Philips PUS8359 (VA) vs TCL C6KS / C69KS / Q6CS

Philips PUS8359 didn't impress us with its performance in HDR materials. This model is capable of generating a maximum brightness of 320 nits, and often even less. Such results, combined with the lack of support for HDR Dolby Vision, mean that the image will be significantly darker compared to the source material. Therefore, it would be more beneficial for this television to play SDR content. This is also suggested by the quite low coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 83%, resulting in significant colour deficiencies. The fact remains that the television supports an HDR format based on dynamic metadata; however, HDR10+ is such a niche format that it doesn't offer any major advantages.

And what about HDR? Here the C6KS performs quite well and – as is becoming the theme of this review – just like in the C6K model. The maximum brightness generated by this television is around 600 nits. In bright scenes, this translates to a really solid, cinematic effect and generally, video materials look good here. However, it's important to keep in mind the specifics of the dimming algorithm in this model. When very small, bright points (e.g. stars) appear on a dark background, the television can quite significantly dim them. The goal is simple: to eliminate blooming and maintain the best possible black. It's a reasonable compromise. Most viewers will definitely appreciate deep, “true black” more than additional microscopic details, the display of which could cause the screen to appear greyed out. Such is the nature of local dimming technology in this price range, and one must be aware of this. It’s also worth noting that the TCL C69KS (C6KS) has an additional PFS coating, which is marketed under the QLED technology slogan. Thanks to this, the colours are saturated and vibrant – our measurements showed that the coverage of a wide colour gamut reaches as much as 92%.

The best factory mode in terms of fidelity to the source material was "Film". This is what we used during our tests. Just like every other factory mode in televisions, it had its drawbacks. So we'll check what exactly was wrong with both SDR and HDR materials. In both cases, the white balance exhibited an excessive dominance of the green and red colour combination. This created a yellow tint spreading across the entire image, causing issues such as yellowed whites and problems with skin tones. This state of affairs was perfectly illustrated on the "ColourChecker" palette, where each of the tested samples was pushed towards its warmer counterparts. The foundation of the image is primarily contrast and black. These are represented by gamma charts and the EOTF curve. Looking at the first one, we can see a true rollercoaster, as both elevated and lowered gamma can be observed. The heavily elevated gamma caused visibility issues in black levels, whereas the lowered gamma resulted in a dramatic reduction in contrast. In this context, the EOTF curve performed significantly better, as it only slightly brightened the image.

In contrast to the more expensive C6K model, in the tested C6KS we don't find an option in the menu labelled as Filmmaker Mode. Is this a reason to cry? Absolutely not. Our tests showed that in practice, in terms of colour reproduction, the lack of this specific label makes virtually no difference. The best available Film/Cinema mode here offers an almost identical picture profile to the aforementioned Filmmaker in the more expensive model. So we get a very similar image, just under a different name. Therefore, if you were wondering whether paying extra for the C6K would give you better colours – the answer is: no, in both cases the base is the same and requires slight adjustments.

Philips provides a wide range of image calibration tools in both its higher-end and budget models. We utilised these tools and got to work, which wasn’t as easy as many of you might think. While we managed to model the white balance, significantly improve the gamma, and refine the EOTF curve in both cases, the deltaE errors remained exceptionally high. There are several reasons for this situation, which are directly related to the low coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and the maximum brightness of the unit in HDR material.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, the C69KS's tendency to distort colours has been effectively limited, leading to a very good final effect. After calibration, we will no longer see excessive warmth in SDR scenes or overly cool tones in HDR. However, it is worth noting the brightness characteristic. In SDR content, there are hardly any objections – the image looks very good, especially in older films, TV shows, or YouTube materials. Evaluating the television's performance in HDR is much more difficult. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests correct behaviour, but its practical variant shows certain limitations. The C69KS can overly brighten the smallest elements of the frame, while at other times it can dim the entire scene. Calibration has therefore brought clear benefits in terms of colour, but certain limitations resulting from local dimming and the way it is controlled by the C69KS cannot be avoided, which we also observed in the C6K test.

In this paragraph, we will look at two functionalities. We will once again take a look at the feature responsible for tonal transitions, but we will also check how the television handles image scaling. The option responsible for smooth gradation is called "Distortion Reduction." As we have established, it quite effectively smooths out inconsistencies. However, we must point out two things: we cannot enable it for HDR material, and it blurs details in films.

The tested television does not boast the best image scaling. The overall blurriness of the image is quite noticeable, but what’s worse, it blurs details. This is particularly evident on the branches and hair of the model. There is also a characteristic white halo around the character.

The C69KS handles upscaling quite well. The tested 576p content looks surprisingly decent – a considerable amount of detail is preserved, and the algorithm adds a subtle ‘rounding’ effect to sharp edges, making the image appear more cohesive. However, it doesn't perform as well when it comes to smoothing tonal transitions. The television practically cannot improve them, leaving the image in a rather raw state. With older materials, this can be simply exhausting, as the lack of additional processing highlights all imperfections.

Philips PUS8359 will not be the best television for sports. The reason for this is the lack of implementation of even the basic motion smoothing feature, which was to be expected given the price of the device. We also note that we are dealing with a VA panel, whose sharpness does not stand at the highest level by itself. This type of panel is mainly associated with high contrast, which comes with a rather slow response time, as we can clearly read from the matrix analysis results. As you can see, from the pictures captured in fast motion, the image is blurred typically for this type of panel. While it may not be the ideal option, it can conditionally be used for watching sports; however, one must keep in mind the less-than-sharp motion. It is worth mentioning that movies will be characterised by judder since the television does not possess any, not even the simplest, motion smoother.

C69KS offers a simplified motion enhancement panel in movies, allowing users to adjust the intensity of the effect using a slider. This makes it easy to tailor the smoothness to personal preferences. It also deserves credit for the ability to utilise higher refresh rates – even though the panel operates natively in 4K at 60 Hz, by lowering the resolution to 1440p, modes of 120 and 144 Hz can be enabled, on both consoles and PC. This sounds like great news, however, in practice, the image at these settings trails exceptionally badly. The effect is so pronounced that the overall experience simply appears mediocre and loses its appeal in everyday use.

It won’t be a surprise if we say that Philips PUS8359/12 only has the most basic support for consoles. Once we connect the console, we can expect features like VRR and ALLM. This is quite pleasing for the former, as life has shown that even in more expensive units, there can be issues with this. A nice touch is the implementation of a special GameBar that allows changing settings on the "fly", so we won't have to exit the gameplay and become unnecessarily distracted. This feature also allows for adapting the gameplay to the needs of individuals with disabilities, which will certainly be extremely beneficial.

If we overlook the smudging and lack of native 4K at 120 Hz, the C69KS is impressive in how well it performs for gaming. You get everything you would expect from a gaming TV: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Dolby Vision Gaming mode, and a consistently functioning HGiG. The TV can also operate at 120 or even 144 Hz at lower resolutions, making gameplay on console or PC smoother. Additionally, there's a clear Game Bar that allows you to quickly check key settings while gaming. As a result — despite a few limitations — the C69KS can be a genuinely successful screen for gamers.