When you buy through our links, you’re supporting our mission of fighting fake reviews.

old windows folder icon
84

out of

158

TVs

True Score Methodology v2.0

TCL 8 Series Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Kenn Muguna
Kenn Muguna Avatar
Kenn Muguna
Kenn is a writer that’s fascinated by all things tech. Having been born curious about how everything works, he spends his time taking things apart to put them back together, and shares what he finds out through writing.
All Articles by Kenn Muguna

→

Updated Feb 22, 2024 10:48 AM

Published

True Score

True Score is an AI-powered algorithm of product tests and customer reviews.

82

Absolutely Fresh

80
6

Experts

85
237

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Pick

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

View More

(

6

)

The TCL 8 Series Roku TV is fantastic for most users, thanks to its incredible peak brightness, inky blacks, excellent screen uniformity, and excellent contrast. However, watch out for the absence of HDMI 2.1 and the poor viewing angles.

SAVE $108
$1,546.00
$1,438.00
See Deal

See all stores

We’re reader-supported. Commissions finance our mission. Our ‘True Score‘ system independently powers ratings. Learn more

Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The TCL 8 Series Roku TV is TCL’s flagship LCD TV launched in 2019. It promises to provide better contrast and black levels than IPS LCDs, thanks to its VA panel.

In addition, it features low input lag, judder-free 24FPS playback, and boasts the easy-to-use Roku platform for smooth navigation. Thus, it is very well positioned for non-gaming users who just need a 4K TV that works.

Keep reading our TCL 8 Series review below to learn more about what top experts said. And don’t forget to take a look at the highest-rated TVs available today.

Rankings (recommended in)

Best For

  • Home Theater

  • Roku

Consensus

our Verdict

The TCL 8 Series Roku TV is a fantastic 4K HDR TV for media consumption in its range. It provides amazing peak brightness, top-notch contrast, deep black levels, and excellent screen uniformity for users with a bright room.

However, users also need to watch out for the poor viewing angles and the lack of HDMI 2.1.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Fantastic peak brightness
  • Superb contrast ratio
  • Amazing black levels
  • Great screen uniformity
  • Fast response time
  • Great upscaling
  • Wide color gamut support
  • Great reflection diffusion
  • Low input lag

Reason to Avoid

  • Capped to only 60Hz refresh rate
  • Poor viewing angle
  • No HDMI 2.1 support
  • No VRR, ALLM, or eARC
  • Bad out of the box color accuracy
  • No HDR 10+
  • Visible banding
  • Full-array local dimming can be too aggressive

TCL 8 Series Specs

Backlight TypeBacklight TypeFull-Array
Display TypeLED
HDMI Inputs4
HDR FormatDolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
LED Panel TypeLED Panel TypeMini LED, QLED
Max Resolution3840 x 2160 (4k)
Refresh Rate60 Hz
Screen size85"
Smart PlatformSmart PlatformRoku TV
VRRVRRNo

All Specs

Test Results

These are the most important criteria to test for TVs based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.

Color Gamut % (DCI P3 xy)93.2
Color Gamut % (DCI P3 uv)93.82
Color Gamut % (Rec 2020 xy)70.05
Color Gamut % (Rec 2020 uv)80.47
Color Gamut % (sRGB)99.9
Color Gamut % (Rec 709)0
Color Gamut % (BT.2020)0
Color Gamut % (Adobe RGB)0
Color Gamut % (BT.709)0
Contrast Ratio (x:1)10,257
SDR Brightness (nits)1,727
HDR Brightness (nits)1,870
Input Lag (ms)19.1
Response Time (ms)11.9
Color Washout (Degrees)25
Color Shift (Degrees)25
Brightness Loss (Degrees)35
Reflections (%)4.9
Low-Freq Extension (Hz)71.27
Freq Response StdDev @ 70db4.3
Freq Response StdDev @ 80db4.02
Weighted Total Harmonic Distortion @80db0.061
Intermodulation Distortion @80db1.1
EOTF (600 nit delta)0
EOTF (1000 nit delta)0
EOTF (4000 nit delta)0

All Tests

Can You Trust What You Read Online?

Fake reviews are taking over tech journalism—45% of sites are faking product tests. Don’t be misled.

Sign up now for exclusive access to Gadget Review’s bombshell investigation and uncover the truth about tech journalism.

Plus, stay ahead with our daily newsletter, packed with insights you can trust.

    All Stores

    Updated every 24 hours

    • Save $108
      $1,546.00
      $1,438.00

      Availability

      In Stock

      Free Shipping

      Yes
      See Deal

    Score Card

    E

    Expert Score

    80

    *.75

    We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

    C

    Customer Score

    85

    *.25

    We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

    True Score

    82

    Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

    Expert Scores

    Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.

    • Rtings
      101.4

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The TCL 8 Series is a great overall TV. It performs well in both bright… Read More

      By:

      Ryan Scartozzi
    • PC Mag
      95.6

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The TCL 8-Series of 4K LED TVs features a bright picture with vibrant color, at… Read More

      By:

      Will Greenwald
    • Tom’s Guide
      79.85

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      PROS: Awesome picture quality., Mini-LED backlight delivers rich blacks and bright highlights., HDR10 and Dolby… Read More

      By:

      Brian Westover
    • CNET
      80.25

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      LIKE: Superb image quality., Best-in-class streaming., Cheaper than OLED at 75 inches. DON’T LIKE: Expensive.,… Read More

      By:

      David Katzmaier
    • Sound and Vision
      92.1

      Category Trust Rating

      92
      With TCL selling the 75-inch 8-Series model evaluated here at $3,000, and a 65-inch model… Read More

      By:

      Thomas J. Norton
    • Techhive
      47.1

      Category Trust Rating

      90
      Super granular mini-LED backlighting delivers the most stunning blacks we’ve seen from an LCD TV…. Read More

      By:

      Jon L. Jacobi

    Customer Scores