TCL C7L tested in Germany: 65 inches for 849 euros, but check the C8L price before you click

[sai]

Buying a C7L because it is the cheaper TV could leave you paying more for less. A long German test of the 65-inch set makes the point in its own conclusion: the C8L is already selling very cheaply in several sizes, sometimes below the C7L. So the model hierarchy tells you very little, and the price on the day tells you nearly everything.

The C7L takes the new Super Quantum Dots, mini LED local dimming, a native 144 Hz panel, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Google TV from the C8L. The cuts are peak brightness, zone count, the processor and HDMI. The testers reckon the visible difference on many kinds of content is under ten percent, which is the kind of figure I always treat with suspicion, since nobody can really measure a percentage of what you see. They do admit the C8L stays ahead on black level, viewing angle and processing.

The cut I would actually feel is ports. The C7L has two fast HDMI 2.1 inputs and the C8L has four. With one console and a soundbar on eARC that is no problem. Add a PC and a second console and you are swapping cables behind a wall mount.

The 849 euro figure at Media Markt and Saturn is quoted as 52 percent off list, plus 39.90 euros delivery, so I would ignore the discount and look only at the gap. Their own advice is the sensible bit: same price, take the C8L. If the C7L is clearly cheaper, you lose little you would notice.

 

[Linsesa]

52 percent off list just means the list price was fiction. Nobody ever paid that for a mid-tier TCL.

 

[Roy_Knable]

Viewing angle is what would decide it for me. We sit spread across an L-shaped sofa, and the person on the end always gets the worst of a VA panel.

 

[TV-Guide]

Two HDMI 2.1 is plenty for most homes. One console and eARC covers the majority of people, and they should not pay extra for ports they will leave empty.

 

[Milabobo]

Under ten percent is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Different on a test pattern, sure, but dark scene blooming is what you remember after a year.

 

[bigapple]

Does anyone know if German C7L stock is the same as what other regions get? TCL has a habit of using the same name for rather different sets.

 

[ZacRedact]

Bought a TV on a big retailer discount once and the next model up dropped below it two weeks later. Check the week before Black Friday, not today.

 

[NetworkingJesus]

The slower processor would bother me more than the brightness. Google TV lag on a mid-range set gets old long before any panel issue does.