For a while now, TCL has built a strong reputation for making well-priced Mini LED TVs that are particularly good for gaming. Last year’s TCL C855 is a prime example. This year, the TCL C8K (not an 8K TV, despite its model name) takes things to another level.
For gamers, it supports an ultra-smooth 288Hz variable refresh rate, which is almost unheard of. To get motion that smooth, you do have to bump the display’s 4K native resolution down to 2K. That’s not too much of a trade-off, though, considering most modern hardware caps out at 4K 120fps.
But the TCL C8K isn’t just for gamers; it’s an all-encompassing entertainment TV running on Google’s operating system. It addresses the blooming or halo issues you see on some lower-end Mini LEDs by using as many as 3,840 dimming zones, depending on the size. I looked at the 75-inch model with 2,176 dimming zones, which made letterboxed content look great.
You can check out my full first look at TCL’s high-end TV via the GadgetGuy YouTube channel.
