All the main video streaming apps are on offer, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Now, YouTube, Google Play, and all the TV catch-up services. The only thing that really impacted it substantially was activating the set’s Clear Motion processing.

The C845K’s impressive panel specifications are controlled by the third generation of TCL’s AI-informed AiPQ 3. There will also be the addition of Calman AutoCal but this wasn’t working at the time of our review in November 2022. This remains the case with the 65C815K, which, despite being a high-end model by TCL Europe standards, doesn’t get the full array with local dimming design that’s been so important to TCL’s success elsewhere. Screen uniformity isn’t the strongest either, with clouding in the corners of Bad Times at the El Royale (4K HDR10+) via a 4K Blu-ray player. Naturally, Google Assistant is built-in, turning the C745 into a fully functioning smart assistant with voice control, plus there’s support for Chromecast and Google Home.There is also support for gaming enthusiasts via TCL Games Master Pro with a native 144Hz panel and the ability to use this via HDMI 1, plus there is support for 4K/120 via HDMI 2, AMD Freesync premium, ALLM (Auto Low Latency mode) and VRR (Variable refresh rate). The display also offers HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, which increases the range of brightness and colour, providing more vibrant and lifelike images. In fact, the 65C845K is so good for its money that it pretty much redefines the whole TV market in a single blaze of ultra-bright glory.

Boosting HDR technology with dynamic colour and contrast control, TCL HDR10+ certified TVs deliver the next step up in quality. As we do with all reviews, we factory reset the TCL C735 and then measured the picture presets to find which is the most accurate to the industry standards out-of-the-box so we can view content as it was mastered and intended to be seen. What VRR does is that it matches your TV refresh rate with your console frame rate for smooth flow of gameplay. Nothing about the 55C735K’s mildly tweaked pictures, though, prevents them from being much better than they’ve any right to be for such an affordable TV.The TCL C71’s picture requires a bit of calibration, but once done, it offers appealing image quality.

Budget to mid-range TVs tend to focus on functionality over looks, but the TCL C715 sports an elegant and tidy design. The 65C815K’s aggressive approach to picture quality means images still look vibrant and punchy in bright rooms. And, as Bond sets after assassins at the beginning of Skyfall, the sound is convincingly expansive, clear and detailed, offering some decent welly as things get hectic.This really doesn’t leave viewers with enough easy options to get to a well-balanced picture they like, with each preset exhibiting enough issues to make TCL’s decision not to include some kind of Standard preset that sits somewhere between the Vivid and Movie settings seem pretty bizarre. Note that the C735K series isn’t available in the US or Australia, where it should not be confused with the actually much less well-featured P735K.

Although this TV is made with the intent and purpose of keeping gaming as its main focus and center of attention, even if you are not a gamer and are just looking for a top-of-the-line television for your viewing pleasure, well this is an exceptional choice either way. I’m not convinced the aesthetic impact of this approach justifies the effort of having to attach a third foot during set-up.

There’s an Intelligent Sound feature with an Adaptive Volume option and a seven-band equaliser, and the C745 also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual-X, with the latter being something of a rarity on TVs these days. Even the 55C735K’s smart engine is a pleasant surprise, built as it is around the latest Google TV system rather than its clunkier, less friendly Android TV predecessor.