TCL S5 65S551F 65"

The TCL S5 65S551F is a 65-inch 4K TV with a 120Hz VRR panel, Dolby Vision HDR, and Fire TV built in. HDR performance is near the top of its class, and gaming features are solid, but picture quality and display scores are below average. The single HDMI port is a bummer. If you're a gamer or streamer who wants a big screen without spending big money, this is a smart pick.

The headline spec here is the 120Hz panel with VRR and ALLM. For console gamers, that means smoother motion and less input lag when the TV automatically flips into game mode. The gaming score of 57.9 out of 100 is solid, and the 79th percentile ranking for gaming tells you this set outperforms most of its peers in this category. Motion Rate 240 with MEMC frame insertion helps with fast-moving content like sports, though purists will want to turn that off for movies since it can introduce the soap opera effect.

HDR is where this TV genuinely shines. The HDR score sits in the 96th percentile, which is near the top of the charts for this product class. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG are all supported, so you're covered no matter which streaming service or Blu-ray player you throw at it. The high brightness LED backlight helps HDR content pop more than you'd expect from a direct-lit LED panel. Picture quality overall lands in the 36th percentile, which is mediocre, so don't expect OLED-level contrast or color accuracy. But for bright-room viewing and HDR highlights, this thing overdelivers.

Stacked against the LG C5 OLED55C5PUA, the TCL S5 loses on picture quality and contrast, no contest. OLED is OLED. But the TCL is bigger at 65 inches and likely far cheaper. The LG is for cinephiles who want perfect blacks. The TCL is for gamers and streamers who want size and speed on a budget.

The Samsung Neo QLED QN75QN990FFXZA and Sony BRAVIA XR XR77A95L are in a completely different league, both in price and performance. Those are flagship sets with mini-LED and QD-OLED tech respectively. The Hisense U8 Series 100U8QG is closer in spirit to the TCL, offering strong HDR and gaming features at a more accessible price, though at 100 inches it's a different beast entirely. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is probably the most direct competitor, swapping Fire TV for Roku's simpler interface. If you prefer Roku's clean layout over Amazon's content-forward approach, that's the one to look at.

We don't have a confirmed price for this unit, which makes value tricky to pin down. But TCL's S Class has historically been positioned as a budget-friendly option, and the feature set here suggests that's still the case. You're getting a 65-inch screen with 120Hz, VRR, Dolby Vision, and a built-in Fire TV experience. That's a combination that usually costs significantly more from other brands.

Compared to the competition in our database, this set undercuts premium OLED and Neo QLED models by a wide margin while still offering gaming features that matter. The trade-off is picture quality and display performance, which sit below average. If you're the type who notices black levels and color accuracy, you'll feel the difference. But if you want a big screen for gaming and streaming without spending a fortune, the S5 makes a strong case for itself.

The TCL S5 65S551F is one of those TVs that makes you wonder why you'd spend twice as much for a big screen. It's a 65-inch 4K LED panel with Fire TV built in, and TCL has been quietly nailing the budget-to-midrange space for years now. This one throws in Dolby Vision, HDR10+, a 120Hz panel with VRR, and even a 2.1 channel audio setup with Dolby Atmos support. On paper, that's a lot of TV for the money.

Who's this for? Mostly gamers and streamers who want a big, bright screen without taking out a second mortgage. The gaming score in our database lands at 57.9 out of 100, which puts it well above average for this category. Sports viewing scores 53.7, and streaming comes in at 50.6. None of those numbers will blow your hair back, but they're honest midrange scores that reflect a TV punching above its price class.

What makes it interesting is the combination of Fire TV and that 120Hz VRR support. You don't usually see variable refresh rate on budget-oriented sets, and pairing it with Amazon's ecosystem means you get Alexa, AirPlay 2, and a million streaming apps without needing a separate dongle. The edge-to-edge bezel-less design also looks far more premium than the price suggests.

If you're a home theater enthusiast who cares about deep blacks, local dimming, and accurate colors, skip this one. The direct LED backlight and below-average picture quality scores mean dark scenes will look gray and colors won't have the punch of a mini-LED or OLED set. Look at the Hisense U8 Series or step up to an LG OLED instead.

Also skip it if you have a lot of devices to connect. One HDMI port is genuinely frustrating for a 65-inch TV. Gamers with multiple consoles, a soundbar, and a streaming box will need an HDMI switcher, which adds cost and clutter. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 offers a similar feature set with a cleaner interface and better port selection if that's a dealbreaker.

For gamers on a budget, the TCL S5 65S551F is an easy recommendation. The 120Hz panel with VRR and ALLM means your PS5 or Xbox Series X will feel responsive, and the HDR support is genuinely impressive for this price class. The Fire TV interface is fine if you're already in Amazon's ecosystem, and AirPlay 2 is a nice bonus for Apple households.

For movie buffs and picture quality snobs, this isn't the TV. The display and picture quality scores are below average, and the single HDMI port is a real limitation if you have multiple consoles, a soundbar, and a streaming box. But if you want a big, bright screen that handles gaming well and streams everything under the sun, the S5 delivers where it counts.