Sets get ready to humble

How much do you need to spend to get a decent 4K TV? These sub-R10 000 upstarts might make you think again...

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TCL P8K QLED 55in

What's the story?

TCL is a relative newcomer in the South African market and it's already making serious inroads into living rooms around the country. The key points tend to be excellent displays at affordable price points, as the P8K's 55in 4K panel shows, but it's also got the advantage of a Google TV operating system that resembles Android more than a little.

That means typically brilliant app support for just about every streaming service you could want, a must when you're looking to install something obscure (like, say, SABC+).

That's not all this one will do, of course. Gamers are also in for a treat, whether they opt for this 55-incher or the gargantuan (but pricier) 85in.

Is it any good?

This TV is all about the Quantum Dot layer, which is designed to boost the colours and increase the contrast. How well TCL has executed the job may depend on your eyes but the brand isn't crowing about its 93% colour gamut certification for nothing. You may find it a mite enthusiastic, however.

The Google TV OS is simple to navigate, putting streaming content at your fingertips, but that richer palette is a double-edged sword: some content looks great; some looks a little artificial. The display features a 144Hz refresh rate, something that will tickle fans of the newest console generation, and TCL reckons that its AIPQ processor will add artificial intelligence smarts into the mix as well.

The P8K looks its best when fed Dolby Vision content, although there isn't really the brightness to deliver a truly impactful HDR experience. It purports to support Dolby Atmos and 360-degree sound, with integrated Onkyo 2.1 speakers.

R9 000 / tcl.com/southafrica.

Key specs