It depends on the bandwidth of the Dolby Atmos stream of your file. If it's 768 kpbs - 1.5 Mbps, it probably can. This is the bitrate for Dolby Digital Plus encoded with Atmos information that's typical from video streaming app. If the bitrate starts at 6 Mbps, that's Dolby TrueHD encoded with Atmos from BDs and that needs eARC.

If you have an Atmos receiver and you really want this TV, get a 4K android box and connect it to the receiver. That way the Android box have a direct connection to the receiver.

The bottleneck is still the TV. The Android box has to be connected directly to the Atmos receiver/soundbar first to decode TrueHD Atmos/DTS HDMA/X.

Android box/HTPC -> Atmos receiver <- ARC Dolby Digital Plus -> TV

It doesn't have to be Nvidia Shield but it is an easy and expensive solution. You can use is a second-hand PC with a HDMI (audio passthrough and video) output. Or you can buy a brand new Intel/Ryzen NUC. With these options, you run the standard Kodi and you can use the Netflix app for 4K content.

The cheapest lossless-capable box is the Odroid n2+ with CoreElec library installed with Kodi. Only use this to play the lossless movies from your NAS. Not Netflix certified.


This has been a deep-dive for me for what Android boxes can and cannot do. My brain is tired.

To know more, here's the thread on Kodi Forum on which 4K Android box to buy.

This post has been edited by writesimply: Jul 5 2021, 03:46 PM

Since this is the C716 topic, the C716 would be the recommended model.

The significant difference is colors that are more accurate due to the inclusion of Quantum Dot film layer.

This is correct. The 55" is going for RM2,999 now on the official TCL store on Shopee. Today only.

Try it with another flash drive. Format as NTSF. See if it's recognized. If it is, then it's the other flash drive.

If it's not, it's the USB port. Send it for repairs if it's under warranty. If it's not, use the USB sharing function of your wifi router if it has one.

Well you can wait until you can travel to Thailand.

I think the C728 is a better overall value, with gaming features and what have you. Probably RM4,500-4,800 for the 65", based on Thai prices. Though Thai sellers really offer discounts when there is a sale unlike Malaysian sellers.

TCL and Hisense and their hijinks in market segmentation. Oh well. Thai model beckons.

Yeah and? As I said before, I don't work for/with Hisense or TCL.

The C825 seems like a great product. Their Thai pricing however puts it within a spitting range of Samsung's 65" QN90A. At that price difference, consumers with the budget would favor Samsung even though TCL has Dolby Vision.

TCL Malaysia's decision to not bring C728 is baffling, considering that the C728 is more gamer- and movie-friendly. This demographic is valuable.

Maybe the decision is all about supply issues. Maybe it's all about being #1 in sales to beat Hisense, as evidenced in one of their Facebook postings. Whatever it is, if you want C728 or C825, you got to import it from Thailand.

This is from the official Thai TCL's store on Shopee Thailand. 65" C825 for RM7,473. Current price is ฿60,000. Thai MSRP is ฿70,000.

The link you gave is not from the official TCL Singapore's store.

TCL Thailand has the 85" version of the C825.

You're comparing a feature with two different brands of TV, which you shouldn't do.

TVs with QLED (which is a Samsung-branded feature) has a wide color gamut, due to the quantum dot film that refines the light from the LED. I believe some Samsung's QLEDs don't have FALD and some do. Sony LCD TVs definitely do not have the quantum dot film. Other brands have TVs with quantum dot films.

There are many factors that can make one TV model better than the other when they are of the same price range. Only you can determine which of those factors are important enough for you to buy that TV.

TCL has new models with Q-dot and FALD for 2021. TCL Malaysia has yet to bring them in.

Depends on the soundbar. Most soundbars are stereo or 3.0 channels. Dolby Atmos has 5.1.2 channels, minimum.

Lesson: with basic soundbars, you can get loud sounds but not surround sound.