We all love a comeback story.
Last year the TCL C8K was mildly disappointing, and instead its step-down sibling, the C7K, took most of the glory (and a What Hi-Fi? Award).
Not this year, though. With groundbreaking new Super Quantum Dot technology and a significant increase in dimming zones, its successor, the C8L, is now back in the running.
We declared as much when we awarded the TV five stars only two days ago – yet there is already a hefty discount. Just use the code TCL20PERCENT to save 20 per cent and get the C8L for £1519 at Richer Sounds.
The TCL C8L certainly looks promising on paper, with a claimed peak brightness of a huge 5000 nits, a high local dimming-zone count of 2040 and TCL’s new Super Quantum Dots. These represent a major update on traditional Quantum Dots, with claimed increases in efficiency, stability, brightness, colour range and colour accuracy.
That should establish the C8L as a cut above the LCD TV norm, but how does it actually translate to performance? Well, we found that it had a transformative effect compared with its predecessor, the C8K.
“This colour blend finesse feeds into an impressively three-dimensional look to pictures, regardless of whether you’re using the TV’s Standard or as-the-director-intended Filmmaker Mode preset, as well as an outstandingly crisp, detailed look to native 4K images where you feel like you’re appreciating the full and accurate weight of every single pixel,” our TCL C8L review reads.
“Its Mini LED plus advanced local-dimming backlight system also plays a huge part in the feeling of precision and, in the Filmmaker Mode’s case, accuracy, by being able to deliver not just extreme brightness highlights and remarkably inky black colours, but every imaginable shade in between.”
Gamers have a lot to look forward to: an input lag of just 10.1ms, 4K/144Hz support, VRR, support for refresh rates at HD resolution up to 288Hz, and ALLM switching.
The built-in Google TV also has all the key global video streaming services – including the main UK terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps – while the TV also supports the four big four high dynamic range formats: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
The Bang & Olufsen 2.1.2-channel sound system is also good by TV standards, crafting a soundstage that extends beyond the screen’s outer frame and creating an open, immersive sense of space for movies. It can, though, sometimes lose coherence and give the wrong elements too much emphasis.
Overall, the outstanding picture quality of the TCL C8L is hard to beat, especially with 20 per cent off at Richer Sounds. If you’re after a backlit TV bargain, put this on your list.
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