Panasonic W70A vs TCL C75B

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. A brightness level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should “explode” with light appear rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the plus side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The TV does not suffer from excessive brightening nor lose details with sudden scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, though unfortunately lacking in impact. Another issue is the colour gamut coverage. The W70A is not equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), which is why the colours appear rather average. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in reproducing subtle shades.

During our brightness test, the TCL C75B "spat out" around 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the TV performs decently in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half the brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger lighting effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 95%. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colours in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colours are definitely a strong point of this model.

The Panasonic W70A was tested in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget televisions, reality turned out to be far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was significantly disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The result? The image had a distinctly warm, almost yellowish glow, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR materials, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright areas of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most colour samples did not hit their intended points, 'drifting' towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. In terms of brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant issues. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting the balance and leading to a loss of detail in both darker and brighter regions.

In summary – the factory colour reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and errors in white balance and gamma mean that solid calibration is needed to extract the full potential from this television.

TCL C75B offers various picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the “Film” mode. Although its settings are quite decent, the TV struggles with certain colour reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish hue compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly evident in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally flushed. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterised by an excess of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

An additional problem was the way brightness was reproduced. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, disappearing into complete black (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparison image - the area around the actress's ear). The situation was similar on the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar issue may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and check how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. The details are described in the next section.

Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, gave us plenty of room to manoeuvre during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we were able to achieve a much better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excessive red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristics have also been improved, now maintaining stability and not leading to excessive brightening or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide colour gamut means the television cannot fully convey colours in HDR materials. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle colour transitions still appear somewhat “flattened.” Another limitation is the brightness management due to the IPS panel used. In a comparison photograph with an actress's face in colourful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are distinctly muted, and colours lose their depth and vibrancy.

Calibration has extracted from the W70A as much as it could. The image is now much more natural, and the factory setting errors have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, the hardware limitations in the form of poor colour gamut coverage and an average panel mean that even after calibration, we are unable to achieve spectacular effects, especially in HDR content.

After calibration, TCL C75B has clearly improved when it comes to colour reproduction. Although the TV doesn't offer too many options for adjusting the white balance, we managed to improve its settings quite a bit. As a result, the image is no longer overly pink, and the colours now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump that was previously an issue hasn't completely disappeared, but we were able to significantly reduce it. This has made details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR content.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The 'blooming black' effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Still, the colours post-calibration look significantly better, and the image is much more pleasant to watch.

We checked how the Panasonic W70A handles upscaling content that is lower quality than 4K, and I must admit that the TV performs quite decently in this regard. The feature responsible for smoothing tonal transitions is called "Zeroing Counter." The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out colour gradation issues while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between enhancing the smoothness of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

When it comes to image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test chart with the model looked positive – details in her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face maintained sharpness. In the background, we noticed a slight "jagginess" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very attentive eye will catch. However, it's worth noting a certain quirk of this model – the TV has a tendency to overscan, meaning it slightly crops the edges of the image. It’s not a very intense phenomenon, and for most users, it will be practically unnoticeable, but if we care about perfectly framing the shot, it's worth keeping this in mind.

TCL C75B has a feature for smoothing tonal transitions, but unfortunately, we cannot praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature wasn’t working at all. It’s hard to say anything positive about it, as in practice it seems completely useless.

Image scaling is better. The TV handles it quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can see slight jaggedness. However, this is not something that significantly hinders everyday viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, or cropping of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news ticker or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something to pay attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the TV is best suited for watching movies, series, or everyday television content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the limitations of the panel become more noticeable. However, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called “Effect”, which offers three levels of adjustment – low, medium, and high.

Each setting allows you to adjust the smoothness of motion to your own preferences, minimizing the motion blur effect and improving the clarity of dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most universal – it offers better smoothness without the excessive “soap opera effect” that can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in movies, it can disrupt the natural character of motion.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The television is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really impressive results, especially for a model from the budget range.

On top of that, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-point scale, providing significant personalisation possibilities – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

The Panasonic W70A is a TV that is likely to suit casual gamers more than hardcore players. The 60 Hz refresh rate doesn't fully utilise the potential of next-gen consoles, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 slightly limits its capabilities, but fortunately, it includes features like ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimise screen tearing. It's also worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, making HDR more predictable and looking solid. It's a pity, though, that it lacks Game Bar. This feature is now standard in many TVs and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A performs well for gaming, but it does have its limitations. It will do fine with more laid-back titles, but more demanding gamers may feel unsatisfied.

TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed with gamers in mind. It has almost everything needed for even the most demanding console users. With the implementation of full bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the TV supports features like ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating within the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detailing in HDR-optimised games. C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all just a click away.

In one sentence: C75B is a great choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that fully enable enjoyment of the capabilities of modern consoles and games.