With the C8L, or the C89L depending on the markets, TCL continues its push into the very large MiniLED television segment. Spectacular brightness, broad color coverage, Dolby Vision compatibility, Google TV, high-frequency gaming, and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect integration: this model ticks many boxes. But is such a technological flurry enough to make it a true alternative to the best OLEDs?
In TCL’s philosophy, MiniLED is more than a mere specification box. For several generations, the brand has placed MiniLED at the heart of its high-end strategy, aiming to offer very bright, very high-contrast TVs well equipped, often at prices more aggressive than OLED rivals. The C8L sits squarely within this logic. Positioned just below the brand’s top-tier lines but above the more accessible series, it intends to embody the balance between technological demonstration and a product truly suitable for a living room. Its principal aim is to deliver the HDR impact of an incredibly bright MiniLED while minimizing the traditional LCD flaws as much as possible.
8 / 10
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- Luminosité HDR très impressionnante
- Very good brightness performance on large surfaces
- Color coverage très large
- Convincing MiniLED contrast
- Blooming generally well controlled in front of the screen
- Google TV is rich and generally smooth
- Excellent gaming performance
- Dolby Atmos FlexConnect compatibility with TCL Z100
- SDR calibration can be improved
- Blooming still visible in some difficult scenes
- Viewing angles still limited vs. OLED
- Images can be more demonstrative than strictly faithful
- Direct reflections always visible
TCL C89L: performance and image quality
Our measurements
The C8L arrives with a fairly clear promise: push MiniLED brightness far enough to challenge the best high-end TVs, including OLED. Depending on the diagonal, the C8L can manage 1,008 to 4,032 local-dimming zones, with 2,040 zones on the 65-inch model we tested here. It relies on a WHVA panel believed to improve viewing angles and on SQD-MiniLED technology claimed to reach nearly 100% coverage of BT.2020.
The program is ambitious, but it demands verification. High brightness alone does not make for a good HDR TV: you must precisely control the backlight, limit blooming, preserve details in dark areas, and avoid an image that feels overly demonstrative. Our measurements, paired with impressions of actual image rendering, should help assess all that.
Click here to view SDR measurements
In SDR, the Filmmaker mode on the TCL C8L is not as precise as we would have hoped. The average gamma, measured at 2.219, hovers near target, but the curve lacks full regularity. Not problematic for everyday use, but the C8L does not provide an on-the-nose SDR calibration as precise as the best high-end OLEDs. The Filmmaker mode remains pleasant but retains a slightly cold tone and a somewhat more demonstrative image than strictly neutral.
We measured an average Delta E of 4.46, peaking at 8.46. The grayscale supports this trend, with an average Delta E of 5.2 and an average color temperature of 7291 K. The image therefore leans slightly cool, with whites that skew a touch blue and a red deficit more noticeable in the highlights.
HDR measures continued
The TCL C8L is compatible with the market’s main HDR formats, including HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision IQ. Note that the C8L is expected to receive Dolby Vision 2 via a future OTA update, which was not available at the time of our test.
The TV covers both standard HDR content and dynamic metadata formats, a key point for streaming catalogs, UHD Blu-rays, or certain HDR TV sources. In HDR, the Filmmaker mode is markedly more convincing than in SDR in terms of color accuracy.
We measured an average Delta E of 2.17, a value low enough to ensure overall color fidelity. A few outliers remain visible on certain hues, but the result remains solid, especially for a TV that clearly seeks a very bright and demonstrative image.
We won’t revisit here in detail this configuration, already covered in our dedicated test, but it remains a strong argument for the C8L. Provided you accept a still relatively closed ecosystem and limited adjustments, Dolby Atmos FlexConnect can fairly easily turn the TV into the hub of a wireless home cinema system, without a soundbar or external amplifier.
Interface and features
The TCL C8L runs on Google TV, a platform that is now well known, rich in apps, and easy to use. The main streaming services are present, content organization is clear, and the integration with the Google ecosystem makes voice search, program recommendations, and connected-device management straightforward.
The interface remains fluid for daily use. Switching between apps, navigating menus, and adjusting settings presents no particular difficulty. Google TV remains rich in recommendations, which can be annoying for those who prefer a plainer interface. As often, you gain in features what you lose in minimal visual simplicity.
The display performance is equally remarkable. We measured a 98.03% coverage of DCI-P3 and 89.65% of BT.2020. TCL does not hit the advertised 100% BT.2020, but the result remains excellent and confirms the value of SQD-MiniLED technology. The C8L is not only extremely bright; it also sports a very wide color gamut, capable of delivering vividness to the richest HDR content.
The HDR performance is most convincing with demonstrative content. Night-time urban scenes, science-fiction films, or video games all benefit fully from this panel. The image has impact, density, and above all the ability to stay legible in bright areas that many OLED panels cannot match on large screens. The TV sometimes gives a very flattering impression of an image that “punches” hard without looking artificial.
The blacks are also strong for a MiniLED LCD. The local dimming works effectively, providing convincing depth in most scenes. The C8L maintains very high contrast, with good separation between dark areas and highlights. In dark-room cinema viewing, the result is often impressive, further enhanced by the bright luminosity that deepens the sense of depth.
In everyday use, the C8L delivers a very compelling experience. Google TV remains rich and fluid, gaming capabilities are solid, and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect compatibility adds a real edge to TCL’s ecosystem, particularly with the Z100 speakers. The C8L does not replace OLED for those seeking perfect blacks, zero bloom, and the best off-angle stability. But for a bright living room, large diagonals, and fans of striking imagery, it remains a highly credible answer. A MiniLED with room to grow, but already very effective at bringing HDR content to life.
Video processing is solid overall. 4K UHD content appears with crisp detail, without obvious edge enhancement when the settings stay reasonable. Details stand out, textures are pronounced, and the brightness often gives a perceptual boost in sharpness. With more compressed sources, the C8L does its best: mid-range streaming streams or heavily compressed TV programs are more prone to artifacts on a large diagonal, but the TV still preserves a pleasant image in most cases.
Color performance is another major strength. The BT.2020 coverage near 90% translates into rich, highly saturated tones when needed, often more impressive than on a traditional MiniLED, with imagery that can become highly demonstrative without appearing cartoonish. As always, the most faithful modes remain recommended if you want to avoid a too-cold or overly enhanced look.
The remote control remains faithful to current market trends: compact, with streaming shortcuts and quick access to the voice assistant. It performs adequately but does not reach the ergonomics of the market’s best interfaces. The C8L leans more on the richness of Google TV and its overall equipment than on a particularly original software experience.
Gaming
The TCL C8L is well equipped for gaming. HDMI 2.1 compatibility, VRR, ALLM, high refresh-rate support (native 4K at 144 Hz and up to 288 Hz with Game Accelerator), and built-in gaming features make it a viable screen for both current consoles and a powerful PC. For a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series, the TV naturally covers essential needs with 4K at 120 Hz and the low-latency features expected at this level of performance.
In gaming, the brightness is fully exploited. HDR titles with strong contrast gain intensity, with highly impactful light effects and solid legibility in bright scenes. Sci‑fi games, nocturnal open worlds, or highly colorful environments showcase the panel especially well, as seen with Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077.
| The TCL C8L input lag | ||
| Game Mode | Standard Mode | |
| Measured input lag (60 Hz) | 9.6 ms | 114.6 ms |
With 9.6 ms measured at 60 Hz in Game mode, the C8L is perfectly reactive for console gaming. The Standard mode climbs to 114.6 ms, far too high for comfortable play, underscoring the importance of the dedicated gaming mode.
The gaming bar quickly reveals essential information like refresh rate, VRR, or display mode. The setup is practical and coherent with what one expects from a modern TV. The C8L is not just a good cinema screen—it’s a very attractive option for gamers who want a bright, responsive image.
Power consumption
As usual, to evaluate TCL C8L’s power draw, we used a white test pattern occupying 10% of the screen surface, calibrated at 150 cd/m². Relative to the 65-inch screen area, the measurement yields a power density of 73.2 W/m².
This value remains fairly high, but it’s not surprising for a MiniLED TV. As always, this measurement reflects a specific scenario: real-world consumption varies greatly with picture mode, the brightness requested from the panel, and the content being shown.
Design and connectivity
The C8L adopts a sober, modern presentation, with borders kept discreet and the panel occupying most of the front face. The TV has a restrained presence and does not strive to outshine the most design-focused models, but it looks solid, well built, and consistent with its positioning.
As with most MiniLED TVs, the chassis cannot match the extreme thinness of an OLED across the entire surface. It remains a relatively hefty TV, and wall-mounting will be slightly less striking than with some premium OLEDs, though the result remains perfectly acceptable in a living room.
The measured Delta E averages 2.17, a value low enough to ensure overall color fidelity. Some deviations remain visible on certain hues, but the result is solid, especially for a TV that clearly aims to deliver a very bright and demonstrative image.
C’est probablement le principal rappel technologique du C8L. TCL maîtrise très bien son rétroéclairage, mais ne peut pas totalement effacer les limites du MiniLED. Un OLED conserve l’avantage sur la précision absolue du noir, l’absence totale de halo et la stabilité de l’image hors axe. Le C8L répond autrement : par une luminosité qui offre une image percutante même en pièce lumineuse et une capacité HDR particulièrement spectaculaire.
