Philips PUS8359 (IPS) vs TCL V6C

The quality of the HDR effect on the Philips PUS8359/12 television is also not impressive. A brightness level of 280 nits is too low, resembling standard SDR more than true HDR, which is clearly evident on the five tested test cards. Additionally, the television does not impress in terms of colour gamut coverage – just 76% DCI-P3 is a result that can be considered poor, especially compared to other models in a similar price range.

When it comes to HDR, the TCK V6C clearly shows that it is not its strong suit. A peak brightness of around 200 nits makes it difficult to talk about true HDR effects – the picture simply remains too dark to bring out details in bright scenes or convey the appropriate dynamics. Although the television formally supports many HDR formats, it is not practically equipped for such demanding content. The lack of additional layers that enhance colors, such as QLED or PFS LED, further limits the appeal of the image – in more spectacular productions, the colours may seem washed out compared to more expensive models. Therefore, the V6C will primarily serve as a television for everyday viewing, YouTube, or SDR content, rather than as equipment for high-quality cinematic experiences.

The most faithful factory mode in terms of compliance with the source material turned out to be "Film," which was used in our tests. However, like other factory modes, it also had its drawbacks. Both in SDR and HDR materials, we noticed issues with white balance, where the dominance of green and red resulted in a yellowish hue. This effect was particularly evident in the form of yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. The "ColourChecker" palette test showed that each colour was shifted towards warmer tones, which affected the accuracy of colour reproduction. A key aspect of the image is also contrast and brightness, which can be assessed by analysing the gamma charts and the EOTF curve. In the gamma chart, we observed significant deviations – both excessively high values that caused loss of detail in the shadows and excessively low values, which led to a drastic drop in contrast. Compared to gamma, the EOTF curve performed better, only slightly brightening the image, which had a less negative impact on overall quality.

We started colour reproduction tests with the Filmmaker mode, which in theory should be the best choice straight out of the box. It certainly performs better than the Eco or Dynamic modes, which heavily interfere with the image and spoil its natural character. As you can see in the graphs, the factory tuning of the V6C is not ideal, although it's not a disaster either. The biggest issue turned out to be a lack of red – the TV clearly "cools" the image, which is especially noticeable on human faces, giving a "zombie skin" effect. This particular issue was the most bothersome during everyday viewing. Looking at the colour palette in HDR content, the shortcomings in red are also noticeable, and their source is the relatively narrow coverage of the colour space. Of course, every TV can be calibrated, so we decided to check how the V6C would perform after such an adjustment.

Philips, in both its cheaper and more expensive models, offers a wide range of tools for image calibration. We used them to improve the quality of the displayed image, although it was not as straightforward as it might seem. We managed to adjust the white balance, improve the gamma, and fine-tune the EOTF curve; however, despite these efforts, the deltaE errors remained at a very high level. The main causes were limited coverage of the DCI-P3 palette and low maximum brightness, which significantly affected the final outcome. While the overall presentation is much improved, the design features of the television did not allow us to achieve spectacular results.

My dear friends – we haven't faced such a difficult "calibration battle" in years. The V6C turned out to be one of the most stubborn TVs we've dealt with in the office. The calibration trials alone took us several hours of work and required a lot of patience. We finally managed to slightly warm up the skin tones, which made faces stop looking like they were pulled straight out of a horror film, a common issue with the factory settings. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it – the TV reacted to our adjustments in white balance in a completely unpredictable manner. Where we expected stability in the image in a certain area, new errors appeared, and Color Checker measurements showed deviations that couldn't be rationally explained. It's hard to say whether the fault lay with the software or the design itself, but one thing is certain – the V6C put up exceptionally strong resistance. Ultimately, the calibration brought improvement, especially in SDR content, where the image became more pleasing and natural. However, it must be clearly stated that the design limitations remain. The TV still flattens the image in HDR materials and has noticeable deficiencies in colour reproduction. This is equipment more suited for everyday TV watching or SDR content rather than for cinematic experiences in the highest quality.

In this paragraph, we'll take a look at two functionalities. We'll once again examine the function responsible for tonal transitions, but we'll also check how the television handles image scaling. The option responsible for smooth gradation is called "Distortion Reduction". As we've established, it does a pretty good job of smoothing out inconsistencies. However, we must point out two things: we are unable to enable it for HDR content, and it blurs details in films.

The television being tested cannot boast the best image scaling. There is a noticeable overall blurriness in the image, but worse still, it blurs details. This is particularly evident on the branches and the model's hair. A characteristic white halo around the figures is also visible.

When it comes to upscaling, the V6C doesn't bring anything groundbreaking to the table. Lower quality content is heavily sharpened, making the image look quite unnatural, at times almost artificial. This can be somewhat alleviated by reducing the sharpness level in the settings, but the effect isn't spectacular. The image still falls short of perfection. The digital processing itself performs better. The function responsible for smoothing tonal transitions works quite effectively, especially at the medium setting, where the image truly appears smoother. Unfortunately, its operation is rather aggressive – it heavily interferes with the overall scene, causing actors in the foreground to start looking like characters from super smooth soap operas. Therefore, we would not recommend using this option if a natural viewing experience is important to us.

Philips PUS8359 is not the best choice for watching sports. The lack of even basic motion smoothing features means that the picture in dynamic scenes isn't sharp enough. Despite using an IPS panel (43 and 55'), which theoretically should provide better clarity than VA panel variants, there’s no noticeable improvement in terms of motion blur. In photos of fast movement, it’s clear that the figure of the little green man is distinctly blurry, indicating that the TV struggles to maintain sharpness in dynamic shots.

Smoothing and motion fluidity are areas where the V6C quickly reveals its limitations. It's a 60 Hz TV, so it was hard to expect miracles here. In dynamic sports scenes, the image performs rather mediocrely. This is most noticeable in darker scenes, where distinct trails and blurred "halos" follow moving objects, which can be quite distracting. This is definitely a weaker point of this model. Fortunately, there is also a small plus. The V6C is equipped with a motion smoother that works while watching movies. Thanks to it, productions filmed at 24 frames per second, which is practically all cinema titles and series, can look smoother than they were actually recorded. Importantly, the intensity of the effect can be adjusted to personal preferences – from slight smoothing to the full "soap opera effect."

In terms of console compatibility, Philips PUS8359 is mainly suitable for casual gamers. Although the TV is equipped with an HDMI 2.0 port, it offers features such as Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, making quicker reactions during gaming easier, while VRR smoothly adjusts the refresh rate, eliminating screen tearing issues. The Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and ongoing parameter monitoring; however, in our opinion, it performs worse compared to competitors' solutions.

However, more demanding gamers may feel disappointed. Philips PUS8359 does not support advanced HDR formats in games or higher refresh rates, which is due to the use of a 60 Hz panel. These shortcomings limit the TV’s ability to deliver smooth and detailed experiences during fast-paced, dynamic gameplay.

Even though the V6C is not a TV designed with avid gamers in mind, TCL has included a few features that may appeal to more casual users. You'll not find a 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports here, but there is an ALLM mode that automatically switches the TV into low latency mode. There's also a quite practical Game Bar – a simple panel allowing the preview of basic parameters, changing the picture mode, or even enabling a virtual crosshair on the screen. Another interesting feature is the support for Dolby Vision Gaming, intended for Xbox Series S/X consoles – a nice addition, although in practice it doesn’t offer as much as in more expensive models. However, the biggest issue remains the HDR configuration. The HGiG function, responsible for adjusting the brightness and contrast of games to the capabilities of the panel, doesn't respond as we would expect – the picture can be overly dark or too flattened. As a result, a better solution turns out to be simply playing in SDR mode, where the V6C operates steadily and doesn’t try to pretend to be an HDR TV.