Verdict
Built around a hopeful QD - Mini LED panel , this 55 - inch TCL C805 4 K TV extend a lot of tech for the money . It ’s an ideal set for burnished way viewing , is Dolby Vision enabled and has compelling game certificate …
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
An affordableMini LEDTV that does n’t reckon like an escapee from the steal aisle ? That ’ll be the TCL C805 series . Not only does this mid - fire warden have a sentience of panache , but it ’s well specified , with 4K/120Hz HDMI support and the Google TV smart platform .
The C805 is useable in screen sizes from 50- to 98 - inch . The largest size wasput through its paces , and were befittingly impressed during a trailer event in Poland .
Of naturally , not too many of us have elbow room for a supersized screen , so we ’ve now hauled the 55 - in model onto our trial bench , and opine it ’s a unattackable Mini LED alternative to the Hisense 55 - inch U6N and Samsung QLED QN93C …
Availability
The C805 comes in 50- , 55- , 65- , 75- , 85- , 98 - inch screen sizes ( 50C805 K , 55C805 K , 65C805 K , 75C805 K , 85C805K. and 98C805 K ) , priced at £ 550 , £ 599 , £ 799 , £ 1,349 , £ 1,699 and £ 2,799 severally .
Design
Credit where credit ’s due : the 55 - inch C805 look more premium than its price tag suggests . This QD - Mini LED manakin mutant a smart , brushed titanium metal frame with matching , cardinal pedestal stand . It sits neatly on regular Ab furniture .
An Onkyo badge to the bottom right wing of the screen indicate that the solidifying employs a sound organization devised by the audio brand .
The remote French telephone has the feel good constituent , with rounded corner and dedicated buttons for Netflix , Prime Video , YouTube , and the TCL channel .
There are four HDMI inputs to the rear , two of which propose High Frame Rate support . HDMI 1 is able to wield 4K/144Hz , while HDMI 2 play nice with 4K120Hz , andsupports eARC . HDMI 3 and 4 both manage 4K/60Hz , with the latter eARC enabled ..
extra connectivity include digital opthalmic sound output , a 3.5 mm AV minijack input , Ethernet and individual USB interface . There are also terrestrial and orbiter tuners , plus headphone jack and CI slot .
There is no direct eq in the USA or Australia , although you ’ll get hold very similar models in the TCL image .
Features
This 55 - inch TCL suffer 4K/120Hz gameplay , which is good word for owners of aPS5and Xbox Series X / S. It ’ll also run for 144Hz VRR when connected to a PC artwork card on HDMI 1 . There ’s also AMD Freesync Premium Pro compliance . ALLM(Auto Low Latency Mode ) comes as standard .
Gaming response is moderately safe . I measured stimulant slowdown at 13.3ms ( 1080/60Hz ) in Game mode . A frantic play through of Overwatch essay silky smooth .
Smarts make out viaGoogle TV , the contentedness - centric cousin to Android TV . Usability is fine , with caution …
There ’s slew of well out apps usable , includingNetflix , Prime Video , Disney Plus , YouTube andApple TV , but mainstream UK catch - up television support is miserable , with only My 5 currently usable .
If you download BBC iPlayer , ITVX and All4 from Google Play , you ’ll just get an warning notice .
by nature , the TV works with Google Assistant , as well as Alexa . The zapper has a build - in mic .
The Google TV Home page is nonrational enough to use , and offer single report , so adults and child can have their own on - covert space , with personalised recommendations and disjoined Watch Lists . There ’s also put up forApple AirPlay 2and HomeKit . The set also boastsIMAX Enhancedcertification .
Picture Quality
The picture show impresses , thanks to the precision afforded by the circle ’s Mini pass backlight and local dimming zone .
Black level are reassuringly dark , particularly when viewed in room with ambient light ( rather than full darkness ) . Colour faithfulness is splendid . Reds and Blues appear bass and full-bodied , with a vibrancy that really catches the eye .
flick presets include Standard , which is effectively the power saving manner , Smart HDR , Sport , Movie , Game and Dynamic . HDR support coversDolby Vision IQ , HDR10 , HDR10 + , andHLG .
The set has two intelligent car modes , for picture and sound . Adaptive Brightness uses the light sensor to react to ambient room brightness , while Adaptive Volume adjusts to the ambient sound level in the room .
TCL rate the HDR performance of this QD - Mini light-emitting diode display as HDR Premium 1300 . I evaluate HDR peak brightness at 1049 nits , in received catch mode , with a 10 per cent measuring patch . you may encourage this a smidge using the dynamical image preset , but overt oversaturation is n’t worth the blow .
Its HDR presentation can be considered good whatever elbow room you slice up the cake , and more than bright enough to manage with the legal age of HDR encoded TV content . A streamlet through of Zack Snyder ’s Justice League ( 4k UHD Blu - ray ) offer plenty of HDR snap .
The set also looks very clean with regular HD in SDR . Decent motion processing makes it a unspoilt option for sports fans .
You might want to watch over where you ride though , there ’s a loss of contrast and color intensity when consider from an slant , as you might expect from a VA panel . The silver screen is also quite ruminative .
Sound Quality
The TV sound organisation is stereo , with downward firing speaker developed by Onkyo , power by 30W of elaboration . The set recognises Dolby Atmos content , although does n’t really have the ironware to do much with it , beyond pumping the codec out over eARC . There is also DTS Virtual :X processing uncommitted , which goes someway to enlarge the hardening ’s own soundstage .
As an audio scheme , it ’s all right for everyday use , however it is worth add an external speaker package at some point .
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Should you buy it?
It ’s well built , with an aluminium frame that lends the hardening a premium tactile property . The Google TV smart platform is hunky-dory for cyclosis services , and there ’s comme il faut planning for gamers too .
If you ’re disposed to forego the classy build , and really desire Freeview recreate with Catch - up TV service , you could preserve hard cash and get a similar Hisense Mini LED TV for less …
Final Thoughts
When it comes to time value , this 55C805 K is hard to perplex . It combines a high level of photograph performance , with a true impudent weapons platform and some decent gambling chops for the cash .
I particularly care the sonority of its QD Mini LED imagery – hopeful colour really beam , smuggled stage are nuanced and it ’s a wow with life . If you ’re looking for a telly that ’ll serve you well in bright room as well as dark , it ’s absolutely one to shortlist .
Trusted Score
How we test
We screen every television system we review good over an extended catamenia of time . We use industriousness standard test to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , go for money to review a product .
determine out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
There ’s no Freeview take on bread and butter on the TCL C805 K TV , with most of the UK catch - up apps missing apart from Channel 5 .
