How big is too big? I reviewed TCL's 98-inch TV and my living room may never be the same

UPDATE (9/18/24): This review was originally published nearly a year ago. It has been updated to reflect changes in pricing and other factors.

You think money can't buy happiness? Money has never seen TCL's Class XL Collection 98R754. This 98-inch behemoth turns your home into a bona fide theater, and I'm here to tell you: You'll be happy. Yes, it's expensive (though less than you might think), and there are logistical considerations, like where it's going to go and who's going to carry it there.

But with a screen size that was previously projectors-only territory and onboard Google for easy streaming and voice control, this TV is well worth a little hoop-jumping — or even a lot if that's what it takes. Here's my TCL 98R754 review.

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TCL Class XL 98R754: Let's talk about price

We can't have a conversation about big TVs without discussing big-TV pricing. The 98R754 lists for a whopping $10,000, but the actual retail price typically runs around $4,200 — but has been as low as $2,700. (At this writing, I'm seeing it for $3,000. Moral of the story: Wait for a sale.)

You could spend the same for a 4K projector setup, but that typically requires a lot of complicated installation and may not include any "smart" features for streaming or voice control. Projectors typically demand a reasonably dark viewing space, too; a TV will always win when it comes to brightness.

Of course, you're still paying a hefty premium for this screen size. Unless you're serious about maximizing the theater experience at home — and have the space for it (see below) — think about a slight step down: You can buy an 85-inch TV for half the price or even less than half. (Another at-this-writing example: TCL's 85-inch Q65 is on sale for just $998.)

Meanwhile, Walmart's Onn brand just introduced a 98-inch Roku TV for a jaw-dropping $1,498, though it won't be available to purchase until October. Low refresh rate, no QLED or Dolby anything — but still a mammoth screen for a comparatively bargain price.

And I have to say, a TV of this size is truly magical — assuming you can get it in the door.

Can your home even fit a TV of this size?

I wasn't sure mine could. My living room barely accommodates the 85-inch Hisense I reviewed prior to this one. I think if I tried to move in anything larger, my spouse would move out. Thankfully, I already had a home-theater setup in my basement — a projector pointed at a 100-inch wall-mounted screen — so I figured this could slot in down there.

First problem: It would have to be carried from the garage, where it was delivered, to the basement — no easy feat given its size (think: queen-size mattress, but nearly a foot longer) and weight (about 140 pounds). Using some lifting straps and my 21-year-old son, I managed it — but only because the stairs were a straight shot. If there had been a turn midway, I'm not sure we'd have made it. Moral of the story: Make sure your home can actually fit this thing through the door, up or down the stairs, etc. And if you don't have an Ethan, be prepared to enlist at least one burly helper.

Just as important, figure out where the TV is going to live. Although it can be wall-mounted, not many mounts can hold this much weight or handle the unusual 400mm x 850mm VESA hole pattern. (Here's one that should work.) I would strongly recommend hiring a professional if you decide to go this route, as this is not something you want falling off your wall because it wasn't anchored properly.

I needed a furniture option instead, but that poses challenges as well: The two feet that hold the TV up are mounted at either end of the screen, a little over 85 inches apart. And they're nearly 17 inches deep. Precious few TV stands are large enough to accommodate those dimensions.

But I had a brainstorm: There was already one IKEA Brimnes TV Unit down there — far too small to hold the TCL on its own, but I bought a second one and put them side by side. Presto! They were just wide and deep enough for the job. Key takeaway: Before you spend a small fortune on a single, huge piece of furniture, consider two smaller pieces.

TCL Class XL 98R754 setup and operation

Size and weight notwithstanding, the 98R754 sets up like pretty much every other TV: Plug it in, get it connected to your Wi-Fi, start watching. There's quite a bit of protective packaging to remove, but that's to be expected. Less expected: The power cord is weirdly short, only about four feet. It's fine if you're setting up the TV near an outlet but inconvenient for a wall-mount situation that may require fishing through some drywall. Luckily, it's a standard cord, so you can easily purchase a longer one if needed. I'm just surprised it's so short.

The rear of the TV is home to the usual assortments of ports and inputs, most notably four HDMI — one of them eARC for use with a soundbar or the like. (After testing the built-in speakers, which I talk about below, I connected the excellent Sonos Arc; easy-peasy, no issues.)

Whether you already have some Google-centric devices in your home or this is the first one, be prepared for a fairly lengthy configuration process. In addition to the Google Home app on your phone, you'll need to get connected to Wi-Fi, wait for software updates, choose the apps you want to install and so on. This can easily take 15-20 minutes, depending on your chosen options.

TCL's remote is disappointing. It's not backlit or rechargeable, which seems awfully stingy for a $10,000 TV, and it lacks dedicated play/pause/shuttle controls. Instead, you use the direction pad for those functions — fine once you get used to it but definitely not my preference. Several buttons have confusing labels, and the power button is in one corner opposite a menu button; good luck remembering which is which in the dark. (Power buttons should always be centered and separate from others.)

This being a Google TV, however, you can rely on voice commands for nearly everything — and although the remote has a dedicated button for that, the TV itself supports hands-free operation. Without so much as looking at the clicker, you can turn the TV on or off, change volume, open an app, play a particular show and so on.

It's also possible to switch over to Alexa voice commands if that's your preference, a nice option for anyone already accustomed to Amazon's smart-home ecosystem.

TCL Class XL 98R754 performance

It's fun testing TVs because it gives you license to watch lots of stuff. ("It's for work, Honey!") To put the 98R754 through its paces, I spent time with the following:

• Detroit Lions football (now that, you know, they don't suck)

• Friends reruns (RIP Matthew Perry ??)

• The Shield (arguably the best cop show ever)

• Soul (highly underrated Pixar gem)

• Daisy Jones and the Six (nearly as good as the book, surprisingly)

• Solo: A Star Wars Story (see below)

Without exception, everything looked fabulous. Glorious color, amazing brightness. To my thinking, the mark of a good TV is that nothing ever distracts you from what you're viewing: a scene that's too dark, colors that look oversaturated, noticeable banding in hue gradations. Those criteria in mind, this is a very good TV. Sure, you'll likely want to tweak a few settings to get everything the way you like it, but I found the 98R754 nearly perfect right out of the box.

Nearly. It took some digging to find the settings needed to disable motion smoothing, also known as the dreaded soap-opera effect. (That's the first thing I do on every TV.) Indeed, TCL's picture menus are among the more confusing I've encountered, in part because certain settings are inaccessible (or outright hidden) when certain modes are selected. Eventually I figured it out, though, and from there it was smooth — nay, glorious — sailing.

There's one movie that trips up a lot of TVs (projectors, too), and that's Solo: A Star Wars Story. For whatever reason, it's always dark — sometimes so dark you have to dive deep into the picture settings just to make it watchable. On the 98R754, Han's origin story was almost perfectly balanced (in terms of visual quality, anyway; I can't say the same for the plot). I didn't have to tweak a thing.

Another pleasant surprise: the built-in speakers. Modern TVs typically have poor ones, largely because there's not enough room in the cabinet for good ones. The 98R754 manages to fit not only a pair of 15-watt speakers but also a 20-watt subwoofer. Are these still pretty underpowered for the home-theater centerpiece that is this TV? Yes. Are they better than most and good enough to tide you over until you choose a killer soundbar to go with it? Also yes.

TCL Class XL 98R754: Should you buy it?

There's an argument to be made that a 98-inch TV isn't practical, that it will be difficult to install and overwhelm most living rooms — to say nothing of most budgets. There's a similar argument that you'd be just as happy with an 85-inch model; you'd certainly spend a lot less.

But, wow, do I love this TV. It's absolutely stunning for things like sports and movies, because the bigger, the better. My main complaint is with the remote, which is confusing and feels cheap alongside such a premium TV.

That's not enough to impact my overall recommendation, though, which is this: If you can afford it and have room for it, the TCL Class XL Collection 98R754 is a sure path to home-theater happiness.