Michał Stekla
We had the opportunity to play briefly with the new TCL television, and we can already share our first, original measurements with you. And they look really promising. The TCL C8K is this year's representative of the "premium for everyone" segment – a Mini LED television designed to compete with much more expensive competitors' models. On paper, we get almost everything: a 120 Hz (144Hz) panel, local dimming, Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.1 ports, game mode, and great brightness. But how is it in practice? For now, we will share what we've managed to measure and notice in the first minutes of contact with this model. And we warn you – it will be really bright!
Appearance of the TCL C8K: a big change, bold decisions, and a silver frame
C8K or QM8K? Don't worry, it's the same television. Across the ocean, TCL opted for the name QM8K, but in Europe, the manufacturer sticks to the well-known convention – the letter "C" is reserved for models with QD-MiniLED backlighting. But let's leave those names aside – let's focus on what really impresses at first glance. And that is… a completely new design.
TCL has chosen a silver, aluminum frame – a bold decision, especially since most manufacturers still aim for classic, dark finishes. However, this is just the beginning. The biggest (positive!) surprise is the fact that the television lacks a black bezel around the panel – yes, you're reading that correctly. This solution, which we have previously encountered in high-end designs such as the Samsung QN900 (or currently QN990F), is now available in a model priced at almost four times less. This is a huge positive change!
There are also subtle design details that emphasize the C8K model's aspirations towards the premium segment. One of them is the visible Bang & Olufsen logo – this company has replaced Onkyo this year as the partner responsible for delivering the audio system in this model. Will this bring a real improvement in sound? We hope to find out in the full test soon.
Another base depending on the size
It is also worth noting that the base of the television differs depending on the diagonal size. The C8K model is available in sizes ranging from 65 to 98 inches. The "smaller" versions, 65", 75", and 85", are equipped with a central stand. In contrast, for the largest 98-inch giant, the manufacturer used two widely spaced feet to ensure stability for a structure weighing nearly 61 kg!
Black, contrast, and HDR brightness – does almost 4000 zones make a difference?
TCL C8K, the European twin of the QM8K, already looks like a device that has something to prove on paper. The 98-inch version has been equipped – hold on to your hats – with as many as 3840 local dimming zones. Yes, you heard that right. Nearly four thousand independent dimming areas is a result that puts most of the competition to shame, and for some – as it turns out – it even crushes them. But paper is paper. What about practice? We decided to find out because numbers are one thing, and the picture is another.
We haven't measured the contrast yet, but even during short live tests, it was clear that scenes with a starry sky looked significantly better than in last year’s C855. The details in the shadows were more pronounced, and the halo effect was much less noticeable.
Synthetic Brightness Tests
The biggest impression was, however, the brightness. In movie mode, on the 10% HDR screen, TCL C8K reached as much as 3500 nits. Yes, you read that right – over three thousand nits in a television that still fits within a reasonable budget. As a reminder – the best MiniLED of 2024, Sony Bravia 9, achieves a very similar result. And it costs twice as much!
Brightness tests in movies
We wouldn't be ourselves if we didn't test the C8K in real film scenarios as well, not just on test charts – and here the picture still makes a very good impression, although not as spectacular. In the most demanding conditions, such as a full screen with high brightness, the television maintains a level of about 1700–1800 nits, and in the toughest scenes – like the night sequence from Sicario 2 – the brightness drops to about 620 nits. This is still a significant improvement over the C855, which looked simply significantly worse in such scenes.
Improved viewing angles! Finally!
* In the short above, where Maciej talks about his first impressions of using the television, the difference between the classic VA matrix and the WHVA panel is clearly visible.
In this year's C8K model, TCL really surprised us positively - the classic VA matrix, which for years has been the Achilles' heel of the Chinese manufacturer, has been replaced. Instead, a WHVA (Wide View VA) panel was used, which is a VA variant with noticeably wider viewing angles. What is the effect of this? The image maintains good brightness and color saturation even when slightly shifting off-axis. This is a huge change compared to previous models, where just a minimal shift on the sofa would cause blacks to start resembling gray. Such a level of viewing angles in a VA matrix has been reserved mainly for high-end models like the Sony Bravia 9 or Samsung's QN90/QN900 series until now. Now TCL joins this group - and at a much lower price!
GoogleTV – the first impressions are surprisingly... positive?
During the first moments spent with the new TCL C8K, we didn't notice any annoying stutters or slowdowns, which unfortunately had often been associated with the GoogleTV experience from this manufacturer. Switching between apps, navigating the menu, or launching content, everything worked smoothly and without hitches.
Of course, we had the television in our hands for too short a time to issue a final verdict (that will appear soon on our site) – only longer usage will show how the system performs under greater load, with installed apps or after several updates. Nevertheless, we quietly hope that TCL really took to heart the numerous voices of users and improved those minor but annoying bugs that previously could take away the joy of using GoogleTV. If that’s the case – it will be another significant step forward.
C8K could be a hit for gamers – 144 Hz, a booster to 288 Hz and as many as four HDMI 2.1!
We haven't had the chance to test the TV in gaming mode yet, but we can already say that the TCL C8K looks very promising for gamers. First of all – a 144 Hz panel is already something, but the manufacturer has added what they call an "accelerator" up to 288 Hz. How does it work in practice? We don't know – it probably involves classic frame interpolation (i.e., a motion smoother), but if they've managed to achieve an effect similar to Game Motion Plus known from Samsung TVs, it could be a huge plus!
An even bigger plus? Four HDMI 2.1 ports!
Until now, only two inputs supported full HDMI 2.1, and one of them had to serve as eARC, which limited the ability to connect two consoles and a soundbar. Thanks to the new Mediatek chip, the C8K offers four full HDMI 2.1 ports, which will be great news for anyone with more than one console or an audio setup with eARC.
If TCL hasn't messed up the input lag and everything works as it should, this could be one of the most cost-effective MINI-LED TVs for gaming in 2025. We'll find out soon!
TCL C8K: Will it be a hit in 2025?
First impressions? The TCL C8K may not just stir up the market – it could actually overhaul it. The new design with an aluminum frame and lack of a black bezel makes a great impression. Brightness? Over 3000 nits in movie mode and close to 4000 local dimming zones in the largest variant. These are not just impressive parameters on paper, but also real visible changes in cinematic scenarios. Additionally, better viewing angles thanks to the WHVA panel, four HDMI 2.1 ports, a fast Google TV system (we hope without stutters this time), and a promise of strong features for gamers. Right now, the price of the C8K model looks very attractive, especially since TCL has been positioning its TVs as they will be priced throughout the year. So if you are eager to quickly buy a good Mini LED, all signs point to the C8K being one of the better candidates in this category.
Is it an OLED killer? Not really. It's definitely too early for such claims, but TCL is finally showing a premium-class product that not only looks but also performs like something from a higher tier, and without the tag with a six-digit amount.
