Philips OLED809/819 vs TCL C655 / C69B (43" - 50")

Philips OLED 809 delivers a more than satisfactory HDR effect. The television is capable of generating luminance exceeding 900 nits in almost every scene, and sometimes even over 1000. This result allows for a full experience of materials with a wide tonal range. The only moment when Philips OLED 809 cannot generate higher brightness is in a scene from the film "The Meg," which features a large amount of bright white across much of the screen. However, it cannot be said that this is a weak result, as it represents a significant improvement over its predecessor. Overall, such values for OLED panels produced by LG Display, which do not have MLA technology, are very, very good. Combined with high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, they allow for an HDR experience in a remarkable dimension. Philips OLED 809 test indicated that this television supports popular HDR formats such as Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

The quality of the HDR effect on the TCL C69B / C655 television is quite average. A brightness level of 350 nits, while not the worst, still does not allow for a full enjoyment of the HDR effects that require higher luminance to showcase their power. Additionally, the television, despite using a quantum dot coating (QLED), offers average coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut at 91%, which may limit its colour richness in HDR content.

The best factory mode in which we conducted all our tests was "Filmmaker", which is now quite standard in televisions from this manufacturer. However, let's take a look at its characteristics before we start the calibration process. The first aspect we will examine is white balance, as despite being inconspicuous, it determines whether the image will be free from any tints. The graph clearly shows that in both SDR and HDR content, two colours dominated: red and green, which caused a strong yellow tint that was pervasive throughout the image. This is perfectly visible on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours shifted towards their warmer counterparts. The second thing we will scrutinise are, in our opinion, the two most important graphs in the context of image quality assessment: gamma and the EOTF curve. Both are intended to maintain appropriate brightness and contrast. The first describes the level of brightness in SDR materials, while the second depicts the rate of luminance increase. Analysing the first one, we can see that it has been remarkably lowered compared to the reference value indicated by the orange line. This situation resulted primarily in a sharp increase in brightness and a significant decrease in contrast, reminiscent of what one would expect from OLED televisions. The EOTF curve showed greater "caution" and only slightly brightened the entire image to 50% of the maximum brightness.

Tested in film mode, the television TCL C69B / C655 unfortunately does not meet expectations regarding colour accuracy. Although the film mode suggests better representation, it has as much in common with film as nothing at all. There are numerous errors, particularly in the white balance – for both HD and 4K HDR content – where the dominance of blue is very apparent. For the viewer, this means that the image becomes unnaturally cool, affecting the overall perception of colours and the visual impression. The colour checker confirms these errors, showing that colours shift towards cooler shades.

When it comes to brightness characteristics and related contrast, gamma is very unstable for the material, making the image potentially slightly darker. The EOTF curve for the 4K material shows some errors, with significant deviations towards the end of the graph, which negatively affects the perception of darker parts of the image.

Philips, like most leading manufacturers, has been providing advanced tools for the calibration process for years. Here, we find 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments as well as an advanced CMS (Color Management System). As you can see, this has brought extremely beneficial results and fundamentally changed the perceived image. Practically every one of the elements mentioned above has undergone a transformation and has been returned to its natural state. This is particularly evident on the "ColourChecker" palette, where the measured samples are harmoniously in their places. It must be said that the white balance has turned out exceptionally well, allowing us to enjoy a clean image free from any tint in both SDR and HDR materials. The biggest issue with OLED809, which is gamma, has been properly modelled and only occasionally shows minor errors that won't affect the overall picture. The EOTF curve, on the other hand, has been stripped of that slight brightening and now presents itself almost referentially.

After calibration, the movie mode on the TCL C69B / C655 television improves in quality. The most significant enhancement can be seen in tonal reproduction, and the white balance presents itself much better – without major errors. We will no longer see the excessive dominance of cool shades. The gamma has also been improved, resulting in a more stable representation of brightness and contrast. However, due to limitations in the average colour palette of the television, Colour Checker tests for 4K materials did not achieve outstanding results. Despite these technological limitations, the image became more authentic, positively impacting the reception of film content.

Philips OLED 809 didn't perform too well in the test for the smoothness of tonal transitions. Moving on to the part of the test where we assess the behaviour of the TV's algorithms, we will again check the function responsible for removing posterisation. In fact, such a function exists in the menu and has several options available. As you can see in the photo on the left, although its presence has been confirmed by us, it is not useful. Only at the highest setting does it effectively remove disruptions, but it blurs the entire image in the process. Therefore, it is completely unusable.

Time and again, you and we find ourselves watching materials of lower quality. In this case, the quality of the image upscaling algorithms can have a salvaging effect. We must admit that those implemented in OLED 809 work quite efficiently and improve the image quality without visible artefacts. You can only notice slight edge blurring, but it is unlikely to be noticeable during normal viewing.

The "Gradual Smoothing" feature works very well on the TCL C69B TV and, surprisingly, does not remove desirable effects like film grain – unlike some solutions from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, when it comes to image scaling, it looks poor. The TV artificially sharpens the image, causing the edges of objects to appear quite jagged. This situation may appeal to some users who prefer a more "hard" look to the image, but it is not an ideal solution for those who value naturalness and fluidity of details.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the tested television is 144 Hz. This value can be achieved by connecting it to a really powerful PC. In the case of consoles or television, everything remains the same. For those who require high movement fluidity or dislike the characteristic judder of films recorded at 24 fps, the manufacturer has prepared a fairly advanced motion smoothing system. In the dedicated tab, we will find the “Smoothness” slider responsible for eliminating judder and “Blur Reduction”, which helps increase the sharpness of dynamic elements. The function works very well and granularly, meaning each of the settings has a real impact on the perception of motion. We also mention that it works at a refresh rate of 120 Hz, as it operates on the multiples of film or television materials. Thanks to such an extensive set, every user will find their happy medium. In the photo, we present our choice, which is slight smoothing without the soap opera effect.

Motion is influenced not only by the settings on the television but also by the response time of the panel itself. OLED televisions feature the best response time on the market, which in the case of 809 is about 0.1 ms. There are no IPS/ADS or even VA panels that significantly come close to the results of organic panels.

Television TCL C69B / C655 in its smallest variants offers decent, though not perfect, results in terms of motion smoothness. For movies, the television features a "Flicker Reduction" function, which allows for adjustment of motion smoothness on a scale from 1 to 10. Thanks to this option, we can tailor the image appearance to either a cinematic or more theatrical preference (with less or greater speed).

The Philips OLED 809 supports all the technologies included in the HDMI 2.1 standard, and during our tests, each one activated without any problems. Therefore, we must state that this television is perfect for all gamers, both those using a console and a computer. It's worth mentioning that the manufacturer has implemented the HGIG mode, which is a great alternative to Dolby Vision, which unfortunately on the OLED809 is unplayable due to the very high input lag.

A nod to gamers is also the inclusion of a dedicated GameBar, which allows monitoring of current gameplay parameters and quick adjustments of settings. There is also a function to activate a crosshair, which will be very useful when shooting from a sniper rifle, but from the so-called hip. Additionally, we can also find a shadow enhancement function for better visibility in shadows and a colour filter for gamers with visual impairments.

In summary, the OLED 809 is a very good and versatile device for gamers. Anyone who purchases this television for gaming does not need to worry about anything, as it is simply designed for gaming. Especially since features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gameplay will allow for an even deeper immersion in their favourite title. Lastly, we should note that the only downside of the television in game mode is the artificial sharpening of the image, regardless of the settings, and it cannot be 'softened.'

The TCL C69B / C655 TV in its smallest variants offers a range of features dedicated to gamers, such as ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), Dolby Vision for gamers, and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, improving responsiveness and minimising delays in control. VRR allows for synchronising the screen refresh rate with the frame rate generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and providing smoother gameplay. Dolby Vision for gamers ensures better colour and contrast representation in games that support this format, resulting in better image quality. Meanwhile, the Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and monitors key parameters such as input lag.

However, the TV has certain limitations that may affect gaming comfort. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for displaying signals with a higher refresh rate, which can impact image smoothness in dynamic games. The lack of support for G-Sync technology for PCs can also be noticeable when gaming on a computer, especially in demanding, fast-paced titles.