The modern television market is dominated by a select number of manufacturers. For years, names like Samsung and LG have been some of the first to come to mind when most of us imagine the perfect TV. But, in recent years, another name has steadily grown in recognition and popularity…

TCL is now a leading name in the television market. It’s a name closely associated with easy affordability and all kinds of game-changing visual benefits.

TCL is still a relatively new company when compared to the competition. But, despite this, it has become one of the most trusted names in the business.

Want to know what has helped to make TCL so popular? This guide contains everything you could ever need to know about the company. From its early beginnings, through to the many technologies that TCL TVs now boast!

Our Reliant tech experts have done the research, and now they’re inviting you to see what they found out! Let’s get right into it!

What Is The History Of TCL TVs?

As we mentioned in our introduction, TCL is actually one of the youngest names in the TV business. The company was founded in 1981, in China, as a state-owned business, responsible for creating audio cassettes.

In the years since, TCL very slowly expanded its enterprise. Creating a more varied range of products, for a much more diverse market. In 1991, following a slow expansion into foreign shores, TCL started selling its very first TVs, right from within their very own brick-and-mortar stores!

TCL was originally founded in 1981, in Guangdong Province, China. Initially, the company was focused entirely on producing audio cassettes, but soon moved on to producing TVs! As the decades passed, TCL TVs became some of the most popular around!

TCL then improved their TVs with every following model. Every new TCL TV brought with it a new wealth of unique features that were wholly unique to them. Over time, the company transitioned from creating bulky CRT TVs to creating their now-beloved flat-screen displays.

Now, after more than 40 years in the business, TCL has become one of the most trusted names around. And this is partly thanks to their continued commitment to innovation. TCL has never been a company content to rest on its laurels. Even now, with each new TV model, TCL TVs continue to push the bar for home entertainment.

But what are some of the unique features that have helped to keep TCL so relevant in the modern era? Let’s take a look…

What Features Do TCL TVs Have?

TCL now has a fairly extensive catalogue of TV models. Each of these TVs is packed with immense features that have helped to make TCL such a strong name. We’ve taken a look at some of the most important features, to understand what makes TCL such a trusted name!

Mini LED Technology

Many top TCL TVs employ Mini LED technology in order to create such vibrant images. Mini LED technology is very different from standard LED technology and even very different from OLED technology, which it is often confused with.

Mini LEDs are essentially just as their name suggests. They’re incredibly small LEDs that produce the crucial light for making TV images visible. Because the LEDs are so small, it means that far more of them can be packed into the TV.

More individual LEDs means it’s much easier for a TCL TV to accurately create just the right amount of light for any image. In turn, a TCL TV can create far sharper contrast. Brighter areas of the image are much stronger, while darker areas aren’t muddied by any light bleeding!

Mini LEDs are much smaller than their standard counterparts. In fact, they’re so small, that much more of them can be packed into a single TV. More Mini LEDs result in much sharper contrast in all of your content.

And despite their tiny size, Mini LEDs can still produce just as much light as their larger counterparts. In fact, some TCL TVs with Mini LEDS can achieve higher-than-average brightness levels!

Mini LED technology also plays a crucial role in another great TCL TV feature…

Local Dimming Technology

Local dimming technology is found in many of TCL’s top Mini LED TVs. Essentially, local dimming technology allows a TV to control exactly how much light is created by the backlight. It does this by grouping together the backlight LEDs into distinct “Zones”. These zones can then act independently from the rest. This allows these zones to then dim the amount of light they produce for the sake of an image. So, for instance, if a quarter of the on-screen image is particularly dark, the zones behind it can dim individually from the others.

Mini LED technology found in many TCL TVs helps to make local dimming even easier. With more individual LEDS packed into the TV, there are also subsequently more individual dimming zones.

Some TCL TVs have as many as 2,000 individual dimming zones. The increased density of dimming zones helps TCL TVs to more accurately control light, for a more pleasant and accurate viewing experience!

Google TV And Android TV

TCL TVs are also just as smart as the competition. In order to provide all of the internet-connected features you might expect from other smart TVs, TCL models make use of some of the best operating systems.

The Google TV operating system is one of these. It’s one of the very best operating systems on the market and provides a highly personalised user experience. Whenever you use your TCL TV, the Google TV operating system is able to learn from your unique viewing habits. It can then use this data to improve your experience. If it notices you watch a lot of Netflix, for example, it will make sure the Netflix app is right there on the home screen every time you boot the TV up!

TCL TVs make use of Android and Google TV operating systems to power all of their smart functions. These two operating systems are some of the best in the business and offer unparalleled performance and navigation!

Some TCL TVs make use of the Android TV operating system, which is also similarly robust. Android is a very trusted name in the world of tech. Being responsible for one of the most popular operating systems employed in some of the top smartphones and tablets. The Android TV operating system is just as worthy of acclaim!

Whenever you grab a TCL TV, you can count on it to deliver the perfect user experience. Google and Android TV operating systems make it effortless to switch between your many online apps, to access whatever you want, whenever you want it!

Slick Refresh Rates

When it comes to enjoying live sports and gaming, TCL TVs are almost unrivalled. This is because many of the top TCL TVs have immense refresh rates. Top TCL models have refresh rates as high as 144 Hz, which are used to render motion that appears incredibly smooth and realistic.

The 144 Hz refresh rate quite literally means that some TCL TVs can refresh their image 144 times in a single second. What results from such a high refresh rate is a smooth sense of motion. In fact, 144 Hz is so smooth that it almost tricks the brain into believing the on-screen events are real!

TCL TVs are often recommended to sports fans and gamers. This is thanks to their incredibly high 144Hz refresh rates that allow for motion to look totally smooth and realistic!

TCL TVs are an easy recommendation for sports fans. The smoother motion recreation allows you to be there for every historic moment. For gaming, the 144 Hz refresh rate allows you to easily play your games at top frame rates, and to feel that much more in control!

TCL Ai-Contrast

We’ve spoken quite extensively about the many benefits that TCL TVs offer on the visual end. TCL TVs boast some of the best contrast in the game, which helps them to compete against even some of the top OLED TVs. Mini LED technology and local dimming zone technology help to ensure every colour and every shade looks perfect in all of your content.

TCL Ai-Contrast is a unique technology exclusively found in TCL TVs, that helps to further improve their visual capabilities!

The Ai-Contrast program is so smart that it can actually identify objects in your content, as you enjoy it! By identifying unique objects and shapes in every shot, the program can more accurately determine how to improve visual contrast.

It then uses this information to control just how much light is sent out by the Mini LEDs. By carefully controlling the light emitted by the local dimming zones, this TV can up contrast massively!

Affordable Tech

One thing that has helped TCL to become such a beloved name is the company’s commitment to affordability. TCL TVs are some of the most affordable on the market, which makes them a very popular option for those who may not be able to stomach the prices of competitors.

TCL’s 98 inch TVs, in particular, are a shining example of this. 98 inch TVs are some of the largest on the market. But, to accompany their large screens, these TVs often have some of the highest price tags. TCL’s range of 98 inch TVs are offered at a fraction of the price for a competing model. Thanks to TCL, larger TV screens are now becoming more widely adopted in homes across the world!

TCL TVs are known for their affordability. Even the most high-tech models are offered at a fraction of the price of competing models. If you want to enhance your home viewing, TCL is the name to look for!

Despite being so affordable, TCL TVs still offer some truly high-tech features to let your content shine. If you’re in the market for a TV that boasts everything you need, but won’t break the bank, TCL truly has you covered!

Anti-Glare Screens

Anti-glare technology is another factor that helps to improve the TCL TV experience. TCL TVs have a special anti-reflection layer that is designed to prevent any ambient lighting from being reflected by the screen. This means that you can watch the TV at any time of day, in any kind of room, and still get a perfect view. Even the harshest of sunlight won’t interrupt you!

Anti-glare technology also ensures everyone in the room has a great view. No matter where you are sitting in the room, you’ll still have a perfect view of any content on a TCL display. Ultra-wide viewing angles ensure that, even if you’re sitting at the most awkward of angles, there won’t be any glare on the screen or loss of clarity in the image!

Dolby Vision And Dolby Atmos

TCL TVs fully support HDR imagery, for breathtaking views into film, TV, and gaming. But they don’t stop there! Many of the best TCL TVs also support premium formats like Dolby Vision, an upgraded HDR format that delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience. Dolby Vision support truly allows you to bring the cinema right into your living room, to make those blockbuster films look right at home.

Some TCL TVs are compatible with Dolby Vision, which is one of the best premium video formats around. If you love HDR, and you want your films to look as they did in cinemas, then TCL TVs are great!

And to perfectly complement the inclusion of Dolby Vision, TCL TVs also support Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos is one of the best premium audio formats, which can deliver highly accurate and clean sound that helps you to feel immersed. Dolby Atmos is also perfect for taking full advantage of ONKYO speakers, which are built into some TCL models!

QLED Technology

To help make full use of all of those Mini LEDS packed into TCL TVs, many models are available with full QLED displays. QLED displays include what is known as a “Quantum Dot” layer. Within this layer are millions of unique quantum dots, which are so small that you’d need a microscope to see any of them! These quantum dots are responsible for creating all of the many images you’ll see on your TV.

Quantum dots are electrified and then they combine in different ways. This results in them emitting specific wavelengths of light. To the naked eye, these wavelengths of light appear as all manner of distinct colours. This gives QLED TVs a distinct advantage when it comes to reproducing colour. Any film, show, or game, will look much more colourful and saturated on a QLED TV.

TCL’s QLED TVs are some of the best on the market. And true to the company’s reputation, they’re also available at a very affordable price.

Incredible Brightness

Throughout this guide, we’ve really sung the praises of Mini LEDs. These beautiful components are able to create stunning images that have a perfect contrast ratio, and image saturation in all of the right places! And when it comes time to watch the most vibrant of content they can really keep up.

Mini LEDS are able to achieve an incredible 2,000 nits of brightness. This means that TCL TVs are actually brighter than some of the best competing TVs. Once again, we have to talk about the benefits this has for contrast. Greater levels of brightness can directly contrast against the sharp darkness created by the local dimming zones!

Low Blue Light Levels

With much of our lives now dominated by screens, it’s more important than ever to find ways to protect our eyes. Research has shown that long-term exposure to light levels can have a severe impact on not only the health of our eyes but everything else too! This is why TCL TVs are specially designed to emit less blue light than your average TV.

Blue light is noted to suppress the brain’s ability to release melatonin! It’s melatonin that makes you feel sleepy at the end of the day, motivating you to get a good night’s sleep. With less melatonin reaching your brain, it becomes much harder to fall asleep. And we all know just how important sleep is! Luckily, TCL’s TVs are designed with modern use in mind. The lower levels of blue light ensure you can binge-watch late into the light, and still get a great night’s sleep!

One reason we really love TCL TVs is their commitment to low blue light levels. Blue light is linked to bad sleep, and overall bad health. Reducing blue light levels on TCL TVs, it makes them more comfortable to watch!

Despite cutting down on blue light emissions, TCL TVs still have a fantastic picture quality. At a glance, you wouldn’t notice that there’s less blue light in the image. Blue skies still look incredibly vibrant, and the ocean waters still look deep and rich.

TCL TVs are not only incredibly pleasant to watch. They’re also designed with eye health in mind. You can watch for hours at a time, with nary a dry eye or night of bad sleep!

Do TCL TVs Use A Lot Of Electricity?

TVs naturally consume slightly more electricity than other popular devices. As such, TCL TVs in particular do not consume much more electricity than any other competing TV. The amount of energy used by a TCL TV can vary from model to model. For instance, a much larger TCL TV is guaranteed to use more electricity than a smaller TCL TV.

Luckily, there are many TCL TVs with great energy ratings, and with all kinds of energy-conscious features. For instance, some TCL TVs come with an auto brightness function. Through the use of a small built-in light detector, these TVs can detect just how much ambient light there is in your room. If the conditions are right, the brightness will automatically be reduced. This leads to a massive decrease in energy costs and reduces eye strain!

Energy saving mode can also be activated on some TCL TV models. This mode automatically adjusts numerous TV settings, to also reduce the amount of electricity used by it.

TCL TVs do not use much more electricity than any other brand of TV. In fact, TCL TVs actually come with a number of unique features that help to cut down on electricity wastage!

You can use TCL TVs with confidence, knowing they won’t consume heaps of electricity, or cause your bills to skyrocket!

Can You Use A Soundbar With A TCL TV?

Yes! TCL TVs are totally perfect for pairing with great soundbars. While TCL TVs do have great built-in audio features, it’s great to pair them with a good soundbar. In fact, TCL actually produces their own range of soundbars. These are simple to install and pair effortlessly with TCL TVs.

But if you have a soundbar from another brand, such as LG or Samsung, don’t worry! TCL TVs play fair with just about any soundbar on the market. There are no limits when it comes to improving TCL TV sound!

TCL TVs allow you to connect soundbars in all kinds of ways. Whether through HDMI, or through an optical cable, a TCL TV will provide you with all of the right ports. Some TCL TVs can also use Bluetooth to pair with some soundbars. This allows you to create a truly wireless setup in your living room that looks and sounds great!

Are TCL TVs Good For Gaming?

So far, much of our guide has been focused on the ways TCL TVs benefit film and TV content. However, it’s not just those that TCL TVs can benefit from. TCL TVs are also perfect for making the most of all of your favourite gaming titles!

Gaming on a TCL TV is fantastic, and this is all thanks to the massive variety of gaming-focused features they boast. Let’s take a look at these features now!

High Refresh Rates

We touched on the high refresh rates of TCL TVs a little earlier in this guide. High refresh rates are fantastic for all kinds of content, but even more so for gaming. Top consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are specially made to target immense frame rates that make games look smoother than ever.

However, in order for games to display at high frame rates, they need to be shown on a TV with a good refresh rate. This is what makes TCL TVs so great. The best TCL TVs have refresh rates up to 144 HZ, which is fantastic for gaming at 120 frames per second.

TCL TVs for gaming have variable refresh rate technology that ensures the refresh rate always closely matches a game’s frame rate. This prevents any screen tearing, which keeps your games looking perfect.

But it’s important to note that frame rates can differ from game to game, and console to console. Where some games are programmed to play at 120 frames per second, others play at much lower frame rates. When a TV’s refresh rate does not match the frame rate of a game, it results in screen-tearing, an ugly immersion-ruining consequence of poor optimisation.

The risk of screen tearing is what makes the inclusion of AMD FreeSync so significant. Essentially, FreeSync is a variable refresh rate technology that lets TCL TVs adjust their refresh rates, to match game frame rates. If the frame rate dips during those hectic gaming moments, the refresh rate will quickly adjust, to completely prevent screen tearing!

Fast Response Times

TCL TVs also have incredibly low levels of latency. Latency refers to how quickly a TV can react to your inputs. The faster a TV is able to react, the better your games are going to feel.

TCL TVs are able to react incredibly quickly to input. Let’s say you were playing a fast-paced shooter like Call Of Duty. As soon as you press a button, you’ll see your character react in kind. This creates the sense that you are in total concert with your in-game character. This not only helps to sell the atmosphere of your favourite story-driven games. It also helps to improve your sense of control. When taking on the competition online, you’ll truly feel the competitive edge of a TCL TV!

TCL TVs are incredibly responsive and have very low levels of input latency. As soon as you press a button, the game will react. This puts you even more in the driver’s seat of your favourite games!

Some TCL TVs even come with response times well under 9 milliseconds. This puts them miles ahead of the competition when it comes to responsiveness!

Game Mode

To upgrade your gaming experience, you can also put TCL TVs into game mode. Essentially, game mode changes the presets of your TCL TV, to create the perfect gaming conditions. Your games will feel more responsive and will look much better. For instance, game mode makes sure to deactivate post-processing effects like 4K upscaling, to ensure in-game visuals are shown as soon as they are rendered by your console.

Some TCL TVs will even automatically activate game mode upon detecting input from a console. Want to dive right into your games without having to fool around in options menus? TCL TVs will help!

Game mode can be activated on all of the top TCL TVs. Once active, game mode will adjust the settings to create a highly responsive gaming experience. Game mode automatically makes games feel better!

You can also play around with the settings of TCL’s game mode thanks to the simple gaming menu that lets you adjust gaming-specific settings to your tastes!

TCL AiPQ Processor

The TCL AiPQ Processor is a great upscaling feature that’s actually designed with gaming in mind. When activated, this processor will identify ways to improve the visuals of your games, for a much sharper image. And it can do all of that without resulting in higher latency or otherwise interrupting the flow of your game.

The program optimises the image as it’s displayed, to improve contrast and colour. Improved contrast and colour are great for all kinds of gamers. For pro gamers, enhanced contrast makes it much easier to spot the competition on the playing field. For those more casual gamers, improved colour and contrast make it much easier to soak up every ounce of atmosphere in the best digital worlds!

Are TCL TVs Worth Buying?

Absolutely! TCL TVs are a great budget-friendly display option. Despite their low price, TCL TVs are incredibly high quality. They’re built to last, and they look simply amazing visually.

TCL TVs are great for all kinds of content, from films to TV shows, and even fast-paced triple-A games. They feature all kinds of advanced visual and audio technologies that make the content feel real. All of your favourite shows, films, and games will feel totally brand new on a good TCL TV display.

If you’re looking for a feature-packed TV that won’t cost you the earth, then TCL is a great name to keep your eyes out for!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TCL Better Than Samsung?

Not necessarily. Both manufacturers create high-quality TVs that are not only durable but make content look better. If TCL TVs had a slight edge over Samsung TVs, it would be the fact that they are much more affordable. TCL TVs are offered at a fraction of the price of competing Samsung TVs, and yet still boast immense quality. If you’re not quite ready to invest loads in a new TV, TCL is a great option.

Do TCL TVs Last Long?

Absolutely! If you take good care of a TCL TV, you could easily help it to live longer than even 10 years. TCL TVs, despite their price, are incredibly durable and are built to last. They’re also made of the best materials, to ensure a long life, and to create a TV that can survive just about anything!