TCL C855: Evolution of QD-MiniLED TVs

Last year, we reviewed TCL's flagship model, the C845, and it completely surprised us with its high quality, especially considering its affordable price. Now, we’ve received its successor and replacement, the 65-inch C855. Is it a worthy successor?

Design and Build

The C855 features a slightly different design compared to its predecessor, primarily reflected in the rear panel. It’s a bit thinner, although it still has a profile of a few centimeters, and the decorations have also changed. Additionally, the frame is slightly slimmer, but overall, it’s essentially the same TV as last year, with the same wide, metallic central stand and a triangular structure that connects to the back.

In terms of ports, there’s no significant change from last year: it includes two USB ports and four HDMI ports—one supporting 144Hz for gaming (with FreeSync compatibility for those who want to connect a PC to the TV), one at 120Hz, and two at 60Hz. In addition, there’s a network port, a traditional antenna input, an adapter input for analog audio connections, and an optical digital audio output. Overall, it’s respectable and well-equipped.

Also noticeable on the back of the device are the speakers. This is a setup similar to last year, featuring two sets of upward-firing woofers that also produce surround sound (see Picture and Sound), and a round subwoofer by the Japanese brand ONKYO, positioned at the center of the back.

The remote control is identical to last year’s model—long and functional. There are no features like solar charging; it operates on two standard AAA batteries. The direct access buttons are also the same as last year: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, as well as direct access buttons for the web browser, TCL's security software called Guard, and a button for TCL's content channel, which is mainly tailored to our neighbors in the Middle East (but also includes children's animation and additional content, such as old films like A Farewell to Arms, without Hebrew subtitles). We’re still missing a dedicated button for Disney Plus.

Picture and Sound

The main improvement this year is in the TV's QD-MiniLED panel. TCL significantly increased the number of dimming zones compared to the previous model—2160 zones instead of 576 for this size—and boosted the maximum brightness from 2,000 nits to 3,500 nits. TCL calls this technology QLED PRO, and naturally, it’s a 4K TV.

So, how is the picture quality? It’s slightly better than last year, though not dramatically. On the other hand, it’s important to remember that last year’s starting point was already excellent, with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and outstanding brightness, so there wasn’t much room for improvement. As a reminder, TCL TVs support every possible standard: various HDR formats, Dolby Vision, and Atmos, and this year they’ve added IMAX ENHANCED support. This means that in compatible content shot in HDR or Dolby Vision, you’ll get the optimal picture as intended by the creators.

It’s fair to say that motion is a bit smoother, thanks to the increased number of dimming zones. However, upon close inspection, we did notice occasional slight flickering, mainly in the corners of the screen, which isn’t visible from a typical viewing distance. Overall, the picture quality remains excellent, even at lower brightness levels, which are also more energy-efficient. But if you want to leave the blinds open and watch TV while sunlight streams in, all you need to do is crank up the brightness. This panel also looks great in daylight. True, it doesn’t offer the exceptional sharpness of more expensive OLED displays, but in terms of color depth, detail, and brightness, the TCL C855 holds its own.

Another noticeable visual improvement compared to last year is in handling older content. TCL’s previous processor sometimes produced slightly artificial-looking images and struggled with upscaling. The company’s new processor delivers excellent picture quality even with older content, providing better detail than before, such as in shows produced in 1989, like Star Trek: The Next Generation. With modern HDR content, as expected, this TV truly shines—both figuratively and literally.

At the time, the C845’s audio quality and support for surround sound standards like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and others impressed us. The same is true this year: TCL has made a small improvement by adding two additional drivers (speaker units) to the upward-firing woofers, bringing the total output to 70 watts. As a result, the sound is slightly more powerful, but the overall experience is immersive (especially after enabling the virtual sound setting), enveloping, and impressive. The built-in speaker array delivers outstanding performance, with particularly good bass thanks to the integrated subwoofer.

Interface and Apps

All TCL TVs come with Google TV, which, in the opinion of this reviewer, is the best operating system for televisions. Its deep integration with its parent system, Android, makes it especially enjoyable to use if you own an Android phone. Of course, you’ll need to link the TV to your Google account, but once it’s part of the Google ecosystem, everything works seamlessly—you can turn off the TV with a voice command to Google Assistant or control it directly from your smartphone.

Even if you don’t have additional Google devices, the standalone interface is visually appealing, clean, and easy to operate and navigate. The home screen offers shortcuts to your favorite apps and provides quick access to resume watching your latest shows, along with personalized recommendations. This integration spans across all content services, so if you search for "action movies," for example, you’ll see results from Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and any other service where you’ve logged in with your subscription details. It works great and is very intuitive. Add to this the ability to perform voice searches in Hebrew, which also runs smoothly thanks to Google’s language recognition capabilities, and you get a very user-friendly experience.

In addition to the familiar apps mentioned, you can install any Android app compatible with a large screen and Google TV. TCL also offers a few of its own features, including content for children, although the general orientation leans more toward Arabic-speaking audiences in the region. As mentioned regarding the remote control, the TV also includes a built-in security app and a web browser for those who want to surf the internet directly from the TV. It's a nice and practical addition.

Conclusion

The TCL C855, TCL’s flagship TV for 2024, builds on the C845’s success with enhanced sound and minor improvements in motion smoothing and upscaling. Starting from an already excellent foundation, it offers one of the best value-for-money propositions on the market, especially compared to significantly more expensive OLED screens. If you're looking for a new TV with great performance at a reasonable price, the C855 should be on your shortlist.