TCL C8K Review

C8K / QM8K

Info

Available screen sizes: 65”75”85”98”

Review TCL C8K Main photo

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TCL C8K 85”

£2 697
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: TCL Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2025

This TV was tested by:
Last updated::
8/20/2025 4:19:27 PM

The TCL C8K is the direct successor to the C855 model, which surprised last year with its excellent price-to-performance ratio. The new version introduces several key changes and improvements, and the manufacturer once again targets the higher-end Mini-LED segment with a VA panel. Does the C8K manage to enhance what was already good? Are we still dealing with a price revelation? We examine this in our test.

Review TCL C8K TV features

TCL C8K - Our verdict

7.7

Overall rating

The review still lacks descriptions, but the ratings, measurements, and photos are fully ready! We invite you to interpret the results yourself.

  • Movies and series in UHD quality

    7.4

  • Classic TV, YouTube

    7.0

  • Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

    6.8

  • Gaming on console

    8.9

  • TV as a computer monitor

    8.6

  • Watching in bright light

    6.9

  • Utility functions

    7.7

  • Apps

    9.6

  • Sound quality

    7.9

TCL C8K - TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Build quality: Premium

Stand type: Central

Kolor ramki: Graphite

Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV Review TCL C8K Appearance of the TV
  • Regulacja podstawy: stand-Fixed
  • Montaż na płasko: Yes
  • Akcesoria: accessories-Stand

The TCL C8K, right from the first contact, gives the impression of a high-end device. The bezels are extremely narrow and nearly merge with the screen – there is none of that characteristic black border, which often "frames" the picture. Instead, we have the effect as if the content simply spills over the edges. It looks great – especially in larger sizes. The entire frame is made of aluminium, with the lower part slightly thicker. Fortunately, this does not disrupt the proportions – the whole thing still looks elegant and modern. Importantly, the television is about 6 cm thick, but the construction is completely flat. This means it can be mounted very close to the wall without any strange gaps or curves at the back. So, if someone dreams of a home "wall panel", this is definitely a device that makes that possible. The package also includes a decent central stand. It's solid enough to easily support even the 85-inch version. And if you dream of a screen almost like in the cinema – that is, 98 inches – here the manufacturer has opted for two classic spaced-out legs. And rightly so, because with such dimensions stability is essential.

TCL C8K - Contrast and black detail

8.2/10

Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 1680 (30 x 56)

Review TCL C8K Contrast and black detail

Result

476,000:1

Review TCL C8K Contrast and black detail

Result

83,550:1

Review TCL C8K Contrast and black detail

Result

37,600:1

Review TCL C8K Contrast and black detail

Result

14,800:1

Review TCL C8K Contrast and black detail

Result

9,200:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Review TCL C8K Visibility of details in the lights

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

TCL C8K - HDR effect quality

6.9/10

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 96.7%, Bt.2020: 80.8%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review TCL C8K Brightness measurement

Result

1241 nit

Review TCL C8K Brightness measurement

Result

510 nit

Review TCL C8K Brightness measurement

Result

1180 nit

Review TCL C8K Brightness measurement

Result

375 nit

Review TCL C8K Brightness measurement

Result

1421 nit

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

HDR luminance chart:

Luminancja HDR

Luminance of RGB colors

Static HDR10

Dynamic: Dolby Vision

Factory color reproduction

4.8/10

Color reproduction after calibration

7/10

TCL C8K - Smoothness of tonal transitions

8.7/10

Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions
Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions
Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions
Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions
Review TCL C8K Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

5.5/10

OK Smooth transition function

OK Image without overscan on the SD signal

TCL C8K - Blur and motion smoothness

7.8/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: Yes

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)

BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)

Brightness drop with BFI: 51%

Review TCL C8K Blur and motion smoothness

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Review TCL C8K Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate)
Review TCL C8K Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate)
Review TCL C8K Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate)

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Review TCL C8K Image flickers in this mode
Review TCL C8K Image flickers in this mode
Review TCL C8K Image flickers in this mode

Smużenie (288HZ 1080p):

Review TCL C8K Blur
Review TCL C8K Blur
Review TCL C8K Blur

TCL C8K - Console compatibility and gaming features

9.8/10

  • Yes ALLM: Yes
  • Yes VRR: Yes
  • Yes VRR range: 48 - 288Hz
  • Yes Dolby Vision Game Mode: Yes
  • Yes Correct implementation of HGIG: Yes
  • Yes 1080p@120Hz: Yes
  • Yes 1440p@120Hz: Yes
  • Yes 4K@120Hz: Yes
  • Yes Game bar: Yes
Review TCL C8K Console compatibility and gaming features
Review TCL C8K Console compatibility and gaming features
Review TCL C8K Console compatibility and gaming features
Review TCL C8K Console compatibility and gaming features

TCL C8K - Input lag

9.9/10

SDR HDR Dolby Vision
1080p60: 15 ms 2160p60: 15 ms 2160p60 DV: 15 ms
1080p120: 7 ms 2160p120: 7 ms 2160p120 DV: 7 ms
2160p60: 15 ms
2160p120: 7 ms

TCL C8K - Compatibility with PC

8.6/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Good

Readability of dark text and shapes: Good

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 6ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB

Max refresh rate: 144Hz

G-Sync: Yes

Review TCL C8K Compatibility with PC

TCL C8K - Viewing angles

4.5/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 80%

TCL C8K - TV efficiency during daytime

6.9/10

Review TCL C8K TV efficiency during daytime
Review TCL C8K TV efficiency during daytime

Matrix coating: Glare

Reflection suppression: Decent

Black levels during daytime: Very Good

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

TCL C8K: 613 cd/m2

TCL C8K - TV features

7.7/10

System: Google TV

System performance: Good

  • HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
  • Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
  • Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
  • TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

  • No Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
  • No Recording programming: No
  • No Picture in Picture (PiP): No
  • RF RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
  • Yes Backlit remote control: Yes
  • Yes Teletext: Yes
  • Yes Audio only mode: Yes
  • Yes Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV: Yes
  • Yes Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker: Yes

Smart features:

  • Yes AirPlay: Yes
  • Yes Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
  • Yes Wyszukiwanie głosowe: Yes
  • Yes Voice search in native language: Yes
  • Yes Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Review TCL C8K TV features
Review TCL C8K TV features
Review TCL C8K TV features
Review TCL C8K TV features
Review TCL C8K TV features Review TCL C8K TV features Review TCL C8K TV features Review TCL C8K TV features

TCL C8K - Apps

9.6/10

OK
Disney_Plus
OK
Amazon_Prime_Video
OK
Player_TVN
OK
Polsat_Box_Go
OK
Canal_Plus_Online
OK
TVP_VOD
OK
Apple_TV_Plus
OK
SkyShowtime
OK
Rakuten
OK
CDA_Premium_Browser
OK
Spotify
OK
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
OK
Kodi
No
Apple_music
OK
Eleven_sports
No
Xbox Game Pass
OK
GeForce Now!
No
Amazon Luna
OK
Boosteroid
OK
Steam Link

TCL C8K - Playing files from USB

9.2/10

Review TCL C8K Playing files from USB
Maximum photo resolution:Supported photo formats:
Yes 4 Mpix
Yes JPEG
Yes 6 Mpix
No HEIC
Yes 8 Mpix
Yes PNG
Yes 10 Mpix
Yes GIF
Yes 12 Mpix
Yes WebP
Yes 16 Mpix
No TIFF
Yes 20 Mpix
Yes BMP
Yes 24 Mpix
No SVG
Yes 28 Mpix
Yes 32 Mpix

TCL C8K - Sound

7.9/10

77dB

Maximum volume

Supported codecs

(TV speakers)

Yes Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

No Dolby True HD 7.1

Yes Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

No Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

Yes DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

Yes DTS-HD Master Audio

Review TCL C8K TV features

Acoustic Measurements:

77dBC (Max)

75dBC

TCL C8K - Details about the matrix

Software version during testing: V8-0012T01-LF1V531.002396

Image processor: 4x ARM Cortex-A73 @1390MHz

Panel uniformity:

Review TCL C8K TV details about the matrix

Backlight Type: Mini-LED QLED

Maciej Koper Avatar
Maciej Koper

Founder and originator of the "ChooseTV" portal

Paweł Koper Avatar
Paweł Koper

Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal

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