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Updated January 10, 2024·
The TCL S546 offers better overall picture quality and performs well in both dark and bright rooms. It's also more budget-friendly. It scores decently for viewing movies and sports and could be a suitable option if you're looking for a balance between performance and cost. The TCL R745, while being more expensive, excels in motion processing and has a higher gaming score, which makes it better suited for gaming and fast-moving sports. It also has a slightly better sound quality and additional HDMI port. However, its picture quality is not as good, especially in dark rooms. Consider the TCL S546 if you want a more affordable TV that performs well in various light conditions and offers good picture quality for a range of content. Go for the TCL R745 if gaming is your priority and you're willing to pay more for improved motion handling and gaming performance. 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 S546 (LCD)
- Good for bright room
- Good for dark room
- Good for movies & TV
Advantages of the TCL R745 (LCD)
- Good for gaming
- Good for upscaling
- Good reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.4
5.6
8.21/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
8.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
LED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The TCL S546 (LCD) has good picture quality, while the TCL R745 (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.0
5.2
8.21/10
CONTRAST
4.97/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL S546 (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 provides a more immersive experience for movies and cinematic TV due to its superior contrast ratio, effective local dimming feature, and better black uniformity, which enhance the depth and richness of dark scenes. On the other hand, the TCL R745 falls short in these areas with a lower contrast ratio, a lack of local dimming, and poorer black uniformity, making it less ideal for viewing content where dark scene performance is critical.
Gaming
6.6
7.4
7.6/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.1/10
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
6.9/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
The TCL R745 (LCD) is good for gaming, while the TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair.
The TCL R745 has better input lag performance, which is the time delay between pressing a button and seeing the game react on the screen, making it more suitable for competitive gaming than the TCL S546. However, the S546 and the R745 have similar response times, the speed at which a pixel can change colors, which is important for fast-moving images and reducing motion blur.
Cartoons & Animation
6.6
5.9
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.5/10
8.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
5.8/10
8.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
4.4/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is only fair for cartoons & animation, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 has better color representation "out of the box" and a superior color gamut which is crucial for vivid and accurate animations compared to the TCL R745, which although offers fair color out of the box, has a poorer color gamut resulting in less vibrant animated content.
Bright Room
7.2
5.8
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
6.8/10
8.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
6.8/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.5/10
6.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) is good for bright room, while the TCL R745 (LCD) is poor.
The TCL S546 is better suited for bright rooms due to its very good SDR brightness and fair handling of reflections, whereas the TCL R745 has poor SDR brightness and although it has good reflection handling, its lower brightness makes it less ideal for bright environments. While both TVs have their merits, the contrast, color volume, and color gamut are less critical in this context but do round out the overall picture quality, with the S546 likely to deliver a more satisfying experience in brightly lit rooms.
Cost
$398
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The TCL S546 (LCD) has a price of $398 and the TCL R745 (LCD) costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
Sports
6.3
6.4
4.6/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
8.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
8.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL R745 (LCD) and TCL S546 (LCD) are both only fair for sports.
The TCL S546 has an LCD screen that performs well in terms of response time and handles reflections decently, but it has a narrower viewing angle which isn't ideal when watching with a group. In comparison, the TCL R745 offers better viewing angles and good motion processing but its response time is only passable, which could lead to slight motion blur during fast-paced sports. Both TVs have moderate gray uniformity which might show during scenes with uniform color, such as a sports field.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.4
6.1
8.2/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
5.9/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The TCL S546 (LCD) and TCL R745 (LCD) are both only fair for news, talk, & other TV.
The TCL S546 is better at upscaling lower resolution content and has good color accuracy out of the box, making it suitable for TV programs which often vary in resolution. However, the TCL R745, while not as bright in SDR content and lacking local dimming, offers more vibrant colors due to a wider color gamut, potentially making news and talk shows more visually appealing despite its upscaling being less effective.
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How the TCL S546 (LCD) and the TCL R745 (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| TCL S546 (LCD) | TCL R745 (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$398 | $1,700 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | TCL | TCL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 3, 2021 | April 1, 2021 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | 65S546 | 85R745 | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 65" | 85" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android TV | Roku TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 5.9/10 | 6.1/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | No | No | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 3 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.7/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 7.2/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 6.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 32.9" x 56.9" x 3" | 42.8" x 75.6" x 3.7" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 34.8" x 56.9" | 46.7" x 75.6" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 47.4 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 | 8.2/10 | 5/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 5.7/10 | 2.5/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.0 | 2.1 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 16 W | 50 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | Yes, Bypass only | |
Get a great deal on the TCL S546 (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.
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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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