Even if a buyer’s budget is a bit tight, they can still buy a good TV. The TCL C735 QLED 4K TV offers more than decent picture quality and a complete Smart TV environment at a very competitive price. From the TCL’s 55C735 review, let’s try to find out where the biggest compromises have been made.

A good finish always gives a TV a nice look. The screen looks very slim because the thicker part containing the electronics and connectors takes up a relatively small portion of the back panel. A thin matte titanium-colored edge, which is only visible as a thin line on the front, completes the design.

The base consists of two L-shaped feet that are centered below the screen. They are covered by a plastic plate. But if you remove this plate, the design is not affected. Since the TV is very light, it is very stable.

The TCL C735 with Quantum Dot technology TV has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 processor with 3GB of RAM and a Mali-G52 MP GPU. The chipset is powerful enough to provide a great Google TV experience. Installation is done in a jiffy with the Google Home app. Google TV has expanded significantly since 2021.

Of the factory installations, there’s Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV. Content recommendations are also divided into useful categories such as sci-fi movies, thrillers, etc. Google TV’s range of apps is still one of the most extensive.

The two included remote controls are the same as the TCL C835 model. The old remote, recognizable by the digital unit, can be put away immediately. The new remote control is much more convenient. After all, it is clearly aimed at the viewer watching streaming. The remote works via Bluetooth. The limited number of keys makes it easy to use.

Functions such as Quick Settings, Previous App, or Game Panel can also be accessed with a single key. You can also take advantage of voice command control via the remote’s built-in microphone. Of the six shortcuts, only four are really useful: YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and the TCL media player.

The 55C735 uses Direct LED backlighting with quantum dots and a VA panel. The panel’s actual contrast ratio is 4300: 1. Since there is no local dimming, the contrast is virtually unchanged. The panel has very good uniformity in both dark and bright images.

However, you can sometimes see some deviation on the left and right edges. The Cinema picture mode is very well calibrated from the factory. These results are above average, especially for a mid-range TV. This mode hides some black details, which can be made more visible by setting the “Gamma” setting to zero or one.

Speaking of viewing angles, they are not as good as those of TVs with an IPS matrix. Therefore, it is best to watch this TV perpendicular to the screen. Input latency is 16.6 ms when watching 4K 60Hz content. Enjoy exceptional 144Hz smoothness, 4K resolution with extended HDR support (Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+) and comprehensive connectivity. Superior gaming performance (HDMI 2.1, 144 Hz, FreeSync Premium, VRR(variable refresh), ALLM) and the embedded Google TV with Google Assistant are sure to transform your next experience in front of your TCL TV.

In many ways, the C735 resembles its big brother, the C835. In terms of image processing, however, it looks more like its predecessor, the C728. There are no really significant improvements, but the performance is very good.

Machine learning and neural network based methods provide excellent scaling results. Noise reduction is good at eliminating random noise, but it doesn’t always handle MPEG noise in heavily compressed video. The “Shake Reduction” feature activates motion interpolation so images no longer shake.

In this area, the TCL C735 TV is inferior to more expensive models. The peak brightness is 365 nits. This is significantly lower than the 540 nits we would like to see as the minimum value for real HDR effect. The TV can show this value in a 10% window on an all-white screen. With smaller windows, it compresses the light output a bit to better preserve black.

The latest standard for UHD content is High Dynamic Range.

When “Dynamic Tone Display” is activated, the unit takes HDR  content metadata into account and displays up to 400 nits of white detail. It also analyzes each image to display it optimally for very good results. The TV TCL 55C735 retains good color intensity, nuanced tones and white details.

However, the limited peak brightness spoils the overall picture a bit. There is no glare in the highlights, but the overall character of the HDR images is very well preserved. In addition, the C735 TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision IQ. This universal support ensures that the user is watching the best version of the HDR image.

The 2 x 10-watt sound solution is signed Onkyo, which can be found in the lower right corner of the frame. But despite the name of a well-known audio manufacturer, the sound is a bit disappointing. The 55C735’s performance is up to mid-range expectations if you don’t demand maximum volume from it. The sound is good for talk shows or light music, but that’s where it ends.

Movies with a solid soundtrack or slightly louder music won’t have the desired effect. The sound is harsh, sounding a bit compressed. Most sound presets often make things worse. If you turn up the volume too much, compression is immediately audible. If there will be a desire to regularly enjoy the sound of movies, it is worth considering the purchase of a sound board.

The connections are almost the same as on the TCL C835. The exception is the absence of one HDMI port. Of the three ports, one is HDMI 2.1. It provides 48Gbps bandwidth (HDMI 1 and 2) and supports 4K@120, ALLM, VRR and eARC.

There is also one USB 2.0 port, a composite input, two antenna jacks, an optical digital output and a 3.5mm headphone output. In addition, the patch panel is equipped with an Ethernet RJ45 port for line internet connection and a CI+ 1.4 slot. Wireless WiFi and Bluetooth connections for connecting a mouse/keyboard or wireless headphones round out the list.

The start date of sales of the C735 – summer 2022. The series consists of three models with diagonals from 55 to 75 inches. At the time of writing: July 2022, these TVs are just starting to appear on sale. The price of TCL 55C735 TV is 950$. You can buy a TCL 65C735 for 1200$. TCL 75C735 has not yet appeared on sale. The price of it is unknown.

To conclude the review of the C735 from TCL, it remains to add that this TV has excellent mid-range picture quality, but with limitations. With real HDR 10 content, it is not bright enough for it. In addition, a little disappointment is brought by the poor sound quality. Google TV has made significant progress, but some additional customization options, such as a separate account for TCL, can wreck it.

This TV provides excellent contrast, although you need to consider viewing angles when viewing dark images. The TV is very well calibrated in both SDR and HDR. This makes the most of its hardware, especially in HDR, where excellent tone mapping compensates for limited peak brightness.

Excellent image processing and decent motion clarity are a plus, no matter what content you’re watching. Gamers get the necessary HDMI 2.1 connectivity and gamer features. TCL also set a great price for the C735. The price to quality ratio is a major plus on this TV.