TCL 65 Inch 65C8L-UK Smart 4K UHD HDR Mini LED Google TV

Blown away!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The picture quality and vibrancy of this TV completely caught me off guard — for all the right reasons. I have a very bright living room, but the colours on this TV really stand out, making films, sports and games look incredible. The depth of the darker colours and shadows is particularly impressive and really adds to the overall viewing experience. The sound quality is also better than any built-in TV speakers I’ve heard to date, which is a huge bonus for anyone who doesn’t want to use a soundbar. I also really like the added brightness control and customisable buttons on the remote. They make the TV incredibly easy and enjoyable to use. All in all, I’m far more impressed with this TV than I ever expected to be. It’s an incredible TV and I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their current setup.

AlexZander19, Nottingham

Stunning picture and sound quality

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’m really pleased with the TCL 55C8L. The picture quality is excellent. It’s bright, sharp and the colours are really impressive. Movies and TV look great, but one of the things I also use it for is watching my own underwater videos. I do a lot of underwater filming, so picture quality and colour are important to me. Seeing my footage on this TV is fantastic. The blues look beautiful, there’s plenty of detail and the colours of the fish and reef really come alive. I’ve also been impressed with the sound. It’s clear, powerful and has much more depth than I expected from such a slim TV. The built in sound is more than good enough for everyday watching. The interface is quick and easy to use and overall I think you get a lot of TV for the money. Very happy with it.

magham76, Leighton Buzzard

I thought my old TV was good…until this!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I had only bought my previous TV four years ago, so I honestly didn't expect the TCL 55C8L to be that different from what I already had. Oh boy, how wrong I was! The first thing that really surprised me was the sound. I wasn't expecting such a difference from a TV's built-in speakers, but the powerful Bang & Olufsen sound system, built-in subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support make the sound so much fuller, richer and more immersive, with impressive depth and bass while keeping voices clear. When my son and I watched something on it for the first time, we literally looked at each other and nodded. We both had exactly the same thought: we've been missing out on so much! A film suddenly feels much more like an experience rather than simply watching something on television. The picture is equally impressive. The 4K resolution delivers incredible detail and clarity, while the Mini LED technology produces beautiful contrast, deep blacks and vibrant colours. I have a really good computer screen, and I was genuinely surprised by how close the TCL's picture quality is in terms of sharpness and clarity. Having that quality on a much larger screen makes watching films, sport and other content a completely different experience. It is particularly impressive for sport and action films. The 4K 144Hz refresh rate keeps fast-moving scenes smooth and clear, with less stuttering, tearing and motion blur. With a compatible 288Hz HDMI source, it can even be boosted to 288Hz. Watching fast-paced sport is fantastic — everything feels fluid and detailed, even when the action is moving quickly. Gaming has also been transformed. My son noticed the difference straight away. The combination of the 4K picture, high refresh rate and responsive performance makes games much more immersive, with fast-moving action looking incredibly smooth and clear. What I love most is that my old TV was only four years old and I thought it was perfectly good, so I wasn't expecting such a dramatic difference. The TCL has made me realise just how much television technology has moved on. It's the combination of the picture, sound and smooth motion that changes the whole experience. Films feel more cinematic, sport is more immersive, gaming is better, and even watching an ordinary programme is more enjoyable. The TCL 55C8L has genuinely exceeded my expectations. I thought I was replacing a perfectly good TV with another good TV — instead, it feels like I've stepped into a completely different viewing experience.

Eauprecieuse, Banbury

A Stunning Upgrade That Delivers on Every Front

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The TCL 55C8L has been a brilliant upgrade for our home. Coming from an older TV, the jump in colour quality is immediately noticeable, everything looks richer, brighter and far more lifelike. I was initially worried about reflections because, when the screen was off, it acted almost like a mirror. Once the TV is on, those reflections disappear completely, almost like magic, leaving a clean, vibrant picture. We’ve used the TV for movies, sports, regular day‑to‑day viewing and Xbox gaming, and it hasn’t let us down once. Films look cinematic, sports stay smooth and clear, and games feel more immersive thanks to the strong contrast and punchy colours. There were a couple of small setup hiccups. The power cable isn’t very long, so placement needed a bit of planning. Our existing soundbar also covered the TV’s sensor at first, which led to a tense few minutes wondering why the remote wasn’t responding. Once we realised the issue, a bit of careful repositioning solved it completely. Overall, the TCL 55C8L has impressed us in every way that matters. It’s a fantastic TV that feels like a major step forward, and despite a couple of minor setup quirks, it’s been a joy to use. 

Ladynextdoor, Wolverhampton

Great picture quality and speed of response

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My husband and I are thrilled with this TV - so much faster to respond than our previous one and the picture quality is fantastic. The remote control has convenient buttons to access Netflix, Disney+ and more, along with Google Gemini. We have the 55" and it looks perfect - our previous was 50" and I was reluctant to go any bigger, but the fact that there is no 'frame' makes the size difference unnoticable. Picture Quality is also 5 star

Beeetyj, Tiverton

I hadn't realised that TVs had come on so far.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] It's worth starting this review by saying that I am a bit of a tech fiend. I typically have all of the latest and greatest tech; however I make my tech last and only really usually replace it when there's a really compelling reason. That hasn't been the case, though, for TVs. My last TV, I bought almost 10 years ago. It was really good quality at the time and I didn't realise that things had moved on quite this much. I knew that OLED TVs existed and I assumed that that was the latest and greatest. However when this opportunity came up to test out this new technology for TCL, I had to jump on it. I've got to say I'm not disappointed and it's come on so far. The mini quantum dot RGB LEDs have really revolutionised what is a standard LED TV. You get all of the benefits in brightness of LED without having to worry about haloing or any of the backlight issues that you used to get. It really does look like you're watching an OLED TV but with tonnes more brightness. You can use it quite happily in the daytime with the curtains open and the brightness far down. For gaming it's just spectacular. 120 Hz at 4K on an Xbox is truly groundbreaking and breathtaking and it's so different in experience from what I'm used to. I've been watching lots of movies and when Dolby Vision is in use or something like that, the TV takes over and sets itself up for the best possible picture, which just looks unreal. Colours are so vibrant and blacks are so black. Everything just looks next-generation. It's perfect. Where I've really seen the best improvements, though, is when I'm watching Formula One. Fast-moving motion is just perfect on this, especially in Ultra HD. It really is a test due to the fast speed of the cars but it's such a difference in experience. Other than that the features, such as Google being built into this, mean I don't have to use a separate box. It has Gemini built in as well so you just connect the bit with a voice. The remote control is awesome. It's actually made of metal. I don't use the built-in speakers as I have surround sound but they are also excellent. Honestly this is one of the best TVs I've ever seen, let alone owned, and I cannot recommend it enough.

DrExcess, Taunton

A Worthwhile Upgrade From an Older HD TV

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Having used the same 1080p television for a number of years, the move to the TCL 55C8L has been a bigger upgrade than I expected. The improvement in picture quality was obvious from day one, but what has impressed me most over the last couple of weeks is how well it performs in a bright room. The image remains sharp and bright throughout the day, and once I realised some of my existing streaming devices still had HDR disabled from my previous TV, enabling it allowed me to get even more from the display. The biggest surprise for me has been the sound quality. I expected a major improvement in picture quality moving to UHD, but I wasn't expecting the audio to stand out in the way it has. Both my wife and son commented on it the first time they used the TV and it remains one of the features I appreciate most. While I don't think it will replace a dedicated soundbar or surround sound setup for enthusiasts, it is more than capable for the majority of viewers. In fact, I originally considered wall mounting the TV but decided to keep it on the stand as I liked the rear speaker design and the way it performs in its current position. The Google TV interface has been quick and responsive. The Google Home assisted setup didn't work for me initially, but manual setup using my existing Google account was easy and only took a few extra minutes. As someone who watches a lot of sport, I have also appreciated not just the preset picture modes but the amount of adjustment available to tailor the image to my room and personal preference. My only real minor gripe is that the power cable could be a little longer, particularly if you want to make full use of thecable routing built into the stand. Other than that, the TV has settled into daily use very quickly and has made me realise just how much television technology has moved on since I bought my previous set.

jockwizard1, Hinckley

Blown Away

I’ve been really impressed with the TCL 55C8L. The picture quality is excellent, with bright, punchy colours, deep blacks and plenty of detail. Films and high-quality streaming content look fantastic, but it also does a good job with ordinary TV channels and lower-resolution content. Motion is handled well too, so sport and fast-moving scenes remain clear without looking overly processed. What surprised me most was the sound. I expected to need a soundbar straight away, as I have with other slim TVs, but the built-in speakers are genuinely impressive. Dialogue is clear, music sounds rich and detailed, and there’s far more bass than you would expect from a television this thin. A separate sound system would obviously take things further, but the sound really is excellent. Google TV is another strong point. The menus are easy to understand, apps open quickly and the whole system feels responsive. The Google AI search is particularly useful because it lets you find films and programmes across different apps without having to search each service separately. Voice searching is quick and generally understands what I’m asking for. The television also looks smart and modern, with slim borders that keep the focus on the screen. Setup was straightforward, and there are plenty of picture and sound options if you want to adjust everything to your taste. Overall, the TCL 55C8L offers an incredible picture, unexpectedly powerful sound and a smooth, user-friendly smart-TV experience. It feels like a much more expensive television than it is, and I’m very happy with it.

Sonny, 55 - 64

Great tv at a great price

Been looking for a while and the new technology and price was attractive. The picture quality is brilliant even on SD, HD is great and 4k is fantastic.

Mark132, 35 - 44

Great picture quality - Just don't record to USB

I'm very happy with the image quality of this TCL television and all its features. My only disappointment is Google / TCL appear to not want you to record any content to a USB memory stick. I assume this is to maximise subscription services and advertising revenue that the "money people" seen to be fixated with these days! This is a backwards step in facility for me and if I'd known I'd have bought another brand. My 85" Hisense manages just fine in this regard.

Deemac, 55 - 64