TCL C635 QLED 4K Google TV Review
- Image quality
- Sound quality
- System
- Production quality
- Operation and remote controls
TCL C635 QLED 4K Google TV Review in three sentences
The TCL C635 is a very good TV for normal use in a multi-generation home. It will be perfect for drama productions or calmer sensational series. However, it hurts the average sound and the fluidity of the system, which could be much better.
The cost of televisions has been steadily rising over the years, but there is still a market for budget-friendly options. The TCL C635 is one such example, featuring both QLED technology and the added convenience of Google TV. But is it worth the investment? In this review, we take a closer look at the TCL C635 to determine its value.
Contents
Set and price
The TCL C635 arrives in a standard, lightweight cardboard box. The 55-inch size of the TV is easy to remove from the packaging. The package includes the TV, a power cable, two remote controls (similar to the C728 model, one of which operates via Bluetooth), and accompanying paperwork. The price of the TV varies based on its size, with a range of options available.
- TCL 43C635 costs USD $899.
- TCL 50C635 costs USD $999.
- TCL 55C635 costs USD $1,299.
- TCL 65C635 costs USD $1,699.
- TCL 75C635 costs USD $2,499.
TCL C635 TV specification
- Resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Refresh 60 Hz
- Sizes from 43 to 75 inches
- Google TV
- Dolby Vision and HDR10 + support
- Onkyo speakers with Dolby Atmos technology with a power of 2 x 10 W
- Quantum Dot QLED technology
- Three HDMI 2.1 connectors
- Optical output, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
- 5 GHz Wi-Fi
Production quality
The TCL C635 is not impressive in terms of construction and quality. What caught my eye first were the plastic feet, which didn’t inspire my confidence . They are very light and have small rubber bands on the bottom that could be slightly larger. The TV is very easy to accidentally move, and possibly to throw it off if it is in a frequently frequented place.
Another element that caught my attention is the tile on the front. Peeling off the foil from the frames, I noticed that the material did not stick perfectly and it was easy to press it deeper. This can increase the susceptibility to damage by impact, or simply by dirt that can easily get inside.
But there are small frames, good sockets and generally friendly quality of materials
Apart from the above drawbacks, the TCL C635 is just fine. Here we have slightly thinner frames than the competition in this budget, good quality sockets that are quite tight and securely hold the cables in the TV, as well as simply pleasant materials. The elevator does not fingerprint significantly, and it does not scatter dust, for which it deserves a big plus.
Pleasant remotes
As in the case of the TCL C728 model , the manufacturer added two remote controls to the TV. The first is a bit smaller, mainly for streaming purposes that are used by more and more people. The second remote is larger, with, let’s call it, standard keys, including numeric keys. It works with the help of Bluetooth, unlike the smaller one that works with the help of infrared.
A larger remote control will be more useful for operating standard TV and terrestrial TV. Both remotes are well made, and the set includes batteries for them. The buttons are made of rubber and have a nice texture. Thanks to this, the fingers do not slip on the remote control, and additionally, thanks to the arrangement of the keys, it is difficult to confuse them with each other.
Google TV needs to be tweaked
The first logging into the system should be as easy and as quick as possible. Unfortunately, in the case of the TCL C635, I had three attempts to log in . On the first two attempts, after a few minutes of shooting, the TV threw an error and I had to try again. But as they say, up to three times it’s done and it worked.
Then the TV set forced the update, which took another dozen or so minutes, so finally after half an hour I was able to use the TV . A bit long, taking into account that some competitor TVs only need to be connected to the power supply, because we log in to each application on our own. But the first turn on is only done once, so it is forgivable.
The system is not the fastest
As you fly from system to system, through different televisions, it’s easy to see that the TCL C635 is not a speed demon. Already in the main menu, you can see the frame of the animation when looking for specific applications, which also often do not work well. While I didn’t have any major problems with Netflix or Amazon Prime, Disney + often refused to turn on at all . The only option for it to run was to turn on two other apps in a row, turn off the TV, then restart it and head directly to streaming from Disney. Considering the current position of this service on the market, it is a pity that this is how it works.
Reading passwords works once and does not
Purely in theory, Google TV should support us by loading passwords from the Google password bank. I mainly use Google Chrome and Android on my phone, so 99% of my passwords are in the manager of this company. While all applications showed the ability to automatically enter the password, this feature did not always work.
In the case of, among others, Canal +, the option showed, but confirmation of the willingness to use this password completely closed the application, and then restarted it after a while . Of course, as a user, I was still not logged in, and manually entering a long email and password with the remote control is not the most pleasant.
There are a few picture settings, but relatively few
TCL and Google TV have improved over the years in this regard, but they are still not in the same place as the rest. Most of the options are translated on average and simply given a scale of zero to ten, which may be unreadable to those unfamiliar with the topic. I used the TV myself mainly on the “Film” option and with the color temperature “Warm 1”, as they were the closest to my expectations. Accessing the settings is quite simple, but sometimes it will throw us out of the watched image to show them in full screen. As a result, we are not able to see the changes live, which I regret quite a bit.
But still there are the most applications here
And this is an undeniable advantage of Google TV over other systems. We find here practically all the applications we can dream of. From basic Netflix and HBO Max, through all music apps, to rarer options like Canal + and F1 TV.
Image quality at a high level
The picture presented by the TCL C635 TV set is on a very decent level. The VA panel provides decent contrast while still showing high visibility of shadow detail. In this regard, it is better than its price competitor, Hisense A7GQ , although this one performs a bit better in other ranges.
Quality of images in movies
I used TCL C635 almost exclusively on various streaming platforms, such as Disney +, HBO Max or Netflix. And each time I was very pleased with the results I saw. The colors were pleasantly saturated, with a very even range. You do not feel the lack of specific colors, but there is also no unnecessary saturation. The only thing I didn’t really like was the slightly too olive tones of the leather . Apart from them, both darker series such as Peaky Blinders and bright animations, like Family Guy or The Incredibles, look very good.
Lots of detail in the shadows, a little less in the highlights
TCL in the C635 model clearly focused on better visibility in the dark parts of the image. I watched the last season of the Peaky Blinders series on it and even with the scenes in the dark bar, the whole thing was perfectly visible. Of course, it’s not OLED, so you could feel a lot of gray instead of black, but it was still good. However, it was a bit worse in the bright parts of the picture, which were often just white. The manufacturer in theory provides a dynamic contrast function and something called Micro Dimming software, but they clearly do not do it due to the low brightness of the panel.
It’s a bit dark, so the HDR effect isn’t big
Another problem with televisions of this price range is the slightly visible HDR effect. In the case of the TCL C635 it is okay, but still, the price considerations are unstoppable. TCL C635, however, supports all available forms of HDR, so nothing prevents you from using them. However, if we have a limited internet package, it is better to choose the SDR version, because the difference in the picture will not be drastic, and HDR movies weigh a lot more.
Contrast and brightness are pretty decent
The native contrast of the panel on the TCL C635 TV is around 3800: 1, which is a decent result for this budget and VA panel. What surprised me, for a VA screen, the viewing angles are very good. You can easily watch movies at a considerable angle, without the slightest fear of significant distortions in colors.
The brightness, on the other hand, is around 320 nits, which is again quite a good result. This is slightly above the standard brightness for this budget and the TV will be fine in a living room with moderate sunlight. If the sun is shining directly on the TV wall, I would advise you to look towards more expensive options that will be able to win with our closest star.
Very good mapping of movement in sports and games
TCL C635 is equipped with Motion Clarity technology, which is responsible for better reproduction of motion and reduction of blur. I used it myself for a while because of my personal preferences, but I must admit that it worked better than the liquefier in the aforementioned Hisense A7GQ. However, even without it, sports and games looked very good. The movement was incredibly natural, I didn’t experience any artifacts and all the elements in my beloved Formula 1 were clearly visible. In addition, the TV, despite 60 Hz, supports the ALLM function, which is doing very well and delays are reduced to an almost invisible level.
It’s okay with the measurements, but it could have been slightly better
TCL C635 in measurements obtained quite correct results, but unfortunately this is not the level of competition from Hisense. In the best mode, “Movie” with the color temperature set to “Warm 1”, the delta E error was between 2.8 and 4.1 , which is in the range of values visible to the naked eye. If we switch from dynamic modes, we will easily feel a big difference as a plus.
TCL C635 sounds correct but boring
Fireworks cannot be expected from the sound of televisions in this budget either. The only thing I usually expect is full readability of the dialogues and reasonable saturation with a broad band. In the case of the TCL C635, we get clear dialogs, but not much else. The sound is just flat and boring, it doesn’t convey the emotions that should accompany many movies.
However, if we are fans of breakfast TV, series such as “Bones”, CSI series or drama series, TCL C635 is enough for us. However, if we want to fully immerse ourselves in a night of horror movies or productions called by some “Real cinema”, it is worth investing in even an inexpensive soundbar, such as Sonos Ray . It will significantly emphasize the quiet elements of sound, which are a lot in movies and games.
Read Also: [Review] TCL C728 – Gaming TV doesn’t have to be expensive
TCL C635 review – summary
The TCL C635, reviewed by us, is a satisfactory TV that fails to stand out in any particular area. It features Google TV system which has both pros and cons, offering a large number of applications that can be easily installed from your phone, but not providing the smoothest user experience. The TV also comes with two remotes which is a plus, however, the build quality of the TV itself is not the best. The picture quality for its price range is decent but the sound quality is average.
Overall, this TV is recommended for individuals who watch custom productions and are not too demanding on equipment. While it can handle powerful productions, it will not match the experience of higher-end TVs.
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