Really impressive mini-LED TV at a very attractive price

Among the pioneers of miniLED technology, TCL tries year after year to improve its recipe and to assert itself in the war of TV manufacturers thanks to its technological mastery. Is the C89B, which we are testing here in its smallest version, 65 inches, yet another miniLED TV from TCL, with quite a few good points and a few unfortunate flaws, or is it a model apart?

If we refer to the tests of our 01lab, the result is clear: the 65C89B is a top dog. Enough to compete with the best? Here is our complete test.

From miniLED to the era of king OLED

The C89B is not just anyone. For TCL, it is the model responsible for replacing the C845, one of the brand’s most successful models and, so far, the best TCL TV to have passed through the 01net lab. Our test was also unequivocal and the commercial success of the model confirmed this. You don’t simply replace a best-seller. But the C89B seems to have the necessary assets to fulfill this mission, starting with an excellent quality/price ratio… especially if we relate it to its diagonal. Available in very large sizes only, 65, 75, 85 and 98 inches, the television has enjoyed very good word-of-mouth for several weeks thanks to record promotions and good deals that regularly put it in the spotlight. Thus, its 85-inch version was displayed at less than 2,000 euros, when the 75-inch diagonal fell below the 1,500 euro mark. Prices that cannot be compared with the historical players in the sector.

Yes, but at TCL the copy has rarely been perfect and, even if the technical sheet often promises the best, reality has been able to reserve some disappointments, notably on the calibration or the image processing engine. Let’s say it right away: with the 65C89B, this is not the case. Despite a high-flying technical sheet (UHD 4K 144 Hz or Full HD 240 Hz panel), the promise is kept, as we will see. And it starts right out of the box.

Design and finishes: serious, but with room for improvement

For a few years now, TCL has no reason to be ashamed of its competitors in terms of manufacturing quality and finishes. This C89B is proof of this with a design that is certainly classic, but mastered.

At first glance, the C89B might seem rather thick, especially compared to an OLED TV, but these few extra millimeters of thickness have a justification, especially on the audio part, and we will come back to this.

On the other hand, even after several days of use, one detail seems to us to be missed, a “signature” logo placed on the right edge of the chassis and which “eats” the edge of the screen. This does not affect the image, certainly, but our gaze has not ceased to be drawn to this relatively unsightly and frankly not useful detail.

Foot and remote control: lots of good ideas

For this C89B, TCL has chosen a fairly sober central metal foot whose main interest is to make this large television “compatible” with many TV stands. A small downside however, to avoid any trace of scratches, TCL has placed four adhesive plastic pads under this foot. A good intention, but their white color is visible when you get closer to the foot (which is black), which is not the most beautiful effect. It is on this kind of detail that TCL can still progress to be at the level of the very best.

On the other hand, regarding this foot, TCL had the good idea of ​​making it adjustable to two heights, which allows you to adjust the space between the bottom of the screen and the furniture: ideal when you want to fit a sound bar in this space between the two.

The remote control is a model of its kind. TCL has chosen a sleek accessory, with a minimum of buttons, like Samsung. It was a good choice! The essentials are within reach with four shortcut buttons, only three of which are really useful (sorry TCL Channel). The object is not only practical and pleasant to use, it is also quite beautiful, which is not typical of remote controls. The only weakness of this remote control is the lack of backlighting, which is a shame. Finally, as for “cable management”, in other words the possibilities offered to hide the wires, TCL has made do with the minimum with a system of grooves on the foot that allows you to slide the cables in, but which turns out to be quite impractical. Fortunately, if this subject interests you, there are several much more effective alternatives.

Image quality: game-changing brightness

Behind the promise of better image quality, there are two essential drivers: the TCL 65C89B chip and its QLED Pro panel.

Although stamped “TCL”, the chip of this TV is actually a MediaTek Pentonic 700. The story does not say whether it is an optimized version for the brand or a classic component. However, in addition to the decompression of the VVC, this chip allows the TCL TV to make the mini-LED backlighting (on more than 1,000 zones) and this UHD 4K 144 Hz panel called QLED Pro work together. Why does TCL use this mention? Quite simply because, on this generation of panels, the manufacturer would use a new generation of quantum dots which would improve the brightness and colorimetry of the TV. Claims that we were able to verify during our tests.

Our 01lab was able to measure the maximum brightness in HDR at more than 2000 nits (the limit of our probe) as well as a peak brightness in SDR at nearly 1000 nits. These two values ​​place the C89B among the very best in its category.

How did TCL achieve this level of brightness? Of course, there are the intrinsic qualities of the panel and the mini-LED lighting panel that come into play, but not only that. There is also a home-made technology, the famous “OD”. This involves an extreme reduction in the space between the panel and the lighting panel. In the case of this television stamped OD5, there is therefore only 5 mm of space between these two components. Result? A greater action of the mini-LED panel and a significant reduction in light leaks.

What can we say about the image quality of this TV? It is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished mini-LED models on the market, without even considering the question of price. Of course, even if the performance of the mini-LED tends to bring LCD technology closer to the type of images that OLED can produce, the comparison cannot really hold. The image quality is obvious in the brightest areas, but the C89B also manages to shine by bringing nuance and detail to the dark areas… without of course matching the perfect blacks of an OLED model. Blacks of this level also imply an exceptional level of contrast for an LCD model (4944:1 according to 01lab), which is true, even on demanding content, such as certain scenes from the Shogun series.

So, if the colorimetry suggests a fairly faithful and well-calibrated television right out of the box (the average Delta E is between 1.48 and 3.65 depending on the modes tested).

Interface and navigation: Google has a party

TCL has made a habit of entrusting its interface to Google. So it is Google TV that is embedded on this 65C89. In addition to the overall quality of Google’s OS, TCL can boast of unrivaled navigation fluidity. The menus scroll almost instantly and the different applications load in the blink of an eye, which has not always been the case in the past with the Chinese manufacturer.

On this point, TCL does not revolutionize the genre, and one could also reproach it for a lack of initiative in the display or diversity of its menus, but is this really what we expect from a player who wants to compete with the references of the sector? This C89B prefers to bet on the essentials: simplicity of the interface, speed of the menus and efficiency of the whole.

Is the TCL C89B cut out for video games?

For a few years now, TCL has not skimped on the means to convince gamers to adopt its TVs. Moreover, we have regularly highlighted in these pages the interest of opting for a TCL TV when you are a gamer and you do not have the means to look at Samsung or LG. The 65C89B is no exception to the rule and should even be a reference for gamers who are betting on a good quality/price ratio.

The first two HDMI ports of the TV are HDMI 2.1 compatible, the first even has the 144 Hz option in Ultra HD. Of course, the C89B ticks all the boxes in terms of gaming features (ALLM, VRR). In terms of performance, 01lab measured the input lag of this TCL 65C89B at only 9 ms, which puts it on par with the best models from Samsung, the benchmark in the field.

Like its rivals, TCL has had a menu dedicated to gaming for years now, the “gaming bar”. In this horizontal menu that is positioned at the bottom of the screen, we find the usual settings, but also some specific aids (aiming assistance, lighting of dark areas or even game modes depending on the type of each title).

Ultimately, the C89B’s gaming performance (in our case, the TV was mainly tested with a PS5) is at the high end of the category. TCL’s mini-LED is not only versatile, but it also performs very well. If we wanted to be a little picky, we could still criticize it for a lower brightness in game mode or some particularly saturated colors, but these are acceptable flaws that disappear when you switch to cinema mode.

Is the C89B good in audio?

For the Audio part, TCL has a historic ally: Onkyo. If the C89B does not have an integrated sound bar like some models in the past, it integrates speakers slightly turned upwards, for better spatialization, but also to better claim Dolby Atmos compatibility. Also equipped with a Woofer, it generally offers very good quality sound, but which tends to saturate quite quickly when the volume is turned up quickly.

Despite its thickness allowing it to carry a quality audio part, it will not save you from a sound bar or a dedicated system for anyone wishing to have sound that matches its image quality.

Unbeatable value for money

Let’s keep it simple: at the time of writing, no TV can compete with the TCL C89B in terms of value for money. Obviously, you shouldn’t rely on the recommended retail price, which has been significantly reduced by various retailer promotions and manufacturer refund offers. These are regular on this model, so it’s possible to find it at pretty astonishing prices when you consider the size of the TV and the mini-LED technology it features.

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