TCL vs Samsung. A Budget Brand VS a Premium Brand!
When you hear the name Samsung, your brain immediately tells you about the big Asian premium TV brand that is conquering the world.
And when I say TCL, your brand tells you about one of the biggest Chinese budget TV brands in the market.
But, which one is better for you? a budget TV or a premium TV?
This is why if you’re hesitant about the TCL vs Samsung and which one to buy, this article will show you everything you need and what to choose.
After reading this article, you’ll know the features, qualities, the inconveniences of each brand, and what brand you should bring home.
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What is the Difference between TCL and Samsung?
One of the main differences between TCL and Samsung is that TCL is a Chinese budget TV brand with great quality and low-price TVs, while Samsung, on the other hand, provides mostly high-end premium TVs with some budget TVs.
TCL vs Samsung Best Models
Those two brands are so big and well-known over the world since they have so many models. Here are some of the TCL vs Samsung best models:
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TCL vs Samsung Dimensions and Size
| TCL TVs Size | Samsung TVs Size |
|---|---|
| 32″ | 32″ |
| 40″ | 43″ |
| 43″ | 50″ |
| 50″ | 55″ |
| 55″ | 65″ |
| 65″ | 75″ |
| 70″ | 77″ |
| 75″ | 85″ |
| 85″ | 98″ |
| 98″ |
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TCL vs Samsung Panel Technology and Picture Quality
TCL Picture Quality
Despite producing budget products, TCL offers a wide variety of TVs and panel technologies that cannot be underestimated.
This includes some panels like Mini LED (4K and 8K), QLED, HDR TV, and Google TV.
These panels are similar in their picture quality, still, they have some minor differences that make your experience entirely different especially if you’re an expert that notices the small details and contrasts.
In general, TCL TVs all have medium quality when it comes to displaying technology, especially with brightness, contrast, reflection, viewing angle, and more…
Of course, each brand has its pros and flaws, however, in comparison to the price, the TCL TVs seem to be a good deal to go for.
Samsung Picture Quality
Samsung on the other hand is well known for its high-quality TVs, especially the high-end ones like the Neo QLED, OLED, and QLED. Samsung also produces some budget TVs like the Crystal UHD that come with medium to basic features.
Concerning the OLED, we’ll know how powerful these are especially in dark scenes where they show the perfect black color and high contrast.
The Neo QLED panels don’t have independent bezels like the OLED, but still, they have a very powerful brightness with high color accuracy. This technology makes them one of the flagship TVs in the market!
The QLED comes in third place with great quality like the previous two, it doesn’t reach the OLED panel’s efficiency though.
Finally, the Crystal UHD panel comes with good panel technology, but it’s still decent, especially for budget TVs from the same range.
The Winner…
While both brands have great panel technologies, Samsung is still powerful with its flagship TVs. However, if we compare each TV separately, TCL can beat Samsung TVs in some aspects.
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TCL vs Samsung Image Processor
TCL Image Processor
TCL uses the AiPQ Engine Gen 2 as one of the most powerful image processors in this brand.
According to WhatHi Fi, this image processor uses AI to enhance and optimize the picture and sound quality depending on your usage like the content you’re playing.
The AiPQ Engine Gen 2 processor is used especially in the high-end TVs of TCL like the QLED and the Mini LED.
Samsung Image Processor
Samsung uses Quantum Processor 4K which is the latest and more powerful processor in the brand up to now.
This processor provides incredible quality, especially in terms of brightness, HDR, and contrast. It is used on all Samsung’s panels which are OLED, Neo QLED, QLED, and Crystal UHD.
The Winner…
The TCL vs Samsung image processors is both decent and do a great job in terms of reliability and power.
The TCL image processor is decent and does a great job, especially with the AI feature that makes the picture quality better and better. But Samsung still has a slightly better quality.
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TCL vs Samsung Motion Technology
Whether you buy a TCL TV or a Samsung TV, you won’t find any problem with motion since both brands have great motion technology.
TCL vs Samsung Contrast
When it comes to the TCL vs Samsung contrast, the two brands have cool and similar contrast especially since they both have backlight-based panels (except for Samsung OLED).
No matter what model from Samsung and TCL you compare, you’ll have a similar level of contrast because of the backlight panel known for its great black color.
What about the TCL vs Samsung Brightness? Are they the same?
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TCL vs Samsung Brightness
When it comes to brightness, things get different a little bit.
While TCL and Samsung have similar contrast levels, they don’t have the same brightness level, especially in high-end models like the Neo QLED and QLED.
TCL seems overwhelmed by the peak brightness of Samsung TV models.
This also comes at the cost of color accuracy where Samsung has the best accuracy even though it has a brighter screen!
The TCL vs Samsung difference gets even bigger in the gaming mode where Samsung seems to boost the brightness even more leaving TCL in the dust!
The brightness affects the reflections, and as you know, more brightness, fewer reflections, and a better viewing experience.
This means that Samsung has a better anti-reflection screen than TCL.
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TCL vs Samsung Viewing Angle
No matter how bright the TV you buy, the viewing angle always shrinks the display’s brightness and contrast.
Samsung and TCL are included! However, Samsung seems to handle the situation with its ultra viewing angle technology that keeps the contrast and the color accuracy as close as possible to normal while TCL seems to get a bigger impact of contrast and color loss.
TCL vs Samsung Local Dimming
The TCL vs Samsung local dimming technology is decent in most models. Both TV brands handle the local dimming very well.
There are even some cases where the TCL TV beats the Samsung TV in local dimming.
However, this cannot be a determining factor of which one to buy.
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TCL vs Samsung Gaming
TCL and Samsung have the gaming mode where the TVs increase their performance and try to give you their best to have the best gaming experience.
For the TCL vs Samsung, it seems like Samsung has better overall performance, especially with the screen brightness where you can see more details, better color accuracy, and stronger contrast.
When it comes to gaming features, Samsung also overpasses TLC with features such as the 120Hz refresh rate which most TCL TVs don’t have except for some models like the 6-Series 4K Mini-LED UHD QLED TV.
Overall, it is hard to compare all the features since we don’t have specific models to compare.
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TCL vs Samsung Other Features
| Display Features | TCL TVs | Samsung TVs | The Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| High resolution | 4K/8K | 4K/8K | Draw |
| HDR support | HDR/HDR10+ | HDR/HDR10+ | Samsung |
| Dolby Vision | Yes | Yes | Samsung |
| Local dimming | Yes | Yes | Samsung |
| Wide color gamut | Yes | Pantone Validated | Samsung |
| High refresh rate | 120HZ | 120HZ | Draw |
| Low input lag | Low | Low | Draw |
| Uniformity | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Viewing angle | Medium | Ultra Viewing Angle | Samsung |
| Anti-glare coating | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Design and aesthetics | Good Look | Slim Look | Personal Preference |
TCL vs Samsung Operating System
TCL and Samsung both have operating systems that make the use of their TV easy and fun.
The difference is that TCL doesn’t come with its operating system, it has Android, on the other hand, Samsung has its system which is Tizen OS.
The user interface of both systems is different than each other, however, they are both excellent and easy to use.
But sometimes, you may feel like the Android system is easier than the Tizen of Samsung. Here are some of the TCL vs Samsung system features:
| OP Features | TCL TVs | Samsung TVs |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | Yes | Yes |
| Netflix | Yes | Yes |
| Roku | Yes | Yes |
| HULU | Yes | Yes (Dialogue Clarity) |
| Prime Video | Yes | Yes |
| Youtube | Yes | Yes |
| Apple TV | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Home | Yes | Yes |
| Google Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Apple AirPlay | Yes | Yes |
| Chromecast Built-in | Yes | Yes |
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TCL vs Samsung Ports
| Connectivity Features | TCL | Samsung |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI ports | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet port | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| USB ports | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Out (Mini Jack) | Yes | Yes |
| Tuner | Yes | Yes |
| Analog Audio Output (3.5mm) | Yes | Yes |
| Composite In (AV) | Yes | Yes |
| eARC | Yes | Yes |
| Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless LAN Built-in | Yes | Yes |
| Optical audio output | Yes | Yes |
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TCL vs Samsung Sound Quality
TCL Sound Quality
The TCL vs Samsung sound systems is different, while TCL comes with the ONKYO sound system with deep bass around the room.
Also, TCL comes with 7 sound modes that you can choose from depending on your preferences or usage: Standard, Movie, Music, Voice, Game, Dynamic, and Sports.
Overall the sound quality is good and decent.
Samsung Sound Quality
Samsung is well known for its high-quality sound systems and built-in speakers in addition to the soundbars that give you another feeling.
The sound quality of Samsung comes with so many features especially the surround sound that makes you hear the sound coming from the exact direction. Also, the surround sound system makes you feel inside the scene.
The Winner…
While the sound systems of both brands have great quality, Samsung sound seems to be more precise and deep especially if you add some soundbars!
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TCL vs Samsung Price
As mentioned and as you know, TCL and Samsung have different pricing strategies since TCL is a budget TV company while Samsung is a high-end TV company with premium prices for most of its TVs.
Here are some of the best TVs you can buy from each brand of these two:
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So, Here is the One You Should Buy…
Choosing what you should buy between TCL and Samsung is no harder after reading this article. After all, it depends on what you need.
If you want t budget TV that has all the features you need with a sacrifice of some features like the peek brightness, while having good reliability and overall picture quality, go for the TCL, it’s a great choice.
On the other hand, if you want a premium TV that will show you what is like to watch movies from another perspective and make you live a new experience, you can go for Samsung TV.
So, what do you think? Which one will you buy? Let me know in the comments below!
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Frequent Q&A…
Q: Are TCL TVs better than Samsung?
A: It is hard actually to compare two brands without setting specific TVs. But overall, Samsung seems to beat TCL in brightness and gaming mode while having similar performance on the other features.
Q: Is TCL a good brand of TV?
A: Of course, TCL is a great brand, especially for those looking for budget TVs with incredible features. After TCL is making its TVs better every time!
Q: Is Samsung better than TCL Qled?
It depends on the specific TV you’re comparing, but after all, Samsung QLED and TCL QLED have both backlight panels and have similar performance, especially in brightness and contrast.
Q: Why is TCL so cheap?
A: Some of the reasons for the cheap TCL TVs are the targeting which TCL is targeting people looking for a budget TV. The second reason is that TCL produces all the components itself without relying on a third-party manufacturer.
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