Key takeaways from ZDNET
- TCL 98-inch Class S5 series TV It’s one of the most accessible prices for a TV of this size, and it’s currently on sale for $1,000 off.
- Watching movies and TV shows on a display this large is as close to a theater-like experience as you can get at home.
- With a TV this large, installation can be difficult. This is especially true if you don’t have enough console or wall space.
TCL We create impressive TVs using advanced display technologies, specifications, and optimization for the best picture quality. But sometimes you put all that aside and say, “Hey, let’s make a really big TV for the sake of making a really big TV.” That’s what this 98-inch set is all about.
also: You can get this massive 98-inch 4K TV for just $1,500 at Walmart.
This TV, part of TCL’s low-cost S5 series, is currently selling for 20,000 won. $1,000 off The regular price is $2,999, so the price is reduced to $1,999. TCL was kind enough to tell me about this deal via email a few weeks ago, and needless to say, I was very intrigued. “You can buy a 98-inch TV for less than $2,500?” I thought to myself. That seemed impossible.
This is my experience using the 98-inch TCL S5 series over the past three weeks.
Installing a 98-inch TV
The biggest challenge these TVs pose is installing them in your home. This thing is huge. It is 85.7 inches wide, 49.1 inches tall, and has a foot clearance of 68.5 inches. Once you have a wall big enough to mount it, you’re all set. But if not, you might struggle to find an entertainment center big enough to accommodate this behemoth.
But the latter was me. I was the one who was confused. My brothers helped me unpack the TV box (which felt impossible due to the low ceilings making it impossible to lift the lid straight up into the air) and after ripping off all the styrofoam and plastic wrap, I had to find a place to put the TV. It’s in a relatively small living room.
At first I thought about leaving it on the ground, but who wants to look down and watch TV? We then considered ditching our current entertainment center and moving our 65-inch LG TV somewhere else, into the caddy corner (also on ground level), but that would mean dividing up the entire living room.
Also: Best TVs Under $1,000: Expert Tests
So we came up with a compromise. We set up two folding catering tables, pushed a sofa and loveseat against the wall, and placed a 98-inch mammoth right in front of the fireplace. Is it perfect? Not really, but it works for this review.
Most immersive experience (unless you’re looking for something bigger)
None of us were really prepared for just how big this TV was. Of course, we could only guess how big it was before we plugged it in, but when the 98-inch screen turned on, we were all blown away. Many people dream of having a movie theater at home to enjoy their favorite movies and games. Buying a TV like TCL’s 98S550G can get you as close to that reality as possible.
Maybe it’s because I’m sitting too close, or maybe it’s because I’ve changed what I’ve been watching on the 65-inch TV for so long, but whatever the reason, the immersive feeling of watching this 98-inch TV never seems to go away. away. Everything you watch will feel more vivid than you can imagine. This goes from movies like “Oppenheimer” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to cable TV like “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
Also: The most immersive soundbars I’ve tested aren’t made by Vizio or JBL.
My only wish is to see Super Bowl LVIII. That said, we can already tell that this TV will be a perfect fit for anyone who uses multiview via NFL Sunday Ticket.
When I say that your jaw will drop any time you watch this TV, I mean it. If you have a favorite movie or TV show, it only gets better. just too big. It’s easy to see no matter where you are in the room and makes sure there aren’t any bad spots in the house.
Ordinary specs, but solid picture quality nonetheless
My 4K HDR Oppenheimer The DVD looked amazing in this regard.
Max Buondonno/ZDNET
Beyond its majestic 98-inch size, the rest of the 98S550G is pretty basic, at least for a high-end TV. It uses a QLED panel, which helps deliver brighter colors and better contrast, and I can confidently say that this is one of the best LED TVs I’ve seen. However, you don’t get the same luxuries as OLED or Mini LED TVs with local dimming, rich contrast, and increased brightness. On the bright side, it uses one huge backlight, so there’s no light halo around your content.
The TV features 4K resolution and supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This is a nice touch for any gamer who wants to enjoy silky smooth gameplay on their panel. But 4K on a 98-inch panel doesn’t feel the same as 4K on a 65-inch panel. The pixel density isn’t quite as high because they’re spread out over a much larger canvas, and you can definitely see individual pixels if you get close to the TV. Not a problem at all, but I found it interesting nonetheless.
Also: A new premium feature will soon be available for free on your Roku TV.
The picture quality is pretty good overall. “Oppenheimer” looked great playing from the 4K HDR DVD I purchased, and the 1080p upscale cable show wasn’t too shabby either. The Settings menu has a variety of options to control how everything looks, and once you’ve set it up, it’s a good idea to turn off Motion Smoothing. On a 98-inch TV, the added frames do not display most content properly.
TCL has included many specifications and features that customers may be interested in in the 98-inch S5, including HDR Ultra (consisting of Dolby Vision IQ, Open HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG) and dedicated Game Accelerator 240. It supports 240 VRR, Dolby Atmos, AirPlay, Chromecast, voice assistant integration, and even dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi. There are four HDMI ports that can be utilized along with optical audio and Ethernet ports.
also: The best QLED TV I’ve tested isn’t a Samsung or LG one, but one that’s $2,000 off on Amazon.
The sound quality is also solid. The mids and highs can start to sound jarring at higher volumes, but the built-in subwoofer helps anchor everything with a surprising amount of bass. If you want more or less boom while watching a movie, you can adjust that in the settings. If you wanted a true movie theater setup, you’d still opt for a dedicated sound system, but my family and I were pleased with the TV’s performance.
Buying advice from ZDNET
At $1,999, it’s hard to ignore. TCL’s 98-inch Class S5 series TV For a very long time. If you have the space in your home for a TV of this size and don’t mind spending $2,000, this TV could be a great fit for an immersive entertainment setup. Of course, it’s important to remember that you won’t get the best picture quality, but anything better than what TCL offers will at least satisfy you. $5,000 to $10,000.
In the end, I had a lot of fun reviewing this huge 98-inch TV, so I decided to send it back to you. There are so many things in our house that are so annoying and intrusive. (Remember, it’s blocking my entire fireplace.) But if you have room for it, part of me wants to tell you to hurry out and get one while the deal is still going on. I think you will dig it, and your whole family will be addicted to watching it. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we’re all after when buying a new TV?
