TCL has unveiled yet another 98-inch 4K TV: the S Class S5 (98S550G), which can be preordered starting August 24 for $5,000. As part of TCL’s partnership with the NFL, the company is also offering football fans $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV if you buy the TV before September 19, 2023.
The Google TV-powered 98-inch S5 joins TCL’s $5,000 98-inch Class XL 4K QLED TV (98R754) and the company’s $12,000 98-inch Q Class mini-LED 4K TV (98QM850G) as the three biggest TCL TVs.
Though not a QLED display, the 98-inch S5 still boasts many desirable features, including:
- 120Hz native panel refresh rate
- Motion rate 480 with MEMC frame insertion
- Wide Color Gamut
- Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG
- Auto low-latency mode (ALLM)
- Variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 240Hz
- Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X
- Google TV Smart OS
- Built-in stereo speakers (10 watts each) and subwoofer (20 watts)
- Bluetooth for wireless headphones and earbuds
- Hands-free voice control using far-field mics
- 4 HDMI inputs (one with ARC/eARC)
- Chromecast built-in
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
- Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
TCL doesn’t provide specific performance claims when it comes to the brightness of its TVs, so it’s difficult to know how this new S Class model compares to the 98-inch XL Collection. What we do know is that the XL benefits from the use of quantum dots, which should provide greater color accuracy, and it has slightly more powerful speakers. However, the S5 offers Dolby Vision IQ, DTS Virtual:X, and VRR that supports up to 240Hz (the XL tops out at 120Hz), which might make the S5 the better choice for gamers despite its lack of quantum dot color.
It could be a tough call, especially right now, since Amazon has the XL collection on sale for just $4,000.
