TCL 55C2US (55")

Plagued with problems. TCL nightmare service. Avoid – This is by far the worst TV I've ever purchased. Within 12 months it started to malfunction. It would stay stuck in load screens, randomly stop responding to the remote, freeze and would eventually start turning off while watching. We returned it to the retailer but TCL were a numbat to deal with. First they delayed examining the TV for weeks.… Read more

Their technician admitted there was a major fault and would refund but head office refused to honour this.

Then they claimed we were 'only entitled to a replacement under ACL' which is a bald faced lie if ever there was one. We told them we'd take them to small claims court, before they finally relented and offered the refund that was lawfully owed!

Two pieces of advice: never buy TCL and if they try to avoid their obligations then take them to small claims court!

Clunky, slow and average quality – Purchased for the kids room and for its purpose it’s ok for them to watch youtube and movies. The android OS is so slow and clunky it makes me so angry when I have to use it. Feels like it’s a beta software from 5 years ago. Had many issues with it going in to shop mode even after firmware upgrade, loses wifi settings, sound is terrible from HK soundbar built in. Will never buy tcl again, just an awful clunky TV.  Show details

Best TV ever for the price – A lot has been written about this TV already so I won't go into the specs but, instead, relate my experience with it. This TV rules. 4K videos look great on it. The audio is loud and rounded enough that I don't need a soundbar. As we speak I'm listening to the greatest hits of No Doubt on it. I spent a lot of time with the different video settings but, really, the default ones suit me fine  Show details

TCL C2 Series – 1. Smart TV's operating system and application satisfaction generally, no phone and computer to simple, but the operation is relatively simplified. 2. Product features are relatively simple. Performance is better than ordinary TV, so satisfaction is very good. 3. The Bluetooth function of TV is not so easy to use, wireless connection is a very… Read more

good function, the satisfaction of the general.

4. The port of the device is still quite adequate, the ports are basically all, more comprehensive.

TCL C2 Series – I like its operating system, very simple, in the application can also customize their favorite is also very good, product features/controls and performance I am very satisfied have Bluetooth words will use more convenient, sometimes I like to watch TV at night, this will be a very good choice Yes, enough  Show details

Cheap with problem after problem – Had seen reviews being positive but utterly disappointed. Less than 3 months in. Internet connection warnings plastered on screen that won't go away. Channels disappearing and buttons working when they feel like it. Updates are ridiculously lengthy too! Having to reset the TV time and time again just to watch basic tv.  Show details

Great features but poor image quality – This TV was purchased mainly because of it Harman Kardon sound bar. The sound is probably the best ive heard from a flat panel tv with nice bass and balance. The android experience is fantastic, works very well with Netflix, Youtube and all apps and is very snappy and fast. But, its a BIG disappointment that all this is kinda useless and let down… Read more

but its very poor picture quality. Blacks are the worst i've ever seen on any flat panel tv and would defiantly NOT recommend this tv if you are planning on watching movies. The screen has very bad backlight bleeding to a point where it makes watching movies very annoying as on the darker scenes you can see white light all over the edges. I've had this TV for only 2 days and already want to return it and this is a real shame as everything is great apart from the image quality. Always had Samsungs and this was my first time buying a TCL and not sure if ill be getting one again anytime soon.

TCL customer support was very good, i contacted them stating the problem and they asked me to email them some pictures of the screen so they can issue a refund or change. Lets see how this turns out.

TCL 55" Smart TV – Good looking tv and value for money but there are some things I think could be improved. The support legs underneath are a bad design they look good but you need a table as wide as the tv to support it. It takes too long to start up and the andriod start rings are annoying. Without a doubt the remote control is the worse I have ever used it's… Read more

too long and thin the buttons have no feel and all seem to be in the wrong place. I have to put my glasses on to use it. The huge netflix button which I never use is too prominent, easy to press by mistake and hard to get out of.

The three year warranty is very tempting, but I guess you get what you pay for, I had two LG's before this and wish I had bought another one.

Budget TVs – When I first started the TCL smart TV, I saw what they called the home page. Unlike most other manufacturers, TCL provides it directly before my input. Because the smart function only presses one button, it is very intuitive.It brings together everything available for free, purchase or lease. Overall, it's tough to beat them when it comes to budget TVs, and that makes them a pretty safe bet.  Show details

Great tv for kids lounge – Works well in all areas. Used in upstairs for kids and friends to watch movies and play games with friends and family. Kids have even linked up computer to use as computer screen when needed for homework! Wireless connectivity is great. Plenty of ports for uses in the room. picture quality is great. Would purchase again without any doubt.  Show details

Picture perfect – The quality of pictures is amazing, makes movies so much better watching on our TCL we got an absolute bargain for it from Jb hi fi!! The quality is really good so it’s hard going back to a normal tv after owning a TCL would definitely by this brand again  Show details

Perfect and cheap tv – I am so satisfied with the quality of the picture . T has everything i expected on my Budget. You cannot find any difference in quality to other Big brands. Picture quality is top notch, Sound and sleek design. handy, swaps from app to app seamlessly. I highly recommend it  Show details

extremely happy – The picture quality I find is great, speakers are great I have not had any problem what so ever with my tv. ample of ports to do everything I could want. it is a smart TV and for the affordable price I paid for the unit i honestly am extremely happy. it is definitely a tv that i would recommend to for a friend to buy that's for sure.  Show details

This is perfect! – The picture quality is very good. I am very satisfied with the units built in speaker . The unit have enough ports 4 hDMI . I am satisfied with the operating system as a smart tv but doesnt allows u to download all the app from the play store and apple phone not compatible with the tv  Show details

Really good smart TV with a few surprises! – This TV is straight up awesome! The picture is great to look at. rich colours, good contrast superb detail and no dead pixels! I was impressed from the first time I turned it on and still am. I have a bit of an issue with the remote however. I don't think much of the layout or non-positive feel of the buttons so I am taking one star off for that.… Read more

Now for the surprise bit... i did not realise that this actually has a built in chrome cast so you can sream anything and everything or even send your desktop over to it! Its all round agret TV and excellent value when you compare it to the competition.

Awesome TV - We Love It – This is the best TV we have had by far! The picture is beautiful with vibrant colors and good contrast but the thing that I LOVE is the built in chromecast. I use this every day and can stream anything and everything. I don't really watch free to air TV anymore accept for the news. The remote is a bit complicated but I am getting the hang of it.… Read more

The audio quality well this is the lowest feature, I may well add a soundbar later but overall very happy for the price

Very Good Picture – Very happy with the picture quality from this chip as chips TCL TV. I know its a cheaper brand but the picture quality is pretty astonishing. It's big bright and very detailed with excellent colour separation. Audio is often a let down on cheaper TVs but this is more than passable although I have powered speakers attached. The only fault as I see it is slow channel changing times on occasion. Its a very good package for the price  Show details

Pretty good for the money – For the price range <$1000 for 55" tv this is a good deal and probably the best on the market for the price. The screen quality is good and it appears to have a reasonably wide viewing angle both horizontally and vertically. There are a few minor issues where it falls down most notably the settings/start up time issues and the reduced range of… Read more

apps.

Also before making the jump to 4K make sure your other equipment is ready - the image quality is crisp, clear and very high res. If the video you are playing is not HD then all the imperfections will be a lot more visible. This is not an issue with the TV.

It has a few issues (mentioned below) that are a bit annoying hence 4 stars. I am hoping that some of these issues will be resolved by software updates.

Note: 'Instant Power On' mode is turned off by default! Without this it takes just over a minute for the TV to boot into a usable state!!!! When 'Instant Power On' mode is on it takes just under 7 seconds to boot. (The TV sometimes forgets this setting if it loses mains power or receives an update)

See bottom of review for instructions on how to turn on 'Instant Power On' mode.

Pros

- 4K definition. In store the quality was noticeably higher than on other TVs in the same price bracket.

- Some Google Play Store Apps available such as Kodi, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, etc

- There are free apps in the that can play media straight off NAS (Network attached storage) such as Kodi.

- Sound is actually pretty good from the TV its-self I was quite impressed. (I use the tv with a 5ch surround amp so normally have tv sound off)

- Wide viewing angle both horizontally and vertically before noticeable drop off in quality.

- I considered/am considering whether or not to get another one to replace my computer monitors!

- Has good depth of colour. Several other TVs in this price bracket looked very washed out.

- The picture is good and bright

- The interface seems quite quick

- Even in 'Instant Power On' mode it doesn't draw much power when off.

- TV can connect to WIFI or wired ethernet.

Cons

- It forgets some of its settings if it; loses power, installs an update, feels like it! This includes volume, quickstart status and timezone! (Probably the most annoying issue)

- Keyboard entry isn't great with the controller. It does have voice control but apparently that requires an extra bit of hardware! I haven't tried plugging a computer keyboard into it yet.

- A built in mic for speech rec would have been handy. Annoyingly one has to purchase a separate thingy for that.

- The range of play store apps is significantly reduced. I would like to have seen the Chrome web browser (TV is more than powerful enough to drive it) and other apps such as Skype would have been great (That would have required a camera though).

- Non HD media looks pixelated as the tv has to upscale everything. This can be improved by by reducing the sharpness setting and is not an issue with the TV any more than trying to watch an old VHS tape on a plasma tv was in the early 2000s!

- Not sure how well this tv will fair without a network connection.

- Packaging is awful. It takes 2 people to get it out of it's box safely and put on the legs. Make sure you unpack it near to where you want it. Once out of the packaging I doubt even with several people helping I would be able to get it back in! Note the two plastic straps hold everything in do not cut until ready!

How to turn 'Instant Power On' to On:

To turn on 'Instant Power On' press the button on the controller that looks like a house (top left of the arrows), using the down arrow on the controller go to the bottom where the settings, select settings, then under power options setting select 'Instant Power On'.

Note: Pressing the settings cog button on the controller brings up a sub set of settings that does not have power options!.

Great Value for money – I bought this TV after using Hisense and LG both. In LG i experienced screen flickering and in Hisense i experienced sound issues. This catered both. It has amazing sound and picture quality. The only thing is i am not impressed by the firmware and the OS. The response time is slow and its not easy to navigate through the interface provided through apps. When using netflix, I have to punch in the password everytime I use it.  Show details

Can’t fault it! – Only tv brand that had a 3 year warranty and not a 12 month warranty. It has all the option including Netflix, etc and great quality with out the $5000 price tag. definite thumbs up. Ours came with it’s own surround speaker too. Definite thumbs up. Would highly recommend, for $1150 you can’t go wrong!  Show details

Lot of bang for your buck – Very satisfied - bought for use as secondary TV in rumpus room with HDR gaming and for occasional TV / Movies downstairs. Good points: - Inbuilt HK soundbar quality is amazing - better sound than my standalone Yamaha on the main TV upstairs. Sometimes we go down to watch just for the sound quality. I doubt I could buy one as good for the… Read more

price of the whole TV .

- HDR gaming and 4K supported on the XBox One X (need to force HDMI2 rather than auto detect)

- Inbuilt Netflix and apps such as Stan

-3 x HDMI with MHL and ARC

Bad Points

- Some light bleed in bottom corners on black screens

- remote is hard to use in the dark as too many of the buttons are the same shape / colour ( so it's hard to tell the difference between the back button or the apps button for example)

Best in class television for a visual treat – The design and body line of the television is top notch. The build quality is excellent. Picture quality in 4k and hd meets all class standards. Being android TV is one good feature at low price. The sound quality is very good and powerful. Has in build chrome cast in it.  Show details

It's perfect! Can do anything – I satisfied with the picture quality very much, I think it almost same as other big brands. it's not very bright that make your eyes tired. I satisfied with the speakers that make by harman kardon. Especially when you choose the cinema mode, it's amazing. Definitely it has several ports such as hdmi,AV and USB 3.0. I satisfied with the android system of the TV! You can install any app you want by some professional methods.  Show details

Good Value TV – Very good quality TV for the price. Picture quality can become a little grainy during night, desert, water scenes (mostly Game of Thrones style) which can take away from the viewing experience but doesn't bother me too much. As stated, great value for under $600, good size screen and ample ports for HDMI and USB leads. Google chrome cast works well which is what i predominately use the TV for.  Show details

aweome TV very happy – A good quality Smart TV. Do . Good picture quality and sound as well. Easy to fit and maintain. Handy remote that plain works. I would recommend this product if you are looking for a good value for money and don't want to overpay for a brand name. Great professional service from TCL rep Jenifer factolerin many thanks  Show details

I'm very Happy ! – I have just purchased my TCL 55inch UHD Android TV. After a lot of research and discussions with TV sales people I came to the opinion the TCL offered the best value for money. I have just set it up and I can honestly say the picture is clear and distinct, the features are numerous and the Bluetooth feature is excellent as many competitors in this… Read more

category do not offer Bluetooth. The real surprise of this TV is the sound, Harmon Kardon speakers are a fantastic feature. The sound has an excellent quality and the Bass is superb compared to other flat screen TV's. I had had a strict Budget and for $895.00 I am very Happy with the TCL.

My TV not so good – Had this 55C1US 55inch smart tv for 7 months and looks great sitting in my loungeroom when turned OFF. Great picture when its working, sound is good and 4k content unbelievably clear as well. But heres a few bad news so far ive experienced. The apps offered are ones id never heard or would ever use except YouTube and possibly Netflix in the… Read more

future.

1) The tv has a very annoying slow response time when using the handpiece controller, especially when switching between viewing free to air tv channels and then switching to anything downloaded via USB memory sticks or External HDD using the HDMI rear ports.

2) Picture & Audio freezes up sometimes, stops suddenly without warning when viewing some YouTube videos. Nothing can done to fix this using the remote, which then wont respond to any button command. I cant even shut the main power off from the remote. Get up to rip out the AC power plug from the wall socket. It needs to be completely unplugged even time from the wall socket and restarted again manually. Its so frustrating for a modern smart TV to behave like this. Ive heard its possibly due to the slow Android operating system that cant handle the processing CPU load that this tv is designed to do.

3) And now today, im getting annoying subtitles are suddenly appearing below the screen on my YouTube videos that i didnt even ask for ?? Theres no off button on the remote to disable the subtitles when watching You Tube.

* Very disappointing overall for this nice looking but semi useless TV which i paid over $1100 for with little caring after service support in Australia. I contact the ... manufactures in Australia by phone, then im diverted somewhere to the Philippines. Im glad i have a 3 year warranty on this tv, but I will be making a bigger issue on this matter shortly with the retailers first and then consumer affairs.

Great tv – This is a Great tv. It has an extremely clear picture and great sound quality. I Couldn’t get Chanel 7 stations though but have been advised to contact help desk. It has Sufficient usb and hdmi ports. Light stays on which is rather bright but you do get used to it.  Show details

I love my new TV .Now I can enjoy NetFlix – This is my second TCL, and I am very satisfied with most things on this TV. Love it. I up graded to a larger TV because of my poor eyesight, thats all. If I had to nit pick, it would be about the quality of the picture.That could have Improvement done to it.  Show details

Ok TV – Found TV easy to setup and am relatively happy with the picture quality. 3 HDMI ports is acceptable esp when thinking that the inbuilt chromecast actually saves a 4th HDMI port anyway. The android Operating system is acceptable and works well. Synced up my passwords which made setup easily. I find the units sound to be reasonably good though… Read more

have issues with it outputting to my samsung sound system at times.

Had my initial tv replaced as it had a light bleed issue that looked liek 4 spotlights in the corners (really noticeable in dark content at night). was easily diagnosed and no hassles getting a return number to go back to my reseller with to get it replaced

Overall consider it to have been a good buy and excellent bang for buck for what i paid

Works well - but – Picture quality is fine. If you want super awesome quality spend more. Sound is as per the picture - gets the job done. It has 2 HDMI ports so I'm happy with that. My only complaint is the cheap remote control. It works ok as long as you are in direct line, often feel like I'm actually aiming like on the shooting range. Its not the batteries!  Show details

Bad Experience - Avoid buying this – The TV offers overall good specs but the one I got was faulty with backlight bleeding and uneven screen display. Also, the TV takes a bit time to boot up and if connecting using WiFi then there will be an approx 1min wait. I reported the problem on the 2nd day of purchase and was told that TCL rep will visit to inspect. Instead, I got a call… Read more

from the Rep and I explained the problem, the rep advised returning the TV. Finally returned it and got my refund.

Not a bad tv! – Smart tv with netflix comes in very handy with young kids, only issue i have it when i plug in a hard drive and have a xbox also connected sometimes the tv doesnt work until i unplug one of them. Other then that im loving my TLC 55" smart tv  Show details