Screen size matters, and so does affordability for TCL C825 Mini LED TV
Quality has improved over recent years and this year TCL offers very good TV screen quality with new Mini LED technology.
TCL Technology smart TVs have straddled the divide between quality and affordability. Their initial smart TVs were cheap but not super in quality. Quality has improved over recent years and this year TCL offers very good screen quality with new Mini LED technology.
According to technology research firm Telsyte, TCL now has about five per cent of market penetration in Australia, up from about 2-3 per cent in 2016. That suggests substantial growth in sales for a brand on a gradual rise.
“Like many other electronics manufactures TCL has benefited from people upgrading their home entertainment during the initial lockdowns of 2020, with this momentum carrying into 2021,” says Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi.
Mini LED technology too is proving popular in 2021. The Mini LED lights are one hundredth the size of traditional LEDs and new sets have thousands of them.
The result is finer control over the colour and brightness, and deeper blacks, better brightness and contrast.
As I discovered during this review, the image quality isn’t quite as good as top-of-range organic LED displays on OLED TVs, but you get closer to that ideal without breaking the bank.
I’ve been trialling the 55-inch C825 QLED TV. The C825 range is the company’s mainstream 4K range with Mini LED technology.
The 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch C825 models cost a recommended $2499, $3499, $4499 and $6499.
LG’s OLED range from the Good Guys cost $2695, $3695, $6995 and $8995 for 55, 65, 77 and 83-inch sets. The price difference isn’t much for smaller-sized sets but there is a big difference for screens 75 inches and above.
Due to lockdown in Sydney, I had an LG OLED TV left over from a previous review that can’t be collected, so I am able to compare the TCL Mini LED set against it.
The TCL C825 is thicker than some brand models but it is sturdy and, frankly, I don’t spend much time admiring the edges of a TV. It may slightly impact mounting the set, but that’s all. The TV has brushed metal edges, and a screw-on metal stand at the centre bottom.
There’s a slot on top where you can plug in an optional TCL camera. The 2560x1440 pixel camera works with apps such as Google Duo; it’s good for video calls Star Trek style. The privacy shutter magically opens when you open the app and closes theatrically when you exit.
I compared the Mini LED with the LG OLED display. Images on both are crisp, with the OLED marginally better. I used the 60x magnification on Oppo Find X3 Pro smartphone to take a closer look at the pixels.
The two form factors have very different methods of display.Both here display the rounded edge of the letter “d”. The edge is slightly more defined at right but much better when compared to LED.
The result is slightly cleaner lettering as below.
From afar, both offer crisp lettering and images. See the “id” from “Madrid” below.
I could get a slightly better depth of colour on the OLED set compared to Mini LED, even if I chose vivid or movie display settings on the TCL set, or turned up saturation.
I don’t believe I’d notice much difference if I didn’t have the two sets side-by-side as I fortuitously do but Mini LED isn’t OLED. However, it’s very good quality if you are happy to settle for technology other than OLED.
The C825 comes with Android TV installed. I have a love-hate relationship with this operating system. Android TV is probably the most intuitive and logically set-out TV operating system. Your favourite apps appear across the top of the screen.
If you subscribe to Netflix or Stan, iView or SBS On Demand, for example, an additional row of your content and recommended content for each service is added beneath. The result is a menu full of content you might actually watch. It’s easy to peruse options.
The downside is the predictable concern with privacy with anything to do with Google. At installation, you are served several screens of legal fine print detailing how information is shared with third parties and garnered for advertising. You are better off going for another set if this bothers you.
TCL says you’ll be able to upgrade from Android TV to Google TV later this year. While the layout is similar, Google TV is more centred around the Google Assistant and uses AI to help select recommended content. It also better integrates with Google smart home features.
If you want to use Google TV on a set that doesn‘t use it, you can spend $100 and buy the Chromecast with Google TV dongle that offers it. You get a modern TV interface.
The C825 comes with a long, thin, stick-like remote control which, while not fancy, is uncomplicated and easy to use, with dedicated Netflix, Stan, Prime Video and Disney + buttons. These buttons are obviously useful if you use those services, but a waste of space if you don’t. It’s a pity you can’t reassign them to the services you use.
The remote has a Google Assistant button. TCL also has an option for installing Amazon Alexa in its settings. You can switch inputs, control the volume and change channels with Alexa, but its offering doesn’t seem as versatile as Google Assistant.
Sound output on the C825 is excellent with strength and richness courtesy of the set’s in-built subwoofer, Onkyo audio and Dolby Atmos.
Other features include a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, which will suit gaming, HDR10+ support in addition to Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. The offering is versatile.
The TCL C825 is impressive tech at a reasonable price.
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