Compare: LG 55 B4 vs TCL A300W NXTVision

LG OLED B4 is an exceptionally versatile device in the semi-premium category. For how else can you describe an OLED television that is so well-priced, and whose price, as history shows, will quickly drop? Perfect blacks and contrast are two things that inevitably hypnotise, and we are sure that anyone who has ever owned a device with this panel will not be able to return to LCD units. The brightness results of the TV in HDR content may seem quite low, however, in this case, due to such a panel, they will appear optically much higher. It is worth noting their stability and uniformity in practically every scene. In this case, a minor downside is the brightness of full-frame content filled with a lot of white. However, we do not consider this a serious issue, as there are not many such instances. The factory colour reproduction also deserves praise, which in our unit is quite decent, but one cannot help but recall the beneficial effect calibration had on the image, allowing the director's intentions to be conveyed in full. LG B4 will be an excellent choice for all sorts of gamers, as well as sports fans. The former will certainly appreciate the rich support in the form of all the conveniences arising from the HDMI 2.1 standard. Meanwhile, the latter will enjoy the advanced motion smoother with multi-level adjustment. And finally, it is impossible not to mention the convenience resulting from the remote control with a built-in gyroscope, which allows it to function like a mouse. The WebOS system, which we will navigate, is incredibly smooth and responsive. It offers a multitude of applications that will be more than sufficient for the vast majority of users. The heart of the LG B4 TV is the advanced Alpha processor, which is responsible for image smoothness and advanced signal analysis. In summary: who is the LG OLED B4 for? It is the perfect device for those expecting the highest possible image quality within a given budget, but not only that. The LG B4 clearly stands out from the competition at its price point, which cannot offer such high-quality image in this price range.

At first glance, it’s clear that the TCL A300 NXTVision aims to be more than just an ordinary television. It offers a picture display mode that – unlike competitors from Korea, Samsung The Frame – is completely free. Additionally, just like its rivals, extras are included at no charge. In the packaging, alongside the television, we find extra frames that mimic light wood and a flat wall mount, allowing the television to truly resemble a gallery piece. When it comes to everyday use, the standout feature is the Google TV system – comprehensive, fast and offering access to a massive number of apps. And if we feel like stepping out of the digital museum and jumping straight into the gaming world, the A300 can surprise us. With two HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and a very low input lag, even demanding gamers can feel at home here. Well... perhaps except for those sensitive to motion blur – as this remains one of the bigger issues with this model. There are also downsides. While the picture mode is free – which is commendable – the actual quality of the available graphics falls noticeably short compared to what Samsung offers in its paid ART Store. The displayed images resemble photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Unfortunately, the A300 – much like the competing Hisense S7NQ – performs poorly here and additionally has some software issues. The brightness of the television itself also leaves much to be desired – it’s the dimmest of the “framed trio,” which translates to average daytime viewing and limited HDR effect. Nevertheless, the TCL A300 NXTVision is a reasonably sensible alternative to Samsung The Frame or S7NQ – especially if we are looking for a cheaper solution without additional charges for access to the “gallery” mode and with an operating system that doesn’t limit us in any way regarding the number of apps. However, it’s important to remember that this is a proposal with a lot of compromises. If we want to save a bit and don’t expect top-notch picture quality, the A300 can hit the visual bullseye. Otherwise, it’s worth looking at its competition.

LG B4 uses OLED panels produced by LG Displays. The use of this type of panel gives us perfect contrast and black levels. Thanks to these conditions, the image is incredibly three-dimensional, almost as if it were three-dimensional. The manufacturer's series with the letter "B" has always been the ideal solution for those seeking very good image quality while not wanting to pay extra for features that are only available in higher series. Therefore, these models have been somewhat of a dark horse in this price range, as their competitive pricing primarily allowed them to compete with Mini LED televisions. It’s not hard to say that these models have won these battles due to the absence of characteristic flaws found in LCD receivers with multi-zone backlighting, such as blooming/halo effects or dimming of images with fine bright details. And as we can see in the test scenes from the films "Oblivion" and "Sicario 2," the image quality stands at the highest level. Looking at the first one, we see a spectacular play of lights that, despite their brightness, are perfectly separated from each other. Even the more difficult scene with the helicopter poses no problem for LG B4, showcasing a wealth of detail and the specific colour grading characteristic of this title.

TCL A300, also known as NXTVision, uses a VA panel, so from the outset, decent contrast could be expected. On our test screens, the television indeed showed typical results for this type of panel – in the best case, the contrast reached around 5000:1, which is not a bad result for this segment.

However, it should be noted that the model is not equipped with any local dimming technology, which unfortunately is evident in practice. Black, although at times quite deep, often turns into navy blue or grey – especially in darker scenes. In short: for a television without local dimming, it’s not bad, but it shouldn't be compared to models that already have such a feature on board.

The brightness results in HDR materials LG B4 are very good. It is true that none of them exceed 1000 nits, although the luminance stability is excellent and looks practically the same in every scenario. The only moment where the tested television performs worse is the last scene, although this should not come as a surprise. Large frames filled with a lot of white have always been, and will likely continue to be, somewhat of a weakness for OLED televisions. However, the combination of perfect contrast, black levels, and brightness in the LG B4 allows for a full spectrum of the HDR effect. Additionally, the incredibly high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which reached 99%, deserves recognition. As a result, colours look incredibly vibrant and stunning.

When it comes to brightness, the TCL A300W is definitely the dimmest TV among all frame-style models, such as Samsung The Frame or Hisense CanvasTV – and unfortunately, you can see that right away. In our measurements, peak luminance reached only around 400 nits, and on test movie screens, this value dropped to 350 nits. That’s definitely too little to feel the real "magic" of bright HDR effects. As a consolation – the TV is equipped with a PFS LED coating (which is something like QLED), which provides very good coverage of a wide colour gamut, both DCI-P3 and BT.2020. In addition, there is full support for all popular HDR formats – HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision – which somewhat compensates for the shortcomings in brightness and helps improve the overall experience of materials in this quality.

The best factory mode prepared by the manufacturer is "Filmmaker," and we used it throughout the entire testing procedure. We must admit that the unit we received straight out of the box had quite decent colour reproduction. The biggest issue in both SDR and HDR content turned out to be white balance. In the former, there was a strong dominance of red, resulting in a noticeable yellow tint in the displayed image, particularly evident on skin tones and whites. In high-quality materials, this colour was also pronounced, but due to a lack of blue, there were also signs of green visible. Besides these shortcomings, we also encountered issues with greyscale and the colours themselves.

TCL A300 offers several picture modes, but without a doubt, the movie mode performs the best. Unfortunately, even though it is the best option available, it is not free from errors. Both in HD and HDR content, the image has a noticeably too warm hue – it has a slight pink tint, which is particularly noticeable in snowy scenes. Instead of pure white, we get a pinkish coating that spoils the natural perception of colours.

The management of brightness is also lacking. In the case of older HD materials, the image often seems too dark – confirmed by an elevated gamma value. Conversely, with HDR content, the effect is the opposite – the image is overly bright, as we observed in scenes from the film Pan. Such a lack of consistency also affects colour accuracy – a test with a ColorChecker showed that many samples clearly deviate from reference values.

Fortunately, TCL allows for manual adjustment of settings, so we decided to check how the television would perform after our professional calibration. The effects of this adjustment are described below.

LG B4 has been providing very advanced calibration tools in its TVs for years. We can even say that as the only manufacturer on the market, it allows for such deep intervention in image adjustment. Thanks to these, we were able to calibrate the device so well. The evidence of this is the extremely low deltaE errors, which can be said to stand at a reference level. Both SDR and HDR materials now look exactly as the film director intended. It is no coincidence that TVs of this brand are most often used as preview screens for various graphic or post-production studios.

After our professional calibration, the TCL A300 has literally been given a new lease on life. The image has stopped being too warm, and the colours finally look as they should – as confirmed by the ColorChecker test, where the colour samples finally started hitting their marks, at least to some reasonable degree. It was also possible to partially correct the brightness management – the image is now more balanced and less "wobbly" between different types of content. Of course, certain limitations can't be bypassed – a slightly visible blooming effect still occurs, but that's a characteristic of the technology, not something that can be eliminated even after professional settings.

Generally: after calibration, the A300 looks significantly better and gains a whole new quality.

The smoothness of tonal transitions, often overlooked in various tests on competitive portals, is an equally important aspect of image quality assessment. It is particularly crucial when watching materials that feature a wealth of colours and many intricate effects, where textures blend together. This often leads to what's known as colour banding, or a lack of smooth gradation. The tested television handles tonal transition smoothing quite well. However, it's worth noting that it has its weaker moments, such as the bright colourful sky in the film "Kingsman" or "The Martian." These, however, are not issues that detract from the viewing pleasure. Therefore, we assess the quality of tonal transitions in LG B4 positively.

TCL A300 NXTVision is another frame-style television that really manages well with the smoothness of tonal transitions. It's hard to find distinct bands or sharp transitions between shades of one colour – it all looks natural and smooth.

However, it's fair to say that among the three tested models (The Frame and S7NQ), TCL performs the weakest in this category. In darker and lighter scenes, you can notice slight imperfections. Nevertheless, looking at it as a whole, for a television in this range – it really presents itself solidly. It might not be the best of the bunch, but it holds a very good standard.

In this paragraph, we will take another look at the tonal transition smoothing feature, but we will also check how the TV handles lower quality material. As we have managed to check, the setting responsible for smooth gradation works quite effectively, although it has its weaker moments. While the feature works well with SDR content, it becomes less useful with HDR content. Even at the lowest of options, it blurs essential details, so we advise against using it.

The image scaling on LG B4 is rated fairly moderately positively. Although there is no edge splitting, the image itself is naturally "soft". We can change this by adjusting the sharpness slider.

TCL A300 handles tonal transitions in high-quality films very well, but the question arises – how does it perform with weaker materials? The TV is equipped with a tonal smoothing feature; however, its effectiveness can be described in one word: “random”. In one scene, it may work and improve the gradation, but when turned off… the effect remains the same. There is a lack of consistency and predictability here.

Image scaling is also not one of A300's strong points. On the test pattern, the main character actually looked better than on the raw signal, but with thin lines – like fonts or background details – there was noticeable jaggedness and aliasing. On the plus side, the TV does not cut off the image and has no issues with overscan, but the overall quality of scaling is rather average.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the LG B4 is 120 Hz. This is the absolute minimum for those who require high image smoothness. The manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother called "TruMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and stuttering (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each level affecting the degree of smoothness, so everyone can find their sweet spot.

The LG OLED B4 panel features an average response time of 0.1 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image, unattainable for LCD TVs, which have response times of even several milliseconds. This can be clearly seen in images from the "UFO Test", showing no trace of blur trailing behind the object.

TCL A300 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, which should instantly satisfy virtually everyone - both gamers and sports fans. Motion is fluid and the image is clear even during fast scenes. Additionally, the television offers a motion enhancement feature called "Motion," where we find two sliders on a 10-point scale. These allow you to adjust the effect to your own preferences - from a classic, filmic look with visible frames to a very smooth (though already unnatural) image reminiscent of a soap opera effect. This way, everyone can find a setting that suits them.

The LG B4 television is equipped with four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48Gbps. All functions corresponding to this standard activated without any issues, and throughout the entire testing procedure, they caused no problems. The combination of such extensive functionality and low input lags leads us to say that the tested television is truly designed for gaming. This is not surprising, considering that the manufacturer has always placed great emphasis on this. Therefore, we can enjoy both a properly implemented HGIG mode and gameplay in Dolby Vision with low latency. Such a tandem will surely attract the attention of all passionate gamers for whom quality is the most important.

A standard feature in televisions from the Korean manufacturer is also the implementation of GameBar, allowing for quick adjustments of settings "on the fly," without the need to exit the game. It also enables image adjustments for individuals with visual impairments, which is an extremely nice touch. Another important piece of information is that when the VRR technology is turned on, we will not experience a drop in contrast. This is, of course, due to the construction of the panel and the lack of conventional backlighting. However, it is normal for shades of grey to flicker slightly, although this is a characteristic feature of this function regardless of the manufacturer and the television.

In summary: The LG B4, like all OLEDs from the manufacturer equipped with 120Hz panels and HDMI 2.1 ports, creates a harmonious whole with the console. In practice, it is a complete television, and if we expect the highest possible efficiency in gaming, the B4 will be the ideal choice.

The TCL A300 is a television designed not only to transport us to a digital art museum but also into the full-fledged world of gaming. It offers practically everything you can expect from gaming hardware: two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz refresh rate, support for VRR and ALLM.

It also deserves credit for the proper implementation of the HGIG mode – something that competing Hisense sometimes struggles with. The television handles lower resolutions (e.g., Full HD) with ease while maintaining high refresh rates, which will be appreciated by owners of older consoles or PCs.

Additionally, there's an attractive and clear GameBar that facilitates quick access to settings for gamers. The A300 is indeed well-prepared for gaming at the highest level – it’s just a shame that issues with ghosting somewhat detract from its overall appeal as a gaming device.

Delay times for LG B4 are incredibly low in every scenario. Even the most passionate gamers will certainly appreciate the very low input lag of just 5 ms at demanding settings of 4K 120 Hz with HDR. It's also worth noting that the latency at the same settings, but with Dolby Vision HDR enabled, remains unchanged, which is not as obvious with the competition. Therefore, it deserves the highest rating and recommendation.

In terms of input lag, the TCL A300 performs really well. Values below 10 ms at a refresh rate of 120 Hz are something many gamers dream of – such low lag is practically unnoticeable, both during everyday gaming and in more demanding esports titles. One could nitpick about the result of 23 ms in Dolby Vision mode at 60 frames, but it's still low enough that serious objections are hard to come by. In this category, the A300 truly excels.

LG B4 paired with a PC performs excellently due to its very low latency of just 13.5 ms, which is virtually instant response between the mouse, the eye, and the screen. A crucial aspect of working on a display is readability, which in the case of the tested television is very good. However, it's worth noting that to achieve sharp fonts, you need to enable the passthrough option in the settings.

The RWBG pixel layout does not significantly affect the display of fonts or letters, which is a notable advantage over Samsung's QD-OLED matrices. Users of both Windows and macOS equipped computers will certainly be pleased with the performance on the tested television screen.

If we plan to use the TCL A300 as a computer monitor, we may be pleasantly surprised. The television performs really well in this role. It is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, supports G-Sync, and, as we mentioned, offers very low input lag, so gaming on it with a connected PC is pure enjoyment.

Working with text is also possible, although with some limitations. The TCL A300 has slight issues displaying dark fonts and thin lines – this is due to the construction of the subpixels, which in everyday use can be a bit annoying, even though it looks better in photos than in reality.

The television supports chroma 4:4:4, but only up to 120 Hz. Therefore, we noted that this feature is available, but with a limitation – if we care about perfectly readable fonts, it's worth sticking with the refresh rate of 120 Hz. At 144 Hz, the clarity of the text may suffer somewhat.

The undeniable advantage of OLED panels is their efficiency in group viewing, meaning from different angles. LG B4 maintains very good contrast, colour saturation, and fidelity. While it may not match organic TVs supported by MLA technology, it cannot be said that anyone who purchases the device has been dissatisfied with the results. However, it should be noted that at sharp angles, a slight greenish tint can be observed. This is a characteristic feature of WRGB panels from LG, without the aforementioned micro-lens technology, and unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about it.

The viewing angles on the TCL A300 NXTVision are, let’s be honest, average. The TV is equipped with a VA panel, which inherently has quite limited angles, and unfortunately, this is evident here. The video below speaks for itself – even a slight deviation from the centre results in a noticeable drop in contrast and colour saturation. It’s a shame that this is yet another frame-style TV that has done absolutely nothing about it. After all, we don't always have the option to sit perfectly straight on – especially if the device is also meant to serve a decorative function in the living room.

The maximum brightness of the TV in SDR materials is 370 nits. For an OLED TV, this is a very good result, allowing for quite comfortable viewing during the day. There are two things worth noting. The first is the rather average handling of reflections caused by the satin finish of the panel, which means that direct light hitting the TV can be quite intrusive. The second issue is the screen brightness at 100% white fill, hovering around 260 nits, which is an outstanding result, as until recently, OLED TVs in this range could "boast" a brightness two times lower. This means that conditions for watching, for example, winter sports, will be very good.

The TCL A300 NXTVision is equipped with a matte panel very similar to the one found in one of its Chinese competitors – the Hisense S7NQ. This type of surface does quite well in reducing reflections, although it must be admitted that it performs worse than Samsung's The Frame, which offers a significantly higher level in this regard. As is usually the case with matte displays, blacks during the day lose depth and appear more grey than black – and this is no different here. Unfortunately, the fact that the A300 is the darkest TV of the three tested doesn’t help either. This gives it a real problem in breaking through in heavily sunlit rooms.

LG B4 uses the well-known proprietary WebOS system that has been around for many years. The system itself offers virtually all the most important applications, and those that are missing can be counted on one hand, such as CDA or KODI.

WebOS also features a highly valued ability to perform operations using a cursor that appears when the remote is in motion. The convenience of such a function is invaluable when entering queries or passwords for portals. WebOS, like most systems, also supports features such as screen mirroring, AirPlay, voice search in Polish, and the ability to connect headphones via Bluetooth. More down-to-earth things, WebOS allows us to use headphones and the TV's speakers simultaneously, which will surely be a great assistance for people with hearing disabilities. Among the more interesting features that will primarily appeal to sports fans, there is the option to turn on an alert informing about an upcoming match, ensuring that we never miss a broadcast. The home panel also deserves praise, allowing control of all smart devices connected to the home network. For example, the end of a washing cycle will be signalled by a notification in the top right corner.

In summary, the WebOS system, although less known and having certain limitations compared to Android TV, offers stable and fast operation and supports most features that users might need. It is a solid solution for those looking for a simple and effective operating system in a television.

TCL A300 is a television styled as a painting, which in everyday use can successfully pretend to be a work of art hanging on the wall. It is equipped with a special image display mode, additional frames in a light wood tone, and a flat wall mount that allows you to hang the television like a real painting – without any gap from the wall.

A significant advantage of the image mode is that it is completely free. We have access to several dozen works from which we can choose one to be displayed while in standby – instead of a black screen, the image we selected remains on the wall. The quality of graphic reproduction is okay, but it must be admitted that it clearly falls short of that from Samsung's ART Store. Although access to images there is paid, the quality of the scans is significantly better – you can see the texture of the paint, canvas, and details. In the TCL A300, it resembles high-quality photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Additionally, the implementation of the image mode in the system leaves a lot to be desired. For example – if we set the brightness to 10% in image mode, that same value automatically transfers to the regular viewing mode, where we could easily set the brightness to 50% or even 100%. It also works the other way around – when we set the brightness to 100% in regular mode, after switching to gallery mode, the images are displayed with the same maximum brightness, shining too intensely and losing the whole effect of a “picture on the wall.” These are minor but irritating errors that can spoil the experience of what was supposed to be visually subtle and elegant.

Moving on to more classic functions – the A300 runs on the Google TV system, which currently offers by far the largest selection of applications (full list available below). The responsive voice assistant with support for the Polish language also deserves a big plus. As standard – as with most TCL televisions – the USB recording function or picture-in-picture (PiP) mode was missing.

The default file player in LG B4 definitely handles most photos quite well, although it's surprising that some equally popular ones are missing. We can successfully play videos recorded in practically all the most popular formats, including Dolby Vision. The only codec that LG B4 won’t play is H.266 VVC, although this is currently rather unused. However, it’s worth noting the supported photo formats, which are just two: JPEG and PNG. Apple phone users may feel disappointed by the lack of support for the HEIC format, which is the default format when taking photos. The remedy for this is to use the built-in AirPlay feature. We should also mention the lack of TXT subtitle support.

The built-in player on the TCL A300 works as it should – most popular video and photo files play without any problems. It lacks support for Apple's HEIC format (which is quite common in many TVs), but most users still use AirPlay, so it shouldn't be a major issue. If someone isn't satisfied with the default player, the Google TV system offers plenty of options – you can easily install an alternative app that better suits your tastes. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the factory solution is completely sufficient for everyday use.

The audio system built into the LG OLED B4 can be considered quite decent. We can say that it holds up fairly well in its price range. The bass is quite noticeable, but it doesn't overpower the other frequencies. It can be said that the sound is reasonably well balanced. We believe that those opting for this class of display are, or will be, in possession of an appropriate audio system. Therefore, the presence of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos codecs is not insignificant.

When it comes to sound, the TCL A300W – like its competitors – sounds quite... flat, after all, we are talking about a super slim television. For everyday watching of news or series, this level is more than sufficient, but during movie screenings, we might noticeably miss depth and space. On a positive note, it’s worth mentioning that the television supports both Dolby Atmos and the increasingly rare DTS:X – which provides more options when connecting an external audio system. It’s also worth noting that the A300 PRO model is equipped with a dedicated, flat soundbar. And it’s no ordinary soundbar – it sounds better than most of the televisions we’ve tested.

LG 55 B4 vs TCL A300W NXTVision

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound