Podcast #812: TCL C Series 2017 C807  (RTINGS.COM)

TCL C Series 2017 C807  (RTINGS.COM)

This week we wanted to take a look at what on paper is an incredible TV bargain. Seriously, a 65 in 4K UHD that supports Dolby Vision HDR for about $1,100! We’re talking about the TCL 65C807 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model). The question is whether it's worth it?  Read the full detailed review at RTINGS.COM

 

Features:

Roku TV smart functionality offers access to over 4,000 streaming channels featuring more than 450,000 movies and TV episodes Pairs 4K Ultra HD picture clarity with the contrast, color, and detail of Dolby Vision HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the most lifelike picture Edge LED backlighting with Dynamic Contrast produces deep blacks and excellent picture quality Inputs: 3 HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 (one with HDMI ARC), 1 USB (media player), RF, Composite, Headphone Jack, Optical Audio Out, Ethernet

The TCL C807 4k Roku TV is a decent LCD/LED TV with better than average build quality and design. It features a wider color gamut for vibrant HDR content and very low input lag for responsive gaming. Unfortunately, its blacks are not very uniform, and its picture quality deteriorates even at a slight angle.

The TCL C Series C807 LED TV has an average picture quality. The high contrast ratio makes for a good dark room performance, with a high level of detail in dark scene. Unfortunately, the bad black uniformity and the lack of local dimming hurt the dark room performance in the end. When set in a bright room, the C807 performs better, since it can get fairly bright and deal decently with reflection and glare. The gray uniformity is average though and dirty screen effect is visible when watching sports like football. The very narrow viewing angle won't make it the best TV to watch sports event with all your friend since only people sitting right in front of the TV will have the best picture quality. Finally, HDR performance is ordinary since the TV can't really get brighter than in SDR and the lack of local dimming doesn't help even if it has a wide color gamut.

The C807 has a below average handling of motion. It has an average response time, causing some visible trails to appear behind fast moving objects. It uses PWM to dim the backlight, but only at low backlight levels, and this isn't noticeable to most people. It can play movies from a Blu-ray or DVD player smoothly, but some minor judder is present when watching movies from a 60Hz source. Most people don't notice judder, so it isn't a big issue. The lack of motion interpolation features may disappoint fans of the soap opera effect.

The TCL C807 runs the Roku TV smart platform, which is remarkably fluid to navigate and easy to use. It has a wide selection of apps to download and has a great companion app for phones and tablets. Its weak point is its remote, which has very few buttons and lacks some smart features found in the remotes of other platforms.

Test Results:

Design 9.0 Picture Quality 7.1 Motion 6.3 Inputs 9.3 Sound Quality 6.2 Smart Features 7.9

Usage Ratings:

Mixed Usage 7.1 Movies 6.4 TV Shows 7.1 Sports 6.7 Video Games 7.9 HDR Movies 6.7 HDR Gaming 7.6 PC Monitor 7.3 Conclusion

The TCL C807 is decent for a mixed usage. Its contrast is good, and it features a wide color gamut for HDR. Unfortunately, though, its motion and uniformity of the blacks leave a lot to be desired. Decent TV for watching series or broadcast TV in a bright room. The TCL C Series' brightness is decent, and its Roku smart OS gives very easy access to content. Unfortunately, though, it's not great at handling reflections. Mediocre TV for movies in a dark room. The C807 does have a good contrast ratio, but its poor black uniformity and lack of local dimming cause letterboxes to look cloudy and distracting. Mediocre TV for HDR. While the C807 has a wide color gamut and can reproduce smooth gradients, it cannot get bright enough to create a good HDR effect.