- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
TCL C8L / QM8L Review
C8L / QM8L
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: TCL Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
TCL C8L is undoubtedly one of the hottest launches in the Mini-LED TV market this year. On paper this model has absolutely everything to become a bestseller: impressive specifications, the proven Google TV system and a full package of features designed with gamers in mind. And all of that at a very affordable price. It is the direct successor to last year's C8K, around which, let's be honest, quite a lot of controversy grew, mainly related to the backlight's behaviour. What have the engineers managed to change in the new generation and does the C8L make up for its predecessor's flaws? We put it to the test!
TCL C8L - Our verdict
8.3
Overall rating
TCL C8L is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing Mini-LED televisions that has entered our laboratory this year. This model stands out primarily due to its excellent price-to-performance ratio. TCL has already accustomed us to aggressive pricing for its screens, but in the case of the C8 series, the manufacturer has managed to push the boundaries even further. For the amount that often only allows the purchase of mid-range models or two such models like C8K in the competitive market, here we receive equipment and specifications equal to top models. The new image processor, four full HDMI 2.1 ports, support for extreme refresh rates, and powerful peak brightness thanks to a vast number of dimming zones are arguments that are hard to overlook.
However, analysing the whole picture, one must honestly summarise the character of this television. The C8L is equipment designed more for displaying “spectacular” images rather than rigorously faithful ones. What do we mean by this? The software and algorithms managing the Mini-LED backlight zones have been tuned to favour visual appeal – the image is meant to be bright, contrasty, and striking in saturation. And what does this mean? The television has a tendency to autonomously interpret images instead of adhering to certain studio standards. For most users looking for “greater” emotions in films or games, this effect will likely be an advantage. On the other hand, purists and fans of perfectly natural images (such as us 😉) may find this behaviour too aggressive and not in line with the director's intent. Hence, we leave the final assessment on this matter to you.
Generally speaking, despite this specificity, the TCL C8L is a television that we can, and indeed must, wholeheartedly recommend. It is primarily a premium-class product, doing literally everything right... to a fault. Certain imperfections we would simply treat as features of this device rather than flaws – mainly due to the technological limitations that all Mini-LED televisions from any manufacturer on the market have accustomed us to. Ultimately, the software refinement has brought a lot to the new model, resulting in a mature, confident, and nearly complete piece of equipment.
Advantages
Very good black levels: Mini-LED backlighting
High peak brightness: results reaching nearly 5000 nits
Excellent daytime performance: the powerful backlight easily cuts through reflections on the panel
Very good colours: new SQD quantum dots
Pentonic 800 processor: a noticeable quality leap in upscaling and the performance of digital features
Four full HDMI 2.1 ports
Excellent specs for gamers: exceptionally low input lag (below 10 ms), refresh rates up to 288 Hz with VRR, and support for HGiG and Dolby Vision Gaming
Google TV: the system runs quickly and allows installation of a large number of apps
Good sound: audio branded by premium Bang & Olufsen
Disadvantages
Not faithful to the creator's intent: the TV tends to boost brightness
Slight smearing
Movies and series in UHD quality7.7
Classic TV, YouTube7.5
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)7.2
Gaming on console8.9
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light10.0
Utility functions8.3
Apps9.6
Sound quality8.1
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TCL C8L - Competing TVs in this price range
TCL C8L - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 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
Bezel color: Silver
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The TCL C8L is essentially a faithful copy of its predecessor. Is that a flaw? Absolutely not. This is a premium-class design whose high-quality fit and finish are obvious from the moment you see it. The most striking feature is the screen's assembly – it is completely bezel-less and, crucially, free of that characteristic internal black bezel found on most LCD panels and even many OLEDs. As a result the picture seems to almost flow to the edges of the chassis. The bezels themselves are metal, or finished in a plastic that perfectly mimics graphite-silver aluminium. TCL has also taken a sensible approach to mounting: in the most popular sizes (55 to 85 inches) a central stand is used, while the large 98-inch variant stands on two widely spaced feet. It is worth adding that the rear casing is entirely flat, which allows this model to be mounted very close to the wall. The C8L really looks superb.
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TCL C8L - Contrast and black detail
8/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 2040 (34 x 60)
Result
156,600:1
Result
59,250:1
Result
17,400:1
Result
23,650:1
Result
9,250:1
The C8L model certainly cannot be denied one thing: an impressive specification. In the 65-inch variant we tested: the manufacturer packed in as many as 2040 independent local dimming zones (this number, of course, increases or decreases with the screen diagonal). Such a dense packing of light points has a direct impact on the depth of black. The contrast measured by us in film scenes reached impressive five- and six-digit values to one, which is a remarkable result in the LCD world. Is the algorithm perfect? Not entirely. On small, bright elements displayed against a dark background, the trained eye can still discern a slight halo effect and moments when the zones come to life, which is a natural feature of Mini-LED technology. Interestingly, in our test scene with a helicopter, the background was noticeably brighter than on competing screens. Unfortunately, TCL manipulates the brightness curve in a specific way, artificially boosting certain plans, over which we do not have full control from the device's menu. This is an evident weakness of this model that needs to be taken into account. That said, the black levels on this model will be more than satisfactory for most viewers.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
TCL C8L - HDR effect quality
7.3/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1637 nit
Result
701 nit
Result
1428 nit
Result
405 nit
Result
1728 nit
In terms of HDR, the TCL C8L turns out to be a hellishly bright television – quite literally. On a synthetic test pattern sized at 5%, our measurement equipment indicated a result exceeding 4500 nits. This is a truly astronomical result, considering that reference monitors used by directors, which we often refer to in our materials, typically operate around 4000 nits. Does this mean that the C8L breaks barriers and climbs to the technological peak of Mini-LED? Not quite. Dry synthetic tests are one thing, while real cinematic images are another. In real, varied scenes, the C8L peaks at around 1600 nits. This is still a very good result, ensuring a very high level of HDR dynamics, but it is also clearly lower than what the manufacturer boasts in the specifications. The problems begin with very small bursts of light – at that point, brightness can drastically drop to around 600 nits. The algorithm tries at all costs to maintain deep blacks and minimise the halo effect, but this comes at the expense of HDR impact. This is perfect evidence that laboratory test patterns rarely align with what we ultimately see on the screen.
However, huge praise is due for colour reproduction, thanks to the new generation of SQD (Super Quantum Dot) quantum dots. The DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage reaches 97%, but the truly jaw-dropping measurements come from the extremely demanding BT.2020 space. The C8L achieves an impressive 90% in this space, placing it alongside today's top screens equipped with RGB backlighting. Importantly, unlike some screens with Micro/Mini RGB backlighting, this effect is stable regardless of the scene displayed. Of course, it’s worth remembering that content mastered for such a wide gamut in films or series is still rare. However, the very fact that the panel has such a "colour reserve" deserves tremendous admiration.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 90.0% | 96.7% | 49% | 57% | 56% |
| Film measurements | 90.0% | 96.9% | 81% | 78% | 38% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
How do these contradictory measurement results translate into real film screenings? The picture on the TCL C8L, unfortunately, comes across quite ambivalently. On one hand, one cannot deny that it can be breathtaking in terms of dynamics and colour saturation. All kinds of explosions, colourful fireworks, or demonstration materials look simply stunning, generating a 'jaw-dropping' effect – and this is where the refined technical parameters do a brilliant job. However, the matter of conveying the authentic directorial vision is quite different. The new Mini-LED from TCL has been tuned with the intention of delivering an 'impressive' image rather than a 'correct' one. Our measurements of the EOTF curve in films (responsible for controlling brightness) confirm that the television evidently shoots beyond the reference scale. This approach has its consequences: although the bright parts of the image catch the eye, they often lack subtle details, and the bright elements are simply overly clipped. This issue is already well-known and characteristic of the TCL brand's approach to tuning the image in its models. As users, we are left to either accept this or quietly hope for a software update that will temper the tendencies of the C8L in the future.
HDR luminance chart:
Although the television itself is factory set to generate the highest possible brightness and has noticeable problems with properly matching it to the displayed content (the dynamic tone mapping function leaves much to be desired), full support for premium HDR formats comes to the rescue. TCL has not participated in format wars for years and in the C8L model offers support for practically everything: from the open standard HDR10+ to the key market player Dolby Vision, which can be found on almost every streaming platform. It is the presence of dynamic metadata that saves the situation in the C8L model. Thanks to them, the television receives precise instructions frame by frame, allowing it to recover some of the lost details. The image itself becomes more contrasted and decidedly more plastic. This should be seen as a huge plus that effectively masks the shortcomings of the factory tuning. Interestingly, TCL has announced support for Dolby Vision 2 format for this year's models – including the tested C8L. However, as of today, there is a lack of content in the consumer space that would allow us to test this novelty in practice, so we will have to wait to verify these promises.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.3/10
We tested the TCL C8L in the best factory mode available in the TV’s menu for image fidelity. That’s of course Filmmaker Mode, which only arrived in this brand’s software relatively recently (a year ago in the "K" series). It allows the average user to achieve quite decent colour reproduction straight out of the box, though it is certainly not perfectly tuned. Looking at the unit’s out-of-the-box white balance — in both SDR and HDR material — the red component was clearly lacking, which made the image noticeably cooler and slightly shift towards blue‑green tints. The issue of brightness management also looks ambiguous, as we mentioned earlier. While the gamma linearity in SDR content is really good and stays steadily at the reference value of 2.4, the situation in HDR is much worse. Tracking the EOTF curve clearly shows the TV has a noticeably boosted brightness across the entire range, so the final image can be excessively bright and inconsistent with the creators’ intent, and this is in a mode that by definition should avoid that. Of course, as with every sample in our lab, we subjected this one to professional calibration, and you can find the results below.
Color reproduction after calibration
7.5/10
As you can see, the results of a professional calibration of the TCL C8L are truly promising, thanks to the comprehensive calibration controls the manufacturer has provided in the menu. Above all, we managed to fully correct the white balance, eliminating the red deficiency, so the image finally stopped drifting into unwanted cool tones. After that adjustment, the errors in the ColorChecker test fell to near-reference values, consistently sitting below a Delta E threshold of 2, i.e. below the visibility threshold for the human eye.
If test patterns look so perfect, you may ask us why the final score in this category is lower. The answer lies in the brightness management described earlier. Although the menu includes sliders that let you precisely straighten the EOTF curve on synthetic signals, when faced with real film material (I recommend enabling the EOTF filter when watching films), it becomes clear that the TV, in most scenarios, still responds to HDR metadata in its own way. As a result, the picture can be slightly over-bright and not faithful to the filmmakers' intent, and it is precisely for this lack of consistency with real films that we had to take a few points off the C8L's score.
TCL C8L - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9/10
We judge the tonal transitions in the C8L to be almost exemplary. The well-tuned panel and accompanying algorithms mean the TV handles posterization, the ugly, stepped separation of individual shades, very well. Subtle, minimal errors and slight inconsistencies in tone gradation are noticeable only in extremely dark, demanding scenes. Overall, however, when watching good-quality content at native resolution, the transitions between colours are exceptionally smooth and natural-looking.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
8/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
This year the C8 series and the higher-end models have probably received the biggest and most eagerly awaited upgrade in TCL’s history, and it concerns digital picture processing. The C8L is the entry-level model in the manufacturer's line-up that has been equipped with the latest flagship chip MediaTek Pentonic 800 (listed in the menu as MT9655). It is thanks to its computing power that the feature called "Gradual Smoothing" finally works as it should. The algorithm effectively removes unwanted posterization (ugly tonal transitions / colour banding) from the image, doing so intelligently enough that it does not degrade the sharpness of other details.
The processor also handles upscaling lower-resolution content to 4K very well. Although assessing this element can be largely academic, because the differences between today’s TVs in this class are very subtle. The most important takeaway is that TCL finally has nothing to be ashamed of compared with the competition.
TCL C8L - Blur and motion smoothness
7.7/10
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: 32%
The TCL C8L is equipped with a fast panel with a native refresh rate of 144 Hz. This specification will be most appreciated by demanding PC gamers, while most users, who rely on consoles or TV broadcasts, will make use of a stable 120 Hz. It is at 120 Hz that the motion-processing algorithms take care of image processing (in films, series and sports). In the TV menu you'll find a "Motion Clarity" tab that allows you to tailor the motion smoothing to your own preferences. The algorithms cope well with both cinematic productions at 24 or 30 frames per second and with fast-paced sports broadcasts at 50 or 60 frames per second, ensuring appropriate smoothness.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (1080p@288Hz):
Regarding motion blur itself, the C8L performs quite well, although it is certainly not the fastest panel we’ve tested. A slight halo can be seen trailing moving objects, including our test alien, especially against darker backgrounds. Overall, however, the result is entirely satisfactory, given that the TV uses a VA-type LCD panel, which by nature is not renowned for fast pixel response times.
TCL C8L - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 288Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
For gamers – and especially for owners of powerful PCs and several consoles simultaneously – the TCL C8L is a true monster. It is the first model in this manufacturer's lineup to feature as many as four full HDMI 2.1 ports with a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps. This is directly attributable to the use of the new Pentonic 800 processor, which we discussed earlier. Additionally, the television seamlessly supports practically every gaming feature. We have an automatic game mode (ALLM) that reduces latency to minimal levels, and full frame synchronization (VRR) operating in an impressive range of up to 288 Hz. There's also talk of standards such as G-Sync or FreeSync from Nvidia and AMD. When it comes to display standards, there are no compromises either: the C8L offers complete support for HDR formats in games, including gaming Dolby Vision and the HGiG profile. We can conveniently manage all of these features from a very readable player bar (Game Bar), which we can personalise to our own preferences. From a purely gaming perspective, there's really nothing to fault the C8L on – well, maybe aside from the previously mentioned slight blurring. But other than that? It's a no-nonsense machine for gamers.
TCL C8L - Input lag
10/10
In our laboratory tests we measured Input Lag of below 10 ms. For a gamer this means a completely imperceptible delay. Importantly, this result can be improved further by forcing the PC to use a refresh rate above 120 Hz. A big plus is the Dolby Vision Game mode; latency there is just as low as in standard SDR and HDR10 modes.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 14 ms | 2160p60: 13 ms | 2160p60 DV: 13 ms |
| 1080p120: 8 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | 2160p120 DV: 8 ms |
| 2160p60: 13 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 8 ms |
TCL C8L - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 7ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The TCL C8L is very well suited to use as a large-format monitor. The TV supports refresh rates up to 288 Hz at Full HD resolution, which will be appreciated by fans of e-sports titles and by owners of less powerful graphics cards in AAA games. The TV also works seamlessly with frame synchronisation systems AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync. Importantly for text work, the C8L renders most fonts correctly and legibly. Up close you can notice minor errors in the rendering of letter edges and a slight grain around them, but the issue largely disappears (or rather becomes less noticeable) when you sit at a normal, recommended distance from the screen.
TCL C8L - Viewing angles
4.5/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 74%
TCL C8L uses a VA-type panel, which by nature is not known for wide viewing angles. In this case, however, the manufacturer used a proprietary WHVA 2.0 panel from TCL CSOT. Therefore the viewing angles are decidedly better than in average VA panels, which is undoubtedly a plus. Colours and contrast do not degrade as drastically when moving slightly off-axis as is the case with most LCD screens. Overall, it is still at a lower level than IPS panels, and even more so OLED screens, but for a VA LCD panel the improvement is fairly noticeable.
TCL C8L - Daytime performance
10/10
Panel finish: Glare
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
The TCL C8L is one of the brightest TVs we’ve tested so far. As you can see from the brightness chart (or rather, you might not) its peak brightness reaches an astronomical 5,000 nits (exactly 4,862). Although that falls to around 600 nits with a full-screen white field, the TV’s overall daytime performance means you can confidently call it practically ideal for very bright, sunlit living rooms. While the glossy panel used here does not suppress reflections as aggressively as matte screens, the screen’s sheer output can cut through most unwanted reflections coming from windows or other artificial light sources such as lamps.
Panel brightness
TCL C8L / QM8L : 1651 cd/m2
TCL C8L - TV features
8.3/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 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:
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No - Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: Yes
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Smart TV: Google TV
On the internet you can still come across older opinions about the TCL brand where users complained about sluggish performance or occasional freezes of the Google TV interface. In the case of the C8L model, however, there is a significant step forward. Thanks to the new processor and certain stability fixes, Google TV's responsiveness and speed are at a very high level. We can easily compare this system's level of polish with closed systems such as Tizen or webOS found in rival flagship models. The set comes with a full suite of features, led by the updated Gemini voice system.
Television features
On strictly TV matters the C8L simply does its job reliably as a television 😉. You'll find the usual standard features, such as a Bluetooth module for quick pairing of wireless headphones and the still-present teletext for use with the built-in tuners. It is, however, clearly designed primarily for modern streaming platforms. This is evident from the minimalist, modern remote control, which, unlike the cheaper C7L, does not feature a traditional numeric keypad.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
TCL C8L - Apps
9.6/10
TCL C8L - Playing files from USB
9.4/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in USB media player handles our everyday tests with no problems. It's good to see that the TV natively and smoothly opens even less common image formats, such as Apple's HEIC. We did encounter a few formats that the built-in app couldn't cope with, but with Google TV that's no obstacle. A major advantage of this platform is the ability to install any third-party player (for example VLC) directly from the Google Play store, which often completely solves file compatibility issues.
TCL C8L - Sound
8.1/10
78dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
It might seem that in terms of sound the TCL C8L will perform exactly the same as last year's C8K. After all, it again features a Bang & Olufsen audio system in a 6.2.2 configuration, with the same power and the same system features, namely Beosonic technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. The new generation sounded noticeably better in our listening tests. Why is that? To be honest, from a purely hardware point of view we don't know, but it's clear on the graphs from our measurements. Perhaps TCL has simply managed to improve the speakers' behaviour with a firmware update and better speaker tuning.
But as we always say, they are still the TV's speakers. We believe anyone who wants to fully enjoy this TV's potential will still have to buy a good soundbar or a home cinema system. The C8L offers full support for audio codecs such as Dolby Atmos and the niche DTS. Only by connecting an external audio setup will you be able to squeeze real, spatial sound from films or games and complete what you see on this TV.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
78dBC (Max)
75dBC
TCL C8L - Panel details
Software version during testing: V8-0015T01-LF1V080.000644
Image processor: mt9655 2,5GB RAM
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED Super QLED (SQD)
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