Compare Blaupunkt UGC5500S vs TCL C7L

Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a textbook example of a very inexpensive television that primarily has two huge advantages: the Google TV system and an extremely low price. It is these two elements that make it an enticing option for many people. During testing, we also found other fantastic uses for it, such as working with a computer. Thanks to the exemplary readability of fonts and good viewing angles of the IPS panel, Blaupunkt surprisingly performs well as a budget monitor. However, one must be aware that this is a typical budget device, and this cost-saving is evident in the image quality. The panel is simply dark, making it difficult to perform in challenging lighting conditions, not to mention creating any real HDR effect. Additionally, despite good viewing angles, the blacks on this model leave much to be desired – in the evening, they will be more dark gray, which is a typical characteristic of the IPS technology used here. Looking through the lens of price, this is a device intended to compete in the market not on image quality but rather on the amount on the receipt. Blaupunkt UGC5500S will find its place perfectly as an additional television in the home, equipment for the cottage, or in a less important room where the image is simply needed, and we want to enjoy all the benefits and applications that Google TV offers.

The TCL C7L is an incredibly successful Mini-LED television and a fully deserved successor to the hit model C7K. The list of advantages of this device is truly long. At the top is the extremely high brightness of the panel. Thanks to this, the television effortlessly handles brightly lit living rooms, offering an exceptional and dynamic picture in HDR format. Huge praise is also due for the use of the new Super QLED coating – after professional calibration, the colors can be not only natural but also incredibly saturated. The best part is that the screen does this regardless of what scene is being displayed, which is often not the case with all TVs that have RGB backlighting. The C7L is also a great piece of equipment for gamers; you could say it’s a true "media powerhouse." We get full support for consoles and PCs, a refresh rate of up to 288 Hz, G-Sync, and low input lag that doesn’t increase even when the very demanding mode of Dolby Vision Gaming is activated. The whole thing is tied together by a well-optimized Google TV system, which in this generation of TCL devices operates noticeably smoother and more efficiently (at least that’s the impression we got during our tests). Of course, the C7L is not a perfect device, and the manufacturer had to make certain compromises with this model. The biggest drawback of the C7L is the use of a less powerful image processor. Unfortunately, this translates to quite average digital processing and other design limitations in the form of only two HDMI 2.1 ports. A more powerful chip has been reserved this year for higher series, such as the C8L. From a business perspective, this is fully understandable. Why? Because if TCL had put a better processor here, most people would probably see no point in paying extra for the higher model. So even if certain compromises exist, the C7L series once again promises to be one of the most cost-effective Mini-LED televisions this year. If you are looking for a versatile, extremely bright screen for movies, series, television, or games – literally for everything – and at the same time do not want to overpay for the top series, then yes... the C7L is a brilliant choice that we can definitely recommend to you.

To put it bluntly: the black levels are simply very poor. Our measurements on test screens only confirmed what we could see with the naked eye – a result around 1000:1 is, in today's standards, even in this price range, a disappointing result. In cinematic conditions, this "black" simply does not exist. To back up our claims, we fired up one of our favorite test scenes – the helicopter flyover in "Sicario 2" (you can actually see it in the video we posted below). Instead of a pitch-black, deep night, we got an image that is... navy blue. Everything that should be dark and mysterious on screen, in reality, shines dark blue. This is the price we pay for using an IPS panel. On one hand, we get quite decent viewing angles, so if you're watching TV with the whole family from different angles, the image doesn't lose much saturation. On the other hand, if you plan to have evening screenings with the lights off, this lack of contrast will hit you in the eyes from the very first minute.

TCL C7L is a Mini LED TV, which in the 65-inch variant we tested, is equipped with over 1000 local dimming zones. This, combined with a proprietary VA panel (referred to by TCL CSOT as HVA 2.0), delivers really decent results in terms of black levels and contrast. In most of the scenes we measured, black levels and contrast looked really good, and in the easiest shots, the black was deep enough to resemble that known from OLED screens. We are, of course, talking about the least demanding shots with a lot of black on the screen. However, when a larger number of bright elements appear on the screen, and black no longer dominates so strongly, it becomes clear that the TCL C7L – like most Mini LED TVs – has its issues with managing local dimming zones.

This is particularly evident in the standard black bars in movies recorded in the panoramic format 2.35:1. In this case, a clear halo effect, or bright light glow, can appear on the black bars or around small, bright objects. The contrast then drastically drops – from laboratory values of around 200,000:1 to about 10,000:1, which is quite noticeable in a completely dark room. It is worth remembering that this should not be treated as a flaw of the TV but rather as a characteristic of mini-LED technology. Of course, this effect becomes much less bothersome when we turn on at least some soft, diffused light in the room... which I definitely recommend doing during viewing sessions on any LCD TV.

Here, we won't beat around the bush either – if you're looking for a TV strictly for cinematic HDR experiences, you've come to the wrong address. The Blaupunkt UGC5500S unfortunately is not a machine designed for such challenges. This is primarily due to its very low brightness, which we measured during our tests. A result of around 250 nits on film screens speaks for itself. It's simply too little to even talk about any real HDR effect. To be honest, everything displayed here in this format can best be considered a slightly "boosted" SDR mode. We expected this because practically every device in this price range fails in this regard, but we feel obligated to warn you. Manufacturers love to boast about HDR compatibility stickers on the boxes, but in reality, this format simply doesn't exist here – it lacks the "fuel" of brightness.

The situation is made all the more difficult for Blaupunkt because we have a panel with a very basic DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of just around 80%. You won't find any advanced coatings that enhance these capabilities (like quantum dots), making scenes that are supposed to burst with richly saturated colors appear simply desaturated on this screen. Therefore, we have a concrete piece of advice for you: do not push the HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – just turn it off. Sticking with the classic SDR mode will ensure that the TV won't try to "enhance" something that it can't handle hardware-wise.

TCL C7L is undoubtedly an extremely bright television. In synthetic tests on static images, it can achieve peak brightness levels of around 2800 nits. This is an absolutely phenomenal result, considering the price range it falls into. Unfortunately, the tests with real film scenes are not as spectacular as the measurements of white squares. The brightness in actual HDR shots drops to around 1200 nits in the C7L model. This is still a very good result, as the vast majority of contemporary films are mastered at such a value. However, when small, pinpoint elements appear on the screen, the brightness of those details drastically drops – even to about 400 nits – which diminishes the HDR effect somewhat. The television does this intentionally to maintain a better level of black and prevent a huge glare of light. This is somewhat explainable, but it also shows that Mini LED technology is not completely uncompromising in this regard. As for the HDR effect itself – alongside brightness, colors are obviously key here. And these, thanks to the use of new, "super" quantum dots, are simply outstanding and among the best on the market. The television can achieve around 90% coverage of the ultra-wide color gamut BT.2020 and 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut, easily matching the best RGB MINI-LED screens. Best of all, the C7L can maintain such high color saturation regardless of the scene being displayed, which is often problematic in competing RGB Mini-LED televisions.

We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colors in movie mode, and here the situation is, to put it briefly, twofold. We must clearly separate what we see in the standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is turned on, as these are two completely different worlds. Let’s start with the better side of the coin. If you plan to watch classic television, YouTube, or older movies on this TV, you can count on really well-tuned colors. In our test sample, the white balance in movie mode was exceptionally accurate, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to not make it too rosy, we noticed some flaws. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with properly dimming the image in its brightest parts. Additionally, there is quite strong, at times too aggressive, red saturation, which resulted in noticeable errors in reproducing certain shades. Nevertheless, in general terms, the image in SDR is simply solid and watchable without a grimace on your face. Unfortunately, the magic fades when we re-enter the world of HDR. Here, Blaupunkt behaves as if we suddenly switched it to store mode, and in its worst form. The excess blue in the white balance is so overwhelming that it literally clashes with the eyes, ruining any realism of the scene. Furthermore, the TV interprets brightness very loosely, which, when analyzing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time the colors appear simply washed out and lacking depth. This is, by the way, perfectly visible in the color errors that become evident in this mode. Once again, we are left with the same conclusion: Blaupunkt in SDR mode looks significantly better and more natural than in HDR, which feels forced and not properly refined.

When it comes to colors straight out of the box, a new feature in TCL televisions – including the C7L model – is the presence of a new picture mode called Filmmaker Mode. This is significant news, as such a mode was previously unavailable from this manufacturer. By design, as the name itself suggests, the image in this setting is intended to be presented with the full intent of the film's creator. After our tests, we can confirm that it is undoubtedly the best built-in mode on this television if you care about faithful color reproduction straight out of the box. However, we definitely wouldn't say that it is perfect. Like most devices on the market, this C7L also had its factory flaws. The white balance in Filmmaker Mode strayed into a slightly greenish-yellow hue, mainly due to an excess of green component and a noticeable lack of blue color. Of course, for the average viewer, this may not be a drastic flaw, but if you care about perfect whites, natural skin tones, and fully unlocking the potential of these new "super" quantum dots, this television is in need of professional calibration.

It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measurement equipment for a television costing around a thousand zlotys / 250 dollars – but we wouldn't be ourselves if we didn't check it out. The question is: does such cheap equipment give us any room for calibration? To your surprise, the answer is yes, and absolutely so. In the Blaupunkt UGC5500S menu, we found surprisingly many options that allowed us to really work on the picture. These are not just empty sliders; they are concrete tools that enabled us to make use of our measurement sensors and software. In SDR mode, the effects were noticeable to the naked eye. We successfully eliminated the issue we mentioned earlier – that excessive, almost artificial saturation of reds. We also fixed the problem of incorrect dimming of the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the standard format picture became much more balanced and simply correct. As for HDR, the situation was again more complicated. Although we managed to "tame" that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was evident that we were fighting a bit in vain. Even after changing the settings, the television still tried to intervene in the image in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than we did how the scene should look. Additionally, there's a hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colors in HDR still remain unsaturated. This simply results from the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vibrant colors. To summarize this point: if any of you ask whether it’s possible to calibrate a television for "a thousand," we respond with full conviction: it is possible.

After conducting a professional calibration, we managed to significantly improve the situation in the factory Filmmaker Mode. Following our adjustments, the errors in the ColorChecker test and across the entire wide color gamut dropped below the threshold of human perception – that is, below a value of 3, which is indeed a very good result. The TCL C7L definitely benefits from such an intervention in terms of color fidelity, and it's hard to dispute that. However, the management of brightness in HDR content post-calibration looks a bit worse. As I described earlier – even though we set up this model properly, when we turn on actual film scenes on the TV, it manages its brightness in a rather peculiar way. It often brightens certain elements on the screen contrary to the creator's intent, which is clearly visible in the EOTF graphs measured in specific films. Despite this defect – or rather a specific characteristic of this television – one cannot take away from it that after calibration, the C7L was able to reproduce the colors completely accurately.

Looking at our test photographs, it's really hard to find fault with anything. Most of the colors in the attached images blend together almost perfectly, creating smooth gradients without distinct "steps." And indeed, in most of the scenes where we took these shots, it looked surprisingly good. However, the problem arises when we stop analyzing the still frames and simply start watching the movies. In motion, the situation changes dramatically. During dynamic scenes on screen, artifacts start to pop up, which are a direct result of using a simply weak image processor here. Unfortunately, a static photo cannot capture this "jittering" of colors, but you have to take our word for it: what looks clean and smooth in the picture can be quite noticeable and simply annoying during playback. This is precisely why we rated this category quite low.

Another element worth discussing is the fluidity of tonal transitions. Here, it's fair to admit that in the TCL C7L, it simply looks good. In most scenes – especially in the brighter shots – there are absolutely no issues with gradients. In native 4K HDR content, the picture is clear, and the transitions between shades are very smooth. It looks just as good in Dolby Vision mode, where we did not notice any digital defects or unpleasant color banding during testing. One could nitpick very dark shots where a heavily compressed signal is displayed on the screen. In such conditions, the C7L can sometimes show minor imperfections; however, in this model, it's not something that stands out too much. Especially during regular movie viewings.

If you expect that the processor in this model will magically "fix" the poor quality signal from cable TV or old films from YouTube, we must disappoint you. The capabilities of this television end with absolutely basic upscaling, which is simply stretching the image to a higher resolution. It does this correctly in that the image is not blurry, but there is no talk of any intelligent sharpening or adding details. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any functions that reduce unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being viewed has so-called banding (ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colors, e.g., in the sky), this television will display them in all their glory. Additionally, the television tends to slightly crop the edges of the image. Instead of displaying 100% of what the source sends, Blaupunkt slightly enlarges the frame, causing us to lose details located at the very edges of the screen. In summary: in the category of digital "enhancement" of the image, Blaupunkt simply performs poorly. We receive a raw, unprocessed signal with all its flaws.

This point can be, in a sense, called the Achilles' heel of the C7L model. Unfortunately, this TV uses an older MediaTek chipset – the Pentonic 700 – which has never been known for exceptional digital image processing. This is clearly evident in the operation of the gradual smoothing feature, which is responsible for reducing jagged edges and removing digital noise. It simply works very poorly – after setting it to low, its effectiveness is practically nonexistent. The only small plus here is that the algorithm doesn't spoil anything additional in the image and doesn’t forcibly blur details. The upscaling, that is, scaling the image from lower resolutions to 4K, performs a bit better. It is simply adequate and doesn’t stand out in any particular way compared to the competition. However, it cannot be denied that the C7L would gain significantly in this aspect if the manufacturer decided to use the newer Pentonic 800 processor, which is now increasingly found in many competitive models.

When it comes to motion fluidity, Blaupunkt has nothing to defend itself with. A 60 Hz panel at this price is standard, so none of us expected a perfectly sharp image during fast action scenes or while watching a game. However, the biggest drawback of this model is that you won't find any digital smoothers in the menu. The manufacturer did not give us any room to maneuver – there's no way to smooth anything out or adjust the image to our preferences. The image is always "raw" and we receive it exactly as the source transmits it. For fans of cinematic "motion jump," this might be fine, but everyone else just has to get used to the absence of any motion support.

TCL C7L features a native 4K panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which can even ramp up to 288 Hz at lower resolutions when using a PC. These are, of course, very high values and commendable on paper, but in everyday life, it's worth remembering that nearly all dynamic content you display on this television will still be running around a maximum of 120 Hz. To harness this dynamics, we find a motion smoothing system in the TV's menu called “Motion Clarity.” It offers several predefined modes, including a user mode, which we definitely recommend setting manually using our tried-and-true guides on our YouTube channel. There we have two key sliders at our disposal. The first one, “Blur Reduction,” is responsible for reducing blurring and improving sharpness in dynamic 60fps materials, such as sports broadcasts. The second slider, “Flicker Reduction,” allows for the addition of artificial frames in movies and series recorded at cinematic 24 or 30 frames per second. This, of course, completely eliminates the irritating stutter effect during camera movement shots.

When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we didn’t expect miracles and indeed – the list of features is not very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they may be significant for some of you at this price. The first advantage is that the TV quite efficiently detects the connected console. Thanks to the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, the device automatically knows when you start gaming and switches to low latency mode. This is convenient because you don’t have to fiddle with the settings every time to prevent input lag from ruining the fun. The second point is a real curiosity that surprised us. Even though it’s a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display images at 120 Hz at Full HD resolution. Sure, we lose 4K details then, but for those playing more dynamic, online shooters where fluidity is more important than resolution, it’s a really nice and unexpected addition in such an inexpensive piece of equipment. Besides these two points, however, you won’t find anything else here. There are no advanced systems for improving fluidity for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. It’s a simple screen for occasional gaming.

When it comes to gaming, the TCL C7L is simply an outstanding television for gamers. With the presence of two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, we have access to all the key features that console owners and powerful PC users require. It offers a well-functioning ALLM mode with very low input lag and VRR frame synchronization that operates impressively from 48 up to 288 Hz. Importantly, unlike some competitors, TCL has ensured proper implementation of the console HDR10 HGIG profile and support for Dolby Vision in games. This is complemented by a well-designed gaming panel, the Game Bar, which even allows for customization of its appearance and theme to perfectly match the aesthetics of your console.

The only thing that can – and indeed must – be criticized here is the fact that the television offers only two full HDMI 2.1 ports, while the other two are older HDMI 2.0. This creates quite a significant logistical problem. Why? Because one of those fast ports also supports the eARC audio return channel. In practice, this means that if you connect a soundbar or home theater system to the television, you will only have one free HDMI 2.1 port left. If you have two consoles or a console and a powerful computer at home, unfortunately, you will have to give up something or constantly juggle the cables at the back of the unit while maintaining convenient audio system control.

An important point for every gamer is, of course, input lag, which refers to how quickly the television reacts to our movements on the controller. And here, Blaupunkt has something to boast about, although the results are quite specific. At 4K resolution, the lag is only 12 ms. That's an excellent result. With such lag, gaming is simply phenomenal, and the response is almost instantaneous. However, it's a bit of a pity that the situation changes when switching to 1080p mode. Here, the input lag increases to about 30 ms. To be clear: this is still not a terrible result. For most people, it will be "more than acceptable," and during casual gaming, you probably won't even notice it. Nevertheless, it’s a shame that they couldn’t maintain the same good parameters that we saw at full 4K. Still, in the overall assessment, as a budget screen for consoles, Blaupunkt performs really well in this regard.

It is worth taking a look at the dry numbers here, because in terms of signal delay, the TCL C7L is absolutely at the top of the market. Our measurements showed that the input lag is extremely low and for a 60 Hz signal it is only about 10 ms. When we step up to a higher level and launch a game at 120 Hz, the delay drops to an imperceptible 6 to 7 ms. However, what is more important is that these values are maintained even after activating the Dolby Vision format in games.

If you plan to connect a computer to this television, it is absolutely crucial that you find and enable the PC compatibility option in the menu. Once you do that, magic happens – the implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 and font clarity jumps to an exemplary level. The legibility of text is simply great here. Of course, our editorial meticulousness would not allow us to pass by this hardware without taking a look "under the hood." In very specific tests with thin, dark text, we noticed that the horizontal and vertical matrix masks differ slightly in brightness levels. However, we want to reassure you: this phenomenon is so subtle that during normal use, writing emails, or browsing the web, you won't be able to notice it with the naked eye. We maintain our opinion that as a monitor strictly for dynamic gaming on PC, this is not an ideal choice (as we mentioned regarding the 60 Hz refresh rate), but if any of you are wondering whether you can comfortably work on such a Blaupunkt – we answer: yes, it is absolutely possible.

When it comes to gaming on PC, as I mentioned earlier, it is truly seamless. The TV effortlessly supports high refresh rates: full 4K at 144 Hz, and at Full HD resolution, it can even ramp up to 288 Hz. Moreover, both G-Sync and FreeSync synchronization systems work here without any issues. For PC gamers, the C7L can serve as an excellent, gigantic monitor.

However, typical office work with text looks a bit worse, all due to the panel behaving quite strangely under these conditions. When the highest refresh modes are turned on, namely 144 Hz and 288 Hz, the readability and sharpness of dark text on a light background is rather average – fonts become slightly blurry and jagged. Fortunately, this can be very easily fixed by changing the refresh rate in the graphics card settings to a stable 120 Hz. Then the text becomes perfectly sharp again, which is definitely worth remembering if you plan to use the C7L as a work screen.

It is really very good here. Regardless of whether we sat directly in front or on the edge of the couch, the colors retained their saturation. This is a big plus if you plan to watch matches or movies with a larger group – no one will complain that their picture looks worse. While IPS panels are known for good viewing angles, in this particular model, when viewed from a large angle, the picture clearly loses brightness. Interestingly, the color saturation still remains in place, but the screen simply becomes darker. This is not something that disqualifies this television, but it is worth knowing.

Unfortunately, the powerful native contrast of the HVA 2.0 panel comes with a price. It concerns the viewing angles, which in the C7L model are simply poor. This is all, of course, due to the use of the aforementioned VA panel. It is a completely natural characteristic of this technology and something to be aware of when making a purchase. If you sit directly in front of the screen, the picture will impress you with its depth, but just shifting a few dozen degrees to the side on the couch will cause the colors to immediately begin to fade. By choosing this model, you are opting for a classic market compromise: you get brilliant black and fantastic contrast, but you lose out on viewing angles.

In terms of daytime performance, Blaupunkt is simply average. It all comes down to the low brightness of the panel, which – as we mentioned before – hovers around 250 nits. This is definitely too little for the screen to "break through" strong light coming into the living room. As a result, under high sunlight, the image loses clarity and appears somewhat washed out. However, there is one bright spot in this category: the satin coating of the panel. Thanks to it, we don't have to deal with the mirror effect, which often makes us watch the reflection of our own sofa instead of the movie. The satin nicely diffuses reflections, which saves the situation somewhat. Nonetheless, we can't defy physics: while the coating bravely fights against reflections, the low brightness ultimately capitulates in the battle with sunlight. If you are planning a screening in the middle of the day in a very bright room, be prepared to close the curtains.

It is also worth mentioning how the TCL C7L performs during everyday viewing in a sunlit living room. As we have established, this is an extremely bright television, and it is precisely because of such a powerful supply of luminance (up to 2400 nits in SDR!) that it manages to perform exceptionally well in very bright rooms – the image simply pushes through the incoming light into the room without any problems. The only thing to watch out for here is direct reflections on the screen. The coating applied to the panel this year is definitely glossier than the one we saw in last year’s C7K model. The screen significantly worsens the suppression of point light reflections, which in unfavorable conditions – for example, when a window is positioned directly opposite the television – can be quite irritating for some users. Nevertheless, in terms of raw brightness, the C7L is simply a demon for bright living rooms.

In terms of Smart TV functionality, Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a classic example of a device where the system is both its greatest asset and its biggest flaw. On one hand, we have full Google TV, which at this price point is a huge plus. We get access to a gigantic library of applications and virtually all the features we know from brands that use this software. Nothing is cut out forcefully, which is truly appreciated in such an affordable television. Unfortunately, we must honestly admit that in Blaupunkt's version, this system simply runs sluggishly. This is a typical issue with low-budget TVs featuring Google TV – the processor barely keeps up with the software. Navigation through the menu is not as smooth as we would like, and the remote can respond with a noticeable delay, giving the impression of being "dull." Of course, once you launch a specific app and start a movie, everything runs stably, but simply sifting through the interface requires a bit of patience.

As for classic television functions, Blaupunkt does not offer anything extraordinary. It’s a basic device for fundamental tasks. The remote deserves praise for having a classic numeric keypad, which is simply convenient when flipping through cable channels. We also have Bluetooth, so you can easily connect wireless headphones or a speaker. The television also has a physical mini-jack headphone output. At a time when manufacturers are mass removing this connection, the presence of a "jack" is a nod to those with older audio equipment or simply those who prefer classic wired headphones. It's a small thing, but it brings joy.

Google TV and Smart TV

The multimedia heart of the TCL C7L is, of course, the Google TV operating system, which provides access to a massive library of apps and all the most popular streaming platforms on the market. The Smart TV in this model works seamlessly, offering full support for useful network features such as Apple AirPlay and Chromecast. However, a huge and very pleasant surprise is the overall performance of the software. We noticed that Google's system on the new C7L operates much more efficiently, smoothly, and quickly than on TCL models from last year. Much of this is due to better optimization at launch. Unnecessary pauses and minor interface hiccups, known from older models, seem to have faded into oblivion.

TV Features

In terms of classic antenna or cable television, the TCL C7L does not offer many additional, advanced features. It is simply a straightforward receiver. The manufacturer did not strive for any revolutionary solutions here, so apart from the traditional program guide, you won’t find anything special. A significant nod to traditional viewers is the classic remote control, which, contrary to the current trend towards minimalism, is still equipped with a full numeric keypad, greatly facilitating quick channel switching.

In terms of playing files from USB, Blaupunkt performs quite solidly. We checked several of the most popular formats and basically everything that matters worked smoothly on the factory player. Therefore, you are not forced to immediately download additional software right after taking the television out of the box because the device is simply self-sufficient "out of the box." Nevertheless, taking advantage of the charms of Google TV, we still recommend that you install something external, like VLC or Kodi. The factory player is adequate, but it is in these external applications that you will find the most configuration options, better subtitle support, or simply a more convenient interface. Since the system gives you such freedom, it's worth taking advantage of it to get as much as possible from your media.

Finally, it's worth mentioning the playback of files from external USB drives in the multimedia section. During our tests, we didn't notice any unpleasant surprises here – the factory player handles all popular video and audio formats exactly as it should. Interestingly, the TCL C7L also played photos saved in Apple's native format, HEIC, without any issues. This is an extremely rare feature in manufacturers' factory applications. And while the Google TV system gives you unlimited options for installing external media player programs, in the case of the C7L, the built-in tool is refined enough that installing additional software is unlikely to be necessary for anyone.

In terms of audio, Blaupunkt performs really well, especially considering that this is a typical budget television. You can see, or rather hear, that the brand hasn't forgotten its roots, and for such an inexpensive setup, the sound is actually excellent. Of course, there's a clear lack of bass, but overall it is loud and surprisingly clear. Most importantly for us – even at louder listening levels, the sound is not heavily distorted, which is a rarity and a nice surprise at this price point.

TCL C7L simply performs quite well and correctly. In terms of sound quality, there has practically been no change compared to last year's model C7K. The manufacturer still uses a speaker system branded with Bang & Olufsen in a 2.2 setup. The only thing that can be quite irritating during viewing sessions is the fact that after increasing the volume to higher levels – around above 50% on the scale – the volume stops correlating with the scale visible on the screen. The audio system from B&O works great for daily watching of news programs or series at moderate volume, but if you're looking for good sound, it's worth buying at least a basic soundbar for the C7L.

Blaupunkt UGC5500S vs TCL C7L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

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

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Google TV and Smart TV

TV Features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements