If you read any of my pre-event guidance detailing which TVs to keep an eye on this Prime Day and you want a big screen set that won’t break the bank, chances are one set in particular was on your hit-list.
Specifically, the giant TCL C805K that not only earned a five-star rating from our testers, but then went on to win a What Hi-Fi? Award and place at the top of best Mini LED TV guide last year.
If so, then I have some bad news – the larger 98-, 85- and 75-inch models we tend to recommend have all sold out on Amazon. And to make matters worse, the limited number of retailers left with stock are all selling them at their normal, pre-Prime Day price (£1299 for the 85-inch).
Supply and demand working its magic, I guess.
The only models left in stock on Amazon are the smaller 50-inch TCL 805K (currently £399 at Amazon) and 55-inch TCL 805K (currently £498 at Amazon) options, but both of these were cheaper in June.
We also haven't reviewed them. Given the huge performance differences we regularly experience in our test rooms between different sizes of TV in the same range, that means we can't recommend the smaller C805Ks.
So, are we out of luck? Doomed to linger in tiny TV purgatory? Forced to watch Godzilla on set that makes him look like an action figure, not the hulking beast he is?
Thankfully not. Though I am personally disappointed at the lack of 85-inch-plus C805K deals, there is another very good discount doing the rounds if you want a solid, big-screen Mini LED set.
Amazon has heavily discounted every size of flagship Fire TV Omni Mini LED, including the largest 75-inch version.
The 75-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED currently sells for £999.99 at Amazon. That’s a £600 (38 per cent) saving and the best price we’ve ever seen it sell for.
If you’re after something smaller, you can grab the 65-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED for £799 (save £350) and the smallest 55-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED for £639 (save £210).
We’ve only reviewed the smaller sizes, so there is some chaos factor/risk involved if you go for the larger option.
Based on our experience with other ranges, including Amazon’s step down Omni QLED line, quality can vary a bit with backlit models as you go to the bigger screen sizes.
That’s one reason why the 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED scored four-stars when we reviewed it, while the smaller 50-inch Fire TV Omni QLED got five.
But based on our positive experience with the smaller Amazon Mini LED sets, we’re still happy to flag it here.
Though both sizes scored four-stars, we still found plenty to like about them. So much so that during our comparative group test, where we ran it against key sets including the Hisense U7N and TCL C855K, our experts described it as “the adult in the room”.
This is because the TV has an overt focus on consistency over razzmatazz. Rather than make the rookie mistakes with light control many of the Mini LED sets we test do, Amazon has tuned the Fire TV to operate safely within its limits, helping it avoid two key pitfalls.
First, it has accepted its naturally imperfect black level. While this means dark scenes can look a smidgeon grey – especially if you’re used to OLED TVs which offer perfect blacks – by not cranking the contrast, as many LED sets do, the image retains the director’s intended detail.
There’s no serious black crush.
Equally during bright scenes, rather than rushing to demonstrate how high its peak brightness is – another common problem with Mini LED sets – and flattening the image by overcharging too big a section of the backlight, the Fire TV stays within its safe limits.
Sure this means it doesn’t have the “pop” some TVs its price do. And yes, its colour volume in low light can leave a little to be desired. But the fact that its image is consistent, with no distracting jumps in brightness or contrast, means you’re always focussed on what you’re watching, not what it's doing – which ultimately is a TV’s primary purpose.
And that’s why, with the TCL out of the picture, I’d recommend considering it, rather than the sea of other sets getting Prime Day deals right now.
My only other word of caution is that if you do take the plunge, make sure you have a separate sound system to pair it with. The Fire TV Mini LED’s speakers are very middling.
Even an affordable soundbar, such as the tiny Sharp HT-SB700 we reviewed in May, will offer better audio than its inbuilt speakers, based on our time with the smaller models.
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Shop for more great deals on Amazon
Make sure you check out Richer Sounds’ TV deals as well
In case you missed it, there are some top TV deals at Sevenoaks Sound and Vision too
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