TCL C815 (65C815K) QLED TV Review & Comments

Phil Hinton

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Nearest comparable would be Philips 65PUS8555 (or similar variants) @ £699.

IPS panel but DLED so wee bit brighter. Android 9 with DV/HDR10+/HLG. Lacks soundbar but has Ambilight.
 
What is the cheapest decent hdmi 2.1 gaming TV?
 
Are there no inexpensive, big tvs that are good for films in the dark?

That‘s all I watch. No broadcast tv, no daylight, just a dark room.
 
Are there no inexpensive, big tvs that are good for films in the dark?

That‘s all I watch. No broadcast tv, no daylight, just a dark room.
Oled has it around £950 for a 55 Inch set, that'd be a good option. LG B9 at JL?
 
LG is your only option at the lower end, Nanocell sets have got 2.1. Not sure if full-fat versions though.
The Nano90 I tested has full 48Gbps HDMI on two inputs.
 
Of course you can only review what's in front of you but 8/10 seems generous for this when you consider the Hisense 65U7QF is marginally cheaper and scores the same.

Are they both similar performers?? The specs suggest the Hisense should be knocking this edge-lit TCL out the park (especially with HDR) but your review paints a different picture.
 
Of course, you can only review what's in front of you but 8/10 seems generous for this when you consider the Hisense 65U7QF is marginally cheaper and scores the same.

Are they both similar performers?? The specs suggest the Hisense should be knocking this edge-lit TCL out the park (especially with HDR) but your review paints a different picture.
Each has their plus points. The Hisense is £100 more after doing a quick search with main retailers for the same 65-inch size, I'm sure if you shop around you could get both for less.
HDR is slightly better on the Hisense in terms of brightness and specular highlights, but blooming is an issue as are crushed blacks. The edge-lit C815K is not as dynamic but is balanced and has a decent wide colour performance.
The TCL has slightly better motion and Android TV 9 which is superior to VIDAA on the Hisense. In most other respects they are very similar on features and performance. So they score similarly. Reading the reviews should fill in the gaps.
 
Waiting for the 75 inch to drop, been delayed since July. Any idea how this would compare to the phiips 70pus9005?
 
Each has their plus points. The Hisense is £100 more after doing a quick search with main retailers for the same 65-inch size, I'm sure if you shop around you could get both for less.
HDR is slightly better on the Hisense in terms of brightness and specular highlights, but blooming is an issue as are crushed blacks. The edge-lit C815K is not as dynamic but is balanced and has a decent wide colour performance.
The TCL has slightly better motion and Android TV 9 which is superior to VIDAA on the Hisense. In most other respects they are very similar on features and performance. So they score similarly. Reading the reviews should fill in the gaps.

Hiya Phil, the Hisense is £799 from John Lewis at present.

So if they are both priced roughly the same what TV would you say is better for:
Movies
Sport
HDR

thanks and would you consider updating reviews later in the year to reflect price changes as I find a lot of the findings are ultimately based on costs so might be something you could consider.
 
Funnily enough was watching a Youtube video yesterday which featured the previous version of this TV (featured in a review of the B&O A9 the guy was connecting to it for better sound), and was rather taken by the design of it, particularly on a Eletab tripod type floor stand.
They still have the 55" version on Amazon for £499 and it has a thin JBL soundbar built in at the bottom. Had never really heard of their TVs being available over here before, but they do seem much better value for money than the usual brands.
 
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Are there no inexpensive, big tvs that are good for films in the dark?

That‘s all I watch. No broadcast tv, no daylight, just a dark room.
Is a projector not practical? £1000 gets some very impressive 4k (ok pseudo but it's still very good) results.

This TV looks interesting. Moving house shortly and the 42" Panny plasma is going to look lost in the living room. Don't want to go high end because I have a small second room with the projector.
 
If you want a good quality picture, but don't want to pay the money required to get good HDR, then just keep away from 4K HDR content as much as possible. 1080p still looks good at larger sizes and upscaling 1080p to 4K is fine. I watched Edge of Tomorrow the other night on Bluray on my 65" TV and it looks fantastic.

Where most of these TVs fall down is their HDR implementation in that they're not bright enough, they don't have any kind of FALD or if they do there are problems with it, so just avoid it and buy a cheaper TV.

If you're set on 4K HDR and want deep blacks, the blooming controlled or completely absent etc then, unfortunately, that costs.
So then you have a choice of 2nd hand, end of line (too late for that this year with the odd exception) or a refurb and those last 2 options still won't be as cheap as this @ 65"
 
Thanks for the review.
I have been considering this TV and Hisense U7QF. However money is very tight at the moment and my Samsung 6670 is getting old and showing signs that one of the LED diffusers has fallen off.
Should the Sammy last a couple or three months is the Smart TV interface really a deciding factor when there are smart stick options?
 
@Phil Hinton I like your review of this fairly modest television. It's not perfect, especially the viewing angles (which I'm guessing are limited to no more than 30 degrees off-centre horizontally?) but it will suit many people in the UK (other than pernickity AVFourms members) just fine. I wouldn't buy it for prime movie watching in the dark, but for a second room or bedroom - hell yes! And the price is very good also.
 
Thanks for the review of my TCL we bought from AO much of what you said is correct you have sit in front to appreciate the true colours and blacks
we placed ours on a wall which does not help the bass which is placed at the back of the set.the android apps i’m getting used to seeing’s as i’m ios based . l have set mine at standard mode .but i’m still,tinkering with the settings
overall i’m well pleased with the tv at half the price i would have paid.
 
Thanks for the review of my TCL we bought from AO much of what you said is correct you have sit in front to appreciate the true colours and blacks
we placed ours on a wall which does not help the bass which is placed at the back of the set.the android apps i’m getting used to seeing’s as i’m ios based . l have set mine at standard mode .but i’m still,tinkering with the settings
overall i’m well pleased with the tv at half the price i would have paid.

Hello I'm also looking at this TV. Can you comment why there seems to be a backlight glow @ 2:00 in this Youtube vid



Then all of a sudden in other darker scenes it seems to be gone? I'm very confused as I though VA are suppose to no have a IPS glow effect?
 

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