How I turned this 98-inch TV into an immersive entertainment system (and got it for $1,200 off)

TCL creates some impressive TVs that use advanced display technology, specifications and optimizations for the best possible picture quality. But sometimes, they put all of that aside and say, “Hey, let’s make a really big TV for the sake of making a really big TV.” And that’s what this is 98 inch set is all about

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This TV, a member of TCL’s lower-end S5 line, is currently on sale for $1,200, down from its normal price of $3,000. It’s currently at $1,800 on Best Buy. TCL was kind enough to let me know about this deal via email a few weeks ago, and I’m curious to say the least. “A 98-inch TV under $2,500?” I thought to myself. That seems impossible.

I lived with the 98-inch TCL S5 Series and here’s the experience.

Set up a 98-inch TV

The biggest challenge this TV poses is installing it in your home. This thing is huge; it is 85.7 inches wide, 49.1 inches high, and the feet are 68.5 inches apart. If you have a wall big enough to mount it on then you’re good to go. But if not, you may struggle to find an entertainment center large enough to accommodate this giant.

By the way, the next person is me — I’m the one competing. My brothers helped me unbox the TV (which felt impossible because the drop ceiling prevented us from lifting the lid straight up in the air) and after tearing off all the foam and plastic wrap, We need to figure out a place to put it. in our relatively small living room.

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My first thought was to leave it on the ground, but who wants to look down and watch TV? We then considered ditching the current entertainment center and moving our 65-inch LG TV somewhere else to put it in the corner (again, on the ground), but that would mean We would have to subdivide our entire living room.

So we came up with a compromise: we set up two folding dining tables, pushed the couch and sofa against the wall, and placed the mammoth 98-incher right in front of our fireplace. Is it perfect? Not really, but it works for the sake of this review.

The richest experience available (unless you find a bigger experience)

None of us were quite prepared for how big this TV was. Sure, I knew how big it was before I plugged it in, but when that 98-inch screen lit up, we were all stunned. Many people dream of having an in-home theater to enjoy their favorite movies and games, and buying a TV like the 98S550G from TCL will get you as close to that reality as possible.

Maybe it’s because we sit too close, maybe it’s because we’ve moved on from watching on a 65-inch TV for too long, but whatever the reason, the immersive feeling of watching this 98-inch TV never seems to fade. bland. distant. Everything you watch will feel more real than you could imagine — that goes from movies like “Oppenheimer” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to cable shows like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.

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My only wish is to watch this year’s Super Bowl on it. That said, I would say this TV would be a perfect fit for anyone who uses multiple viewing modes via NFL Sunday Ticket.

What I mean when I say is that you can gasp at any moment while watching this TV show. If you have a favorite movie or TV show, that just makes it better because of it so big. It’s easy to see no matter where you are in the room and ensures there are no bad seats in the house.

Technical specifications are normal but image quality is still okay

Aside from its gorgeous 98-inch size, the rest of the 98S550G is pretty basic, at least when it comes to premium TVs. The device uses a QLED panel, which helps bring brighter colors and better contrast. I can confidently say that this is one of the best LED TVs I have ever seen. However, you won’t get the luxuries of an OLED or Mini LED TV with local dimming, richer contrast, and increased brightness. On the plus side, you won’t get any halos around your content because it uses a large backlight.

The TV has 4K resolution and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz, which is a great touch for any gamer who wants to enjoy a smooth gaming experience on the console. I will say, though, 4K on a 98-inch panel doesn’t feel the same as it does on a 65-inch panel; The pixel density isn’t nearly as high because they’re scattered across a much larger canvas, and if you get close to the TV, you can definitely see each individual pixel. It’s not a problem by any means, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

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Overall image quality is decent. “Oppenheimer” looked great playing on the 4K HDR DVD I bought, while the 1080p upscaled cable shows weren’t too shabby either. You have plenty of options to control how things look in the settings menu, and after setting it up, I highly recommend turning motion smoothing off. On a 98-inch TV, the added frames don’t represent most content.

With the 98-inch S5, TCL made sure to deliver a variety of specs and features that customers might be interested in, including HDR Ultra (including Dolby Vision IQ, Open HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG), Accelerator 240 dedicated game to support 240 VRR, Dolby Atmos, AirPlay, Chromecast, voice assistant integration and even dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi. There are four HDMI ports to take advantage of, along with optical audio ports and Ethernet.

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Its sound quality is also solid. At higher volumes, the mids and highs can start to hiss, but the built-in subwoofer anchors things with a surprising amount of bass, which can be adjusted in the settings if you want. want to explode more or less while watching movies. I would still choose one Dedicated sound system if you want a real cinema, but my family and I are very satisfied with what the TV brings.

ZDNET Buying Tips

At $1,799, it’s hard to pass up TCL 98-inch S5 series TV long term. If you have a spot in your home where you can put a TV of this size and magnitude — and you don’t mind shelling out the eye-watering price tag of $1,800 — then I can see this TV being very makes sense for an immersive entertainment setup. It’s true that you won’t get the best picture quality out there, but it’s important to remember that anything better than what TCL gives you will help you. 5,000 USD to 10,000 USD — maybe more.

In the end, I had a lot of fun reviewing this giant 98-inch TV, but I’m ready to send it back. For our house, it’s a bit too intrusive and often gets in the way. (Remember, it’s blocking my entire fireplace.) But if you have enough room for it, part of me wants to tell you to rush out and grab one while the deal is on. I think you will dig it and your whole family will be addicted to looking at it. And ultimately, isn’t that what we’re aiming for when we buy a new TV?

How we test TVs

While testing and researching the TV featured in this review, I and other ZDNET experts kept the following criteria in mind:

• Price: Not all budgets are created equal. And if you’re working with a limited budget, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a mid-range TV. Each TV model we review has been selected at a variety of price points to help meet different needs.
• Screen size: The most important factor to consider, after price, when buying a new TV is whether it fits your space. While this particular screen size is exceptional, the QN90D is available in a variety of smaller sizes to fit different rooms.
• Image and sound quality: A new TV doesn’t mean much, even if it’s expensive, if it doesn’t provide a beautiful picture and clear sound. Each TV on this list is guaranteed to support a variety of HDR codecs, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as advanced audio software like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and object tracking audio.

For a more detailed look, take a look Our extensive TV testing methodology.

This article was originally published on March 5, 2024 and updated on January 8, 2025.