Need a budget 98-inch 4K TV? TCL’s new mini-LED is much cheaper than Samsung’s
But it’s not yet available in the US or Europe…
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TCLhas just launched a massive new TV in Japan, and it could be coming to the US and Europe next based on the rollout of its2023 QLED and mini-LED TVs. The TCL 98C955, a 98-inch Quantum Dot mini-LED 4K TV, has a huge specification and a Japanesepricetag of JPY980,000. That’s roughly USD$6,910.
By comparison,Samsung’s new 98-inch QLED 4K TVis $7,999 – and that one isn’t mini-LED. If you want a 98-inch mini-LED, whichSamsungcalls Neo QLED, the 98-inch QN980Ais currently $14,999 on Best Buy.
That’s quite the price difference. But while the TCL specs aren’t quite up there with the Samsung, they’re not far off either and are in line with some of thebest TCL TVs available right now.
TCL 98C955: what do you get for the money?
As reported byDisplay Specifications, the new TCL has Quantum Dot tech with Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ and HLG. The mini-LED backlight has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits and there’s a native refresh rate of 120Hz with VRR, rising to 144Hz in gaming and with a Dual Line Gate option to deliver an effective refresh of 240Hz. The TV supportsAMDFreeSync Premium Pro, Dolby Vision, DTS-HD and DTS Virtual X, and there’s aGoogleTV OS with Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.
Unlike some rivals not all of the HDMI ports here are HDMI 2.1: you have a pair of those and then two HDMI 2.0. There are also three USB 2.0 ports, and wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6.
There’s no doubt that the panels in TCL TVs are excellent, but where it perhaps falls behind Samsung is in the hardware and software that powers them. The TCL uses the firm’s own AiPQ, while Samsung has its own high-powered picture processor. Reviews of current generation TCL TVs have compared their processor unfavourably with rivals, especially Samsung, whose own processors deliver very impressive performance. And as you can see from ourTCL 6 Series Roku TV review, TCL’s audio hardware could do with some TLC.
I’m pretty confident that the Samsung is the better TV. But when you look at the difference in prices, even with sales tax on top the TCL would massively undercut the similarly specced Samsung by enough money for you to buy aPS5, a Blu-Ray player and one of thebest soundbars, and still have money left over. As sales pitches go, that’s a pretty good one.
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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.
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