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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion
- Inputs
- Sound Quality
- Smart Features
- Comments
TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED vs TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED
TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED
Tested using Methodology v1.11
Updated Apr 16, 2025 03:21 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.11
Updated Apr 17, 2025 12:39 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Resolution4k
TypeLED
Sub-TypeVA
Resolution4k
TypeLED
Sub-TypeVA
Variants
- 55R646 (55")
- 65R646 (65")
- 75R646 (75")
- 50S546 (50")
- 55S546 (55")
- 65S546 (65")
- 75S546 (75")
Our Verdict
TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED
TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED
The TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED sits higher up in the lineup than the TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED, so it has more features and better performance. The main differences are that the R646 has Mini LED backlighting and has HDMI 2.1 inputs, allowing you to play higher frame rate games than the S546. The local dimming features perform similarly as they raise the black level in real content, but there's less blooming on the R646. The R646 also gets brighter and has much better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for well-lit rooms. The built-in speakers are also much better on the R646, but that won't make a difference if you get a soundbar or receiver anyways.
Check Price
50"
50"
50S546
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Finding store55"
55R646
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Finding store55"
55S546
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Finding store65"
65R646
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Finding store65"
65S546
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Finding store75"
75R646
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75S546
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Finding storeMain Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
8.0
7.2
Pre Calibration
7.5
3.1
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
3.0
6.5
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
8.1
5.6
HDR Brightness
8.2
5.7
Reflections
8.5
7.1
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture
Curved
No
No
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures
Month 26
50% Gray
Month 26
50% Gray
Longevity Graph
Stand
Stand Picture
Back
Back Picture
Wall Mount
VESA 300x300
VESA 300x300
Borders
Borders Picture
Borders
0.35" (0.9 cm)
0.35" (0.9 cm)
Thickness
Thickness Picture
Max Thickness
3.66" (9.3 cm)
3.16" (8.0 cm)
Build Quality
7.5
7.0
Build quality picture
Picture Quality
Contrast
8.9
9.0
Contrast Picture
Contrast
39,900 : 1
46,612 : 1
Native Contrast
7,778 : 1
7,775 : 1
Blooming
7.5
6.5
Blooming Photo
Lighting Zone Transitions
8.0
6.0
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object
Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Full-Array
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
128
45
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode
8.5
8.5
Blooming Photo In Game Mode
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode
Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD
HDR Brightness
8.2
5.7
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
523 cd/m²
362 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
377 cd/m²
230 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
240 cd/m²
84 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
660 cd/m²
227 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,051 cd/m²
433 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,085 cd/m²
506 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
872 cd/m²
485 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
851 cd/m²
440 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
656 cd/m²
226 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,035 cd/m²
429 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,069 cd/m²
502 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
869 cd/m²
483 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
848 cd/m²
439 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.025
0.048
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
8.2
5.5
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
523 cd/m²
349 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
393 cd/m²
218 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
232 cd/m²
78 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
639 cd/m²
228 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,038 cd/m²
433 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,094 cd/m²
506 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
886 cd/m²
484 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
870 cd/m²
440 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
637 cd/m²
226 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,022 cd/m²
429 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,084 cd/m²
501 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
882 cd/m²
483 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
868 cd/m²
439 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.024
0.048
PQ EOTF Tracking
8.0
8.4
PQ EOTF Graph
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0168
0.0101
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0134
0.0102
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0134
0.0097
SDR Brightness
9.0
8.1
Real Scene Peak Brightness
800 cd/m²
481 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
690 cd/m²
253 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,027 cd/m²
477 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,053 cd/m²
552 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
836 cd/m²
527 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
804 cd/m²
477 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
684 cd/m²
249 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,019 cd/m²
471 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,038 cd/m²
547 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
833 cd/m²
525 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
800 cd/m²
476 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.023
0.046
Color Gamut
8.3
8.6
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
Yes
Color Gamut DCI-P3 Picture
DCI P3 xy
91.53%
94.12%
DCI P3 uv
96.50%
96.23%
Color Gamut Rec.2020 Picture
Rec 2020 xy
69.61%
76.07%
Rec 2020 uv
74.75%
77.74%
Color Volume
7.9
7.2
P3 Color Volume ITP Picture
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
75.4%
54.8%
2020 Color Volume ITP Picture
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
34.5%
27.2%
White Luminance
668 cd/m²
240 cd/m²
Red Luminance
160 cd/m²
54 cd/m²
Green Luminance
450 cd/m²
161 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
54 cd/m²
24 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
501 cd/m²
185 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
207 cd/m²
79 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
616 cd/m²
216 cd/m²
Pre Calibration
7.5
3.1
Pre White Balance Picture
Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE
3.67
8.99
Color dE
2.51
4.87
Gamma
2.30
2.21
Color Temperature
6,239 K
5,899 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm
Warm
Gamma Setting
2.2
2.2
Post Calibration
9.4
6.6
Post White Balance Picture
Post Gamma Curve Picture
Post Color Picture
White Balance dE
0.26
4.87
Color dE
1.46
2.93
Gamma
2.20
2.21
Color Temperature
6,512 K
6,271 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
20 point
Color Calibration
No
No
Gray Uniformity
7.8
7.4
50% Uniformity Picture
50% Std. Dev.
2.499%
2.542%
50% DSE
0.165%
0.195%
5% Uniformity Picture
5% Std. Dev.
0.983%
1.257%
5% DSE
0.102%
0.109%
Black Uniformity
9.1
9.0
Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming
Std. Dev.
0.471%
0.585%
Native Black Uniformity Picture
Native Std. Dev.
1.143%
0.816%
Viewing Angle
5.4
5.5
Viewing Angle Video
Chroma Graph
Color Washout
25°
26°
Hue Graph
Color Shift
33°
38°
Lightness Graph
Brightness Loss
30°
32°
Black Level Raise
13°
12°
Gamma Shift
21°
18°
Reflections
8.5
7.1
Reflections Picture
Average Room Off Picture
Bright Room Off Picture
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
3.1%
5.9%
Indirect Reflections
0.6%
0.8%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.5%
5.0%
HDR Native Gradient
8.5
7.5
HDR Gradient Picture
100% Black to 50% Gray
6.0
4.0
50% Gray to 100% White
10
8.0
100% Black to 50% Red
8.0
8.0
50% Red to 100% Red
10
10
100% Black to 50% Green
8.0
6.0
50% Green to 100% Green
8.0
8.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
8.0
8.0
50% Blue to 100% Blue
10
8.0
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
8.1
5.6
Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture
Smoothing
9.0
5.0
Detail Preservation
6.0
7.0
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
3.0
6.5
Sharpness Picture - 480p
Pixels
Pixels Picture
Subpixel Layout
BGR
BGR
Type
LED
LED
Sub-Type
VA
VA
Motion
Response Time
8.4
8.1
Motion Blur Picture
Response Time Chart
80% Response Time
3.9 ms
4.3 ms
100% Response Time
11.1 ms
12.2 ms
Flicker-Free
9.9
9.9
Backlight chart
Flicker-Free
No
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
960 Hz
960 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
BFI Picture
BFI Frequency Picture
Optional BFI
Yes
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
120 Hz
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
No
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
N/A
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz
60 Hz
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes
No
Stutter
7.0
7.2
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
30.6 ms
29.5 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
5.6 ms
4.5 ms
24p Judder
10
7.8
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes
Yes
Variable Refresh Rate
7.7
7.1
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
No
No
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
60 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
48 Hz
48 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
60 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
48 Hz
48 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
60 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
48 Hz
48 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
Inputs
Input Lag
9.4
9.5
1080p @ 60Hz
14.2 ms
12.0 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
138.8 ms
111.4 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
N/A
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
14.2 ms
14.9 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
14.4 ms
14.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
13.9 ms
15.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
14.2 ms
14.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
138.6 ms
99.3 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
131.9 ms
99.3 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
N/A
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
N/A
Supported Resolutions
9.3
7.1
Resolution
4k
4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1080p @ 144Hz
No
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
No
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
No
No
4k @ 144Hz
No
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
No
8k @ 60Hz
No
No
PS5 Compatibility
PS5 Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Xbox Series X Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
No
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Yes
Dolby Vision
Yes
Yes
HLG
Yes
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2)
No
CEC
Yes
Yes
HDCP 2.2
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
ATSC Tuner
1.0
1.0
USB 3.0
No
No
Variable Analog Audio Out
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi Support
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Input Photos
Side Inputs Picture
Rear Inputs Picture
Total Inputs
HDMI
4
3
USB
2
1
Digital Optical Audio Out
1
1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm
1
1
Analog Audio Out RCA
0
0
Component In
0
0
Composite In
1 (adapter required, not incl.)
1 (adapter required, not incl.)
Tuner (Cable/Ant)
1
1
Ethernet
1
1
DisplayPort
0
0
IR In
0
0
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
Yes
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Yes
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
2.0
2.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
Yes
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
Yes
No
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
7.4
6.0
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
80.00 Hz
134.54 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.97 dB
5.00 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.80 dB
4.81 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.39 dB
5.23 dB
Max
95.1 dB SPL
88.2 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
1.87 dB
3.67 dB
Distortion
8.2
6.1
Total Harmonic Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.032
0.062
Weighted THD @ Max
0.385
0.282
IMD @ 80
0.45%
14.89%
IMD @ Max
1.23%
50.79%
Smart Features
Interface
8.0
8.0
Smart TV Picture
Smart OS
Google TV
Google TV
Version
11
11
Ease of Use
Average
Average
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
2 s
2 s
Advanced Options
Many
Many
Ad-Free
0.0
0.0
Ads Picture
Ads
Yes
Yes
Opt-out
No
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No
No
Apps and Features
9.0
9.0
Apps Picture
App Selection
Great
Great
App Smoothness
Very Smooth
Very Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes
Yes
Remote
7.0
7.0
Remote Picture
Size
Small
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
No
Remote App
Android TV
Android TV
TV Controls
Controls Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Misc
Power Consumption
54 W
73 W
Power Consumption (Max)
154 W
242 W
Firmware
V8-T615T02-LF1V023
V8-R51MT05-LF1V173.020128
Check Price
50"
50"
50S546
Searching
Finding store55"
55R646
Searching
Finding store55"
55S546
Searching
Finding store65"
65R646
Searching
Finding store65"
65S546
Searching
Finding store75"
75R646
Searching
Finding store75"
75S546
Searching
Finding store
TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED
TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED
Comments
TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED vs TCL 5 Series/S546 2021 QLED: Main Discussion
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