TCL P745 Review: Feature-packed budget tv with great image quality

TCL P745 is TCL’s latest budget offering for 2023. But despite the series being in the affordable segment, it comes with a lot of built-in features, the same as those used in the more expensive C-series. These are HDR Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Google TV and much more. The VA panel guarantees high image quality.

TCL also supports Apple TV features on its Google TVs, such as AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. The company has not forgotten about gaming needs. The P745 features a new Game Master gaming option, as well as a Game Accelerator 120 Hz option that doubles the refresh rate of the TV’s matrix from a small native 60 Hz to 120 Hz. In the TCL 65P745 4K HDR Google TV review, we will describe the main functionality of the TV.

TCL P745: Preview

Design

Thanks to the frameless design on three sides, the TCL 65P745 TV does not distinguish between many of its modern cheaper and more expensive counterparts. The model looks pretty decent, so the eye will not be distracted by the case when watching TV. V-shaped legs are spaced almost to the edges of the screen and hold the TV well. But for installation you need furniture of the right size. It can also be installed on the wall.

True, two circumstances do not contribute to this. Firstly, part of the switching connectors is directed perpendicular to the case. If you use them, then the body is not pressed close to the wall. Second, the P735 uses a direct-lit LED (DLED) panel, which means the array of LEDs sits directly behind the screen. This provides the TV with extra thickness, and as a piece of art on the wall, it will definitely not look.

Together with the protruding hardware block, the thickness of the TCL P745 TV body is more than 8 cm. In general, the build quality is satisfactory. The rigidity of the body is given by a metal back panel, and the casing of the hardware part is made of textured plastic. Unlike QLED TVs TCL C845 , TCL C745 TV remote control P745 does not have numeric buttons. Otherwise, everything is stable – a microphone for voice control, a four-way joystick for navigation, etc.

Image quality

TV TCL P745 basically has a VA type matrix, just like TCL P735 . These matrices, unlike IPS matrices , have a high intrinsic contrast. The manufacturer claims a contrast ratio of 5000:1 for this model. At the same time, the P745 does not have any contrast enhancers such as local dimming. But even without this, the black color looks real black (or, as they say, deep). In other words, if you watch movies like in a cinema, i.e. in the dark, the effect will be adequate.

Usually, when talking about VA panels, they mean their small viewing angles. Theoretically, everything is correct – a deviation from the perpendicular to the screen leads to a loss of saturation and brightness of the picture. But in the case of the P745, these consequences are not catastrophic, and even with a wide seating of spectators on the sofa, the extreme ones will not experience significant discomfort. The TV has good calibration accuracy from the factory. In principle, the picture can not be adjusted.

The TV supports HDR mode, including Dolby Vision. The saturation and naturalness of colors in this case is provided by a wide color gamut with a coverage of more than 90% of the DCI-P3 (CIE1976) color space. But a significant limitation on the exact implementation of HDR content on the TCL P 745 HDR TV screen is imposed by the maximum possible brightness of the panel. It, unfortunately, does not exceed 280 nits, while the minimum threshold for HDR starts at 500 nits.

The gray uniformity of the P745 panel is poor. In different instances, small light spots are visible in different places on the screen. Uniformity of black color is about the same level. a few words about video signal processing. The TCL AiPQ 3.0 intelligent engine monitors multiple AI parameters by analyzing the displayed content. These are clarity, color, contrast, etc. All this should improve an already good picture.

Game features

First, we note that the TCL P745 series is equipped with MEMC technology, which interpolates motion on the screen in order to achieve greater smoothness while maintaining acceptable clarity. Next, Game Mode has an updated Game Master feature. There is no Game Bar on the P745 because VRR is not supported and there is essentially nothing else to display. But there is an aiming option – a mutable cross on the screen and ALLM – automatic transition to the game mode.

Smart TV

The smart functions of the P745 are powered by A55×4 1.3GHz quad-core processor based on the RT51 platform. At the same time, the RAM on board is 2 GB, and the built-in memory is 16 GB. Not much. But Google TV, a variation of the Android TV operating system, works on this basis. It has one feature: it is completely focused on content on demand. Therefore, everything that you watch in applications (Netflix, iVi, etc.) automatically appears directly on the main screen, without having to go into applications.

When it comes to installing apps, the Google ecosystem is almost limitless. Moreover, the applications themselves activate support for HDR / Dolby Vision (if the service supports it, in the case of Disney+, for example) and Dolby Atmos (via ARC for an amplifier or soundbar), and for now continue to offer HDR support for the same YouTube.

In addition, access to file playback via USB or network (NAS / DAS) continues to improve and become more and more stable, although limited to 100 Mbps of the built-in network card (although, fortunately, it can be solved using a USB adapter and a gigabit network. Of course, one must take into account the processing power of the processor and not load it with files with a large bitrate.

Useful features on Google TV include voice control, Google Meet video chat, and a kids space mode. In general, the TV operating system is well integrated with Android smartphones, realizing smart control of suitable devices through TCL Home. You can control a wide variety of equipment. Of course, all functions are implemented after logging into the TCL account.

Sound

The TCL P745’s two downward-firing speakers deliver a combined output of 19W. Audio system configuration 2.0 even has the declared support for Dolby Atmos. But this only applies to the transfer of the audio signal over the eARC return channel to the receiver or soundbar. And you will have to purchase some of this, since the TV (like any ordinary flat-panel TV) clearly lacks bass. Without them, the soundtrack of films does not involve the process, and the music sounds dry and flat.

Connections

In the list of connections for the TCL 65P745 TV, there are three HDMI ports (2 versions 1.4, one version 2.1 and with ARC). Further, 1 USB port version 3.0, a 3.5 mm headphone output and two antenna jacks (terrestrial and satellite). On the rear panel there is an Ethernet port and a digital optical audio output. Supports dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth v5.0.

Conclusion

This may not be TCL’s cheapest 65-inch TV. But it comes with an interesting Google TV interface that will surprise some users who see their TV as more than just a TV screen. Don’t forget that the TV also has a whole world of apps and smarts, unlike many typical smart TVs.

If you have home devices connected to a Google smart home that controls lights and air conditioning, for example, then the TV can be the gateway to control all of that smart equipment. This may convince some potential buyers to try out a well-known TV brand, as TCL is a major player in the global smart TV market in terms of sales volume.

TCL P745 Specifications: