Sharp GR8 vs TCL C6K

Sharp GR8 in its promotional materials boasts of "very high brightness" at a level of 500 nits. Unfortunately, our tests showed that reality is somewhat different – the average luminance we were able to achieve was around 360 nits. This is rather an average result, especially in the context of the manufacturer's claims. Such brightness does not allow for a full enjoyment of HDR effects. The image is a bit sharper than in standard SDR, but it's hard to talk about true vibrancy and depth of bright elements here. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 95% deserves praise. This is the result of applying an additional PFS coating, known from QLED technology. As a result, colours are vibrant and have a pleasant, natural tone, which partially compensates for the shortcomings in brightness.

TCL C6K is a moderately bright television that can showcase its full capabilities in the best movie conditions – the maximum brightness is around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, providing a sense of cinematic sparkle. However, it's important to remember that with local dimming management, there are situations where some elements become dimmed, and sometimes even barely visible. It is clear that there is a lack of proper optimization of the algorithms, although looking at the technical parameters in this price range, the build quality performs very well.

At the beginning, it's worth noting that colour reproduction tests are always conducted in the best factory picture mode. In the case of Sharp GR8, this is the “Film” mode. When it comes to white balance, which affects how we perceive colours on the screen, in SDR mode the strong dominance of blue immediately stands out. This results in an unnatural cooling of the image – blue elements take on a purple hue, and skin tones appear to have a pink tint, which we can see in the comparative photo from the film STAR WARS. During the Color Checker test, it was clearly visible how the colour samples deviated from the standard values, confirming significant errors in colour reproduction. The gamma was also not ideal – it caused excessive brightening of the entire image, causing the scene to lose depth and proper tonal transitions.

In the 4K HDR mode, the situation looks much better. The dominance of blue is much less noticeable, although there are minor issues with the blending of red and blue. This makes some shades look slightly unnatural. The EOTF curve, which is responsible for image brightness in 4K HDR content, showed another problem – the TV tends to excessively darken the image across the entire surface of the screen.

To summarise, the “Film” mode in Sharp GR8 would require some adjustments in order to fully utilise the potential of this television. Fortunately, we took care of this and proceeded with calibration.

This year's TCL televisions have introduced the Filmmaker mode, and it must be said that it is definitely the best choice right out of the box. This is the mode we recommend for everyday viewing of movies and series. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the best does not mean perfect. In the case of SDR content, the image was too warm, as the red was quite prominent in the white balance. On the other hand, with HDR content, we had the opposite impression – the image became cooler than it should have been, due to an excess of blue. There is also the brightness characteristic, which at times led to overexposure. In practice, these issues combined resulted in quite noticeable errors in colour tests, which are hard to accept in a mode advertised as “by the creators”.

Sharp GR8 is one of those televisions that really gains a second life after proper calibration. Both in HD and 4K content, the white balance performs very well, especially considering this model's price segment. The picture becomes significantly closer to what the director intended to show – colours appear natural, and skin tones gain the right depth and warmth. The brightness characteristics also leave a very positive impression. Both the gamma and the EOTF curve demonstrate really solid values. While slight imperfections can be noticed, they are subtle enough that it's difficult to see them during everyday viewing. In summary, calibration allows Sharp GR8 to show its best face, offering a picture that is not only pleasant to the eye but also faithfully conveys the creators' intentions.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, we were able to significantly reduce the C6K's tendency to distort colours, which resulted in a very good end result. After calibration, we won't observe the effect of excessive warming of scenes in SDR or overly cooling the image in HDR. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the brightness characteristics. In SDR content, it's hard to have major objections – the picture looks really good, especially in older movies, TV shows, or material from YouTube. It performs significantly worse with HDR content. An analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, but in practice (EOTF in movies), the limitations of the construction become apparent. The television tends to excessively brighten the smallest fragments of the frame, and in other situations, it can overly dim the entire scene. The effect of calibration is therefore noticeable, and regarding colourimetry, the C6K has really gained a lot, but certain limitations resulting from local dimming and actually from its management by the C6K simply cannot be overlooked.

Sharp GR8 is equipped with a feature called "10-bit colour reproduction," which theoretically should improve the smoothness of tonal transitions. In practice… well, the effect is surprising, but not in a very positive way. Even at the highest settings, it’s hard to notice any impact on the actual tonal transitions. Instead, the feature surprisingly smooths out things it shouldn’t - walls, shirts, or other flat surfaces look almost as if they have been ironed. In the test, we had to note that there is simply no actual impact on tonal transitions.

When it comes to image scaling, Sharp GR8 performs significantly better. The television can give the image a plastic, smooth characteristic, making even lower resolution content look quite good. Of course, with more demanding details, such as thin branches of trees in the background, you can see slight jaggedness, but it’s not something that would significantly affect the viewing comfort.

TCL C6K performs quite well in terms of upscaling. Lower quality materials appear acceptable, and the absence of overscan issues means the image is displayed in full, without cropping. However, one cannot expect miracles – very low quality content won't come to life here, as the image processor has its limitations. On thin lines or details, there is characteristic tearing visible, which indicates a lack of advanced image enhancement algorithms. It is also a shame that the C6K lacks the function of smoothing tonal transitions – in older films or video materials, colour banding can be noticeable and may be distracting during longer viewing sessions.

This is where Sharp GR8 has the opportunity to stand out against the competition in its price segment. The television is equipped with a 144 Hz refresh rate panel, which is an impressive result, especially if we plan to use it for dynamic content such as action films, sports broadcasts, or video games. Additionally, the manufacturer has included a motion smoothing feature, commonly known as a 'smoother'. The user has three levels of adjustment available, allowing them to tailor the effect to their personal preferences – from subtle smoothing to a more aggressive intervention in the fluidity of the image. It's a nice addition, particularly for those who mainly watch films and care about smooth, cinematic sequences without annoying judders or stuttering.

TCL C6K uses a 144 Hz panel, which is a significant advantage in this price range. It's an important step forward in comparison to the previous model C655 PRO, which only offered 60 Hz in 4K. The difference is especially noticeable when watching sports or playing games – the ball, players, or fast action in the game are displayed more clearly and without losing detail. An interesting fact is the panel's ability to operate at 240 Hz, which the manufacturer doesn't mention in official materials. We will return to this topic when discussing the PC gaming mode.

TCL has also added a feature for movie watchers: "Motion Clarity," which allows users to adjust the image according to their preferences with two simple sliders. You can either keep the visible film frame or opt for a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. This way, everyone can find settings that match their taste.

If the television has a 144 Hz panel and two full HDMI 2.1 ports, it’s clear it was designed with gamers in mind. The Sharp GR8 offers exactly that – high refresh rates and the right connections to get the most out of modern consoles and PCs. It also features ALLM, which automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, and VRR, ensuring the picture doesn’t stutter even in more demanding moments. In practice, everything works as it should, and it's difficult to find fault. However, it’s not without its shortcomings. There’s a lack of support for HGiG, which better adjusts HDR for games, as well as Game Bar, which makes it easier to quickly adjust settings without leaving the game. Despite these drawbacks, the Sharp GR8 is a really solid option for gamers.

The TCL C6K is a television that can confidently be called equipment designed for gamers. We have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, an automatic gaming mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. On top of that, there's a practical Game Bar, which is a panel with the most important settings handy – useful when we want to quickly change something during gameplay (e.g. screen ratio: Yes, you can!). Notably, it has a wide range of VRR, reaching up to 240 Hz. However, this option is mainly for PC gamers who drop below the native 4K resolution. In that case, the television can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, especially in fast e-sport titles. For consoles, we stick with the classic limit of 120 Hz, but the possibilities are still quite broad. The only slight drawback is some minor motion blur that can occasionally be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, the C6K offers everything gamers expect from a television.