TCL S Class 98S550G 98"

A 98-inch 120Hz TV for under $3,000 is a ridiculous deal. Just don't expect OLED-level picture quality.

The 120Hz panel and MEMC frame insertion are the real stars here. Motion is genuinely smooth, and gaming feels responsive thanks to AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and ALLM. But the Direct LED backlight holds it back. Picture quality sits at the 36th percentile, which means colors and contrast are fine, not fantastic. HDR support is top of the charts on paper, but the panel can't fully exploit it. It's a big, fast screen that's just okay at the fancy stuff.

Against the LG OLED55C5PUA or Sony BRAVIA 9, the TCL gets smoked on picture quality. Those are in a different league for contrast and color. But they're also much smaller at similar prices. The Hisense U8 Series is the real threat, it offers better picture quality for similar money, just not at 98 inches. The Samsung Neo QLED QN990F is the only real size competitor, and it costs a fortune. So TCL wins on pure inches per dollar.

At $2,904, this is a steal if you want a movie theater wall and don't obsess over perfect blacks. You're paying for size and refresh rate, not picture perfection. If that's your priority, buy it. If you want the best image quality, save your money for an OLED.

The TCL 98S550G is the poster child for going big on a budget. You're getting a massive 98-inch screen with a real 120Hz panel and Dolby Vision IQ for under three grand. That's the hook. It's not the brightest or most color-accurate TV out there, but for sheer size per dollar, nothing else in our database comes close.

If you're a home theater purist who cares about perfect blacks and color accuracy, this isn't it. Go get an LG OLED or a Sony BRAVIA 9 instead. You'll pay more per inch, but your eyes will thank you.

Buy the TCL 98S550G if you want the biggest screen possible without selling a kidney. It's a great gaming TV and a solid movie night TV. Just know you're trading picture quality for size. For most people, that's a trade worth making.