it responsive for gaming, whereas the TCL S555, while having the best input lag, only provides fair response time, which may impact fast-paced gaming performance. Furthermore, the QM8's higher refresh rate contributes to a smoother gaming experience compared to the S555's standard refresh rate.
Bright Room
9.9/10
7.3/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The TCL QM8 performs best in a bright room due to its higher SDR and HDR brightness, along with better handling of reflections, making it more suited for environments with lots of light; whereas the TCL S555, though with good performance, is not as bright and has lower capability in minimizing reflections, but it does offer slightly better contrast, color volume, and color gamut which can be beneficial for color richness and depth in less demanding lighting conditions.
Cost
$1,498
$600
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The TCL QM8 (LCD) has a price of $1,498 and the TCL S555 (LCD) costs $600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL QM8 (LCD) to be very good for movies & TV, while the TCL S555 (LCD) is good.
The TCL QM8 stands out for watching movies and cinematic TV due to its excellent local dimming, high contrast, and superior black uniformity, which are crucial for deep blacks and rich picture detail in dark scenes. On the other hand, the TCL S555, while offering good movie-watching capabilities with better color accuracy out of the box, falls short with lower local dimming performance and black uniformity, impacting its ability to deliver the same level of depth and detail in dark sections of an image.
Sports
6.5/10
6.3/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.8/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL QM8 has very good response time and deals with reflections better, making it suitable for sports in rooms with some light; however, its viewing angles are limited, which can affect the experience in a wide seating arrangement. In contrast, the TCL S555 also has a good response time for watching sports but struggles with reflections, which means it might not be the best choice in well-lit environments, yet it offers slightly better viewing angles.
Cartoons & Animation
8.9/10
8.4/10
8.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.4/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.6/10
7.5/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
The TCL QM8 (LCD) and TCL S555 (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The TCL QM8 LCD is praised for its very good colors straight out of the box and excellent color gamut, ensuring vibrant and varied shades crucial for animated content, whereas the TCL S555 LCD, while also having very good colors out of the box, has a good color gamut which is slightly less extensive but still suitable for lively and consistent animation viewing.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.8/10
7.0/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
4.8/10
UPSCALING
5.4/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers TCL S555 (LCD) to be good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL QM8 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL S555 offers very good SDR brightness and contrast, ensuring clearer visibility of news and talk shows even in well-lit rooms, whereas the TCL QM8, although providing the best SDR brightness, may not offer the same level of contrast, making the S555 preferable for these types of content.
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How the TCL QM8 (LCD) and the TCL S555 (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 QM8 (LCD) or the TCL S555 (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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