TCL 43C655K 43-inch QLED Pro Television, 4K Ultra HD, HDR Pro, Smart TV Powered by Android TV (Dolby Vision & Atmos, Motion Clarity, Hands-Free Voice Control, Compatible with Google assistant & Alexa) [Energy Class F]

Stunning panel. The QLED picture is supurb and HDR seems to work well. Definitely an upgrade to my non QLED 4k HiSense downstairs. I cant speak about the software side of things as a lot of people have mentioned how slow and buggy it is. I only used the interface for the initial TV setup which worked flawlessly and then plugged a PC into it. The casing is obviously plastic and is a bit flimsy but for £330 what do you expect? I did contemplate just sending it back and getting the HISense version but once it was switched on and setup I was very pleased for what little this TV cost me and the picture it produces.

I tend to do a lot of research when buying any kind of electronics or gadgets. This time was no different. I spent a lot of time looking at Samsung, LG, and all the other big players but found myself coming back to TCL time and again.Reading some of the reviews here didn't help; when a TV has lots of variants it means you have to sift through to find the ones that relate to the exact model you're considering. Not having Amazon reviews to go on, I had a look at T3 and a few other places I normally use to help me come to a decision.I'm pleased to say that I couldn't be happier with the TV. It was set up and ready to go less than 20 minutes after being delivered. The TV is super-light and I was able to put it all together and carry it all by myself.The new Google TV software is flawless, with none of the stuttering and delay others have mentioned about previous models. All the apps pick up on Dolby Vision and Atmos, where appropriate too. I've barely had to adjust anything on the TV as it comes pretty much configured out of the box.As a gamer, I plugged in my Xbox Series X and got a flood of green ticks when it calibrated and immediately changed to 4K UHD at 120hz. Games immediately picked up on the Dolby Vision and Atmos automatically, just like the apps.Can't say I had heard much of TCL before I started reseraching, but they'll definitely be on my radar for any future tech purchases moving forward.

Had this more than 3 months now, so can give some feedback on all my findings.Picture quality is decent.Good contrast levels with blacks etc. Upscaling works well from SD for my satellite channels (not so good for Digital Terestrial channels, which must be of even lower resolution).But some minor artefacts in a particular scenario - when something is moving across a strobed background, eg a picket fence, you may notice a halo of blurring around the moving object. It's not glaringly obvious, but you'll notice it if you are looking for it.The bezel is very narrow, but the picture does not extend all the way to the edge of the bezel (as the images in the item description would like you to beleive). There is about a half centimeter gap.Software / Chipset lets it down a little.I have the C645K Android TV version, it uses a Realtek RTD2851M - 4x A55 @ 1.3GHz, and 2GB RAM.This is a bit worse spec than a Chromecast with GoogleTV 4k stick. And there is an amount of TCL bloatware shipped with the tv. So out of the box, the UI is a bit laggy - navigating the home screen etc.But this can be remedied if you are willing to get technical - I enabled developer mode, to disable HW overlays, and set background process limit =1. This had an immediate effect in making the tv more responsive. I also removed some of the bloat using ADB tool (especially the TCL Guard software, that takes up cpu).Software updates are tricky. There is a "Network Update" option in the settings, but this does nothing, as TCL are not running a server for this in UK.Instead I had to dig through XDA forum, and TCL run Telegram (like Whatsapp) channel/bot, until I could get hold of a firmware file. And apply as a local update via a USB.You can switch from the Android TV interface to Google TV by update. But even the latest updates are on Android 11, which is getting pretty old now.(More recent Android versions would have been available at the time the tv was released even, in 2023. But I don't think TCL have any plans to offer upgrades. From what I see, they stick with the same Android version for the lifetime of a given tv model).My UK model included FreeviewPlay, which I find quite useful - with an EPG that can switch to the tuner for live tv, or open the relevant app to play programs in the future/past.(I know that others will have a different opinion on this, seeing it as yet more bloatware, as it takes control of the free-to-view tv apps like BBC iPlayer etc).I'm a bit of an Android fan, and happy to tinker. So very happy with the tv.Otherwise, if I wanted something more user friendly, I would opt for the 2024 4-series 4k FireTV, for the same money.

This TV is fine if you want to plug a device on the HDMI and use it as a big monitor. Other than that it should be avoided. I am guessing that you are looking for a TV so I will elaborate. It's easy to setup, you should be up and running in a few minutes. However, the advertised functionalities are not working.1. Chromecast: chromecast is not working with mac neither windows. The TV syncs with the casting device and after a few seconds flickers through frames having lost framerate sync.2. Lag/Stutter: While scrolling through the main menu the TV lags for no reason whatsoever, you press the arrow button once and then it either does not register or you are sent for options below on your tv list.3. Apps: The TV should not be allowed to have Android OS. Apps crash or do not work at all. VPN apps crash on the background after a few minutes and the TV hardware cannot handle streaming apps.The worst thing of all is that TCL is misleading customers by not disclosing that the C655K model sold in the UK *is completely different* than the models solde elsewhere e.g. Europe. This TV works with Android 11 and has a firmware from 2022 that will not be updated for customers in the UK. This is half TCL's issue and half Amazon's. They shouldn't be allowed to sell this without explicitly declaring the models' firmware status. Most reviews out there are for a different C655K firmware.My suggestion is to avoid this specific product. Do not be fooled by the price point or the "supposed" functionality. I returned mine after a few days.