Philips OLED769 vs TCL C7L

Philips OLED769 performs quite well, especially in movie scenes with small light points. The television surprises with its brightness, reaching around 800 nits, which is an impressive result. This means that small light sources, like street lamps at night or stars in the sky, are vivid and full of detail. However, the biggest challenge for this model is the scene with a full-screen sun glare. In such moments, the brightness drops to around 250 nits, which isn’t very impressive. This is a typical issue with cheaper OLED displays, which struggle to maintain high brightness across the entire screen.

TCL C7L is undoubtedly an extremely bright television. In synthetic tests on static patterns, it can achieve peak brightness of around 2800 nits. This is a phenomenal result, considering the price range it occupies. Unfortunately, tests with real movie scenes are not as spectacular as measurements of white squares. Brightness in real HDR footage drops in the C7L model to around 1200 nits. This is still a very good result, as this is the value at which the vast majority of contemporary films are mastered. However, when small, point-like elements appear on the screen, the brightness of these details drastically drops – even to around 400 nits – which somewhat diminishes the HDR effect. The television does this intentionally to maintain a better black level and to avoid a huge light bloom. This is somewhat explainable, but it also shows that Mini LED technology is not completely uncompromising in this regard. As for the HDR effect itself – alongside brightness, colours are of course key here. And these, thanks to the use of new, “super” quantum dots, are simply outstanding and among the best on the market. The television can achieve around 90% coverage of the ultra-wide colour gamut BT.2020 and 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut, easily matching the best RGB MINI-LED screens. Best of all, the C7L can maintain such high colour saturation regardless of the scene being displayed, which can often be problematic in competing RGB Mini-LED televisions.

The "Film" mode turned out to be the best factory setting in terms of fidelity to the original material, and it was on this setting that we based our tests. However, like other factory modes, it was not without its flaws. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly went wrong in the SDR and HDR materials.

In both cases, the white balance was disturbed by excessive dominance of green and red colours. This phenomenon created a yellowish tint that spilled over the entire image, leading to issues such as yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. These problems were clearly highlighted on the "ColourChecker" palette, where each of the samples was shifted towards warmer shades.

As for contrast and brightness, in the Philips OLED769, we can look at two key graphs: Gamma for HD content and the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content. In the case of the first graph, the gamma value is below the optimal level of 2.4, resulting in the bright parts of the image being lightened. This means that bright elements may be somewhat overexposed, losing detail and depth. Meanwhile, the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content performs really well. The graph shows that the television effectively reproduces details in both the brightest and darkest parts of the image, translating to a realistic and dynamic representation of scenes.

When it comes to out-of-the-box colours, a new feature in TCL TVs – including the C7L model – is the presence of a new picture mode called Filmmaker Mode. This is significant news, as such a mode was not previously available from this manufacturer. By design, as the name suggests, the picture in this setting is intended to be delivered with the full intent of the film's creator. After our tests, we can confirm that it is undeniably the best built-in mode in this TV if you value true-to-life colour reproduction straight out of the box. However, we certainly wouldn’t say it is perfect. Like most devices on the market, this C7L also had its factory faults. The white balance in Filmmaker Mode leaned towards a slightly greenish-yellow hue, mainly due to an excess of green component and a noticeable lack of blue. Of course, for the average viewer, this won’t be a drastic flaw, but if you value perfect whites, natural skin tones, and harnessing the full potential of these new "super" quantum dots from the structure, then the TV is begging for professional calibration.

After professional calibration, Philips OLED769 truly shines in terms of colour accuracy. The television has been completely rid of any yellow tint in both HD and 4K content. The Colour Checker test confirms that deltaE errors are minimal, occasionally exceeding 2, which means we can talk about almost perfect renderings of the director's vision.

When it comes to contrast, the situation is equally impressive. For 4K materials, there wasn't much to improve from the start, while the gamma graph has been significantly enhanced. As a result, dark and bright parts of the image are represented with greater accuracy, leading to realistic and dynamic scene reproduction.

The calibration has unlocked the full potential of this television, both in terms of colour and contrast. Philips OLED769 now offers vivid, natural images of high quality that will delight any user, whether they're watching movies or using other multimedia.

After conducting a professional calibration, we were able to greatly improve the situation in the factory Filmmaker Mode. Following our adjustments, the errors in the ColorChecker test and across the entire wide colour gamut dropped below the threshold of human perception – that is, below a value of 3, which is indeed a very good result. The TCL C7L definitely benefits from such a treatment in terms of colour fidelity, and it's hard to deny that. However, the management of brightness in HDR content after calibration appears to be a bit worse. As I described earlier – even though we set this model up properly, when we turn on real film scenes on the television, it can manage its brightness in quite a peculiar way. It often brightens certain elements on the screen in a manner inconsistent with the creator's intent, which is visibly apparent on the EOTF graphs measured in specific films. Despite this flaw – or rather, this specific characteristic of the television – one cannot take away from it: after calibration, the C7L was able to reproduce the colours flawlessly.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the distortion reduction in the Philips OLED769 does well at smoothing tonal transitions, especially at the minimum setting. It's worth noting that at this setting, film grain isn't blurred, which is a pleasant surprise, as such negative phenomena often occur with other manufacturers. Overall, it's quite a decent solution. However, it should be noted that this setting doesn't work in HDR mode, where gradation issues are much more pronounced. In HDR mode, the television struggles with smoothing tonal transitions and may present more noticeable distortions and noise, reducing image quality in dynamic scenes.

As for digital processing, the Philips OLED769 performs well. The model in the picture isn’t overly jagged, and the branches in the background lack the characteristic artifacts. The television achieves this effect by avoiding artificial sharpening, which may be an advantage for some users. However, others may find this less appealing, as they prefer a more vivid, sharper image rather than a subtle effect. This effect can be mitigated by using a higher setting for the "Sharpness" parameter.

This point could be called in a sense the Achilles' heel of the C7L model. Unfortunately, this television uses an older chipset from MediaTek – the Pentonic 700 – which has never been known for outstanding digital image processing. This is clearly visible in the functioning of the gradual smoothing feature, which is responsible for reducing jagged edges and removing digital noise. It simply works very poorly – when set to a low level, its effectiveness is practically none. The only small plus here is that the algorithm doesn't mess up anything else in the image and doesn't forcefully blur details. The upscaling, that is, the scaling of the image from lower resolutions to 4K, performs a bit better. It is simply adequate and does not stand out in any particular way against the competition. However, it cannot be denied that the C7L would greatly benefit in this aspect if the manufacturer decided to use the newer Pentonic 800 processor, which is now being found in an increasing number of competitive models.

Philips OLED769 features a multi-level motion smoother called "Motion Style," which will please users who value the ability to adjust motion fluidity in films. With this function, the image can be set to appear more stuttery or fluid, reminiscent of a theatrical effect. It's a great solution for those who want to tailor the displayed content to their visual preferences. Gamers will also not be disappointed, as the television, like most OLEDs, is equipped with a 120Hz panel. This ensures extraordinary fluidity and dynamic imagery. Unfortunately, Philips OLED769 does not have the BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature, which could further enhance the smoothness and clarity of motion. Despite this limitation, the television still offers excellent visual experiences for both cinema lovers and gamers. This is definitely one of its strong points.

TCL C7L features a native 4K panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which can even ramp up to 288 Hz at lower resolutions when using a PC. These are certainly very high and commendable figures on paper, but in everyday life, it's worth remembering that almost all dynamic content you display on this television will still revolve around a maximum of 120 Hz. To tame this dynamism, the TV menu includes a motion smoothing system called "Motion Clarity." It offers several predefined modes, including a user mode, which we highly recommend setting manually using our tried-and-true guides on our YouTube channel. You’ll find two key sliders available. The first one, "Motion Blur Reduction," is responsible for reducing blurring and improving sharpness in 60fps dynamic content, such as sports broadcasts. The second slider, "Flicker Reduction," allows for the addition of artificial frames in movies and shows recorded at cinematic 24 or 30 frames per second. This naturally allows for the complete elimination of the annoying stutter effect during camera movement shots.

Philips OLED769 has been designed with gamers in mind, offering full compatibility with consoles and the highest quality gameplay. The television received the maximum rating in this category, providing everything your heart desires. With HDMI 2.1 ports fully supporting ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), the TV ensures smooth and hassle-free gaming. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, and VRR eliminates stuttering and screen tearing, resulting in smoothness and stability in gameplay. The Dolby Vision feature for gamers is another advantage, although it only works at 60 Hz. Most casual gamers will probably not feel the lack of a higher refresh rate, however, more demanding users may have some reservations. It allows for enjoying a dynamic range of tones and realistic images, enhancing the gaming experience. PC gamers will also not be disappointed, as the Philips OLED769 offers full compatibility with Nvidia graphics cards, thanks to support for G-Sync. This technology synchronizes the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card, eliminating tearing and stuttering, leading to excellent image smoothness.

Philips OLED769 is a television that perfectly meets the needs of gamers, offering a wide range of advanced features and technologies that significantly enhance game quality and user comfort.

When it comes to gaming, the TCL C7L is simply an outstanding television for gamers. With the presence of two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, it provides access to all the key features that console and high-end PC owners require. We have a well-functioning ALLM mode with very low input lag and VRR frame synchronization, which operates within an impressive range from 48 to 288 Hz. Importantly, unlike some competitors, TCL has ensured a proper implementation of the console HDR10 HGIG profile and support for Dolby Vision in games. This is complemented by a very well-designed gamer panel, known as Game Bar, which even allows for editing its appearance and changing the theme to perfectly match the style of your console.

The only thing that can – and should – be critiqued here is the fact that the television only offers two full HDMI 2.1 ports, while the other two are older HDMI 2.0. This creates quite a significant logistical problem. Why? Because one of those fast ports also supports the eARC audio return channel. In practice, this means that if you connect a soundbar or home theatre system to the television, you’ll only have one available HDMI 2.1 port left. If you have two consoles or a console and a powerful computer at home, unfortunately, you’ll have to give something up or constantly juggle cables at the back of the unit while maintaining comfortable audio system control.