TCL C845 65"

The TCL C845 65-inch is the value pick among premium mini-LED televisions. At around $1599, down from a $2099 recommended retail price (RRP), it delivers most of what the expensive sets do for noticeably less. This is Quantum Dot LED (QLED) with a Mini LED backlight and a strong feature set, running Google TV.

The spec holds up well. Over 1000 local dimming zones, a peak brightness around 2000 nits, a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision and High Dynamic Range (HDR) 10+, and gaming support including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) over HDMI 2.1. Google TV is the smart platform, which is a genuine plus with its huge app range and Chromecast built in.

What the RefDat test lab found

For the money the picture is excellent. It gets bright enough to handle a well-lit lounge, HDR has real punch, and the 1000-plus dimming zones keep blacks deep in most content. On Dune the desert glows and shadow detail survives. Streaming The Traitors Australia, colour and texture are very good. Sport is clean and gaming feels responsive thanks to the 120Hz panel and low input lag. In very dark scenes you can see some blooming around bright objects, and the MediaTek processor is a touch slower than the flagship chips when upscaling messy content, but neither is a dealbreaker at this price. We ran it hard with no overheating.

What owners actually report

Owners on Whirlpool and OzBargain consistently call it the smart-money premium TV, praising the brightness and Google TV. The recurring watch-outs are mild blooming in dark scenes, processing that is good rather than class-leading, and TCL's support network being smaller than Samsung's or LG's. A few owners note the interface can stutter occasionally. For most people the savings against a Samsung or Sony comfortably outweigh these.

Who should skip it? If you want the most refined processing and the widest service network, the dearer brands earn their premium. If you want flagship-style picture and Google TV for well under two grand, the C845 is one of the best buys on the market.

You will find it at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and The Good Guys. Around End of Financial Year and Black Friday, OzBargain has seen it dip below $1359.

Australian Consumer Law (ACL): a premium TV at $1599 should reasonably last 7 to 10 years, with the consumer guarantees realistically covering 4 to 5, beyond the typical 2-year warranty. If the panel develops dead pixels, the backlight dims excessively or the HDMI ports fail in that window, you have a claim. Go to your retailer first.

Bottom line: flagship picture and Google TV at a mid-range price, with only mild blooming and modest processing as the trade-offs. Highly recommended as the value premium TV. Add a soundbar to match the picture. RefDat score 4.4 out of 5.