Chinese TV brand TCL has unveiled a couple of new screens for Europe, including the high-end C845 Mini-LED TV (pictured) that boasts 896 local dimming zones, a more advanced processor, Google TV and support for 240Hz at 1080p.
The two new models are added to the mid-range TCL C645 that was announced earlier in the month. The new TCL C745 will be available in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, while the C845 is available in the same sizes plus an 85-inch model. They’re designed to compete against Samsung Electronics’ new Neo QLED models and Sony’s X90L and X95L Mini-LED TVs.
The TCL C845 Mini-LED TV replaces last year's TCL C835 and is the most premium of the two models, boasting a display technology that was pioneered by the Chinese brand in 2018. It’s said to use the company’s latest generation Mini-LED display panel, backed by QLED colour technology and has upgrades across the board. These include superior, more precise contrast, reduced blooming, higher brightness and enhanced uniformity, TCL said. The improvements stem from the fact that the C845 has more local dimming zones and higher-efficiency, wider luminous angle Mini LEDs, the company said. TCL added that the C845 can hit up to 2,000 nits peak brightness in some HDR modes, rivalling the heights set by LG Electronics’ Micro Lens Array OLED TVs and the new QD-OLED models sold by Samsung and Sony.
Also new is TCL’s AiPQ 3.0 picture quality algorithm, which delivers improvements to the on-screen image quality and contrast in real-time, based on the content being displayed. The C845 is also targeted at gamers, with a 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support. Also onboard is Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, and other HDR formats such as HDR10+ HDR10 and HLG are also likely to be supported.
As for the TCL C745 (below), this is a regular, non-Mini-LED QLED TV that sits below the C845 and above the previously-announced C645. While it’s not Mini-LED, it does add fully array local dimming and can hit a peak brightness of up to 1,000 nits in certain HDR modes, TCL said. It is also powered by a rapid-fast 144Hz panel, which should make it an appealing, affordable option for gamers. Once again, TCL’s Game Accelerator technology is onboard, enabling the TV to reach 240Hz.
TCL is known for selling TVs at extremely competitive prices. It’s able to do this because it builds its own LCD display panels through its subsidiary company CSOT, which also supplies panels to some of its competitors. It’s for this reason that TCL is often able to undercut its competitors on price, and it appears it’s going to do so again this year. TCL said the C745 will start at just £649 for the 55-inch model, rising to £799 for the 65-inch version and just £1,099 for the 75-inch model, with all three going on sale later this month. Prices for the TCL C845 are not yet known, nor was a release date mentioned.
For the rest of TCL’s lineup, that remains a mystery. The company said last year’s lower end P635, P638, P735 and C735 TVs (including a 98-inch model), and its flagship C935, will all carry over for now. Though, it is planning to announce more TVs in the second half of the year, most likely at IFA 2023.
TCL also announced a couple of new S64 series Dolby Atmos Soundbars (above) that will arrive this spring. They include the S642W, which is a 2.1 channel soundbar with wireless subwoofer and 200 watts of power, and the S643, which has 3.1 channels with wireless subwoofer and up to 240 watts audio power. No other details were provided.
Here's last year's review of the TCL C835, which emerged as one of the best affordable but high-performing TVs of 2022:
