TCL S-Class S4 64.5"

The picture looks great, but the Google TV software is so slow and buggy it makes the whole experience miserable. Plus, too many units are dying within two years. Spend the extra $100 on a Hisense U8 instead.

The 65S450G posts mixed benchmark numbers. Its HDR performance lands at the 78th percentile, which is actually respectable for this price tier, and the Motion Rate 240 with MEMC does help with motion clarity on sports and action content. But picture quality overall sits at just the 37th percentile, and the display tech itself is only at the 33rd percentile. The 60Hz panel is a real limitation for gaming (19th percentile, dead last among competitors), and the audio scores at the 36th percentile won't blow anyone away despite Dolby Atmos support. What the benchmarks don't capture is the software drag: owners consistently report that navigating Google TV feels like wading through mud, with apps freezing and the interface stuttering constantly. That's a performance problem in the most frustrating way possible.

The Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG is the obvious alternative at a similar price point, and it consistently beats TCL on both build quality and user satisfaction. If gaming matters at all, skip this TCL entirely and look at the Hisense U8 or even step up to the LG C5 OLED if your budget stretches. The Sony BRAVIA 9 and Samsung Neo QLED are in a different league entirely, but they're also $1,500+. The real question is: for $100-200 more, the Hisense U8 gives you better motion handling, stronger brightness, and owners who aren't posting about their TVs dying at the 2-year mark.

At $379 to $528, the TCL 65S450G sits in the sweet spot for budget 65-inch TVs, and the picture quality genuinely justifies that price. But here's the thing: our sentiment data shows a 7th percentile satisfaction score, which means a LOT of buyers are regretting this purchase. The $149 price spread across vendors is real, so if you're determined to buy this, shop carefully. That said, for just a bit more money, you can get something that won't make you want to throw the remote at the wall every time you try to change the input.

The TCL S-Class 65S450G is a budget 4K TV that nails the basics but stumbles hard where it counts most: the software experience. At prices ranging from $379 to $528, you're getting a 65-inch set with Dolby Vision HDR and Google TV, which sounds like a solid deal on paper. And the picture quality? It's genuinely good for the money. But here's the problem: our user sentiment data puts this thing at the 7th percentile for owner satisfaction, and the complaints aren't minor quibbles. We're talking about a Google TV interface that's "painfully slow," remotes that become unresponsive, and hardware that starts failing within two years. TCL made some interesting hardware choices here, but the execution falls apart in ways that matter every single time you turn it on.

If you want a TV that'll last more than a couple years without drama, skip this TCL. The software is buggy, the hardware fails too often, and the 60Hz panel means gamers get a raw deal. Go grab a Hisense U8 instead. Yes, it's $100-200 more, but you won't be posting angry reviews about pixelation at the 23-month mark.

The TCL 65S450G is a textbook case of great hardware, terrible execution. The picture quality is genuinely good for the money, but the software experience ruins it. If you can overlook a laggy interface and you're buying this with a 2-year replacement plan in mind, maybe. Everyone else should spend a little more on the Hisense U8 or look at the Roku Plus Series if you want a simpler, more reliable smart TV experience.