Even cinema purists have to admit it: streaming an old movie or a new TV series, sprawled out on the sofa and with no other thought than to follow the story on screen, is a comfort and a joy. But you need the right TV – at the right price. After testing for this review – shot yes, but with a notebook on the legs – the new TCL C84 (65C845), in its 65-inch versionwe had confirmation: it’s hard to beat this series for ratio quality price.
Indeed, our experience with the 65-inch TCL C84 has left us with a very good impression. This new 4K Mini-LED TV offers a winning combination of good picture rendering, quality audio signed Onkyo 2.1, a Google TV user interface intuitive and a design elegant, in its simplicity. Although in this thumbnail the price exceeds one thousand euros, it falls short of many other less technological alternatives. Even for gaming, with the 144Hz QLED panel and a well-crafted Gaming Mode.
But some of you may prefer other types of technologies (such as OLED) or you may give up something to lower the price. Depending on your needs, we help you understand whether TCL C84 is for you in this review.
Our review of the TCL C84
After having had success on the other side of the Atlantic, TVs are convincing experts and conquering consumers in Italy as well. The reason? A value for money that is really hard to beat. Last year we had tried the 55-inch model of C83, and we were impressed: a TV that was worth four figures, but cost around 800 euros at the time of writing. The year before we had tested the C63 serieswhich for the price around 500 euros offered enormous value.
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The new TCL C84 series keeps it same “DNA” of the C84 series. And we think it’s the right choice: after obtaining excellent results last year, TCL has decided to improve the user experience and image quality, while remaining around the same price.
Indeed, if the 65-inch version costs 1,299.90 euros, the 55-inch version costs less than a thousand euros (starts at 999.90). But you can find both for less with promotions and coupons on Amazon – even hundreds of euros. But despite the discounts, we are talking about important figures for most users: is it worth spending them on this product?
A simple but elegant design
The design of the TCL C84 is elegant in its simplicity. The narrow bezels offer a full screen view, with the TCL branding written at the bottom being very discreet. The writing is right above the stable support (and which is easily mounted with a few screws, all included). If, like us, you place your television against a wall, of the stand you only see the elegant flat base. The bulk of the support (which also allows for some cable management) remains behind, very solid even if not rotatable.
The metal frames add a touch of sophistication to the TV, allowing it to blend harmoniously into any home environment. Behind it remains in plastic, with the lower part which is wider – even if not in an exaggerated way. Above all, there is enough space in the rear for the Onkyo sound system may shine.
The design remains similar to last year and does not have the designer finish of other much more expensive products. But we think that its simplicity is an asset: It’s perfectly fine for a TV to only shine when you turn it on, but not call attention to itself when you’re not streaming.
TCL C84 review: Great image quality
Also this year TCL is confirmed to be up to par with regard to image quality. But here is the first feature that might make someone give up this great product. There QLED technology can not compete with the OLED for the depth of the blacks. But thanks to Mini-LED technologyTCL C84 manages to get as close as possible.
The main difference between Mini LED and OLED is the technology backlight. While OLED TVs don’t need a backlight, Mini LED TVs use a traditional LED backlight, but with much smaller LEDs. In particularly complicated scenes, such as a movie with dynamic shot scenes shot at night, the difference can be seen. But in most games, in many TV series and movies, you won’t miss it much.
But Mini LEDs also have advantages, such as the peak brightness of 2000 nits and excellent dynamic contrast, which make images look great even in bright sunlight. Testing the TCL C84 for this review during the afternoon, in our living room with two large French doors and a window almost opposite the TV, we still managed to snag a TV series without too much trouble.
L’wide color gamut of the Quantum Dot and support for Dolby Vision e the HDR10 they offer an immersive and realistic visual experience, both during gaming sessions and watching a movie in the evening. Watching recent movies and series in 4K on Disney+ or Netflix, the quality of the details impressed us.
Il Motion Clarity Pro a 144Hz they allow you to enjoy both action movies recorded at lower frequencies (this review seemed like a good excuse to rewatch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and to play games. Also because you find due ingressi HDMI a 120Hz e 144Hz for consoles or a gaming PC for the living room. And the Game Mode helps to exploit truly top performance.
The ear also wants its share
In addition to great image quality, TCL has also thought about our ears. Integrated audio signed Onkyo 2.1 offers speakers with stereo sound and an integrated subwoofer (2x25W and 20W for the woofer). They are not a substitute for a good audio system. But it is more than sufficient for the vast majority of users: the audio is strong, the bass is quite good (although for an action movie, a dedicated woofer makes the difference) and excellent quality for dialogue.
Google TV is really comfortable and intuitive
The Google TV interface is a real strength of the TCL C84. TCL offers the possibility, during installation, to choose whether to access the Google TV interface directly or on a more “classic” smart TV interface. We recommend the first option: we also have Google TV on our parents’ TV and after a very short time they too, less accustomed to the interface than we are, started using it without any problems.
Turning on the device, you can immediately see a selection of streaming products designed for you based on your use TV and other apps on Android devices with Google TV. And then just below you find a wide range of apps and also content to buy or rent through the Google Play Store if you want.
The remote also makes it even easier to interact. If you want, you can click one of the buttons to access Prime Video or Netflix, rather than navigate the interface easily. We use the voice assistant very little (except for the review tests), but if it makes a difference for you, know that TCL C84 has always understood us. We have both used Google Assistant directly from the remote control or smartphone, but also Alexa via Echo Pop – everything works fine. And if you want to watch classic TV, there’s a dedicated button on the remote – super handy.
Also interesting is the possibility of using Google Meet for video calls. But the two things we perhaps prefer are the Chromecast functionality to project our smartphone or tablet on TV and the fact that the settings and management of privacy permissions are similar to those of Android. If you have a smartphone of the green robot, you won’t miss it.
Entrances and doors
Also from the point of view of connectivity, TCL shows that this TV lacks nothing.
TCL’s C84 series has two HDMI 2.1 inputs in 4K at 144Hz and 120Hz, as we told you – excellent for connecting gaming consoles and PCs. But find two more HDMI 2.0 ports to connect Blu-Ray or media servers. There is also a USB 2.0 port, to connect keys and hard drives.
And then a headphone jack, an optical audio output, a satellite input and an RF antenna input. There’s also a Common Interface slot (for services that require a dedicated card) and HDCP 2.3 support. You can then connect soundbars and more.
For connectivity, a port is not missing LAN. Also, it supports Wi-Fi dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth e DLNA 1.51.
We have not connected the RJ45 slot, but also with the WiFi the TV has always shown that it knows how to manage the connection well. We’ve also used the Chromecast feature several times, casting the app’s videos where we watch preview screeners of TV series for reviews. All without problems, allowing us to enjoy all the episodes in 4K.
TCL C84 review: a quality product, at an attractive price
In conclusion, the TCL C84 65″ is a 4K Mini-LED TV with excellent value for money. With its good picture rendering, Onkyo 2.1 audio, Google TV and elegant design, it offers a premium viewing experience without breaking the bank. Especially if TCL were to re-propose an offer like the one seen during Prime Days, where it cost only 1,099.90: at those figures it becomes practically a steal. But there’s no question: definitely worth the £1,299.90 full price – it’s a TV…