We return to the charge with the analysis of a television. And it is one that I particularly liked because I think it is one of the best options right now if you want a state-of-the-art television to take advantage of PS5 and Xbox Series X and, also, with a good quality/price ratio.
This is the TCL 55C835, a miniLED television that is from a company that, little by little, is becoming better known in our territory. TCL was introduced to Europe relatively recentlybut they are one of the largest panel manufacturers worldwide (and, furthermore, owners of Alcatel).
We have already reviewed other TCL televisions, such as the C635, and although the general feeling was positive, there were certain details that were not quite in tune or technical issues that had to be resolved. With this C835 it shows that they have gone one step further.
Leaving me with introductions, Let’s go with the analysis of the TCL 55C835 I’m telling you, it’s great to watch movies, but for video games it’s the best with permission from the highest ranges.
The review of the 55″ TCL C835, analysis, test and opinion of Computerhoy:
TCL 55C835 data sheet
TCL 55C835PantallaPanel VA de 55″
Resolution of 3,840 x 2,160
16:9 format
120 Hz refresh rate (144 VRR)
Brightness 500 nits typical and 1,000 nits peak
Iluminación miniLED con 240 zonasProcesador de imagenMediatek MT9615 quad-coreSistema operativoAndroid 11Formatos HDRHDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQAccesoriosDos mandosSonido2 x 10 W
20W wooferHome automationGoogle Assistant and AlexaConnectivityRJ45
2 x HDMI 2.1
2 x HDMI 4K60
USB-A 2.0
eARC
Puerto CI
optical port
AntennaWireless connectivityWifi 6
BluetoothDimensiones1.226 x 794 x 208 mmPeso18,7 kg con soporte
16.7 kg without supportExtrasFreesync PremiumPrice1099 euros
No-frills design with ports that should be elsewhere
At the port level, the TCL C835 is served. The main thing is that it has HDMI 2.1 with a bandwidth of 48 Gbps, as well as 3 other HDMI… different ones.
One of them is the one marked full-range with 4K144, another is marked as 4K120 (so it’s also HDMI 2.1) and then it has two 4K60s. TCL says there are 4 HDMI 2.1s and that may be the case, but it’s clear that two of them are bandwidth limited.
This means that you will be able to take advantage of the benefits of both the new 4000 series graphics (we have analyzed the RTX 4090 and the RTX 4080) and the current generation consoles -PS5 and Xbox Series X-.
It has a headphone output, RJ45 port (although it also has Wi-Fi compatible with 2.4 and 5 GHz and it works quite well, it’s how I had it connected), a USB 2.0, optical output and a CI port.
I think that more is not needed in a television of this type, but I did not like their location because it excessively conditions the location of the devices that we have to connect.
They are all on the right side and, in a smaller model, I don’t care, but in this range that are 55”, 65” and 75”, I think they should be more centered. This is something quite personal.
On the other hand we have the remote control. Well, the controls, rather. And it is that, it is curious that when certain brands are betting on more minimalist designs with increasingly smaller controls, a model with two controls arrives that, in addition, are huge.
Both allow you to control the basic options, so you will be able to put one in the drawer, but it almost seems that TCL was not clear with the best design and said “well, nothing, put both in the box and that’s it”.
The smallest (by a couple of millimeters) is the “smart”. It has a microphone to invoke Google Assistantthe basic controls of the TV and six shortcut buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, TCL Channel and a couple of its own functions.
It is the remote that I have used during my tests, I am not going to deceive you, since the other remote, more elongated, only has the Netflix and Prime Video buttons, as well as a numeric keypad that I do not use at all.
This is a matter of taste and preferences for use, but honestly, I think it is superfluous with a controller and, in addition, it should be something more compact.
The miniLED backlight is bright and for gaming it’s a very good TV
If we turn to the image, we have a TV with a VA panel that has a miniLED backlight. Depending on the diagonal of the TV, there will be more or less zones, and in the 55” we find 240 with local dimming.
This allows you to better control the brightness of a set of “grids” on the TV to more precisely light the scene and, taking into account the 1,000 nits peak (typical is 500 nits)is something that is appreciated in the most contrasting images.
In the end, this allows a greater dynamic range and, if in the lower series that we reviewed a few months ago -the 55C635- we found that the highlights were not well controlled, here we have a much better performance.
Obviously, it cannot be compared to the precision of higher-range televisions, but for a 55” miniLED for around 1,000 euros, I think it is very well measured. It is HDR Premium 1000 certified and supports HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Vision IQ.
The first thing is that it is compatible with all current HDR supports, so the different video platforms will be seen correctly whatever the content. And, furthermore, Dolby Vision IQ was a pleasant surprise.
Basically -although my colleague Carolina explains it much better- it is a technology that allows us to adapt the brightness and color representation of the scene depending on the ambient light in the space in which we place the television thanks to a dedicated sensor.
In the room where I put it there is always the same light, but for a living room with a window, this is great. And well, to see movies the truth is that I liked it a lot.
You have the default picture profiles on Google TV, which aren’t the most accurate and sometimes you can’t find the best one for “everything”, but you have to switch between them when watching movies, and it also has problems with the content on RDS.
I don’t usually watch a lot of SDR content (beyond YouTube), but in TV shows I think the image processor does not calculate very well some tones and areas of brightness. With HDR content or the one that gives information to the processor, no problem, but with content in standard dynamic range… there are inconsistencies.
However, I think where it shines the most is when it comes to playing. To get started, is compatible with VRR and ALLM thanks to its 120 Hz refresh rate (which we can take up to 144 Hz) and I think it is one of the best quality/price televisions to play.
Connecting my Xbox Series X, going to the image settings and seeing that all the boxes have the ‘check’ is a real pleasure. The viewing angles are very good, the latency has not bothered me at all (TCL says it’s about 6 milliseconds with game mode) and titles that make good use of HDR are an absolute joy.
For resources I only recorded Forza Horizon 5, but Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West are insane.
Google TV dominates the space, even if it struggles a bit at times
And as the heart of the team we have a Mediatek MT9615a quad-core Cortex A73 that allows image analysis, but also the Android 11 operating system to move.
We have Google TV, which means that we can download apps from the Store and, in addition, it has Chromecast integrated. This is very convenient since, unless you use an Apple TV, you will not need to connect streaming devices because everything is integrated.
In addition to Google Assistant, you can also use Alexa as an assistant and, in general, I like how the system moves, although I think it could be a little faster in some tasks, especially when switching between open apps.
But hey, apart from that, I think it behaves well and is an intuitive system. And yes, you also have AirPlay.
20 W sound power signed by Onkyo
Something that has surprised me is the sound. Televisions, for purely physical reasons, are not going to offer the same level as a sound bar or speakers. This is logical because they are getting thinner and, in addition to the speakers, they have to house different components of the television itself.
In the high range, ingenious solutions have been found, such as making the panel itself “vibrate” to emit and amplify sound -we saw it in the Sony Sony A80K-, as well as configurations of various speakers distributed throughout the body -as in the LG G2 -, but here we have a more traditional configuration.
These are two 10 W speakers each for a total of 20 W with a 20 W central woofer. The sound is signed by Onkyo and I think a good job has been done.
There are different predefined sound profiles and I like how it sounds to watch YouTube, television or a series, but it lacks forcefulness in some sections and, above all, the enveloping sensation in games and movies.
The TV is compatible with Dolby Atmos content which, yes, expands the sound “space” a bit, but it does not achieve an enveloping space. At least that’s how it was in the room where I had the TV, which isn’t particularly big.
But hey, I think you’re going to need an external sound system to accompany the excellent image quality in the best possible way.
Versions, offers and price of the TCL 55C835
Before moving on to the conclusions, let’s go with the price. I found it very interesting considering both the image quality and the compatibility with current consoles.
TCL 55C835
The TCL 55C835 is a TV with a VA panel and miniLED backlight that is very interesting to play on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Currently, at least at the time of writing this analysis, it can be purchased at a price of 1,099 euros. I think that as a large TV for a game room where we have a PS5, a PC, Xbox Series X or all three systems at the same time, it is more than interesting.
TCL C835 de 55”, Computerhoy’s opinion: is it worth it?
We reached the end of the analysis of the 55” TCL C835 and, during the weeks that I was able to test it, I had very good feelings. Maybe for my space it is a bit big, since I would prefer it to be 48″ or something like that, but the truth is that the image quality is amazing.
In cinema it is true that sometimes I have to switch between the different image modes to enjoy the best colors, since although it is compatible with the different streaming apps and, obviously, with 4K Blu Ray player sources, there are contents that do not automatically adjust well and have to be tinkered with.
It’s not a major problem, but there it is. However, that full-range HDMI 2.1 support is a real blast to play (but that only two HDMIs are not optimal) and, furthermore, that it is compatible with all HDR formats, together with Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision IQ, gives you peace of mind because you know that you will be able to enjoy, at least for the moment, of all the contents in the best conditions.
I found the miniLED backlighting to be very successful and yes, there is some “flash” in some specific conditions, but it controls it correctly and it is not something that takes you out of the movie or video game you are enjoying.
The sound, despite the good “tuning” of Onkyo, may be the lame leg of the set and I would have put the ports on the back, but for the rest, and quality / price, Sounds like one of the best big gaming TVs you can buy right now.
