{"id":161408,"date":"2023-05-14T13:01:57","date_gmt":"2023-05-14T12:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techweekmag.com\/?p=161408"},"modified":"2024-06-04T17:26:08","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T17:26:08","slug":"tcl-c845-review-perfectly-balanced-mini-led-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/tv\/tcl-c845-review-perfectly-balanced-mini-led-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"TCL C845: Perfectly balanced Mini LED TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

TCL C845 is TCL’s 2023 premium mini LED TV.\u00a0Available in 55 \/ 65 \/ 75 \/ 85 inches, it offers great colors, performance and sound compared to its QLED and UHD brethren.\u00a0Mini-LED TVs are brighter and have a denser backlight system behind the LCD panel.\u00a0Tens of thousands of mini-LEDs illuminate the layer of quantum dots on the LCD panel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The new TCL C84 is a TV originally equipped with a high native contrast VA panel.\u00a0And most importantly, it uses Full Array technology with an increased number of zones compared to 2022, which are responsible for completely turning the backlight on and off, simulating the operation of OLED.\u00a0Let’s start reviewing the TCL 65C845 4K HDR as a member of the series and take a closer look at all the improvements.<\/p>\n

TCL C845 Preview<\/h2>\n

Design<\/h3>\n

\"TCL<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The design of the TCL 65C845 TV is very versatile, since its support-stand is not too wide.\u00a0This facilitates its installation on almost any piece of furniture or table, and the gap remains high enough to install a good soundbar.\u00a0Of course, with the advent of the FALD system in flagship TVs, the panel thickened significantly.<\/p>\n

After all, it should house the entire system of LEDs and dimming zone control, the number of which in the C845 has grown to 576 versus 288 in\u00a0the TCL C835\u00a0.\u00a0All this takes up space.\u00a0However, the thickness of the 65C845 TV panel itself does not exceed 1.6 cm, and the case at the deepest point is 8 cm. The design of the base is really attractive, and it holds the TV very well.<\/p>\n

If you want to install the TV on a wall bracket, this will help the presence of holes for a standard VESA suspension.\u00a0And besides, the ports will not interfere with such an installation – they are all directed sideways.\u00a0Therefore, the C845 can be pushed as close to the wall as possible.\u00a0We also note the frameless design of the model with negligible thin frames and body and small frames on the panel itself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Image quality<\/h3>\n

To evaluate the image quality of the TCL C845 TV, we usually ask ourselves questions like: how many nits of brightness does it have?\u00a0is the image in HDR really that bright?\u00a0what about color accuracy?\u00a0And then we get an idea of \u200b\u200bhow the picture looks on the screen.\u00a0Let’s gradually answer these and other questions.<\/p>\n

The TCL C845 QLED TV, like all non-OLED TVs, is equipped with an LCD panel, in this case VA.\u00a0VA panels are traditionally better in contrast than\u00a0IPS panels\u00a0.\u00a0On top of that, the matrix has\u00a0FALD\u00a0(Full Array Local Dimming) – full-matrix zone illumination technology.\u00a0That is, each set of pixels turns on and off independently depending on the displayed image.<\/p>\n

This mimics the operation of OLED technology and achieves near-perfect black levels (and contrast) when the area is turned off.\u00a0The little problem is that a 4K TV has about 8,300k pixels, while the TCL C845 in its 65-inch version has 576 zones, which gives us a ratio of 1 zone for every 14,400 pixels.<\/p>\n

is that enough?\u00a0The FALD system always requires a balance between black level and shadow detail, since many areas (zones) of the image are not 100% dark, but rather muted.\u00a0Therefore, the area cannot be completely turned off, and it must be lit – albeit dimly.\u00a0OLED is different in this: it can turn off each LED individually.<\/p>\n

However, thanks to MiniLED, TCL has created an excellent software algorithm implemented in the new AiPQ 3.0 Engine, which is responsible for very good shadow detail while maintaining very deep black levels.\u00a0So even with such a small number of zones, the C845 is one of the best local dimming systems.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the TCL C84 series does not have an extra layer to improve the poor viewing angles of VA panels.\u00a0Pixels scatter light, only emitting it forward, so when rotated, we will see how contrast and brightness are lost, which is typical for VA panels.\u00a0It also lacks the premium anti-glare coating seen on\u00a0the Samsung QN95C\u00a0, for example .<\/p>\n

Finally, another impressive aspect of the TCL C845 series is its color level.\u00a0For two reasons: firstly, using quantum dots instead of the usual RGB filter gives pure colors and wide coverage.\u00a0And secondly, since it has no white subpixels, all HDR light output is displayed in the three primary RGB colors.\u00a0There are many scenes where you can see this improvement.<\/p>\n

\"TCL<\/a><\/p>\n

HDR<\/h3>\n

In terms of peak brightness in HDR, our 65″ TCL C845 puts out about 2000 nits in a 10% window and is professionally calibrated with a sensor (D65).\u00a0This is a very good figure, almost 500 nits higher than what the C835 offers.\u00a0The contrast is at the level of 6000 : 1, which is also a very high value.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I must say that the TCL C 845 TV is traditionally omnivorous in terms of HDR formats.\u00a0It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+.\u00a0Just keep in mind that it comes from the factory with an ECO brightness setting.\u00a0And to see the bright HDR highlights in a brightly lit room, you have to go from ECO to the Brightness+ setting.<\/p>\n

In addition, TCL has polished the processing pipeline to improve the 2022 model with the new AiPQ Processor 3.0.\u00a0It promises to improve the C845’s image processing: motion interpolator, more organic and natural scaling, better image color reproduction.\u00a0There are compression improvements too, perfect for streaming content like Netflix and Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n

Games<\/h3>\n

Full HDMI 2.1 ports provide VRR and FreeSync Premium at 4K@120 (or 144Hz) with HDR.\u00a0A minor issue that can be noticed is that the TV deactivates too many local dimming zones to reduce the output lag by a few milliseconds, so the picture degrades noticeably in game mode.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the input lag is not high in game mode – about 13.2ms (and about 8ms in 4K@120 mode).\u00a0In addition to this, the “Game bar” is also slightly improved, which constantly informs about the type of VRR that is activated by the player, the frame rate, whether there is HDR or not, the aspect ratio of the screen, etc. The TV matrix has a response time of 6.5ms GtG in the game mode.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Smart TV<\/h3>\n

The user interface of the Google operating system \/ Android 11 TV is easy to use.\u00a0You need to login with your account to get additional TCL features.\u00a0The system is really very fast, without crashes, intrusive ads, etc. Of course, its functionality, unlike pure Android, is completely focused on the consumption of content on demand.<\/p>\n

There are many digital free channels and many applications.\u00a0Google TV also uses Google Assistant to enable Google Home and voice control.\u00a0A nice feature is Chromecast support.\u00a0This makes it possible to display media files from a smartphone or tablet on a large TV screen.<\/p>\n

Access to file playback via USB or network (NAS \/ DAS) continues to improve and become more and more stable, although limited to 100 Mbps of the built-in network card.\u00a0But you can use a USB adapter with gigabit speed.\u00a0Also be aware that this model does not support DTS.<\/p>\n

\"TCL<\/a><\/p>\n

Sound<\/h3>\n

As for the acoustic design of the TCL 65 C845 TV, it contains a 60 W 2.1 system developed by Onkyo.\u00a0It has two full-range speakers for medium and high frequencies, and another one at the back.\u00a0This is an Ultra-Bass woofer, thanks to which the sound wins in the effect of immersion and saturation of the sound palette.<\/p>\n

The TCL C845 is capable of decoding Dolby Atmos (lossy), which is the DD+ based profile that all on-demand services use.\u00a0It also decodes Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD (but not DTS or DTS HD MA).\u00a0To do this, you will have to use an external media player.\u00a0But through internal applications, we will not hear anything if we play files with DTS codecs.<\/p>\n

Connections<\/h3>\n

In 2023, TCL uses four HDMI 2.1 ports.\u00a0One of them has full\u00a0eARC\u00a0support .\u00a0Next, we list two USB 2.0 ports, a CI slot, AV-in (via adapter), headphone mini-jack, digital optical audio output and a LAN port.\u00a0To receive a TV signal on board, one or two antenna sockets.\u00a0There is WIFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

TCL’s improved mini QLED LCD VA panel is a very pleasant experience, and even more so considering the price.\u00a0This is a really balanced TV with 576 adjustment zones, very good light control and very good increased brightness.\u00a0Probably the best MiniLED with QLED technology of 2023 in terms of value for money.\u00a0This is a great job from a Chinese brand that we hope will continue on this path.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TCL C845 Specifications:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Panel<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Permission<\/td>\n4K UHD 3840\u00d72160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aspect Ratio<\/td>\n16:9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diagonal size<\/td>\n164 cm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>\nVA QLED MiniLED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Update frequency<\/td>\n100 Hz<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Motion processing<\/td>\n144Hz Motion Clarity Pro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HDR<\/td>\nHDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Certification<\/td>\n4K HDR Premium 2000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Color depth<\/td>\n10 bit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Contrast<\/td>\n6000:1 (typ.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brightness<\/td>\n2000 nits (max)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Backlight<\/td>\nDirect FALD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
local dimming<\/td>\n576 zones<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
System<\/td>\n2.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
general power<\/td>\n60 W<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of speakers<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Subwoofer<\/td>\n20 W<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dolby Atmos<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Design<\/td>\nONKYO<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smart TV<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
operating system<\/td>\nAndroid 11 \/ Google TV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CPU<\/td>\nAIPQ 3.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operating memory<\/td>\n3 GB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hands free voice control<\/td>\nYes, depends on the region<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Google Assistant<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chromecast<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
game center<\/td>\nGame Master Pro 2.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game Options<\/td>\nVRR 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Enhance clarity in games<\/td>\nGame Accelerator 240Hz (DLG)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gesture control<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Connections<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HDMI<\/td>\n4 x 2.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB<\/td>\n1×2.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio output<\/td>\ndigital optical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Analog video input<\/td>\nYes, via adapter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Headphone output<\/td>\nMini jack 3.5 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LAN port<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WiFi<\/td>\n5 \/ 2.4 GHz + WiFi6 802.11 ax \/ ac \/ b \/ g \/ n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bluetooth<\/td>\nv5.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimension with stand (WxHxD)<\/td>\n1446 x 865 x 320 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimension without stand (WxHxD)<\/td>\n1446 x 836 x 79 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight with stand<\/td>\n31.8 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vesa mount<\/td>\n400 x 400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TCL C845 is TCL’s 2023 premium mini LED TV.\u00a0Available in 55 \/ 65 \/ 75 \/ 85 inches, it offers great colors, performance and sound compared to its QLED and UHD brethren.\u00a0Mini-LED TVs are brighter and have a denser backlight system behind the LCD panel.\u00a0Tens of thousands of mini-LEDs illuminate the layer of quantum dots […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10402,"featured_media":161427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[641],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-161408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hifiratings.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}