I’ve not owned a TV for a good few years, so it was with some anticipation that I unboxed the TCL C6K Premium QD-MiniLED TV in my living room. I’ve been thinking about acquiring a “draadloos” as I’d like to move some of my entertainment out of the studio and into a more socially friendly, living room environment. In addition to this, big screens have gotten much cheaper in recent years, it’s rugby season, and Steam Link is a total game-changer. You can see why I convinced myself to start looking.
TCL is a relatively new player in the South African TV space, even though this company is one of the Top brands globally, next to Samsung, LG and Sony. The TV I am looking at here is the TCL C6K Premium QD-MiniLED TV, and it is the kind of display that makes you question why you’d ever spend more money on TV.
At the heart of the C6K is TCL’s QD-MiniLED panel technology, which combines quantum dots for colour reproduction with thousands of mini LEDs for contrast and local dimming precision. The result is a vivid screen that is sharp when watching 4k content and fast when playing games at 144Hz.
At a mere 17 kg, I was able to move and unpack this TV on my own, and because it’s only 56mm thin, it’s really easy to move around. I don’t recommend setting it up solo though, but it can be done.
From unboxing to setup took maybe 15 minutes, and signing in with my Google account was a breeze. From there you are greeted with the familiar Google TV interface, and you can download streaming apps, games, and utilities.
Once I signed into all my apps, I scrolled for maybe 45 minutes deciding what to watch as my first movie. It was a tough decision because this TV features all the goodies to ensure a good movie-watching experience, including HDR support, covering Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR10. I settled on Oppenheimer as this movie was shot with large format IMAX cameras, both for the colour and black and white scenes, this combined with the movie’s practical special effects, instead of CGI, meant it would offer the most immersive watching experience.
Movie night certainly did not disappoint. What was most notable was the deep black’s that this TV could reproduce. This meant that the dark scenes in the movie did not lose contrast, and I could see all the detail in the scene. This was offset by the vibrant colours displayed during the quantum particle scenes. It was spectacular to say the least.
While the TCL TV C6K QD-MiniLED also features image processing to upscale and smooth out the picture quality, I turned this off. I prefer the picture quality to be a little grittier, the way it was shot.
From a gaming perspective, the TCL TV C6K is ideally suited; it supports native 4K at 144Hz, complete with ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and AMD FreeSync Premium. Input lag clocks in at around 13 milliseconds, which makes it highly responsive in fast-paced shooters or competitive titles.
In terms of connectivity, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports that can handle 4K @144Hz, and two HDMI 2.0 ports that can handle 4K @60Hz. You also get two USB ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 5 wireless networking. For best game streaming results, I’d suggest using the LAN port which is rated at 100Mbps.
There are a few other features aimed squarely at gamers here too. The Gamebar shows key info such as the current frame rate, resolution, HDR mode, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) status, all useful if you want to verify that your console or PC is outputting what it should. It also displays input lag mode, refresh rate (60Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz), and which HDMI input is active.
Beyond these stats, the GameBar lets you toggle the Game Master mode, enable or disable VRR or ALLM, change picture presets (FPS, RPG, Sports), and tweak the shadow enhancement level to reveal detail in dark areas. The Game Master mode automatically enables the best low-latency and motion settings when a console is detected.
In terms of design, the C6K looks the part. Its ultra-slim chassis and matte display finish lend it a premium aesthetic while reducing reflections, something many glossy-screen rivals still struggle with.
This TV’s sound is provided by a built-in Onkyo 2.1 system, complete with Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support. It’s punchy enough for casual viewing or late-night gaming sessions, but audiophiles will still want to pair it with a soundbar or dedicated surround setup for full immersion.
Overall, the C6K is bright enough to thrive in well-lit rooms, colourful enough to make your games pop, and responsive enough to satisfy pro gamers. At under R14,000, the TCL C6K Premium QD-MiniLED TV is a fantastic offering that has this gamer convinced to buy a TV again. While this range from TCL is available in bigger sizes, too, this 65-inch model hits the sweet spot for your average living room space.