TCL 55C655 Pro test: a 4K television to equip yourself at a low price

Image quality

By closely observing the image of the sub-pixels, we see a vertical arrangement, which is consistent with a VA type LCD panel.

At TCL, Filmmaker mode is unfortunately absent, so you will have to opt for Film mode which is closest to it. The other modes (Sport, Game, etc.) should be avoided if you want to preserve precise colorimetry. Although the calibration is not completely perfect in SDR, it remains barely perceptible to the naked eye with an average delta E of 2.5, lower than the threshold value of 3. Only a few shades of red and blue drift a little .

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1 – Average Delta E SDR measured at 2.3 2 – Color temperature curve – average 6290 K 3 – Gamma curve – average 2.4

With an average color temperature of 6290 K, this TV is not far from the ideal 6500 K, which gives an image that is slightly too warm, but it is still very good. The gamma is almost perfect with an average of 2.4. Almost, because upon closer inspection, we see that the dark tones are a little too dark and the very light tones slightly overexposed.

The dynamic contrast is excellent thanks to the VA panel and the local dimmingexceeding 5000:1 for very deep blacks. As is often the case with VA panels, the viewing angles are unfortunately poor, even very poor here. We noted an 83% loss of brightness at a 45° angle, one of the worst results in our database.

HDR

Like most of the brand’s televisions, the C655 Pro is compatible with all HDR formats (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, Dolby Vision).

With a Full Array Local Dimming LCD panel, you shouldn’t expect miracles on the brightness front. The TCL 55C655 Pro reaches a maximum of 490 cd/m² over a 10% window, which remains relatively low compared to the Mini-Led and Oled models available on the market, but better than some direct competitors such as the E7NQ Pro. For comparison, many high-end televisions display much higher values, with some Oleds reaching up to 1600 cd/m², while some Mini-Led models exceed 2000 cd/m².

With a signal at 10,000 cd/m², the EOTF curve is followed almost perfectly. However, the highlights risk being a little overexposed, because the TV only slightly smoothes the curve between 60 and 80%. In HDR, the colorimetry is unfortunately less precise than in SDR with an average delta E of 4.1, thus exceeding the value of 3. This is a bit regrettable, but not so surprising on an entry-level model.

As is often the case with LCD panels, the colorimetric coverage is not very extensive. DCI-P3, a color space mainly used in cinema, is covered at 83%, but Rec. 2020 only at 61%. That said, the latter is still very little used in studios, and only a few films really take advantage of it.

Clouding et blooming

Although we did not observe any clouding (light spots), the blooming is present around bright objects on a dark background, especially subtitles. This is unfortunately one of the disadvantages of classic LCD panels, which do not handle this phenomenon well, especially at the entry level. On the other hand, Mini-Led technology offers much better performance in this area, and Oled is simply impeccable.

Reflectance

Entry-level TVs often struggle with glare, and the C655 Pro is no exception. With a reflectance measured at 41%, it ranks among the least efficient in our comparison. This can be annoying, especially in dark scenes, and even more so if interior lights are reflected directly into the screen. As an indication, high-performance models display a reflectance of less than 20%, or even less than 10%.

Video games

This is one of the faults of this television: the panel is unfortunately limited to 60 Hz and you will therefore have to turn to a slightly more high-end model to benefit from a refresh at 120 Hz. We nevertheless measured a delay at the display (input lag) of 13.2 ms and there is therefore no delay between the action performed on the controller or mouse and its repercussion on the screen. A game bar can be activated to quickly access the appropriate settings, but it is not the most successful on the market.

The remanence of the LCD panel is, however, very high and there could therefore be some ghosting behind moving objects. As you will have understood, this TV is not really dedicated to experienced gamers, but it will be more than enough for fans of Mario Kart, Zelda and other RPGs that do not require perfect fluidity. It also has three HDMI 2.1 inputs (including one eArc) compatible with ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate).

Game mode sometimes causes excessive color saturation on TVs. This is generally no longer the case with TCL on the latest models that we have tested. Thus, the average delta E of 3.9 remains similar to that of Film mode. Good news, although it remains too high in practice, as we wrote a little above.

Ergonomics

The feet of the TCL 55C655 Pro are simple to install: simply attach them to the chassis with two screws. Made of plastic and located on each side of the device, they do not allow you to install a large soundbar. But if your furniture is wide enough, there shouldn’t be a problem.

The TV has three HDMI 2.1 ports, as well as an optical digital audio output, a composite input, an Ethernet port, a headphone output and a CI+ Common Interface port. It is also equipped with sockets for TNT/cable and satellite antennas with a tuner and a USB-A 3.0 port. Wifi and Bluetooth are obviously included.

As usual with TCL, the Google TV interface is at the helm, offering a wide choice of apps such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, MyCanal, Molotov and many others. Although it is possible to connect to a Google account to benefit from personalized recommendations, this link is not required. Chromecast is integrated, allowing you to stream content from a smartphone or tablet, while Google Assistant allows you to control the device directly by voice.

The remote control, not backlit and entirely made of plastic, offers a wide range of classic features with shortcuts to streaming applications. It runs on batteries and does not have a built-in battery, like the manufacturer’s more high-end models.