Thomson Google TV Oled 650G8S24 Review
With the Thomson Google TV OLED 65 OG8S24, a new OLED TV with a screen diagonal of 65 inches (165 centimeters) reached our test lab. Its pre-installed Google TV user interface in Android TV version 11 offers an enormous selection of apps with the most important streaming providers, as well as additional features like voice control via Google Assistant and video streaming via Chromecast.
Furthermore, the 4K Ultra HD TV supports all four relevant HDR standards with HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), HDR10+, and Dolby Vision IQ. We have extensively tested the smart Thomson Google TV OLED 65 OG8S24, which is also equipped with a single triple tuner for satellite, cable, and DVB-T2 HD reception paths, as well as two full-featured HDMI 2.1 interfaces for optimal gaming, and reveal on the following pages how it performed.
Affordable 65-inch 4K OLED TV
Did you know that the Thomson Google TV OLED 65 OG8S24 is equipped with a Quad-Core MediaTek MT9617 processor? In practical tests, this provided smooth performance in combination with 3GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage.
The Thomson Google TV OLED OG8S24 is offered not only in the 65-inch (165 centimeters) version we tested but also with screen diagonals of 55 inches (139 centimeters) and 77 inches (195 centimeters). We have summarized the suggested retail prices for the available screen sizes in the table on page 65.
Design and Features
The TV, also simply referred to by the manufacturer as Thomson Google TV 65″ OLED, stands on two slim plastic feet when placed on a table. Alternatively, the TV can be mounted on a wall; an optional mount according to the VESA standard 300 × 200 is required for this. The frame is only a few millimeters wide and rounded at the corners. At the bottom, it is slightly wider and houses a colored LED strip that lights up colorfully during the boot process.
The 4K television plays video content up to a resolution of 2160p or scales it accordingly. It supports an extended contrast range with the formats HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dolby Vision IQ, and HDR10+ in fourfold execution.
Front The Thomson TV has an LED strip at the bottom that lights up in color during the boot process. The TV stands on two slim plastic feet, while the frame is only a few millimeters wide and rounded at the corners.
The Thomson has a single triple tuner, through which TV programs can be received via satellite, cable, or DVB-T2 HD. A CI+ slot for corresponding modules also enables the reception of encrypted programs. On the back, there is also a digital optical S/PDIF output, a mini AV input, a LAN socket, two USB 2.0 ports, and four HDMI interfaces, one of which supports the enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), thus enabling lossless transmission of 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos.
Gaming
Two of the four HDMI inputs are predestined as full-fledged 2.1 interfaces for connecting a game console like the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro (test report on page 52 in this issue). The two HDMI 2.1 ports support Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and High Frame Rates (HFR) – that is, the display of 4K video content at up to 120 frames per second – partial specifications that are particularly of interest to gamers.
PROS HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ & HDR10+, App support, Google Assistant, Dolby Atmos, Unicable 2, remote control illuminated
CONS no recording function, no timeshift, no live TV display in EPG
EPG The electronic program guide with a preview time of seven days obtains the standard SI data for individual programs and therefore does not require an internet connection. Unfortunately, the current TV picture is neither visible in the background nor in a box after calling up the program guide.
Initial Setup and Operation
The test candidate uses the Google TV user interface, which is based here on Android TV 11. The initial setup via an installation assistant is largely self-explanatory and can be simplified by performing it with an Android smartphone, for which a Google account is required. Since this is also a prerequisite for further functions such as using the Play Store, it should be created free of charge if it does not already exist.
With the DiSEqC protocols 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 as well as Unicable 1 (EN50494) and 2 (EN50607), the TV is equipped for various satellite systems – from multi-feed to motorized systems to single-cable solutions. For the numerous applications and services, it is necessary to connect the TV to the internet. This is possible both wired and wirelessly via WLAN. In the latter case, both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands are equally supported.
Captain America: Brave New World
After a meeting with the newly elected US President Thaddeus Ross, Sam Wilson suddenly finds himself in the midst of an international conflict. He must uncover the background of a ruthless, global plot before the real mastermind can plunge the entire world into chaos. A breathless race against time begins. The fourth part of the Captain America series within the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe puts Sam Wilson as the successor of Steve Rogers in the spotlight for the first time and builds on the events of the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The theatrical release of the latest Marvel adventure, in which superstar Harrison Ford makes his debut in the franchise, is on February 12, 2025.
Apps The app offering of Google TV is unrivaled with several thousand applications. In particular, users of streaming services get their money’s worth, as all providers of our reference list including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, WOW, DAZN, and Dyn are available.
Google TV ran smoothly in our test runs and showed short response times, making operation pleasant.
The TV comes with a functional Bluetooth remote control that has all important buttons, which is no longer a matter of course nowadays. In a darkened room, these are also illuminated after each press, which is extremely useful when watching films in the evening. Direct access buttons are available for the streaming services Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube. We would like to give special praise for the “Live TV” button, which allows you to conveniently switch to the TV program from anywhere. In addition, shortcuts can be created via the so-called “Daily Key” button for quick access to other favorite functions. We explain how the user proceeds in the tips and tricks following this test report.
Alternatively, the TV can be controlled via app on a mobile device and supports Chromecast to stream content from mobile devices to the TV screen. Another operation option is voice control via Google Assistant, which is possible both via an integrated microphone in the remote control and via far-field microphones on the TV. The latter respond to voice commands, preceded by the phrase “Ok Google” or “Hey Google,” from anywhere in the room and can be deactivated via a switch on the back of the TV if desired.
Picture Measurements After selecting the picture mode “Film” or “Film (HDR10),” we deactivated all picture aids and made minor adjustments to the white balance settings, which can be found in detail in the table on page 66. Subsequently, the Thomson delivered very good results in our picture measurements. The color gamut coverage was 99.5 (P3) or 76.6 percent (BT.2020), while the Delta Error values for the grayscale did not exceed an average value of 3.0; only the peak brightness was a little low at 358 nits in the reference mode. The fact that the Thomson is basically capable of more was shown by the 886 nits measured in picture mode “Standard (HDR10).”
Android TV Remote Tablet PC and Smartphone Version 4.0a: Android 6.0+ Version 5.0.7: iOS 12.0+ The user can install one of several third-party apps on a mobile device to control the Thomson TV afterwards. In practical tests, for example, the “Android TV Remote” app, which is available free of charge for smartphones and tablets with the Android or iOS (Apple) operating systems, could be quickly connected to the Thomson and then used for control.
Setup
— SD: 4.1 m HD: 3.3 m 4K: 2.4 m
Optimal screen height1): — 0.68 m at an eye level of 1.10 m
0.83 m at an eye level of 1.25 m
1) Bottom edge of the TV
Recommended viewing distance:
Menu Unlike Google TV devices from some other manufacturers, the Thomson dispenses with an individualized menu structure that allows faster access to certain settings and instead fully relies on the predefined menus of the user interface based on Android TV 11.
TV and More
As mentioned, the Thomson Google TV 65″ OLED has a single triple tuner for TV reception, covering the reception paths satellite, cable, and DVB-T2 HD. In addition to free TV programs in SD, HD, and Ultra HD quality, the television is also able to receive encrypted channels thanks to a CI+ slot on the back for conditional access modules. The programs found via the channel search can be divided into up to four favorites lists and sorted directly on the TV. Unfortunately, convenient and fast editing with a channel list editor on the PC is not possible. It is also unfortunate that the manufacturer has dispensed with a recording function via USB. Timeshift, and thus pausing the current TV program, is also not available.
As an alternative, users can opt for a paid subscription to a live TV streaming service like Zattoo or waipu.tv, as they offer a recording function in the cloud. Both streaming services are available as apps on the Thomson, as are RTL+ and Joyn. In general, the app offering is one of the greatest advantages of the Google TV user interface, as it offers a rich selection that includes all the streaming services on our reference list, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, DAZN, WOW, and Dyn.
If the TV is connected to the home network, the HbbTV function (version 2.0.3) can also be used in TV operation to watch videos via Red Button through the media libraries or to restart the currently running program from the beginning using the blue color button. While some users find the HbbTV functions useful, others feel disturbed by the accompanying overlays; the latter can disable HbbTV on the Thomson globally, but not for individual channels.
Picture and Sound Quality
When we examined the first test images and videos after initial setup, we noticed pronounced vertical banding on the panel. Vertical banding describes the effect that on monochromatic backgrounds, vertically running stripes of different brightness levels are noticeable, and it’s not uncommon with OLED TVs, but we have rarely seen it as pronounced as with the Thomson.
The good news is that this is not a permanent condition: Vertical banding was hardly noticeable on our test device after a few days with several hours of operation each. It is important not to disconnect the TV from the power directly after use, but to leave it in standby mode, in which the compensation cycle runs that eliminates such panel weaknesses. Those who are less patient can manually perform the OLED correction in the “Picture Settings” menu.
After this problem was resolved, our visual tests and picture measurements yielded excellent results. The Thomson achieved a color gamut coverage of 99.5 (P3) or 76.6 percent (BT.2020), which allows it to compete with some flagship models from the competition in this area. In terms of peak brightness, however, deductions must be made in view of the 358 nits measured in our reference mode “Film (HDR10)”; in picture mode “Standard (HDR10),” the measured maximum value increased to at least 886 nits.
Subsequently, native 4K content was reproduced razor-sharp, with high contrast, and in brilliant colors in our practical test, whereby HDR content with extended contrast range could also convince thanks to the perfect black level, although the test candidate could not fully exploit its potential due to the limited peak brightness. In any case, positive is the support of all four relevant HDR standards, namely HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), HDR10+, and Dolby Vision IQ. The upscaling of Full HD content such as films on Blu-ray was also carried out by the Thomson in an impressive manner, while it displays TV images in 720p or 1080i somewhat less sharp, but still in high quality.
TV channels in SD resolution, on the other hand, should be avoided on all televisions with a large screen diagonal or watched from a correspondingly large distance. In sports events such as football matches, the 120 hertz panel pays off; additionally, the motion interpolation MEMC can be activated here, which inserts additional images to reduce blurring on the screen and thus make movements appear clearer. The test candidate has a good viewing angle and thus allows an unadulterated visual impression even from an oblique seating position. In addition, reflections are largely kept within limits even in daylight.
“Support of four HDR formats including Dolby Vision IQ”
Connections The connections are located on the left half of the backside when viewed from the front and are easily accessible even when wall-mounted due to the side orientation. The Thomson offers a single triple tuner and a CI+ slot for inserting pay-TV modules. Furthermore, among other things, four HDMI ports, two USB 2.0 interfaces, and a LAN port are available here.
27.3 °C
Thermal Images After about three hours of operation in TV mode, the panel of the Thomson warmed up fairly evenly up to 27.3 degrees Celsius at the peak, depending on the image content. At the back, the TV warmed up to a maximum temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius in the area of the connections.
35.1 °C
In terms of sound, the Thomson knows how to convince thanks to a sophisticated 2.1.2 speaker system with a total output of 54 watts. The integrated speakers provide well-balanced highs and mids that remain clean and undistorted even at higher volumes. They are supported by an integrated subwoofer that ensures decent bass reproduction. The sound equipment is rounded off with the support of the immersive audio format Dolby Atmos.
Conclusion
In our practical test, the Thomson Google TV OLED OG8S24 ultimately achieved 9.0 out of 10 points, for which we award it the rating “good.” The 4K OLED TV offers very good picture quality, with minor compromises in terms of peak brightness that do not significantly tarnish the overall impression. In terms of sound, the Thomson also delivers a high level, enhanced by the support of Dolby Atmos. The equipment can also be seen with Google TV as the user interface, including the associated features such as very good app support, voice control via Google Assistant, and streaming via Chromecast, as well as all four relevant HDR formats. A recording function on external USB storage devices would also have suited the test candidate in our opinion. At the editorial deadline of this issue, the Thomson Google TV OLED OG8S24 was available at an average market price of $1,595, which represents a quite attractive price point for a 65-inch OLED TV.
by M. Bjelajac
Founded in July 2014, 7Review is a free audio resource for beginners, and we're dedicated to helping you create the ultimate movie-watching experience right at home. We pull insights from top audio magazines and trusted industry sources to bring you well-researched, reliable reviews and tips. Whether you're a home cinema pro or just starting out, we aim to give you the info you need to make the best choices for your setup.
