Press Release: Recently, cooperation between large TV manufacturers and notable manufacturers of speakers and amplifiers has been growing. The proof is also TCL and this not only technologically unique TV.
The flagship of the brand uses not only a world-unique screen, but also a unique audio system from Onkyo. You can also find it in some other TCL TVs, but here it is on a slightly different level, which is clearly audible, and it is also handled differently. While the soundbar is usually located directly under the screen, the X10 has it as part of the base. On the other hand, this does not mean that you cannot mount the TV on the wall. You just need to cut off the bar. And while we're at it – the Onkyo audio system is of the 2.2 type and therefore includes two mid-high speakers and two bass speakers. Everything radiates towards the viewer and everything is also covered with non-removable fabric. The amplifier then distributes the power evenly to all four speakers at 20 watts.
Special screen, ultra-thin concept
As for the panel, the TCL 65X10 is even more unique. Imagine a Quantum Dot (QLED) type LCD screen with crystals from an inorganic alloy with a frequency of 100 Hz, which has a surface backlight (Direct LED) made up of 15.360 miniature LED bulbs on the back. These are grouped into 768 zones, each of which can be controlled independently, i.e. that it can regulate the level of emitted light.
The X10 is available for purchase with a single diagonal of 165 cm (65″), in Ultra HD (4K) resolution, i.e. 3840 x 2160 pixels, and costs CZK 64.990. It has been tested by the CRA for receiving Czech terrestrial broadcasting in DVB-T2/HEVC and can therefore use the "DVB-T2 verified" logo. Of course, it has a complete set of tuners available, i.e. including satellite DVB-S2, and the latest version of the "red button", HbbTV 2.0, is built in, which needs to be turned on in the TCL settings menu after installation. Everything is handled by the operating system Android TV 9.0 with access to the Google Store application marketplace.
The design concept is based on a thin screen without a traditional frame, with an attached part with electronics, a kind of hump, in the lower part of the screen. In the narrowest part, the TV is only 7,8 mm, in the deepest part 95 mm.
The price includes two remote controls. Classic working via infrared and simplified compact working both via infrared and via Bluetooth. It also has a microphone and, surprisingly, the second microphone is placed directly into the TV. It can also be physically turned off on its back, which can certainly come in handy.
It is true that the TCL X10 cannot be controlled in Czech yet (this is yet to be done, including, for example, channel switching), but if you say, for example, "Wohnout" or "goulash", it will refer you to Youtube, where the vast majority of other questions also lead.
Compatibility with the latest audio and video formats, excellent control
A big advantage of the TV, which you will not always find in the competition, is undoubtedly not only the rich compatibility with various audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio, but also the compatibility with content made with HDR (high dynamic range) technology, which you can already find today on some video services, such as Amazon Prime Video. In addition to the basic standard HDR10 and HLG intended for television broadcasting, the TCL X10 can handle HDR10+ and especially Dolby Vision, which was originally a cinema format.
TV control with Android TV is not always completely simple. However, TCL has taken it a long way with this device. In the company settings menu, you can scroll comfortably, which speeds up the operation, there is also (in addition to the Home menu and the Google settings menu, where you can no longer scroll) an excellent context menu on the button with horizontal lines. If you are in the TV tuner, you can use it to change the picture settings, for example, and there is also an excellent option to turn off the screen and leave only the sound on. This is useful not only when listening to radio stations broadcast both via satellite and DVB-T/T2, but also significantly reduces consumption.
Both OK and the special List button, which is primarily intended for this purpose and should work under any circumstances, could be used to recall tuned channels. There is also a quick-to-call EPG program menu (here Guide) and the button is handy on the classic remote control.
On the home button (Home) you will find, for example, access to applications, among which there are also local ones, such as the excellent HBO GO or the no less good internet television Lepší.TV, and there are also, for example, Fairy Tales, Skylink Live TV or the excellent corporate application "Centrum media". It gives the possibility to play music, photos and video either separately or in one go. The compatibility was excellent, the only thing that needs improvement are the external subtitles in the video, where neither the size nor the Czech character set can be set.
The "media center" also served videos with the aforementioned HDR10 technology (it was excellent especially with an overlit scene) and Dolby Vision. To make matters worse, the TV always displays the name of the standard and shows, for example, content played with, for example, DTS-HD Master Audio. In addition, the speaker system really made the speaker dance, and you could tell that as soon as you played high-quality audio content into it, it immediately woke up to even better performance. In addition, the TV resampled excellently from lower resolutions (even lower than current TV broadcasts), and excellent work with motion sharpness was also visible (if that was at all possible, of course). But the picture will definitely surprise you even on regular commercial TV channels broadcast via DVB-T2.
If you are interested in the TCL 65X10, definitely do not buy it over the Internet, but don't waste your time, visit a good store and have it switched from the demonstration mode to a home environment, and feel free to view the current DVB-T/T2 as well. And maybe you could bring headphones. Here, too, the excellent Onkyo audio system showed what it can do.
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