TCL S Class S4 85S410R-CA 85"

The TCL S Class S4 85S410R-CA is an 85-inch 4K LED TV that's surprisingly good for gaming thanks to its 240Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support. Picture quality and HDR are weak spots, and the built-in speakers are thin. But at around CAD 1,500, it's one of the cheapest ways to get a screen this size.

The gaming score of 54.5 out of 100 might not sound impressive, but it puts this TV in the 90th percentile for gaming among all TVs we track. That's the absolute best right now for budget sets. The 240Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support mean fast-paced games stay smooth, and Game Mode cuts input lag down to something competitive. For an 85-inch panel, that's genuinely impressive.

But the display itself is a mixed bag. The 80th percentile display score means it's well above average for sharpness and brightness in its class, but the picture quality score of 36th percentile tells the real story. This is a Direct LED panel with no local dimming, so blacks look gray in a dark room. The HDR score is one of the worst we've seen at the 13th percentile. Don't buy this TV expecting HDR to blow you away. It won't. The 20W 2.0 channel speakers are also pretty weak, landing in the 33rd percentile for audio. Plan on a soundbar.

Stacked against the Samsung QN990F or Sony BRAVIA 9 K85XR90, the TCL S4 gets absolutely demolished on picture quality. Those sets cost several times more, so that's not a fair fight. The more realistic comparison is the Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG. The Hisense costs more but brings mini-LED backlighting, far better HDR, and a brighter panel. If you can stretch your budget, the Hisense is the better TV. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is another alternative, though it's much smaller at 55 inches.

Where the TCL wins is raw size per dollar. None of those competitors offer 85 inches anywhere near this price. The LG OLED evo G3 is in a completely different league for picture quality, but you'd pay triple for a screen this size. So the TCL's real competition is other budget 85-inch sets, and in that arena, the gaming performance and Tizen OS give it an edge.

At CAD 1,500, this is one of the cheapest 85-inch TVs you'll find. The value proposition is simple: you're trading picture quality for sheer size. If you want a giant screen for gaming, sports, or casual movie nights in a bright room, this delivers. But if you're comparing it to something like the Hisense U8 Series, which costs more but offers dramatically better HDR and local dimming, the TCL starts to look like a compromise. For the price, it's hard to complain too much. Just know what you're getting into.

The TCL S Class S4 85S410R-CA is an 85-inch 4K LED TV that sits in the budget-friendly end of the giant screen market. At around CAD 1,500, it's one of the cheapest ways to get a screen this size on your wall without resorting to a projector. It runs Tizen for smart features, which is a bit of an odd pairing since Tizen is usually Samsung's thing, but it works well enough here.

If you're searching for an 85 inch TV under $2000 CAD, this one will pop up constantly. And for good reason. It's big, it's cheap, and it handles gaming surprisingly well for the price. But it's not a home theater darling. The picture quality is fine, not stunning, and the HDR performance is a real weak spot.

We've seen a lot of budget TVs come through our database, and this one lands in a strange spot. It's a gaming-focused value pick that happens to be enormous. If you want a massive screen for a rec room or basement setup, this is worth a look. If you want deep blacks and eye-searing highlights, keep scrolling.

Skip this TV if you're a home theater enthusiast who cares about deep blacks, HDR highlights, or accurate colors. The lack of local dimming and the poor HDR performance will frustrate you. Movie buffs should look at the Hisense U8 Series or save up for an OLED like the LG G3. Also skip it if you're tight on space, this thing weighs over 42 kilograms and needs a serious wall mount or stand.

Should you buy the TCL 85S410R-CA? If you want the biggest screen possible for the least money and you mostly play games or watch sports in a bright room, yes. The 240Hz panel and FreeSync make it a legitimately good gaming TV, and the size is hard to beat at this price. But if you care about movie nights in a dark room, HDR content, or accurate colors, this isn't the TV for you.

It's a specialist. A big, cheap, fast specialist. And for a lot of people, that's exactly what they need. Just don't expect it to compete with OLEDs or mini-LED sets on picture quality. It won't, and it doesn't try to.